What Big 5 Publishers Look For, with Hilary Swanson, Ghostwriter/Editor

Did you know that hiring a professional, experienced book editor can cost you upwards of $200 an hour? Well, consider this your $200 episode of The Selfish Gift! Maggie spends an hour talking with Hilary Swanson, a freelance ghostwriter and editor who runs a workshop called "How the F*ck Do I Get a Book Deal?" with bestselling author John Kim. Hilary spent the first ten years of her career acquiring and editing bestsellers at HarperCollins Publishers, and she spills all of her insider knowledge about what the Big 5 look for in a book proposal.

Hilary says, "Reading can be an act of activism, so that made me really passionate about making sure my list was doing what it could do to kick down doors." That meant searching for the strongest voices she could find in modern feminism, memoir, smart/edgy humor, mental health, and modern self-help—including New York Times bestsellers by Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness, actor Rose McGowan, and the comedic duo behind #IMomSoHard. But what if you're not a TV darling or a hilarious podcaster with millions of followers? How do you make your message stand out from the crowd? 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What an editor actually does. (Spoiler: It's not just sitting in a cozy chair reading manuscripts.)
• How big of a platform you need to catch a traditional publisher's eye—and what to do if you don't have one.
• How pitching your book to a publisher is like pitching to a venture capitalist.
• Why writing a good proposal is the key to getting a book deal—and how to write one.
• Counterintuitive tips for writing a truly impactful memoir.

For more, check out:
hilaryswanson.com
maggielangrick.com
wonderwell.press

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