If you’re gearing up to publish your first book, then you might be wondering what the traditional publishing process looks like. What’s involved in finding and signing with a literary agent? How exactly do you land a book deal? And what happens after you ink your name on the dotted line?

Every author’s experience within the traditional publishing industry will be unique. That said, there is a general script that most writers follow as they work their way through the traditional publishing process, and it’s this blueprint that I intend to break down in today’s article.

Because the more you know about publishing both traditionally and independently, the greater your sense of assurance will be as you prepare to share your stories with the world.

Step #1: Revise & polish your manuscript

Most traditionally published authors have literary agents who present their work to publishing houses, help them negotiate contracts, and otherwise serve as their guides through the wild and turbulent world of traditional publishing.

If you want to land an agent, ensuring your manuscript is the best that it can be before querying is essential. Agents receive dozens, if not hundreds, of queries a day. A quality query letter might pique an agent’s interest, but they won’t give a sloppy or incomplete manuscript a second thought.

Step #2: Assess your story’s marketability

Most literary agents specialize in particular types of manuscripts, such as children’s lit, mysteries and thrillers, or speculative fiction. Understanding where your book would best fit into the market is therefore key to crafting an effective query letter and appealing to the right agents for your work.

Step #3: Research agents

When your manuscript is polished and you have a strong understanding of where your book would fit in the market, it’s time to begin querying agents.

The first step in the querying process is to compile a list of agents you’d like to solicit, specifically those who specialize in your genre and would otherwise be a great fit for you and your work. You can use tools like Publishers Marketplace, Query Tracker, and Agent Query to research agents.

Bear in mind that some agents may not be open to new submissions. It’s always a good idea to review an agent’s submission guidelines, catalogue of work, and reputation within the industry before adding them to your list.

Step #4: Write your query letter and synopsis

After compiling a list of agents you’d like to query (somewhere between 25 - 50 is a good starting point), you’ll be ready to draft the query letter you’ll use to pitch your manuscript as part of the submissions process.

Publishing professional Jane Friedman has a fantastic guide on writing effective query letters that you can find by clicking here.

Before submitting your query letter, double check the agent’s submission guidelines. Many agents ask writers to include a short synopsis (typically 2, 5, or 10 pages long) and a manuscript excerpt in their submission package.

Step #5: Begin submitting queries

When you’re ready to submit your first queries, consider appealing to just five to ten agents at a time, which can help temper the inevitable sting of rejection. As a bonus, if rejection includes feedback on your pitch or manuscript, you can use this advice to polish your query before your next round of submissions.

If your query interests an agent, they’ll likely ask for a partial or full copy of your manuscript for review. After sending this along, the agent will either reject your work or make an offer of representation.

A slew of rejections doesn’t necessarily mean that you haven’t written a good story or query letter. Agents might conclude that your manuscript simply isn’t marketable at that particular moment in time.

Pay attention to feedback, and act accordingly. If, after a year of querying, you receive positive notes but no offer of representation, then it might be time to shelve your manuscript and get to work on a new project.

Step #6: An agent(s) makes an offer

Has an agent offered to represent your manuscript? Congratulations!

Such news can incredibly exciting, but resist the urge to automatically accept the first offer that comes your way. Your relationship with your agent is pivotal to your success as an author, so take the time to review their professional track record and ask any questions that might come to mind.

It’s okay to take several days (or even a few weeks) to make your decision. If you’re waiting to hear from other agents you’ve queried, then be honest. Give the agent a clear deadline by which you’ll make your final decision.

Step #7: Sign with your agent

An agent’s verbal offer of representation will also come with an official contract that you’ll want to carefully review. Again, don’t hesitate to ask any questions that come to mind, and always be on the look out for potential red flags.

Now’s also the time to have an in-depth conversation with the agent about your goals for both your manuscript and your career. This conversation should help you gauge whether the agent is a good fit for you and your work.

If you’re happy with the contract and have faith in your working relationship with the agent, then go ahead and sign that sucker. Oh, and maybe pop some champagne while you’re at it. 🎉

Step #8: Your agent begins shopping your book

Remember that conversation that you and your agent had before you accepted their offer of representation? If you agreed to make any editorial changes to your manuscript at your agent’s request, then now’s the time to do so.

When it’s ready, your agent will begin shopping your manuscript around to acquisitions editors at the appropriate publishing houses. If your manuscript doesn’t receive any interest in the first six months, then you and your agent may have a conversation about further revisions or a change in tack.

If your agent shops the manuscript for several more months to no avail, then another serious conversation will be in order.

In all likelihood, your agent will want to see your other work and may offer to represent a different manuscript, which is why continuing to write during the submissions process is so important.

But in some cases, an agent may wish to part ways if they’re unable to secure a deal for your manuscript, at which point it might be time to start a new project or resume querying.

Step #9: Sign your book deal

With any luck, one or more publishers will make an offer on your book. When this happens, you’ll review the contract(s) with your agent and negotiate terms as needed. Then, when you’ve settled on the right deal for you, it’s time to sign!

Step #10: Your book is assigned a launch date

After your deal is finalized, your publisher will assign your book a tentative launch date (e.g. Spring 2022) that is typically at least 18 months away — and so the countdown to launch day begins.

Step #11: Developmental edits begin

As pre-publication gets underway, your first task will be to revise your novel based on editorial feedback. You’ll complete one or more rounds of revision as you and your editor work to develop as strong a story as possible.

Step #12: Your editor presents your book

When revisions are complete and your launch date is somewhere between six and eight months away, your editor will begin to present your manuscript to the publisher’s cover design, interior formatting, and marketing teams. Work on these aspects of your novel will begin.

Step #13: Line and copy-editing kick off

While various departments begin bringing your book to life, you’ll have the fun job of combing through your manuscript line by line to polish your story’s prose. You’ll likely complete several rounds of line and copy edits before finalizing your manuscript for publication.

Step #14: Pre-publication tasks pick up

Four to six months before launch day, you’ll begin a slew of pre-publication tasks such as finalizing your book’s cover design, strategizing pre-launch marketing, seeking author blurbs, and sending out ARCs for early review.

Shortly thereafter, you’ll begin marketing your upcoming book in earnest, though bear in mind that the scope of marketing assistance you receive as a debut author might be limited.

Step #15: Your book becomes real

Just a few short weeks before publication, you’ll receive the first finished copy of your book. Time to break out the balloons!

Step #16: Launch day arrives

At long last, your book will makes its debut on the market. Congratulations, you’re officially a published author! With any luck, your book will sell well and both your agent and editor will be all too eager to take on your next project.

Did this breakdown help you better understand the traditional publishing process? Again, I’d like to reiterate that these “steps” are meant to map out a debut author’s general journey through the wild, wild west that is traditional publishing. Your own experience may end up varying greatly. 

For more information on the traditional publishing process, I recommend checking out some of the following articles from publishing pros and traditionally published authors:

• How to Get Your Book Published: Jane Friedman
• After You Sign the Publishing Contract: Randy Susan Meyers
• What Happens After You Sign With a Literary Agent: Jackie Yeager
• What Really Happens When You Land a Traditional Book Deal: Stephanie Chandler