Submit or not?!
Despite what other publishers' guidelines are, we are always pleased to receive promising submissions from authors – both new and established! There are, however, a few points we would like to highlight:
- We can only accept a very few manuscripts for publication. We receive, on average, 10 submissions per week and we are limited as to how many new titles we can publish during the year. We therefore have to say no to some very good ideas which either don’t fit our house style or frankly don’t come up to scratch! We know how disappointing rejection can be, so please don't be too hopeful.
- If you're hoping to retire on the strength of your advance, we're probably not the right publisher for you. We believe we pay a fair advance, and offer a decent ongoing royalty package, but there’s no pretending we're going to replace your pension scheme!
- If you can't deliver text to us on time, please don't read any further! Deadlines are sacrosanct in publishing and the sudden death of an aging relative, the cat using the manuscript as a litter tray or the budgie catching bird flu will hold no water with us I’m afraid.
- Due to the hectic nature of publishing we have very little time to devote to looking through submissions and responding to them. We would therefore be extremely grateful if you would read through the sections below and send in only material which fits our criteria and in the correct format.
Any submissions which do follow our guidelines will get a personal reply. All others will receive a standard, but nevertheless polite reply.
What we are looking for?
At present we have two distinct title lists under The Greatest in the World brand:
‘The Greatest Tips in the World’ series – e.g. ‘The Greatest Gardening Tips in the World’
Specification: 160pp, matt laminated paperback, black text & line cartoon illustrations, light-hearted friendly and informative hints & tips content, 173mm x 124mm format. Approx. wordage - 25,000.
This series will grow and grow to include the widest possible range of home & leisure titles.
‘The Greatest in the World’ titles – e.g. ‘The Greatest Cricketers in the World’
Please note: Publication of titles in this series will not begin until 2009/2010.
Specification: 112 pp, hardback, full colour, photo imagery, interesting & informative, researched content, 210mm x 200mm format. Titles in this series are being launched in 2007 and subject matter can be more wide-ranging. They will have a classy, coffee-table look and feel.
We’re very clear about precisely what constitutes a The Greatest in the World title and all must fulfil the following four criteria:
1. They must be written in a friendly, easy to understand style to be enjoyed by a reader who is a novice in the particular subject matter, whilst still being of interest to the more experienced reader.
2. They must be informative. At the end of the book the reader must know something interesting and useful that they didn’t know before they read it, whether it’s how to overcome a golf swing problem, potty train a toddler, stop slugs munching your marigolds or an amazing, little-known fact about Ian Botham.
3. They must attract media interest. We are big on media interest in our books whether it is the national press, BBC Radio or the trade & consumer press. Alongside this goes the fact that authors themselves must be friendly and presentable and be prepared to give interviews, appear on radio and TV, and generally do their best to promote the book.
4. They must have plenty of obvious marketing channels outside the book trade. As a proactive publisher we like to ensure that we sell plenty of books through other outlets, including corporate enterprises, specialist shops, website etc…
What won’t we publish?
Just to save wasting your time and ours, there are certain types of books we do not publish. These include:
- Anything specifically religious or with a strong cultural bent.
- Anything political or with an extremist viewpoint.
- Anything aimed at a small, specialised market, such as a guide to juggling with hedgehogs, or how to become a successful kebab shop owner.
- Long, rambling accounts of seemingly interesting personal experiences about which few other people will really give a damn about or aspire to copy themselves!
What do you send us?
Well not the full manuscript for a start - we won't read it and will probably reject the proposal outright if the book is already written. We have a specific house style so please only come to us with the list of ingredients, not the final, baked pie! What we'd like from you - assuming your idea fits the criteria above - is a proposal which sets out:
Briefly what the book is about (a synopsis of approx. 200 words)
A list of possible chapters (these can change later How it will benefit the reader).
What scope you see for media interest.
If it is a ‘Greatest Tips’ title you are pitching for then we require 2 or 3 short tips for each of the different chapters in the book.
If it is a 'Greatest in the World' title we require one double page example. If you were pitching for 'The Greatest Tennis Players in the World, for instance, you could send in the bio for Bjorn Borg and all the interesting facts and researched anecdotes (no images) about the player.
We would also ask you to submit your CV with the sample text. This should also outline why you think you would be the best author for the type of book you are submitting. Don't forget - we may be getting a number of different submissions for the same title so really sell yourself to us!
You can submit by post, or email to info@thegreatestintheworld.com. If you choose to make your submission by post please include your email address.
What if we say “Yes!”?
If we are excited by your proposal it will be put forward for discussion at our weekly publications meeting where we receive input from our design and editorial staff. If everyone is in agreement that we should accept the proposal we will contact you immediately with the good news and a contract! Be aware, though, that the publication date for your book could be more than 12 months away.
At The Greatest in the World we pride ourselves in making sure that all of our authors are happy and enjoy the experience of working with us long term. Too many publishers have a very clinical, arm’s length relationship with their authors but that’s not our style. If you are not prepared to have fun and go that extra mile to give us a cracking title both in the writing and marketing of the book then we are not for you nor you for us.
We take on only titles to which we feel we can do justice and achieve maximum expose for the author along with maximum sales potential. We put several weeks' dedicated effort into promoting each title, and exploring sales channels for it. Our titles are marketed both as part of their successful series and also individually with much emphasis being put on the expertise, charisma and media confidence of the author. Even when we move on to the next title we don’t forget previous titles but continue to give them promotion when opportunities come along.
We work closely with our PR agents, Midas Pr, to maximise the possible PR surrounding the launch of a new title. All authors should be prepared to freely give interviews to the media to promote their book and to attend book signings, if required.
We hope that you have not been put off by all our criteria and requirements. They are in place to save you wasted time and to ensure that we have time to consider those submissions which really have potential as The Greatest in the World titles.
For more information and the full Author's Guidelines, please email to info@thegreatestintheworld.com.
Thank you for showing an interest in writing for us.
The Publishing Team
