Many of these B2B companies approach large publishers such as Wiley or McGraw-Hill, while others, such as IBM Press and KPMG publish their own titles. Whichever way you choose to go, here’s a quick overview of the industry and tips on how to get your book published.

The big players

A few of the big names in publishing include Wiley, McGraw-Hill, and Palgrave Macmillan. Each of these companies represents a rich history of experience, having developed into publishing giants over the past hundred years of continued expansion and innovation. Though most of them now publish a very wide range of subjects, take some time to study each of them to find out their areas of strength.

Wiley

From its humble beginnings in 1807 as a small printing shop in Manhattan, Wiley has grown over the past 200 years to become a billion-dollar-revenue, global publishing company. It encompasses three core businesses, including: Wiley-Blackwell, specialising in the scientific, technical, medical and scholarly fields; a Professional/Trade business with subject areas in business, technology, architecture, education, travel, etc. and including brands such as For Dummies, Frommer’s, CliffsNotes, and Webster’s, among others; and Wiley Higher Education, which includes educational materials serving undergraduate, graduate, advanced placement students, and lifelong learners.

In addition, the Wiley Online Library provides online access to a broad range of content, and is one of the world’s most extensive online resources covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.

Wiley was named as one of the “400 Best Big Companies in America” by Forbes magazine in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

McGraw-Hill

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a global financial information and education company. The company’s education sector provides materials for all levels of education, as well as reference materials and trade publications for business, medical, and engineering professions.

They have also innovated a wealth of digitised teaching and learning solutions for schools and universities. As the parent company of Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill also provides independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data, and publishes an extensive amount of print and Web-based content and services for financial services firms. In addition, the company runs an information and media business that encompasses materials on energy, metals, aerospace, construction, and global marketing information.

Palgrave-Macmillan

Palgrave-Macmillan is a global academic and trade publisher serving learning and scholarship in higher education and professional markets. Created in 2000, the company unites the Scholarly and Reference division of St. Martin’s Press, one of the largest publishers in the US, with UK’s renowned Macmillan Press, combining over a hundred years of publishing experience.

Palgrave-Macmillan publishes textbooks, journals, monographs, and professional and reference works, both in print and online, and focuses on the humanities, social sciences, and business fields.

Approaching a publisher

There are two ways to approach a publisher – directly, or through a literary agent. Though an agent is not mandatory, they do hold a wealth of contacts within the industry, and will know which publishing houses to contact and which specific editors to send your work to. They are also helpful when it comes to negotiating better contract terms or obtaining a higher advance.

However, regardless of which direction you choose, you must, first and foremost, complete the all-important book proposal. Whether you’re approaching a publishing house or an agent, either party will ask to see your completed manuscript. They will only require a book proposal, which is all what most professional writers use to close the deal. With this, you also allow the flexibility of having an editor provide direction, if needed, at an early stage.

To successfully get your book published, then, it is imperative to compose a winning book proposal that will captivate its readers (i.e. publishing executives and agents), leaving them hungry for more. To sell your book, you must first sell your book proposal.

Writing a book proposal

A book proposal should include seven sections as listed below:

1. Overview

They say first impressions are everything, and that’s exactly what the overview is. It is the most important part of your book proposal, and should be the reason the editor actually chooses to continue reading the rest of it! Start with an attention-grabbing introduction that will pique the interest of the editor or agent, followed by a concise summary of the book, which should include its title as well.

Try to set your book apart, even at this early stage, by including something like, “the first book to…”, which markets the unique selling point(s) of your book. Create a selling proposition, explaining the importance of and need for your subject, and how your book delivers to that need. The overview should then be concluded with a few facts, such as the book’s word count, genre, and expected completion date.

2. Marketing

Now that your concept has their attention, the next step is to convince your potential publisher or agent that your book will sell.

Identify the target audience(s) of your title, and include some form of support, such as demographics, statistics or percentages if possible (for example, if your book is about business in China, research statistics on the number of businesses entering China, or the industry’s growth in percentages). You may also want to include a brief list of your minor markets as well – your publisher may have specific channels or means to market to these smaller groups.

3. Competition

Identifying competing books not only shows publishers that there is already an existing market for your book, but will also give you an opportunity to promote your book as well.

Include three to five books, providing their full titles, authors, publishers, dates of publication, and any awards, and describe the books briefly. Then explain how or why your book is better, and why the world needs your book. Avoid adding criticisms of the competing titles – just keep the focus on your book.

4. Promotion

Publishers love authors who promote their own books – especially if the company that writes the book already has access to an extensive network of potential readers.

This section should include the resources you are able to use to promote the book, what sort of support you can offer in terms of publicity and exposure, availability for media interviews and/or conferences, etc. Be creative, and remember to include specific numbers and names.

5. Author Profile

This section tells the publisher why you are uniquely qualified to write this book. List out your relevant qualifications, both professional and personal, and include any writing credits or media coverage.

If you don’t have any previous publishing credits, focus on your positive credentials that will highlight the fact that you are the best person to write this book.

6. Table of Contents and Annotated List of Chapters

The table of contents provides an overview of the flow of your book, and shows the publisher how your content is organised. Following this should be an annotated list of chapters, which is an outline for each of the chapters.

This should not be a summary of each chapter, but rather a description of each chapter’s purpose, or an interesting argument within each chapter.

7. Sample Chapters

Sample chapters are key in a publisher’s decision to take on your book – choose one to three chapters that you feel best represent your book, and be sure to check the publisher’s submission guidelines as each company may have different requirements.

Don’t be afraid to take some risks here – the last thing you want is to lose their interest at this point with drab, boring copy!

Remember that the approach to writing a book proposal is entirely different from writing the book itself. Your purpose is to sell to publishing executives.

However, it is important to keep in mind that everything in your proposal is a writing sample. It is the only writing your potential publisher or agent sees during his or her decision process, so ensure that your writing is at its best, and don’t forget to proofread and spell-check!

Look out for our next blog post, which will show you how to market your B2B book.