Well let’s see…First of all publishers want a darn good book. But that’s obvious right? If your book is the same mundane information about the same old topic that is just being regurgitated in the same way that the other 12 books on the retail bookshelf about your topic then that is NOT what publishers want. Unless of course there is something about YOU that is different, new, fresh or just really interesting and can be used to offer a twist to the buying public. For example, if you are writing a book about dog training then you better have invented some awesome new 100% full proof, even a 5 year old can do it method or else you probably are not going to get very far with most publishers. Or maybe you want to teach an age old method of dog training that works but YOUR twist is that you were actually raised by a pack of dogs, then you probably have a winner and you will have publishers beating your door down to get at your book.

In this day and age with so many books being written about so many topics you need to be as original as you possibly can and you need to make yourself as marketable as an expert as you can.

Publishers also want to work with authors that are not only marketable themselves but that will actually take a lead role in doing the marketing. Almost gone are the days that most people think about the publishing industry and being an author. Many people think that they can write a book and present it to a few publishers and then wait for a call from one of them offering a large sum of money in advance with royalties on the back end just waiting to be made. In fact, with most books not selling out of their first printing it is getting harder and harder for new authors to get offers from publishers at all.

Publishers want YOU the author to be able to market yourself on your own time and usually at your own expense to generate sales. For example, an author who has written a book aimed at a niche or subject in the business world and is actively doing seminars, speaking, consulting etc… is much more likely to get published than an author who although may be an expert at what they are writing about with years of experience but is not getting any exposure in their target market. So if we use our dog training example, the author who is actually doing dog training on a regular basis and is getting exposure through pet stores or is creating opportunities for themselves will get much further than an author that has written the book and is now waiting for something to happen. Even if you’re only interested in offering your services in a limited area you need to be out there drumming up interest in you before you get your book published.

Publishers are also more interested in books that do not need a total rewrite or extensive editing to get them up to par and ready for printing. So anything you can do to have your book professionally edited prior to submission to a publisher will help. However, don’t get all attached to your book and have set in your mind that it is perfect because most likely your publisher/editor is going to suggest some changes be made. Sometimes they will strongly recommend certain changes be made that you may not agree with. You may want to be offended and think “How dare they question my writing” or “Who do they think they are? I’m the expert not them”. My suggestion is that you take a deep breath and think about what they are saying and be certain that you can’t live with the changes before making waves. Remember, they are the experts when it comes to offering a book to the public that the public will actually want to buy. They have a market and their job is to give their market what they want. Otherwise they would end up spending money on a book that will never turn a profit.