Thread by @DavidSpinks

Want to publish a book one day?

A lot of aspiring authors have been asking me about my experience of publishing The Business of Belonging.

The book world is confusing and opaque. I was lucky to have some incredible advisors.

Here's a thread of the inside secrets I learned 👇🧵

Publishers work a lot like VC funds.

They invest in a lot of authors but only need one book to take off to get a return on their investment.

If they think they have a winner, they'll put more weight and promotion behind it.

For 99% of authors, the marketing of your book will be totally up to you.

Your publisher will not help you promote your book.

On average, it will take 18 months from the time you sign a book deal to it actually being published.

But it is possible to go faster.

I'm publishing mine 9 months after signing, and it was a *very* accelerated process.

100% of hybrid-publishers will say yes to your book proposal if it's half-decent.

You pay them, usually between $10k-$50k, so it makes sense.

I thought they'd be more selective, but they weren't.

Getting a traditional publisher to say yes is 1000X harder.

Your book proposal is extremely important.

For business books, your marketing plan is just as important as the book blurb.

The publisher will need to feel confident that you can sell your book in order to give you a deal.

If an author is willing to spend enough money, they can buy their way onto the bestseller lists.

The NYT list is curated beyond just book sale numbers, so it's harder to game than others.

Sales numbers are tracked by a service called Bookscan.

Most business books don't sell many copies organically.

They're sold mostly through bulk-buys as compensation for speaking and workshops.

Some authors/companies buy a lot of their own books and give them away. It's a great business card.

You don't write a book to make money on book sales.

Especially not with a traditional publisher, who will get 80-90% of profits.

You write a book to drive growth for something else (a product, speaking, consulting, reputation, etc.)

First-time authors can expect an advance of about $10k-$25k.

Some publishers pay bigger advances than others.

You'll likely put all of it back into marketing the book.

If you want to publish a book, create high-quality content online first.

I ended up getting a book deal because an editor at Wiley read an article I worked on with @firstround and he reached out to me.

That was after multiple pubs already said "no" to my proposal.

I'm really happy I went with a traditional publisher over self-publishing.

Traditional pubs:
- help you position the book
- add credibility
- project manage everything
- provide high-quality editors and designers
- get your book into stores
- manage distribution logistics

Writing a book is the hardest thing I've ever done.

I've written hundreds of articles in my life, but weaving together a cohesive narrative for 200+ pages is brutal.

Having a deadline is critical. Otherwise, you will never stop editing.

The first draft of your book will be bad. Like really bad.

Don't worry.

Between you + editors, it will be reviewed over 10 times before getting published.

The end product will be lightyears away from the first draft. Just get it done.

Having a literary agent is hugely helpful not just for getting you a book deal but for the entire process.

My agent has helped with:
- negotiations & advocating on my behalf
- edits and feedback
- speaker booking
- managing logistics of book distribution
- vendor introductions

If you have a literary agent, you only pay them when you get paid (usually 15% of your advance/royalties), so it's very low risk for you.

It also makes it hard to find a great agent.

You'll need to pitch agents the same way you'll have to pitch publishers.

While it was hard, publishing a book has been extremely rewarding.

Not just for business and reputation, but just the process of going really deep into a topic you're curious about.

You come out the other side with much deeper expertise and understanding.

@ me with any questions!

If you enjoyed this thread, follow me @davidspinks for more threads on writing, community building, and business.

And preorder a copy of The Business of Belonging! cmxhub.com/the-business-o…

One and one more thing...

Holding your book for the first time is like holding your baby for the first time.

It's a surreal moment that you'll remember forever.