So you want to write an education book (part 2)
Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash
Welcome back to my series on writing an education book! For context about this series and where I’m coming from, head back to part 1.
Writing your proposal and securing a contract
Today, let’s talk all about proposals and contracts. Here’s something I didn’t know before getting into writing books myself: for most education books, you don’t have to write the entire book before getting a publishing contract. Instead, you write and submit a proposal, are offered a contract (or not), and then write the rest of the book by a specific deadline. This was helpful to learn because it made the process less intimidating: I don’t have to have an entire book ready to go, I just need to have a strong enough idea and the ability to articulate that idea. Here are a few more things to know as you write your proposal and hopefully get offered a contract.
(Shout-out to Tom Rademacher at TCM for offering some additional insight on this post!)
Making contact with an editor
Typically, you should try to connect with an editor at your preferred publisher before completing a whole book proposal. You can often find editors’ contact information on the publishers’ website. Reach out to make contact and talk generally about your idea. Remember, books aren’t chosen for publication solely based on whether your idea is worthwhile. The publisher may already have a book in process on a very similar topic, or they may have certain style requirements that don’t work for what you want to create, or any number of other reasons that your book and the publisher are not a good fit. Acquisition editors can tell you whether the publisher is interested in hearing about your idea, and can also tell you more about that particular publisher’s process.
This is also a great time to ask questions so you can determine whether the publisher and the process are right for you. Here are some potential questions to ask of editors:
What is the typical timeline at this publisher, from proposal to publication day? What are the various steps in the process?
How hands-on is the editor? How much feedback do they typically offer and at what points in the writing process
What kind of marketing support is offered? What other support is given to authors after publication day?
If you are connected with anyone with book at the same publisher, you might look to them for insight as well at this stage.
Writing your proposal
Proposal requirements are different at every publisher but will typically include some of these elements:
The pitch for your book idea
Who are you and why you’re the best person to write and sell this book
A detailed table of contents or outline of the proposed book
A sample chapter of the proposed book
Similar books to the one you want to write and why your book is different and/or better
Ideas you have about marketing the book, specific to your project and your audience (for example, are you part of an alumni group or professional organization that might do a bulk order? Are there specific teacher education courses you think could use your book as a core text?)
Your editor will give you an outline of which specific questions/sections need to go into your proposal.
As you write your proposal, don’t feel you have to go it alone! Many editors will be willing to give you feedback on a proposal draft before you submit it. They will ultimately be taking your proposal to the publisher’s board for approval (or similar process) and they want to be successful along with you. Ask for their help! I also seek feedback on my proposals from friends/colleagues and an independent editor (more on that in the next part of this series).
I also encourage you to really write the proposal in your own voice. Because there are so many sections to complete, sometimes a book proposal can feel like you’re filling out a form, and you can slide into using language that isn’t actually your writing voice. The publisher is looking at your proposal to see what you can do with words, so make sure you write how you actually write and mirror the tone of your proposed book.
The authors I surveyed had some great advice for writing your proposal. Here are some of their tips:
“Write a proposal that matches a book you can actually write. Dreaming big is fine, but it takes a lot of work (and some sweat, tears, etc.) to fulfill promises you might not have thought about when you were just trying to get a book accepted for publication. Constantly ask yourself this question as you write a proposal: ‘Can I write this book?’”
“Don't fall in love with it. Education publishers have different in-house styles and as such, may ask for - or expect - changes to your approach based on their expectations. Fall in love with the idea and the core of your book, but go in knowing that your final manuscript may only be a shadow of the original proposal.”
(I would add: be clear with yourself about what kinds of changes would feel okay and which would compromise your vision, and therefore might be an indicator that you need a different publisher. For example, if your publisher said they liked your proposal but you should write much more formally and refrain from using the first person, would that be okay or would you rather find a different home for your book? It’s okay to say no to a contract offer if you won’t be happy with the changes they’re asking you to make. This is your book.)
“There are many published authors who are willing to share the proposals we've written that have been accepted. A mentor text helps!”
Hurry up and wait, and be ready to fail
After you submit your proposal, your editor will take it through the process at the publisher. Some publishers send all proposals for peer review from other experts in the field. Others vote on proposals as a board. You may be waiting for a little while before you hear back.
As I mentioned in Part 1, I had one unsuccessful book proposal before I had a successful one. Many of the authors I surveyed had the same experience. Ask for feedback, learn from it, and try again!
OMG you got a contract offer!
If you get to the stage of a contract offer, CONGRATULATIONS! It’s a huge freaking deal. My first advice: celebrate. Writing a book is hard and the process will be long, so make sure to pause at fun moments like this one and take it all in.
Your publisher will send you a contract for your review. I highly recommend having a lawyer look it over with you so you can understand all of the elements in it and what they mean. There may be room to negotiate on some of your contract terms. As one author said, “the worst that can happen is they say no!”
Here are a few things to look out for in your contract:
Advances: you may be offered a sum of money as an advance against future royalties. This can help you to pay for materials you need while writing. In general, education publishers either don’t offer advances or they offer them in small amounts. I’ll talk more about money in part 4 of this series!
Royalties: your contract will spell out your royalty rates. It’s common to have a “stepped” rate in which you’ll make a certain percentage for the first few thousand copies sold, then your rate increases after that once or twice. Of the authors I surveyed, most people’s royalty rates were somewhere between 8% and 15% of sales. You can look up typical pricing for books from your publisher to figure out about how much you’ll make per book sold. (Again, I’ll talk more about money in part 4 of this series.)
Deadlines and length of book: these should reflect what you said in your proposal for how long the book will be and when you can turn it in. Make sure to talk with your editor about what needs to get turned in at that deadline (for example, what level of revisions should take place for the full manuscript at the due date? How much revision is expected afterwards? Do you also need to turn in things like chapter abstracts?)
Copies of your book: your contract will likely include a set of author copies of your book - basically, free copies that you can then give away to family and friends. This is a potential place you can negotiate if you feel like the number is low!
Other formats of your book: some publishers create an audiobook and ebook for every publication, but it’s not a given. The publishers I’ve worked with, for example, sell the rights to an external audiobook company. Ask about how this all works at your publisher, anticipated timelines, and other details (such as whether you would be given the chance to narrate your own audiobook)
Right of first refusal: this is a common clause in book contracts which requires you to pitch your next book to the same publisher before going to another publisher. Basically, they want the opportunity to keep you!
Once you agree with your contract terms and understand all the legalese, it’s time to sign. Congrats!
Get ready to write!
Now comes the most challenging and fulfilling part of the book process: actually writing your book. Here’s the next post for tips on writing, revising, and getting to the finish line of your draft.
