A Day in the Life of a Publisher Consultant

Publishing today in the digital age simplified many processes giving authors access to many options for their work but at the same time complicated important key factors that support successful publishing. In traditional publishing literary agents serve as gate keepers for vetting manuscripts for major publishing houses ensuring a higher quality product and potentially success. All good except there are authors who deserve the opportunity to test and explore the market but never get the chance.

On the flip side, self-publishing is often a free-for-all filled with unrealistic expectations and false promises made on distribution and success. The quality of the final product can be a mixed bag of editorial and design issues. And the greatest failure is the lack of a plan to market and sell the book from the beginning.

Traditional publishing understands the market before publication whereas the sale of the book is secondary to the publishing fees charged to the author.

My work as an Atlantic Publishing Group consultant revolves around developing a plan for success with authors who are at various stages of becoming a published author. It’s more complicated than simply pricing a publishing package. Our goal is to provide realistic expectations while developing a selling strategy that best supports the authors investment.

Once I’ve spoken with an author and our team has had a chance to review their manuscript, I work with the editorial team to determine if the manuscript will be a good fit for Atlantic. If we determine that we would like to take on a manuscript I negotiate a contract with the author, determining terms and a sales strategy that is just right for their book. The satisfaction is in best serving the author and their interest.