“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 We’ve frequently sold unpublished authors to a major publisher because the book idea is tremendous and the writing is stunning.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?
Fun Fridays – August 5, 2022
Concept, platform, writing,
are all so very vital
in a market that is tightening
and to a novice, frightful.
But there is one more rock to add
unto this heavy load,
that of riding wave-crest fad,
a generation’s mother lode,
like Jonathan L. Seagull
who swooped in bringing hope
to a world whose heart was full
of sorrow, and just couldn’t cope
until his word-clothes offered grace
at the right time and right place.
If I may add a postscript, one book that I think recently replicated Jonathan Livingston Seagull’s right-place-right-time success is “Antiracist Baby”.
I haven’t read it, and have no plans to do so, but I HAVE heard of it, as word-of-mouth has made it impossible to avoid.
Regardless of political leanings, one has to credit Kendi with the astuteness to place a short and apparently resonant book on the market at exactly the right moment.
This does beg a question; was the concept there and either unfinished or unrealized before time’s tide floated it (as was the case with JLS), or was it the true catching of a breaking wave with fresh words?
Oooooh – I loved Jonathan Livingston Seagull! Read it waaaay back in high school. I have the sheet music for one of the songs from the movie: Dear Father.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In34NoH5ZKM
Of course, the video is from the movie. I just have the music and words. 🙂
Pam, I love the JLS movie soundtrack!
It seems to me that good marketing by the publisher would take the place of this mysterious platform.
Yep – it would. But most publishing houses think the author is the best one to market their book. What they don’t realize is writing and marketing are two totally different skill sets.
Lester,
A publishing company is in a profit making business. Thus they use “risk assessment” in determining which books they will put their money behind.
If an author brings with them a ready-made audience (platform) of 100,000 followers or fans, the publisher’s “risk” is considerably less. If that ready-made audience (platform) is 1,000 followers or fans, a publisher would have a riskier job of spending money in the hopes that they can create followers or fans.
Back in my days at Bethany House, I remember doing a post-publication assessment of a book we thought was going to be successful. We thought the author had a “ready-made” audience. They did not. But we spent a lot on marketing and promotion and on an advance to acquire the book in the first place. When accounting was complete, we had sold a modest number of books, but the company lost $30,000 on that book. Needless to say we didn’t do any more books with that author. Too risky.
I like how you explained the combos, Steve. It’s good to keep all this in mind. But really, we don’t know what story will take off, so we still need to write stories we love and want to read ourselves.
Pam,
True. And I am a huge advocate of writing what you are called to write.
But publishing is a business and thus the commercial viability of book is a major driving force behind publishing decisions.
I have been sitting here pondering . . . pondering for several minutes trying to come up with THAT book, the one that hit all three “Gs” and I cannot come up with it.
I don’t generally know a person’s platform. I know the subjects I like to read and I know when a book sucks me in, even if it is outside that subject area. What I believe to be stellar writing may not appeal to others in the slightest, while other titles that sell millions of copies, I find read like milk-toast.
This is not, and cannot be, a one-size-fits-all proposition.
Damon,
Here’s the bug in the soup for the consumer. It is unlikely you will know the author is a good writer until you’ve already bought the book.
The concept (interesting idea/story) and platform (credibility/reputation/previously read) comes into play.
Great writing can “sell” through word-of-mouth. Many successful books happen that way. But sitting on a shelf or behind a “look inside” feature is no help to the “great writing” factor.
A helpful and insightful post. Thank you.
Call me crazy, but I find this post encouraging—a tall order, but it can be done. Thank you for the encouragement!
The first book that comes to mind (not in the Christian genre) is “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.
https://www.deliaowens.com
In the Christian genre, “Operation Joktan” by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn.
Correction: I meant to type “Thriller Genre” for the 2021 “Operation Joktan,” published by Harvest House. I have not finished this book yet.
One of my favorite books is “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus,” by Nabeel Qureshi, published in 2014 by Zondervan—plus “Safely Home” by Randy Alcorn, published in 2001 by Tyndale. Both books do not meet your criteria of being published in the last five years.
What exactly do you mean by a Great Platform? Perhaps a cultural POV? Several of the authors you represent have excellent websites and various platforms. Mary DeMuth has published several books, including “The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible,” plus her lovely podcast, “Pray Every Day.”
I believe God finds ways of promoting people according to His purposes. Right after reading this post, I read a devotion in my email. It told the story of an unknown athlete whose father sold his car to pay for his son to compete in a tournament. The previously unknown athlete won and went on to have a thriving career, because his father had faith in him.
While not denying that celebrities and “influencers” sometimes rack up sales because of their followers, I also know that God’s will is a surety and He will lift up whom He chooses at the right time. I’ll finish my book, market as I can, and trust God for the increase. Less striving, less anxiety, more trust.
Just curious Steve if you could give us the name of a successful nonfiction book that you have represented that had great writing and great concept.