How to pitch a book to an academic publisher

My name is Victoria Pittman and I’m the editorial director at Bristol University Press.

This video is about how to pitch a book project to an academic publisher. I’m going to say a little about the publishing we do at BUP and then go on to speak more generally about the various stages of writing and submitting a book proposal, up to the point of hopefully being offered a contract for publication.

Bristol University Press is a not-for-profit academic publisher based at the University of Bristol. We publish high-quality international scholarship as well as books for an informed general readership, policymakers and practitioners, and we specialise in the social sciences and aligned disciplines. We also promote social justice through our publishing, particularly within our imprint Policy Press, and we have a strong focus on publishing around the global social challenges. If you want to find out more about our work, please do get in touch because we’d love to hear from you. 

This introduction brings me nicely on to the best starting point for thinking about pitching a book project. What do you want to achieve and who can help you to do that? We recommend authors think about the audience they’re trying to reach and how they usually find and read information. It’s also worth thinking about whether you have any significant external requirements such as funder conditions or university policies. Once you have these things in mind, you can start to think about which publisher or publishers to approach.  

We believe the best books come from a good partnership between the author and the publisher, so it’s worth considering the following questions about the publishers you might like to work with.  

Are they experts in your subject area and people you admire publishing with them or recommending them? Are they aiming at the right audience? Is the quality of their products high? Is their marketing and distribution effective? Do they have a good reputation for responsiveness and author support? Does their ethos matter to you? Do their values accord with yours?  

The process for submitting a book proposal does vary a little across publishers but most will have a standard template form or submission system asking for key information about the book project, including a synopsis, chapter abstracts, information on your target audience and information on the competition. Some may also ask for sample chapters but this isn’t usually essential. A publisher’s website should have all the information you need about what details to send and who to send it to. Once you’ve done that, there may be some back and forth if the editor recommends some revisions or clarifications. And then provided they think it’s a good fit with their publishing, the proposal would be sent for peer review.

The peer reviews will be anonymised before they’re shared with you and you’ll get the chance to respond to the feedback. This may require revisions to the proposal or just confirmations of the changes that you plan to make. Usually, the editor would offer some guidance on this front and then, if the reviews are supportive, prepare the paperwork to present the proposal at their internal approval meeting. Following that meeting, or an additional board meeting if you’re publishing with a university press, you would then receive the details of the contract offer.  

People often ask for advice on how to write good book proposals so these are my top tips.

Number one, a clear working title, even if you have some other ideas you include as well.

Secondly, be careful not to overstate the originality to try and convince a publisher, just be clear about what is unique and outline the central arguments and themes, backing up your views and claims.

Number three, it’s fine to say that your structure is still a work in progress, but explain the rationale for the current structure and check for things like a clear introduction and conclusion, if relevant.

Don’t suggest the audience is everyone, number four. Think about who are the main people you know will really want to read it. Be clear about whether it has an international audience, which courses at what level might recommend it, and feel free to mention secondary audiences you’d like to try and reach as well.

Number five, even if there’s no direct competition, show that you understand where the book will sit in relation to existing literature in the field, and how it compares. Remember that someone reviewing the proposal could have written a related book or article.

Number six, be clear on copyright. For example, if anything’s been published before or might need permission. 

Number seven, sell yourself. Demonstrate why you’re qualified to write the book and also, if applicable, always include other information about your engagement with the area. For example, other projects you’re involved in, your social media profile, your ideas for impact and blogs you’ve written. Show you will help promote the book as that’s also part of the partnership. It makes a lot of difference when an author continues promoting, referencing and encouraging links to their work long after publication.

Finally, number eight, proof-check the proposal before you send it. Little mistakes get spotted by publishers.