Inside the Publisher’s Committee Meeting

The next question comes from Michael Reynolds and Shannon Dittemore who want to hear a “‘Fly On The Wall’ blog about Pub Board and Editorial meetings.”

The process goes something like this: I review many book proposals and manuscripts from authors who want to publish with Harvest House. Most are not good fits for us or are not ready for publication (the writer needs to improve his or her craft) and are rejected. But the proposals I review that seem like a good fit for Harvest House are scheduled for presentation by me at a “pubco” meeting. Pubco usually meets once a week, depending on the schedules of the five members. Although most publishers have their own versions of pubco, they’re pretty much alike. The committee includes someone from marketing, sales, editorial, and in our case, the president of the company.

When it’s my turn to present proposals, I have copies ready to hand out to the committee members. I then give a brief 5-15 minute pitch as to why I think Harvest House should publish this book. I answer questions and jot down any requests for more information from committee members. Once in a while the proposal is so obviously right for us, the committee says yes on the spot. But most often, they really do need to review all the materials and prayerfully render the right decision. That decision is usually reached when the committee convenes for their next meeting where they will discuss the pros and cons of the proposal and determine if the book is right for us.

You can well imagine that it’s important for the representatives of the various departments to make sure their particular concerns are addressed in the proposal. The sales department will want to know if the book will sell successfully in our market. Marketing wants to know if the author has a way to promote the book. Editorial wants to make sure the writing is strong. The president of the company wants to ensure all of the above and to confirm that the project is indeed a good fit for us. Sometimes some very fine proposals are turned down because they’re not suited to our market. Those books go on to be successfully published elsewhere. And some books that did not fit at other publishing houses are a perfect fit for Harvest House.

I’ve been at Harvest House for ten years now and have pitched many proposals. And though I’m sometimes disappointed when I get a “no” to a proposal I’ve strongly believed in, I have to admit that I’ve often LATER seen the wisdom in having said no to that particular proposal. And when I get a “yes,” naturally I’m very happy about that.

Sometimes the committee’s response is neither yes or no. More than once they’ve said, “we like this author, but this proposal needs tweaking.” Or “although we’re saying no to this proposal, let the author know we’d look at something else he or she wants to submit.”

There are other variations on the committee’s response as well. And my response too. A couple of times I’ve taken a proposal back to the committee several months after receiving a no and asked them to reconsider. Usually this is because of new information I’ve received or a perceived shift in the marketplace or for some other good reason.

I hope the obvious take-away message for authors who want to write for Harvest House is that you need to make sure your proposal is editorially sound, your book is marketable, and will sell to a significant number of book buyers. Take into consideration that our mission statement is:

To glorify God by providing high-quality books and products that affirm biblical values, help people grow spiritually strong, and proclaim Jesus Christ as the answer to every human need.

Ask yourself, will my proposed book do this? Is my writing excellent? How will potential book buyers find out about my book? Who are my intended readers and does Harvest House reach those people?

Tomorrow (or possibly Monday), a question about sales figures. How many copies does an author need to sell to be considered successful?