How do I find a publishing deal?
The idea of writing a book is a daunting one. Where do you start? Can you write it yourself? Should you hire a ghostwriter? What is your goal for writing a book in the first place?
So many questions need answering so we have already written a few helpful blogs on ‘How to find a Ghostwriter’ and ‘Can Chat GPT help me write my book’.
But let’s imagine you HAVE finished your manuscript, and you want to get it published. What next?
Publishing a book can feel like a confusing challenge... but it doesn't need to be!
Next steps…
If you want to get it published there is no one guaranteed way to get this done but we can certainly signpost ideas that make success far more likely. As a professional ghostwriter I am always keen to see my authors make a success of their book and, wherever I can, I am happy to help.
Over the years I have found my clients agents, mainstream publishers and hybrid publishers. One of my business clients even saw her book being included on the curriculum for Harvard!
I always say to my clients to aim high and dream big. You never know where those book dreams can take you!
The publishing industry, to put it politely, is an absolute minefield when it comes to understanding how it works. For someone who has no experience, navigating the book world can feel very daunting and putting together a final draft is the always the first step. Then come the next big questions:
Do you need an agent?
How do you get in touch with publishers?
What do I need to do to maximise the chances of success?!
The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook is always a very good place to start in finding answers to these questions. If you are looking for a comprehensive list of people to contact about your manuscript, The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook is a book worth buying, or it can be found in your local library. It’s known as the bible for wannabe writers, a hefty doorstopper with 700 odd densely packed pages listing all UK publishers, from the big five to tiny independents, and all the agents in the country, from those with huge shiny London offices to small one-man or women set-ups from all corners of the UK. It also lists theatre companies, prizes and awards, and newspapers and magazines.
The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook
Every wannabe writer should have this writer's bible on their bookshelves
We were thrilled to see The Ghostwriters Agency get a mention in The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2025 in an insightful article by bestselling ghostwriter and editor Gillian Stern. ( Thank you Gillian!)
‘Make no mistake,’ says Gillian in the article. ‘Ghostwriters fuel the publishing industry. We are the best-kept secret that is no secret…’
Gillian goes on to share her insightful knowledge, explaining how ghostwriting works and why no author should feel ashamed about using one. After all, many of them are too busy with their ‘book worthy’ lives.
The Yearbook is also jam packed with good solid basic advice, from writing poems and scripts to how to make an audiobook.
I first used the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook to find my first agent way back in 2009. Then, when a novel I had out on submission (which means it was being considered for publication by publishers) was turned down by all publishers (sob!) and that agent ditched me (arghh!), I returned to an updated copy of the yearbook to find another top literary agent who signed me on the spot and sky-rocketed my successful career as a ghostwriter. Early on in my career I learned the lesson, that rejection is inevitable and all successful writers will face failure and must learn to quick try again!
Since then, I have used up-to-date copies of the yearbook to help my clients find their own book deals, alongside my network of contacts I have built up over the years. I can never promise to find a publisher and the use of my contacts is always discretionary but helping is something I love to do when I can.
Can you help me find a publisher?
One of the major reasons Teena Lyons and I set up The Ghostwriters Agency was to try and dispel some of the myths around ghostwriting and make it much easier for ordinary people to write their book. If you still have further questions about completing your manuscript, please do contact us. So, returning to the central question: ‘How do I find a publishing deal?’, here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the process of preparing your book for submission and finding that deal:
1) Does a ghostwriter edit the book? Most ghostwriters offer two edits per manuscript, that is two opportunities to make major changes. They will also edit to the best of their ability and produce a manuscript to a high standard. However, editing is a bit like doing your own dentistry, so another pair of eyes is always recommended. That means we always suggest employing a proofreader and copy editor to find any of those typos which have escaped the keen eye of the ghostwriter. We can help put you in touch with such editors. However, if your book is for personal use, or you wish to send to a publisher who provides their own editing this is not always necessary.
2) Do I need an agent, or can I go direct to a publisher?
Some people say you need an agent to help find a publishing deal. Without a doubt, they can be very helpful. Agents often have personal relationships with publishers, sometimes going back years, so when a manuscript captures their imagination, they might instantly know which publisher could be keen. If you’re looking to find a mainstream publisher, that is one of the ‘big five’, then almost certainly you will need an agent to approach a commissioning editor to read the manuscript. To find an agent you can contact them directly. All agents have their own submission guidelines on their websites. Take a careful look and follow those rules to a T. Agents often get thousands of submissions every week, so be prepared it won’t be easy to find one.
If you don’t want an agent (and they are not always necessary to find a publishing deal if you use a smaller independent publisher for example), you can possibly send a manuscript straight to a publisher. I wouldn’t recommend sending a manuscript to a generic email and would only recommend sending directly to a publisher, IF they’re through a personal contact or they invite you to do so via their website.
I have previously managed to find clients a book deal with a big publisher directly through my own contacts, but this will only happen at the discretion of the ghostwriter. Different ghostwriters will have different contacts. This is something to chat about when you first choose a ghostwriter to find out if they may be able to help when the time comes. After working for years in this industry I have contacts with mainstream and hybrid publishers and if I don’t know the appropriate person, I am always open to asking someone else!
3) How does hybrid publishing work? These publishers offer publishing services for a fee, that is, a client pays for their manuscript to be published by them. But this is a far cry from vanity publishing. Hybrid publishers these days are serious competition to mainstream publishers. They have sales teams which make sure the books get stocked in huge bookstores, design teams to make incredible book covers and editors to check and double check any content.
With a mainstream publisher you might have to wait two years for your book to get it’s turn for publication whereas hybrid publishers often publish within months. In fact, I know of hybrid publishers who take on books which were snapped up by mainstream publishers but were left on ‘lists’ for even longer than two years and then dropped.
I always recommend hybrid publishers to business clients, because unless you are a celebrity (or appeared successfully on Dragon’s Den!) it’s very hard to find a good publisher for a business book. Hybrid publishers offer great value for money packages and regularly see their books rocket into the top of the Amazon charts.
Recently I worked with an extraordinary entrepreneur and businessman Bob Gomersall, who is founder of computer solutions company Surpass. He wanted to write a book about finding a job with purpose, rather than chasing money. For six months, we worked together to write the best possible manuscript which then found a hybrid publisher which helped market and launch the book. On publication ‘Worthwhile Wealth: An entrepreneur’s guide to success that satisfies’ made it to number 8 in the Hot New Release Movers and Shakers overall Kindle chart and was a number one bestseller in many major business categories on Amazon, including self-employment and small business books.
I always advise my authors to focus on putting together the best manuscript they can before worrying about the next step of publication. But once the manuscript is ready, there is no one route to success but plenty advice out there to choose the best route for your book. I am always happy to talk through options with potential authors, and definitely happy to give as much advice as I can to those I have ghosted for.
Publishing is a mysterious world to outsiders but needn’t be!