What Does An Author Really Need From A Publisher?
Updated: 19 hours ago
When authors begin looking for a publisher, it's natural to start with a list of services.
Editing. Cover design. Interior formatting. ISBNs. Distribution. Metadata. Proofs. Marketing.
Those things matter. A publisher needs to understand professional publishing standards and have the experience and resources to produce a book properly.
But I don't think a list of services tells you nearly enough about what it will actually be like to publish a book with someone.
Because publishing a book is not simply a production process.
There is a writer on one side of it. And that writer is handing someone something they may have spent years creating.
I think that changes the question. Instead of asking only, What services does this publisher provide?
Authors should also ask:
What do I need from the person I am trusting with my book?
Writing Comes with Vulnerability
I learned this very early in my publishing career because I spent a lot of time talking to writers. There are experiences that seem to cross genres, backgrounds, and levels of experience, and one of them is the vulnerability that comes with finally allowing someone else to read your work. Think about what has happened before that moment. You may have spent hundreds or thousands of hours alone with those words.
Days.
Months.
Years.
Then, eventually, you have to hand the manuscript to someone else. Maybe it's an editor. Maybe it's another writer. Maybe it's an agent or a publisher. Suddenly something that existed privately between you and the page is being evaluated by another person.
That's vulnerable. And I don't think publishers should ever forget it.
Authors Need Professional Safety
I think one of the first things an author needs from a publisher is something I would describe as professional safety. That doesn't mean a publisher should tell you everything you've written is wonderful.
Quite the opposite. A good publishing relationship needs honesty.
Your manuscript may have problems. There may be grammatical issues. The narrative arc may not be working.
An idea you were certain belonged in the book may need to go. An editor may identify weaknesses you couldn't see because you've been too close to the work for too long. None of that means you aren't capable of becoming a published author.
An imperfect manuscript isn't unusual.
I've seen my share of imperfect drafts.
I've written my share of them too.
Professional safety means being able to bring imperfect work into a professional environment where the goal is not to diminish the writer, but to make the work better.
Trust Matters
Before an author can comfortably receive guidance, there has to be trust.
Can I trust this publisher to know what they're doing?
Can I trust them to tell me the truth?
Can I trust them to listen?
Can I trust their judgment?
Can I trust that they understand what I'm trying to create?
Can I trust that when they disagree with me, the disagreement is coming from experience and concern for the book rather than ego?
And perhaps most importantly:
Can I trust that this person has my book's best interest at heart?
That relationship isn't something you can adequately describe in a package of publishing services. But it can affect the entire experience of publishing a book.
Authors Need Honesty, Not Approval
Being supportive of an author doesn't mean agreeing with everything the author wants. Sometimes the most valuable thing I can give a writer is an honest answer.
If I don't believe a manuscript is ready to become a book, I shouldn't tell someone that it is. If something isn't working, I should say so.
If an author has an idea for the book that I don't believe serves the work, part of my responsibility is to explain why.
That doesn't mean I always get the final word. Creative partnership isn't dictatorship. But a writer should be able to rely on a publisher's professional judgment. Otherwise, what exactly are they paying for or partnering with? Encouragement matters. So does expertise. The best publishing relationships need both.
A Publisher Should Be An Ally for The Book
Publishing is a business.
Books eventually become products. Publishers have to consider production costs, distribution, sales, the marketplace, and whether investing time and resources into a particular title makes sense.
I don't dismiss any of that. But it isn't where I personally begin. When I consider taking on a book, I'm trying to understand the work itself.
Why did this writer create it?
What are they hoping it will do?
Who might care about it?
Does the manuscript have something worthwhile to offer?
Can we make it into a book that both the author and publisher will be proud to put into the world?
If the writer and I agree that the answer is yes, then something changes. I become an ally for the book.
My responsibility is to take what the author created and help it become the strongest, most professionally produced version of itself that we can make.
Someone Needs to Be Responsible for The Whole Book
This is another part of publishing that I think authors sometimes underestimate. A finished book contains an enormous number of decisions.
Editorial decisions.
Design decisions.
Typography.
Cover direction.
Trim size.
Paper.
Metadata.
Pricing.
Distribution.
Positioning.
Production schedules.
Proofing.
Files.
Retail information.
And dozens of smaller decisions an author may never have known existed before publishing a book. Individual professionals can be excellent at their particular jobs.
An editor edits.
A designer designs.
A formatter formats.
But someone still needs to understand how all of those pieces fit together. Someone needs to be looking at the whole book. That is one of the most important responsibilities I believe a publisher carries.
Creative Partnership Matters More Than Ever
The publishing landscape has changed enormously. Authors have more options for getting books into the world than they have ever had before. I think that's a good thing. But more options also mean authors have more decisions to make. That's why I think creative partnership has become increasingly valuable.
I don't want an author to feel as though they've dropped a manuscript into a production machine and are waiting for a book to come out the other side.
I want to know what they imagine.
I want to understand what they want the book to feel like.
I want to hear their ideas about the cover.
I want to understand what they hope readers experience.
And then I want to bring professional judgment to those conversations. Sometimes the author's original idea will work beautifully. Sometimes I'll suggest something different. Sometimes the designer will see something neither of us saw.
That's creative partnership.
The author brings intimate knowledge of the work.
The publisher brings publishing experience and responsibility for transforming that work into a professional book. Those two perspectives can work together remarkably well.
Human Support Still Matters
Publishing has become incredibly efficient.
Files can move around the world instantly. Books can be printed on demand. Distribution can reach an enormous marketplace. Authors can communicate directly with readers. But I don't think efficiency should remove the human being from publishing.
An author should know who is responsible for their book.
They should know who to contact when they're confused.
They should be able to ask questions.
They should receive updates.
They should understand where their book is in production.
They should feel as though there are actual people on the other side of the process who know their name, know their book, and care what happens to it. That kind of support may not appear on a production checklist. It still has tremendous value.
Look Beyond The Services
If you're evaluating publishers, absolutely look at what they provide.
Look at their books.
Look at the quality of their production.
Understand their distribution.
Read the agreement.
Understand the financial arrangement.
Know what rights you're granting and what responsibilities you're taking on.
But don't stop there. Ask yourself what it will actually be like to work with these people.
Do they listen?
Are they honest?
Do they have judgment you trust?
Do they understand professional standards?
Do they respect the writer while still being willing to challenge the work?
Will someone advocate for the book?
Will someone be responsible for seeing the whole thing rather than simply completing a list of services?
And do you feel as though you're entering a transaction or a publishing relationship?
Because when you hand someone a manuscript that may have taken years of your life to create, I think you deserve more than a list of services. You deserve a publisher who understands the responsibility of being trusted with it.
Continue The Conversation
Thank you for reading this blog post. If you're writing, publishing, or thinking about what comes next for your book, there are several ways to continue exploring:
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