It happens. Despite all efforts and good intentions, not every proposal we shop will end up being contracted by a major publisher. Of course, our agency tries our best to keep that from happening. We carefully choose which projects and authors we represent. We work with our clients to create and develop top-notch proposals. And our success rate is extremely high.
But that success rate is not 100%.
Here are four examples of projects I represented in years past that did not sell to a major publisher (but great projects nonetheless):
- The autobiography of a well-known, former NFL coach who became a follower of Christ late in life. In his later years, he devoted considerable time to prison ministry. The story gave deep background into his time in the NFL.
- An extraordinary graphic novel series. It was ahead of its time, but no publisher was willing to take the obvious risk to produce and distribute the project. The author-artist later found his own backing and formed a company to create the material. They found a nontraditional distributor and ended up selling more than 250,000 units.
- An already self-published book on the importance of character in a person’s life, what it is and how to cultivate it. The author was a judge and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in his state. His credentials were impeccable. He was media-ready and spoke regularly on the topic.
- A supernatural fiction manuscript that caught my eye for its great story line and wonderful storytelling. The combination of being a debut author and having a thinly veiled science-fiction thread caused it to be rejected by everyone. The author shelved it and wrote another novel, which didn’t sell. The author shelved that one and began writing nonfiction where the author has become quite successful.
So what do you do if your project doesn’t capture a major publisher’s attention?
Try Again
See the fourth example above where the author did not give up, even switched to a different discipline entirely and found the perfect outlet for his talent. This is the most-common solution for professional writers. Tears of frustration may be shed, but they step back and come up with a new idea.
There’s more to this story! After developing a following as a nonfiction writer and a platform, I sold that original novel to a publisher nine years after the original attempt. Then seven years after that the author was able to publish yet another novel.
Do It Yourself
Let me reiterate that self-publishing is always an option if (a) you have an audience to which to sell the book, (b) you have the gumption to be an entrepreneur and sell your project successfully, and (c) you have the money to invest in making it an excellent final product. The first example above is what this author did. He was well loved in his community, even did local TV commercials, and thus had a ready-made market for his story. (He passed away a couple of years after publishing his book, but it remains in print to this day.) This is a perfect example of where self-publishing makes a lot of sense.
Find Another Way–Anything Is Possible
The second example above illustrates this strategy. The author did not take no for an answer and ended up with a company behind his work.
The judge, example three above, retired from his position and continued to speak and influence those around him. He continued to sell his self-published book to his listening audience. He was no worse off than before he approached me for representation. He gave it a shot, and it didn’t work out.
Or do as one lady did at a writers conference. During her 15-minute writers conference appointment, she asked me point-blank, “Do I have what it takes to be a successful writer?” I stammered a bit, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “You have the foundation of a good story, but it is going to take a lot of work to get it ready to be competitive.” She thanked me and abruptly ended the meeting. Later that afternoon she came bounding up to me full of smiles. She proclaimed, “I quit! I called my husband and told him I’m quitting this writing stuff and taking up knitting instead. I’m so happy! Thank you for telling me how much work it was going to take. I’d rather spend that time doing something I know I will enjoy.” The moral of that story is to ask yourself the ultimate question of whether you are willing to continue to work hard in order to overcome any objections to your next idea.
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[A version of this post ran in February 2013. It has been thoroughly revised and updated.]
