The journey to publication
Photo by Donna Ford
In 2012, I developed a seminar series about leadership and psychoanalysis. I soon saw the potential for a book. I ran the series again in 2013, and in June 2014 set about converting it to a book. Like the seminar series, it would be for leaders across all types of organisations. It wouldn’t be academic. Readers wouldn’t need to know anything about psychoanalysis or psychology. I hoped the book would be published by a mainstream publisher who could attract a wide readership.
I ran 9 seminars which meant 9 ready-made chapters. Easy.
Lesson 1: seminars do not simply convert into chapters. They are different; it’s not easy. I learnt this lesson fast.
Lesson 2: writing a book intended for a mainstream publisher and audience isn’t simply a matter of removing references and adopting a friendlier tone than in academic papers or articles. It’s a completely different form. And writing narrative nonfiction requires learning skills and techniques used in fiction. I learnt this lesson slowly.
It took me 3 years to get the book in good enough shape to submit to a literary agent. I knew I was lucky when he said yes, but I didn’t realise how lucky. The apparently easy journey continued: a few large publishers showed interest. A senior editor in business publishing met with me. He told me I was on to something, but it wasn’t working. Armed with his clear and helpful advice, I spent 7 months writing a new proposal and sample chapters. My agent sent them back to the editor: he turned the submission down. I was gutted. The editor was right though: I’d tried to bend myself into the shape he’d suggested. The shape made perfect sense, but I didn’t fit it.
My agent suggested returning to my focus on psychoanalytic thinking, rather than business. Liberated, I set off again. Another proposal and sample chapters; more submissions to editors and more rejections followed.
My agent and I agreed we’d done what we could. Agentless, I started to revise the book once more. This time, encouraged by my writing mentor, I included some memoir. I discovered I loved this form of writing.
Lesson 3: The writing has to come first. In the quest for publication, I’d lost sight of that.
I was thrilled when an editor offered to read a submission directly without an agent. She rejected it, but gave me invaluable feedback. I decided to change my target audience from leaders, to everyone interested in what really goes on in the workplace.
In September 2019, I went to Jericho Writers’ Summer Festival of Writing in York. I was ready to try to get another agent and find a publisher. I had two 1-1 slots: one with an agent, the other with a book doctor. I was so sure I was ready but both of them made it clear that while my material was good, I had more work to do. I knew I’d benefit from their constructive feedback, yet I felt dejected.
Lesson 4: You may not be ready to query agents and submit to publishers when you think you are. I finally learnt this lesson at Jericho Festival of Writing.
I went to a workshop run by literary agent Imogen Pelham. Afterwards, I introduced myself to her. My book, I said, was like Stephen Grosz’s The Examined Life for the workplace. It turned out she loved The Examined Life. She told me to send her my proposal.
Three months later, in December 2019, I sent Imogen my revised proposal and sample chapters. I signed with her just before Christmas and she submitted to editors in January 2020. We got some great responses. I was touched by a couple of editors who said that sadly they couldn’t take it, but hoped Imogen would find a good home for my book.
Imogen and I met Holly Harley, Commissioning Editor (now Editorial Director) at Piatkus, Little Brown, on 23rd January. The following week, Holly made an offer for the book. We agreed the deal on 7 February 2020.
A month later, the world changed. As the first lockdown began, I started to write.
See how the journey continued in next month’s blog!