Q&A with TIME Editor Rachel Sonis

Answers to 6 common questions about writing and publishing

I am going to take a break from gender today to talk about my second favorite topic -writing. I am fascinated by the publishing industry, which honestly, I still find obscure and mysterious. I will never pretend to have all the answers (and honestly, anyone who does is probably lying) but I am happy to share the limited information that I have.

Today’s post is a dual-creation with Rachel Sonis. Rachel has an impressive background; most recently she was the opinion editor for TIME. And Rachel was the editor I collaborated with for my two TIME articles. (One on quiet quitting and one on caregiving for boys.) Now independent, Rachel has created Sonis Editorial - and while chatting about work and discussing her new business, we ended up brainstorming the most common questions we get asked about the publishing industry. We came up with six - and then decided it would make for a great post to answer them to the best of our ability.

Let me know if you have anything to add to this conversation! And if you are starting a new writing project, feel free to reach out to Rachel for help. Tell her Kate sent you!

1. I want to write a fiction book. Where do I start?

KM: My understanding is that to find an agent or publisher for fiction, you write your entire manuscript first. You get it as good as you can, you gather early reader feedback, and you join a few writers groups so you can workshop your material. And THEN you reach out to agents and publishers.

RS: I think it helps to start by separating the whole process into two: writing and publishing. While they’re connected, they require different mindsets. Writing is the creative process; publishing is the business process. Understanding that distinction makes both stages feel less overwhelming.

Importantly, if an author has a fiction idea, I think it’s essential for them to spend some time with it outside of the publishing process. Use your creative brain and your narrative skills to understand if there is a there there. Consider plotting out the story in broad strokes (perhaps in outline form, or whatever method works best), and thinking through what themes you want to cover, what drives your characters, what their arcs are—and even pulling some key influences you’d like to keep in the back of your mind for the project.

Once you’ve let the idea take shape, the next step is momentum: carving out the time and accountability to actually write. That might mean setting weekly writing days, creating deadlines, finding an accountability partner, or sharing drafts with beta readers. The biggest advice I give to authors is that writing should not happen in a vacuum. It should be created with their most trusted community. In fact, it is critical to understand how to take in and incorporate feedback that feels true to them, as it only strengthens the story.

Only once you feel you have a solid manuscript does the publishing process begin. This is where you think about how your book fits into the literary landscape. Ask yourself: how does your manuscript work as a product? Take a look at the books coming out right now and see how your book expands a certain genre or fills a much-needed gap in the marketplace. What are some good comparative titles that you would use in your elevator pitch to explain your book? This will help position your book not only in your proposal, but also in your query letter (aka the cover letter you send agents).

2. I want to write a nonfiction book. Where do I start?

KM: My experience is that nonfiction is very different from fiction. You do not need a full manuscript to pitch a non fiction book. In fact, I didn’t even have a full proposal. To get an agent, you may only need an idea. And then once you have an agent’s interest, they will help you craft the proposal. If you have a great idea and a cool pitch, I think the #1 thing to prioritize is finding an agent, not finishing the draft.

RS: Yes, nonfiction ideas–whether it’s memoir, narrative nonfiction, lifestyle, or otherwise– are often sold on proposal. That means you don’t often need a full manuscript.

What you do need, though, is a robust proposal which you can write yourself, or you can work with an agent to put this together. A good nonfiction proposal has the following components: the overview, your bio, the target audience, potential endorsements, the cast of people that you may be interviewing/ following throughout the story, as well as a succinct chapter outline and a solid sample chapter. For memoirs, I would consider focusing on the first chapter as the sample chapter, as you’d want to reel people in from the jump to your story. For narrative nonfiction, I would focus on showing the chapter with the highest point of tension in the story to show off your narrative skills.

For nonfiction, I think what agents and publishers are really looking for is the answer to not only why this story is important and worth telling right now, but also why you are the right person to tell this story. Being very clear with your credentials and explaining why you’re an authority in the space you want to write about is crucial. That’s why highlighting your platform, where your writing has existed prior, and the type of communities you’d be able to realistically tap into while promoting your book, is key to think about in your book proposal.

Once you feel your book proposal is ready, the process to find representation for a nonfiction project feels fairly similar to me as it is to find one for fiction. Start with the books and authors that you’ve admired recently and see what agents rep them! Find out their query guidelines and reach out.

3. Should I get an agent? How are they useful?

RS: I think agents are massively useful and actually essential for you to do your work. A good author-agent relationship will do wonders for your career because, in its most ideal form, the relationship breakdown is as such: Your business is to write the best work possible; their business is not only to advocate for your career and the longevity of it, but also to help you parse through the publishing process–from making sure your proposal and initial manuscript is viable to, when the book gets acquired, the contracts and the marketing, publicity, and sales questions you will inevitably get afterward. In an industry where relationships and your rolodex are top currency, publishing done in a vacuum is a very lonely and overwhelming place to be. Having a conversation/ business partner whose job it is to understand the marketplace and have the contacts you need, and to help you benefit from that market, is essential to a sustainable future in writing. In fact, in most cases, the Big 5 publishers do not accept unagented submissions.

Big 5 = Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster.

That said, finding the right agent, like with any long-term relationship, might require some trial and error. Sometimes it just is not a fit– and that is ok! That’s why being strategic with finding the right person to represent you and your career goals is of the utmost importance. You are assessing them as much as they are assessing you.

4. How do I find an agent?

KM: There does not seem to be one obvious path. Like most things in life, everyone has a slightly different story. The best advice I’ve heard is to spend some time in a bookstore. Find books that are similar to your own idea - and flip to the acknowledgements in the back. Most authors thank their agents! Then you can reach out to those people who you know already publish in the same genre, and try to pitch them your idea. Something like “I loved XXX book you worked on, so I thought you might be interested in my idea.”

Personally, I adore my agent (she knows it!) and could never do this without her. But I’ve also known people who are frustrated with their agent. At the end of the day, it’s all relationship based. It might take time to find the right fit.

Here are some of the unspoken rules I’ve heard about pitching agents:

1. If they don’t get back to you, its a no.

2. Only pitch an agent once. If they say no - don’t go back to them with the same idea slightly tweaked.

3. Only pitch one agent per agency. If you get a no from Anne at Star Media, don’t turn and pitch to Barbara at Star Media. Move onto other agencies.

4. Take the time to research each agent before reaching out. Its a waste of your time (and theirs) if you pitch a YA Fiction book to an agent that only represents cookbooks.

RS: I agree that there isn’t an obvious path to finding representation. Another idea is to subscribe to industry-specific websites, newsletters, and databases like Publishers Weekly and Publishers Marketplace to keep track of the type of book deals agents are making with publishers, as well as when people change jobs, etc, though I do believe you have to pay for Publisher’s Marketplace to access that information.

5. Should I self publish?

KM: Maybe! I know many people who have self-published or gone for a hybrid publisher, and they’ve been super happy with their experience. My understanding is that self publishing is faster than the traditional route, and you retain a lot more control then if you go with one a Big 5 or an Indi Pub. But then you don’t have that support network behind you - and you might have out-of-pocket expenses. You just have to weigh your options and decide what is best for you.

RS: I think also the self-publishing market has totally changed since its first emergence in say, the ‘90s. For starters, I think the stigma surrounding it is pretty much gone. It’s also become increasingly popular amongst writers who feel fed up with how slow-moving, uncertain, and exclusionary the traditional publishing system can be. You simply have more control over your story– both over the literal book you’re making (especially with how print-on-demand and e-book systems have flourished in recent years) and your author career in general.

That said, traditional publishing I think, offers you not only a top-tier production apparatus, but also a social network that is perhaps harder to access when you’re publishing by yourself. That said, whichever route you decide to go, it’s again important to not do things in a vacuum. Do creative work with people you trust. It really makes all the difference.

6. How do I create momentum for myself when writing something longer, especially when life gets in the way? How do I keep motivated and also feel like I’m taking steps in the right direction?

RS: Momentum is often the whole battle when writing, well, anything. I think the biggest thing is to be immensely strict with yourself in creating an environment and a schedule that feels conducive to creativity. This looks different for everyone, but I can outline what works best for me: Try to set aside the same writing hours every week at whatever time you write best, free from any distraction. (I, for example, write best in the early mornings.) Then, free-write your story. Get anything down on the page. It doesn’t have to be “good.” Then take a break (go on a walk! Have a treat!), come back to the story with fresh eyes, and make notes for the next time you will be sitting down to write. This way you not only give yourself that boost to keep going, you’re also giving yourself direction.

Another component that helps writers (and certainly helps me) is having some sort of physical discipline, too. Whether it’s running, yoga, lifting, or simply going on a long week (or whatever else makes you physically happy!), having a discipline that helps your body will get you out of your head and out of your own way. It also flexes your muscle that creates endurance and stamina. Because, at the end of the day, that’s what writing is, too: It’s an endurance sport.

Thanks so much to Rachel Sonis for sharing her thoughts and wisdom. Again - if you’re working on a writing project and could use some help - check out Sonis Editorial.

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Today’s Equal-ish episode is the Coaching Edit for the Marvyn Harrison interview. You can find this episode wherever you listen to podcasts, or click here.

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