What’s this post all about?

In this post, I’ll describe each of the stages of the process from completed manuscript to book on the shelf in a bookshop, via the traditional route. I’ve created a list post. That’s a popular kind of post that you may have come across before, typically called something like ‘The 15 Most Popular X about X’ or ‘3 easy steps to X’ or ’17 different types of X’. I give you: the 23 Steps From Page to Bookshop. Many of these stages overlap with one another. Please comment below if you think I’ve left any out!

The 23 Steps From Page to Bookshop

Let’s imagine you’ve got your manuscript ready and you’ve selected some agents to send it to, because you want to publish via the traditional route. What stages will you typically go through, if you’re successful at each stage?

1.Wait

First you have to wait for agents to get back to you, typically anything from 6 weeks to 6 months. They should give you an indication to turnaround time on their website.

2. Choosing an agent

Then you’ll select the best agent for you. You’re employing them to help shape your career, so don’t simply take the first one who comes along. If one agent is interested, you can contact all the agents you’ve submitted to and let them know before deciding.

3. Contract

At this stage you can choose to sign up with the agent. You can ask a legal professional to look over the contract at this stage. Check that the agency is a member of the Association of Authors’ Agents (the AAA). The latest edition of the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook will tell you that.

4. Editing

Agents may want to have some editorial input or employ an editor to work with you. You finish your manuscript so it’s ready for them to sell.

5. Selling to publishers

The agent goes to publishers and sells your book to the highest bidder. If the book doesn’t sell, they may ask you to write book two before trying again. Don’t think of the process in terms of one book but rather, think in terms of your whole career.

6. Sealing the deal

Your book sells and you decide whether you want to work with a particular publisher – if so the agent seals the deal. There will be another contract to sign.

7. Editing

The commissioning editor will have more editorial input. You’ll make more changes. (If the book is nonfiction you may not have written much of it yet! But more on that another time.)

8. Cover

While the editing process goes on, designers will be working on your cover, perhaps with input from you, perhaps not. Sometimes final say on the cover is built into your contract, other times the publisher will have the final say.

9. Blurb

The cover text (back and front) will be drafted at this stage, although I suggest that you come up with your own blurb much earlier in the process – before you send it out.

10. Endorsements

Sending it out to famous people (or those in your niche)! One of the most well-known accolades on the front of a book is ‘It has bite’ from Salman Rushdie on Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. You’re after kind words from experienced writers who will recommend your book to readers.

11. Meet with the marketing team

You may wish to schedule a meeting with them about how your book will sell. By the way, at around about this stage or possibly earlier, you may well start writing the next book! Often when you’re writing commercial fiction, you’ll be expected to produce a book a year, although that’s open to negotiation.

12. Copy-editing

A copy editor will check your book for consistency and wordiness. You may have to do this yourself or employ an editor.

13. Proof-reading

A proof-reader may check your book for typos, spelling mistakes etc. You may have to do this yourself or employ a proof-reader.

14. Copyright

You can send a copy of the work to yourself in a sealed envelope if you wish and keep proof of posting. You can do it when you first submit the book and / or at the point it’s about to go to press.

15. Promotion

Work together with your agent and publisher to promote your book. You will have to be proactive here. Often authors become frustrated with how little publishers are prepared to do. Read one of the books on author marketing on the reading list to get a sense of what you can do.

16. Plan the launch

The launch is a good way to sell signed books, to create a ‘buzz’ and take photos to use in publicity. Plan it early on, using the date when the book hits the bookshops.

17. Layout and printing

The final manuscript is laid out on the page, using software such as InDesign, then it goes to be printed.

18. Distribution

This is the stage where the book is distributed to bookshops from wholesalers – bookshops order their books from wholesalers who distribute the books and send reps to bookshops to promote books. Small presses may use POD instead or go straight to local independent bookshops themselves.

19. The book arrives in bookshops

It’s in the bookshop, whether physical or virtual and you finally get to see your book on Amazon and on the bookshelves. This is what readers experience when they see your book for the first time.

20. More promotion

There’s ongoing promotion at this stage. You might be blogging, tweeting, making videos, doing interviews, appearing at events or readings and writing emails to readers. Be prepared to set this up yourself.

21. Reviews

Depending on size, there may be someone working at the publisher who works specifically on getting you reviews, or you may have to work on this yourself. We’re talking Amazon reviews, Good Reads reviews, and reviews by book bloggers, as well as getting your book into the established newspapers.

22. Sales

Bookshop staff are involved in selling your book directly to readers. So is Amazon’s algorithm. You can play a part too, by doing reading events and workshops. Again, you may have to organise them yourself. (Getting a part-time job in a bookshop or library is great for tacit knowledge by the way!)

23. Readers

Finally your book is in the hands of your readers, who can read, discuss, share and promote your book by word of mouth. They are your most powerful advocates.

So, there you have it. The 23 steps from page to bookshop!

[This blog post is about 1,000 words long, and was created using ideas suggested by the Process of Publishing students in class on Mon 13th Feb 23.]