Interview with Susan Heim, former Senior Editor of Chicken Soup for the Soul books, current freelance editor and author

Susan Heim is a former editor of nonfiction books, and was responsible for soliciting manuscripts and moving them up the publishing chain. She shares her industry knowledge with us on how to make your pitch the best one it can possibly be.

 

1. Who would get your attention: authors who hand a manuscript and cover letter to the company, or someone who has a bound, formatted, edited, manuscript with a marketing plan? Why?

 

Actually, I’d be impressed by a combination of those two options. I like to see a nice cover letter that really grabs my attention and makes me want to read the manuscript. I want to read a proposal that includes a well-thought-out marketing plan. And I want to see a manuscript (or sample chapters) that are well-written, engaging and error-free. The manuscript doesn’t need to be bound, but it should be edited well and professional.

 

2. What kind of things do you look for in a proposal? What works? What doesn’t work?

 

What works:

 

• Title and Subtitle: Check out the books on the current bestseller lists. Most of them have unusual- sometimes outrageous- titles. Think of a title that’s really going to capture the imagination. And make sure your subtitle accurately summarizes what’s in the book.
• Author(s): This one’s a no-brainer. List your name and that of any co-authors. Advanced degrees should also be listed after the name, if applicable (e.g., Jane Doe, Ph.D.).
• Foreword: If you’ve secured a well-known person to write a foreword for your book, be sure to indicate it.
• Premise: What problem exists that needs to be answered by your book? Why did you set out to write this book? What need did you see in the marketplace?
• Overview: Summarize your book, but make it compelling. What does your book have to offer? Why won’t readers be able to put it down? How is it unique and wonderful?
• Format: How will your book be set up? Will you include sidebars, quotes, celebrity interviews, resource lists, etc.?
• Table of Contents: Lay out your proposed table of contents so publishers get a feel for the content of your book. Formulate clever chapter titles, and write a few sentences about the make-up of each chapter.
• Number of Pages: Give a range of the length you expect the printed book to be, such as 200–250 pages.
• Date of Completion: If the manuscript is not finished, when would you expect it to be ready? Ideally, you should be able to complete it within 3–6 months.
• Competing Titles: What other books in the marketplace are similar to yours? Don’t claim there’s nothing else out there like yours. List some titles, but then explain how yours has more to offer.
• The Market: Whom will this book appeal to? Publishers want to know that there’s a large audience for this book. Give a description of the typical reader(s) of this book and provide statistics as to how many people are in this market. Be creative. If you’ve written a parenting book, it might also appeal to grandparents, educators, daycare providers, and so on.
• Marketing and Promotion: This section is very important. Publishers count on their authors to do their share of book marketing and promotion. What public speaking do you do? What organizations do you belong to? What contacts do you have in your field? What ideas do you have for promoting this book? What connections do you have? Do you have a website and/or business through which you can sell your book?
• Endorsements: Do you know anyone famous or influential in your field that would be willing to write an endorsement for the book? Are you affiliated with any organization that will endorse the book to its members? Don’t say, “I’m sure that Rachael Ray would love to endorse this book,” if you’re not acquainted with her. Just say, “I will seek endorsements from prominent cooking professionals.” Never promise anything you may not be able to deliver.
• Author Bio: What are your credentials for writing this book? Have you authored other books? How well have they sold? What other writing do you do? What degrees do you have? Do you have a colorful background to share? This is not the time to be bashful. Make yourself sound as experienced, professional and interesting as possible!
• Sample Chapters: Include two sample chapters from your book. Ideally, include your first chapter, and make sure it really grabs the reader from the first page! Your other chapter can be the second one or any other chapter that you feel will be persuasive to the publisher.

 

What doesn’t work:

 

• Do not send a proposal that’s filled with typographical and grammatical errors. A sloppy proposal will get you a rejection letter, no matter how good your idea or content.
• Do not say that your book is a perfect fit for Oprah. Everyone claims this, and publishers roll their eyes.
• Do not try to win over the editors by sending gifts with your proposal. They’ll see right through it.
• Do not call an editor to check on the status of your proposal. Allow about three months to receive a response. If you haven’t heard anything by then, you can follow up with a polite and non-intrusive call or e-mail.
• Do not send a proposal to a publisher who does not publish books in your genre. Always check a publisher’s website for their previous books and submission guidelines, and include all of their requested information in your proposal.

 

 

3. The bottom line seems to be “will it sell?” What advice you could give to an author to ensure that this happens?

 

Besides good content, the most important thing that publishers want to see is that you have a platform or have the means to promote this book. Be sure you know your market. Who is in it? How big is it? How will you reach them? Be active in social media, like Twitter and Facebook.  Have a blog and update it frequently with articles on your subject matter. Write articles for websites, blogs and magazines. Publishers want to know that you are viewed by the media and by potential readers as an expert on your subject matter.

 

4. What is the most important part of a pitch to you? For instance, is the cover letter what impresses you the most, or the actual writing?

 

It’s all-important. The cover letter must be good or I won’t bother to read the proposal or manuscript. The proposal must be good, or it’s not worth my time to read the manuscript. And, of course, if the manuscript doesn’t deliver on what was promised in the cover letter and proposal, that won’t fly either. Sorry to say, but it’s ALL-important if you want to stand out from the thousands of authors that publishers hear from each year.

 

 

We would like to thank Susan Heim, and all of our industry contributors, for their time and insights.