“There are a lot of good manuscripts out there. What we want are those which are great.” I’ve said this many times but thought I should elaborate. Please note the following information applies mostly to nonfiction projects.

When it comes to the nonfiction books that attract major publishers, I believe the author must have at least two of three “great” things:

Great Concept
Great Writing
Great Platform

Let’s look at the various combinations to see how this plays out.

Platform + Writing

These books are well written by a highly visible author. They get published but have modest sales. It may be that the concept or idea doesn’t resonate with readers. It may be the author’s constituents are the only ones who buy a copy. It may be the topic is too academic for a commercial audience. But if you are a great writer with a great platform, there is no question you will find a publisher who will partner with you.

Platform + Concept

These books are often celebrity driven. The publisher and the author brainstorm for the right package. Or the author’s material is based on a great title from a sermon series or a particularly popular talk. Unfortunately, the writing is weak for whatever reason. They converted a sermon series without much editing. Or they hired a ghostwriter who did their best under severe time constraints. You get the idea. You may have bought a book like this. Famous author with a great book title; but when you tried to read it, it felt forced or manufactured. (Disclaimer: That is not to say that all Platform + Concept books are poorly written. My attempt here is to highlight great writing versus good writing.)

Concept + Writing

This is where most writers land. They aren’t famous–yet. They have a great concept and are an amazing writer. The combination can overcome a lack of platform in the right circumstances. It’s not a given, but it can happen. We’ve frequently sold unpublished authors to a major publisher because the book idea is tremendous and the writing is stunning. That should be an encouragement to anyone who is working on their first book. It is not easy; but it can, and still does, happen.

Platform + Concept + Writing

There are those magical books where all three elements come together and create a bestseller that outsells even the wildest projections.

Is platform important? Oh my, yes. Increasingly so. But it isn’t the only thing.

Your Turn

Can you name recent (in the last five years) releases that, in your estimation, fit all three criteria?
Is there a broad-stroke area that is missing in this overview?
Is this a helpful way to think about platform vs. no platform?