When I review a proposal from a new or experienced author, I use several informal “tests” to evaluate whether the concept might be of interest to publishers.
Remember, the agent’s role is to find books that might interest publishers. What we like doesn’t really matter. I’ve learned to like book proposals that sell. But that’s just me.
Some of my ad hoc “tests” are:
Editor Test: Can I think of specific acquiring editors who might like to see this? (If not, that’s a problem.)
Theology Test: “If you are saying something that no one else is saying, you are probably a heretic.” (Josh McDowell)
Legal Test: Could someone take legal action against the author? (Hint: You want the answer to be “no.”)
Seminar Test: For nonfiction works, imagine an in-person presentation of the content to a crowd of people who each paid $20.00 to hear you speak. (No free entries, you have to pay to attend.)
Interview Test: This would indicate the author’s authority. Imagine the author being interviewed on a major podcast and being introduced as having no formal theological training but still having an interesting “take” on the epistles to the Thessalonians.
Church Test: Would this book contribute to the conversation among Christians, help support church ministry, and disciple other believers?
There are probably some other ways I intuitively evaluate a proposed book, but those tests run in the background of my brain and are not immediately obvious. (Maybe call them the Sum of Life Test.)
One test I don’t use is “Would I Read This?” Since most Christian books are targeting people who don’t look like me, the low-resolution thinking behind representing only my preferences for reading would be a quick path to failure. My personal preferences don’t matter.
But one of the most telling tests for any book, and, honestly, most books fail this one, is the Five-Year Test. Most books are irrelevant by the five-year mark, with very few (maybe 5-10%?) becoming perennial sellers.
If you self-publish, it will probably take a year to write a book, and a few months to get it prepared to be published.
For traditional publishing, you write the book, and then it takes 12-18 months after finishing the manuscript to be ready to publish.
In both cases, the clock started ticking when you finished writing, as all your insights, examples, and stories are frozen in time at that point.
Books are a unique medium. The very nature of them requires the message to be long-term; even those who might read it will likely take several weeks or months to get through it. If someone buys it three years from now, will it still resonate? This is why publishing created the Revised and Updated Edition for some of its bestselling books.
What things usually date a book and make it irrelevant either faster or slower?
- Current events used as examples.
- Critiques of anything current.
- Humor using actual people or events.
- Quotes from relatively recent sources. (Better to quote someone who has died.)
- Out-of-date phrases that don’t mean the same anymore. (Social media cycles through language at lightspeed. Books don’t.)
I am sure there are other things, but I don’t want someone to read this in 2031 and find it out of touch!
I do have a question about qualifications and the Interview Test.
The writers of the Epistles were, in the main, not theologically trained, but they defined the growth of Christianity. If they’d been educated at yeshivas, I suspect we’d be looking at a different brand of Christianity today.
Likewise for theologically educated writers; their point of view (it seems to me) is going to be filtered through their respective schools, and will therefore be ‘establishment’ thinking.
Please don’t misunderstand; I’m not an iconoclast, and have no interest in ‘deconstructing’ Christianity and then ‘reimagining’ it.
It does seem, though, that some things consistent with the development of the early church could be lost?
Perhaps a form of mentorship for an unschooled writer could be a solution that would preserve both freshness and integrity?
First, my perspective comes from working with larger traditional publishers who use agents as “talent scouts” for new books.
For sure, the various Christian writers’ conferences held each year are excellent ways to mentor someone in the ways of publishing, but theological mentoring will always involve a perspective. Even a non-traditional perspective has its own orthodoxy.
Turning this around, if your job at a publisher is to acquire 10 books each year and generate $2 million in revenue from them, your perspective would become very practical. The books you select would come from authors who are highly accomplished and respected in their field, evidenced by their reputation and existing speaking, teaching, and media platforms.
There are exceptions to every rule, some of them quite dramatic, but publishers are successful in their mission and in business by first doing the fundamentals well. Acquiring books is a balance of various levels of financial risk.
Sometimes, those who have a deep love of books don’t fully understand that books are created by commercial businesses that balance art, mission, and money.
This article just joined the small number of articles I’ve bookmarked.
Dan, old friend:
Of course, some non-iction books related to hot topics can go gangbusters for a short period of time. When you were at Tyndale, I think I recall Ron Beers piloting a book on Saddam Hussein and the Gulf War (e.g. Babylon and End Times) that was written and released very efficiently, and did quite well. Certainly not evergreen. But certainly profitable. (Unless the publisher excitedly prints a couple million copies over demand.)
My own current release, Happy Semiquincentennial, America! is actually doing quite well, and happily will sit on thousands of coffee tables through 2026. But I fully realize no one will be purchasing it after our 25oth anniversary year is over. As a result, I will not be counting on residual royalties for that book in my retirement. This author and my publisher fully accept that!
Go Cubs!
Wow, this is great. It gives me insight to an editor’s and publisher’s mindset. I’m glad to say I believe all five of my books pass the five tear test. That’s because they are either based on a bible teaching, like: “The Rise and fall of the angel Lucifer A.K.A. the Devil,” “Do Pets Go Yo Heaven? The Bible Says “YES”, (sold over 3300 copies being self-published). People who love their pets will always be interested in this book. Many have bought extra copies to give away, I pulled that book off of Amazon because I have received so many wonderful emails that I want to included some in the updated version. The book “The Time is Fulfilled, End time Prophecy Has Already Started To Happen. Here’s What’s Coming Next.” That’s a bible study on the book of Revelation, verse by verse, telling where we are today and what to look for as time passes. That book will never be without some interest. Yes, I give some current and pass events that that have taken place, but also I tell my reader what to look for that is going to happen, That way they will know what to look for to make the book always relevant.
My autobiography is about all the miracles I have, either personally experienced or witnessed, will never lose interest by Christians who are seeking the God of the supernatural. This book explains why some miracles did or did not happen, And finally, “Abducted by an UFO” will always have a certain number of readers who are interested in what these people experienced,
If you think you could find a publisher for any one of these books, let me know and I will send you a sample chapter.