From Inquiry to Publication

1. Inquiry to Contract

a. Inquiry Submitted.

b. Declined, or moved to Proposal.

c. Proposal Submitted.

d. Proposal Out For Review. Several Reader Reports.

e. Declined, or Contract offered.

Usual timeframe: 1 - 2 months. Times can vary by a few weeks depending on volume of submissions, staff availability. and time taken to complete the proposal.

2. Editorial and Production

a. Manuscript uploaded onto Production page by author.

b. Copyediting (or heavy edit/writing advice* if that option has been taken).

c. Copyedit returned to author for approval (last opportunity to add Endorsements and last chance for changes); final check on Profile, The Blurb Keywords, Categories.

d. Interior design and draft front cover.

e. Proofreading.

f. Full cover design (can’t be started until interior design and hence page-length is finalized).

g. Final cover and interior files.

h. Publication date set 10 clear months after this process finished.

For more information see WORKFLOW SECTIONS.

Usual timeframe: 3 months.

3. Pre-Sales and Marketing

a. Info sent to the trade and sales reps.

b. Material for Marketing page prepared. Edited Description, AI/tipsheet, press release prepared (not for every title, depends on the book, publisher and the publicist); this can’t be started until the final cover and interior files are finalized and locked. *PDF available now, and hard copies available for certain activities, such as personal copies for the author.

c. Book appears on CI/imprint website. Your book will appear on our website within four to six weeks of the publication date being set. If it doesn't, please contact Steve Wagstaff via the Author Forum, SALES & DISTRIBUTION: OTHER QUERIES.

d. Info to trade journals (they work 6–10 months ahead).

e. Selected titles sent to NBN catalogues (they work 6–10 months ahead). Why is pre-sales 10 months? It takes this long for information to circulate through the trade, worldwide. For example, some key catalogues cover six months' worth of titles at once and need all key information three months before they publish. Buyers for the big chains, such as Barnes & Noble, Waterstones etc., have monthly budgets for purchasing new titles, and these are designated well in advance of publication date.

f. Author free copies printed.

Usual timeframe: 3 months.

4. Pre-order

a. Books available for pre-order from trade and online, worldwide (for copies for personal use, see ORDERING).

b. Reps start selling (chain buyers work 6+ months ahead).

c. Marketing activities get into full flow (particularly signing sessions which can take time to arrange; major stores can be booked 6–12 months ahead).

d. If you have requested it, paid-for PR* will start here; publicist in contact with author and enters plan on Marketing page.

a. 3 months before publication – Standard PR starts, publicist enters plan on Marketing page

b. 2 months before publication – books in warehouses (see ORDERING)

c. 1 month before publication – ebook distributed and available for pre-order

Usual timeframe: 7-8 months

5. Publication

a. Sales are added to the Financial page a month in arrears

b. Three-month review – see Marketing/Introduction

c. ebook promotions, dependent on number of good Amazon reviews

d. Every time a book reaches another 500 copies, more PR is triggered – see Marketing/Introduction

APPROX. 14-15 MONTHS IN TOTAL FROM INQUIRY TO PUBLICATION

*payment from author involved

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