I asked my agent, Kate Folkers, former employee for a New York publishing house, what happens when an agent queries a publishing company. This is what she had to say:
“When I query an editor, they respond back as to whether they want to read it or not. The reading process can take a while. If an editor likes it and wants to pursue it, they then need to garner enthusiasm from others at the publisher. Some publishers have a pub board or editorial meeting, where sales, marketing, publicity and other departments sit in and weigh in on the viability of the project. They look closely at an author’s credentials, platform, and they often run a Profit/Loss statement to determine how many they would need to sell to recoup their investment, and whether the project has legs beyond that. They talk about the potential for reviews. They also look closely at the other titles in that season, to make sure there are no titles directly competing with other books on the list.
The problem these days is that editors, [dealing with the] digital world,
[…] want “sure” hits, which makes debut fiction much more difficult.”
So this is where my novel, Illusion, is right now–off to editors, hoping that it can fulfill all the requirements necessary to be the next published book. Your support and subscription to my blog/website help to show editors I have a fanbase. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed!
Happy holidays!