5 Ways to Make an Acquisitions Editor Say Yes

 with guest Raela Schoenherr, Fiction Acquisitions Editor, Bethany House Publishers. 


 While the basic job description of an acquisitions editor—acquire new books for a publishing company to publish—at first glance seems like a job where I get to regularly say “Yes!” and make authors’ days all day long, the truth is the number of aspiring authors exceeds the number of available publishing slots, and most acquisitions editors have to say no far more than we get to say yes.  And yet, despite how it may feel to pre-published authors, we LOVE when we get to say yes! We get to make you happy, you get to make us happy, and we both get to make the publishing company happy.

Since it makes my day when I get to say yes to a new author, I want to offer up five ways you can make it easier for me to say yes to your proposal, your book, and you.

1.) Great writing

Shall we get this one out of the way? Those of you who have studied the industry, attended conferences, or read publishing blogs knew this one was coming, didn’t you? 

All of us who say we are looking for great writing are well aware of how vague and indefinable this feels to a writer. In many ways, it’s a “we’ll know it when we see it” kind of thing. Which really doesn’t give you a lot to go on, does it? 

While this often boils down to the particular taste of an editor, there are some ways you can work to earn that nebulous label of great writing. And most of that involves studying the industry. 

Read widely in your genre—definitely in the CBA market, but also in the ABA market, if you can. When you’re moving books to the top of your TBR list, make sure to include those that are winning awards and receiving positive recognition from discerning sources. 

 Enter your unpublished manuscripts in contests where you will receive feedback from qualified judges even if you don’t end up placing in or winning the contest. Join a critique group, find a critique partner, or gather beta readers who have the ability to offer you constructive criticism as well as point out the areas where you shine. 

Read industry and customer reviews of the books you love and those that have received recognition to look for common themes in what is resonating with industry professionals and readers.

2.) Professional presence

In this day and age, where authors are more accessible to their readers than ever, the way you present yourself matters more than ever.

I love when I get to meet an aspiring author in person and hear directly from you about yourself and your book. A positive in-person interaction with an author suggests that you will leave similarly positive impressions of yourself and your work on future readers.

It almost goes without saying that an author’s online presentation of himself or herself makes a difference, as well. Editors and authors often don’t have the opportunity to meet in person before signing a book contract, so we’re basing most of our confidence in you on phone and email conversations as well as how you have chosen to present yourself online. 

As you go about your interactions and presence on the internet, try to act as if you already have several thousand readers following you online, and make sure you would be comfortable with any member of a publishing staff seeing what you’ve posted or commented on or liked or reviewed.

3.) Unique angle

Since there is a lot of competition for opportunities to publish your book with a traditional publisher, any way you can make yourself stand out from all the other authors and proposals an editor receives the better. 

It may be that your story or your approach to telling your story feels new and fresh and distinct from a particular house’s current list of authors or what is available in the market. (Although, of course, this comes with qualifiers since a book still has to be a reasonable fit for a publishing house’s readership.) Rather than offering a carbon copy of a specific book a company is already publishing, consider how you can craft a story in such a way that it will appeal to the same type of reader without feeling like a retread of another book. 

Or, it may be that something about you as the author is what makes this project unique. Is there anything about you that sets you apart as uniquely qualified to be telling these stories or that will particularly attract readers to your books? 

4.) Partnership potential

It’s often said that platform is not as essential in fiction as it is in nonfiction. While I believe this to be true, I would also say it’s steadily becoming more of a factor. A publishing company may not expect you to carry the brunt of the marketing and publicity for a book, or even most of it, but if two very similar authors with very similar projects are up for discussion, one author’s potential to be a stronger or more engaged partner could be one of the things to tip the scale in his or her favor. 

A huge platform may not be a realistic option for many pre-published fiction authors, but strong partnership potential might be something you can offer. Are you particularly savvy when it comes to networking with future influencers, endorsers, and/or reviewers? Are you really creative when it comes to ways to collaborate with libraries or indie bookstores or the media? Do you have an education or background in the content that makes up your story? Are you a Facebook or Pinterest or Twitter or #bookstagram fiend? 

Ultimately, as you take a close look at how you can be a desirable publishing partner, figure out what makes the most sense for you and where you feel you can be most successful and focus your efforts on your areas of strength.

5.) Knowledgeable passion

We’re all here because we are passionate about books and reading. That’s what brings us all together! So, while most aspiring authors may have passion about books in general, what stands out is an author who is informed and knowledgeable about their passion.

You can ask yourselves some questions to consider if you’re as knowledgeable in your passion as you could be. 

• Are you aware of books on the market that are comparable to yours? Have you read them?

• Have you read outside your typical genres to further your awareness of good storytelling? 

• Are you aware of industry trends and news and events? 

• Do you know the major publishing players and the authors and types of books they publish? 

• Are you particularly excited by the content/setting/hook/unique features of your book, or are you simply chasing the market? 

• Are you passionate not just about your story but can defend why it’s a good fit for the market and/or the publishing company? 

• Have you made strides to learn and study your craft?

•  Do you ask questions and make the most of the opportunities you have to network and learn from others in the industry?

•  Have you been willing to put in the amount of time it takes to truly make your manuscript the best it can be, or are you too impatient to go beyond that first rough draft?

Those are just five things that can help make an author an easier yes to an acquisitions editor. Every author and every situation is different, so these are not hard-and-fast…but they sure don’t hurt!  

What are your honest answers to the challenges Raela offered above? Leave a comment and we'll give one commenter the opportunity to win their book of choice from these Bethany House Publishing titles. Readers, say hi to our special guest and let her know which Bethany House Publishing titles you're currently enjoying or are on your TBR pile!

Raela Schoenherr is a fiction acquisitions editor and has been with Bethany House Publishers since 2008. She grew up reading Christian fiction and enjoys being able to work with the kinds of books she always loved. When she’s not reading (or listening to audiobooks!), she’s probably cheering on the Green Bay Packers, running, or spending time with her wonderful family and friends. A graduate of Bethel University, she makes her home in Minneapolis, MN and is active on Twitter at @raelaschoenherr. 

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