Things you Should Know About Publishing in 2024

We know there are many things that you just have to “learn as you go” as an author, and it’s especially difficult to think strategically when you are encountering every step of the process for the first time. It can feel like the publishing industry swirls with inscrutable mystery, but it really does get easier with experience. Seasoned authors and agents continue to learn new things every day too, and that’s part of the fun!

We want you to begin 2024 feeling prepared and motivated, so we took time in January to impart some simple truths about publishing via our social media accounts. We’ve given advice that is practical, but potentially impactful, and in today’s blog post we’re including the complete collection of tips from January 2024 for your convenience. We hope you find them helpful!

1. Slow and steady wins the race.

When that “final” draft is complete, it can be tempting to rush off and send it everywhere all at once, but building your career as an author is a long game. It’s good to pace yourself. Making small, measurable goals and then proceeding with intentionality and some prudence will give you the space you need to learn from your mistakes and pivot when necessary. Find that beta reader, curate your list of agents, build your social media platform and writing community. And don’t forget that a career is usually built on more than one book, so keep writing! This year, remember that the publishing industry isn’t going anywhere! Take your time, plan ahead, and produce your best work!

2. We all have the same, very limited, 24 hour days.

You’ve probably heard it before – agents are swamped. We wish it was an exaggeration, but agents (and editors) are truly faced with an overwhelming number of submissions. The volume of manuscripts crossing our desks in a given week or year is exponentially more than we could accept even if it were possible to fit more work hours into the day. We get 24 hours and really do better overall when some of those are dedicated to eating, sleeping, and spending time with loved ones. Take encouragement from this! The waiting is normal, and most importantly, a “rejection” from one agent is not necessarily a reflection of your manuscript’s potential. It is a reflection of the difficult decisions we have to make about what we can afford to take on to our already-full list of responsibilities.

3. Platform matters. ​

More and more often agents are hearing no-thank-yous from editors along the lines of, “The manuscript has potential, but I’m afraid that the author’s platform is not where it would need to be to help us with marketing.” It’s just the unfortunate reality that there are not enough people or hours in the day for publishers to give every book a robust marketing plan, and they are making their decisions in part based on whether or not the author has demonstrated the ability to do some of that legwork themselves. What does “platform” mean today? It can still vary by audience. Where are you likely to meet your readers? Speaking events? Professional organizations? In the pages of trade journals? Or social media? An author website and social media accounts are the most common starting place for connecting with your audience.

4. Response times are slower than ever.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, agents (and editors) have seen a massive increase in the volume of submission over the years. Many of us receive no compensation for reading those submissions, but they are an essential part of finding quality projects to work on. Even so, we must prioritize our current clients and projects, and sometimes it just takes a very long time to clear space to consider new one. A long wait does not mean “no,” and it’s a good discipline to try not to read into the reason it’s taking so long to hear back from someone. Sometimes the delay is something as simple as one of us getting a cold that sets our schedule back. You want agents and editors to have the brain-space for your voice, so while waiting is hard it is ultimately worthwhile. And remember that when your book goes on submission with an agent, the waiting will resume – response times from editors are slower than ever. Practice patience now.

5. You need a hook.

What makes readers want to read your book? Unless you are already famous, there will need to be something about your manuscript that is unique or unusual enough to grab the attention of readers in a very saturated market. If you can’t identify the thing or things that will grab readers and keep them, then it’s time to examine whether your manuscript is really as complete and creative as it could be. Without a hook you will likely receive feedback that it “feels too familiar” or “won’t stand out” among the competition.

But don’t stress so much about inventing something never-before-seen as identifying what is special about what you’ve already created. Even though there is a chance you need to revise, it’s equally possible that you haven’t honed in on the hook in your description/pitch but that it’s there waiting to be found. Each story is unique because each writer is – which perspective, plot element, character detail, or topic is going to make readers stop and give your book a second glance?

6. It pays to plan your queries wisely.

Querying can be time consuming, and you may be tempted to streamline by creating an impersonal query letter and sending it out widely. But you need to know that it’s more likely that you’ll find success faster if you research and target specific agents than if you send pitched out blindly and cross your fingers. Your manuscript will not be a good fit for many agents out there. Some do not represent your genre or age group at all. Some have very specific directions on their wishlists or websites about what they want to see (or not see) in a query. Take the time to create a submission plan that includes agents you genuinely feel to be a good fit for you, and then query in batches. You may receive feedback from agents in one round of submissions that affects your future submission practices for the better. It can take time to find an agent who is interested and available, but throwing spaghetti at the wall is little more than a waste of everyone’s time.

7. Unique, well-written books are still getting published and flying off shelves. ​

We’d like to end this series on a hopeful note to remind you why you became interested in this author career path in the first place – good books are still being made! Publishing is alive and well, and there is room for more growth. Like every industry, it changes and adapts, but reading is still a beloved pastime that we think will endure. Create the very best manuscript and submission plan that you can, and stay the course. Your perseverance may reap huge rewards that giving up is sure to cheat you from.