In this post, you’ll learn how I went from struggling first-time author to an international bestseller for my second book, and what I wish I’d known about Books and Publishing when I started writing!

The Hard Truth About First-Time Book Deals

By Louisa Deasey
Bonus content:
Download A Free Book Proposal checklist for Memoir & Nonfiction Here or click the image below

When I set out to get my first book deal, I had no idea how the traditional publishing industry really worked. I spent five years at University studying Literature, Editing and Writing and thousands of dollars attending international workshops and conferences, trying to learn the steps, because I wanted my debut to be a success.
And here’s the thing: as a freelance journalist, for many years, something I heard at a freelance conference stuck with me: this is a BUSINESS, above all, so you need to treat it like that. It’s not about creativity. It’s not even about YOU. It’s about business. And so you need to look at your ‘writing’ like a product you are selling.

And while my first book was relatively successful for a first-time author (we sold almost 3000 copies, which is above-average for a first-time author), the journey to securing that first book deal took me two years and left me with a lot of hard lessons. AND, I never earned out the book advance (which I’ve since learned is completely normal. But I wanted to go into royalties! As I’m sure you do, too, with your first book.)

Here’s the truth about trying to get your first book traditionally published:

  • Agents, editors, and publishers have very specific requirements to see if a book ‘has legs’ and ‘can sell’ – and THIS is why they choose to represent or publish you, not because of the writing!

  • Most authors don’t discover these expectations until after they’ve made mistakes (because this stuff is NOT taught in any writing or publishing courses I know, and I’ve done a LOT of courses across the world).

  • Publishing isn’t about luck—it’s about strategy. And when you KNOW the start-to-finish process from pitch to deal, you are in a MUCH better position with your next book. But the problem is? You rarely get the CHANCE to write or pitch a second book if your first one was a flop!

  • SO – first-time authors are at a HUGE disadvantage here, because they haven’t had the business training in what goes on behind the scenes in terms of the financial side of book publishing. Royalties, advances, what the publisher covers, how the marketing is organised, and most importantly, what YOU can show and do right now, to sell your book!

I created a strategy to get my second book deal – and it worked

After pitching my first book without an agent, I eventually signed a deal and got it published. But the sales, royalties, and experience of organising media and marketing for the launch and in the months and year after it was published, was not what I expected. Remember that I’d been writing for major media and spoken on radio and podcasts across Australia by then, and I considered myself good at pitching stories. I did secure a huge portion of the media appearances to promote Love & Other U Turns, but I didn’t want to step on any toes at my Publisher and I also didn’t know what I was allowed to ask about it all, so i didn’t know all that I could have done better. For instance, the cover was not a match for the style and genre of the story – most booksellers mistakenly put it in the fiction section! And it was a dusty road story about outback Australia, culture, comedy and love. I even got invited to talk to students at a High School writing class about “writing novels”!

The disappointment in both the marketing process and the lack of knowledge given to first-time authors like me helped me see a HUGE gap in the educational market around the actual BUSINESS side of book publishing and becoming an author. If I was going to write and publish another book, I would never do it the same way again.

When it came to my second book, A Letter from Paris, I remember inwardly groaning at the realisation that I was being given the opportunity of a lifetime – a second chance at a bestselling book, and doing it better with a STRATEGY was a non-negotiable for me from the start of the writing and pitching process. First, I got clear on all I wanted from that experience (I’d lingered far too long on all the disappointments and things I wished I’d been able to access with my first book deal!):

  • I wanted an agent to represent me.

  • I wanted my Publisher to have a foreign office so that it would sell outside Australia and I also wanted an audiobook deal.

  • I ALSO wanted to sell the book before writing it—with a solid advance, deadline, and the security of knowing I had a good Publisher backing me and getting all the media and marketing material in place way before Publication day.

  • I was also determined – no, CONVINCED I would make it a bestseller. I wanted to earn out the advance within the first year and I wanted to go into royalties. This was huge for me, because nobody ever explained how royalties and booksellers even WORK when I got my first book advance. It’s a complex business model, book publishing!

So I followed a really clear strategy and can happily say I reached every single one of those goals with my second book deal.

From Blog Post to Major Publisher

Using the experience of selling thousands of stories to the media, I turned a single blog post into an offer of publication from a top five publisher within a couple of weeks.

That’s how I was then able to:

  • Secure an agent.

  • Received multiple offers from different publishers (the Top 5 Publisher was not my first choice because I’d seen similar titles they produced, and I didn’t like the style of those books).

  • I chose the Publisher that would give me the strongest chance at international success, Scribe, who had just opened their UK office and had a team in the US, too. They were also much more aligned with what I wanted to do with the book. They offered the smallest advance, I must say but that didn’t matter. I knew the advance was nothing compared to the potential a book has to sell in other ways, which is why I turned down two Top 5 Publishers (and bigger advances) for Scribe.

Within eight months—and without even having written the manuscript—I had a book deal that aligned with all of my goals. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t write the book without the security of the deal. I knew how much work goes into writing a book, and I needed that promise and support of a fantastic editor I knew was waiting for the manuscript.

That book went on to:

  • Become an international bestseller.

  • Be published across three continents.

  • Release as an audiobook.

  • And yes, I earned out the advance in the first year so unlike 98% of authors, I went into royalties.

Everything I had dreamed of with my second book came true—because I was intentional, strategic, and informed. Because I’d been published and seen the ENTIRE process from an author’s perspective, before.

But here’s the thing: most authors don’t get a second chance. And why, oh WHY, don’t writing degrees teach us about the BUSINESS side of commercial publishing? Marketing is a huge part of book sales, but every author I talk to seems to think this is the Publisher’s responsibility. I’m telling you right now: if you cannot wrap your head around what sells nonfiction books, you will not succeed as an author. Your sales will be disappointing if you DO get a deal, and you won’t do all that you can be doing, to promote your book and help it reach all the people who want it!

Becoming a successful Author is about sales strategy. So how do you strategise when you can’t see the full picture?

Too many first-time authors are left in the dark about how publishing actually works. The industry is hierarchical and secretive, but the truth is:

  • When you understand how agents and publishers look at a potential author and whether or not a book is sellable, you can make smarter decisions.

  • When you understand the business model of publishing, you can protect your career long term and make better decisions like I did, not just swooping on the first offer or the biggest advance (or worse, PAYING to be published because you don’t know how to differentiate a dodgy publisher from a reputable one!).

  • With the right strategy, you can set your book (and yourself) up for success in the long term. Whether it’s your first book of more you want to write, or the only one you ever right, you deserve to get it right the first time!

This is why I created The Book Deal Bundle—to give nonfiction authors the information about publishing, media, marketing and how the sales side actually works that I wish I’d had when I started.

The Book Deal Educational Bundle gives you the information I wished I’d had about the business side of Publishing when I first wanted to become a published author

Click the image to learn more about the training bundle on book publishing sales and deals for first-time nonfiction authors

In the book deal education bundle, which is two masterclasses, bonus videos on media and selling stories to agents and publishers as well as a step-by-step guide to book proposals for nonfiction, I share the 3 step strategy for landing a traditional book deal in weeks to months, with examples from different nonfiction categories, as well as a breakdown of the financial side of traditional publishing (what first-time authors REALLY need to know before signing anything!):
You’ll also learn:

  • How to sell your story with the same strategies I used to sell thousands of media pieces.

  • How to get an agent and understand what they need to see to make an offer for your nonfiction book, whether it’s a memoir, self-help, business book or narrative nonfiction.

  • How to position yourself online so publishers take you seriously (and get back to you in days and weeks, as they did with me!).

  • How to negotiate with editors and publishers from a place of empowerment.

  • The business side of publishing—royalties, advances, rights, marketing, booksellers, and more.

This program is for nonfiction authors (memoir, self-help, narrative nonfiction), but the agent and publishing strategies are relevant across genres. Traditional Book Publishing is a unique business model and distribution is a word most first-time authors don’t understand, but it’s important.

Why Nonfiction Authors Have an Advantage with Publishing Deals

In today’s publishing climate, nonfiction authors have more tools than ever to position themselves for success:

  • Social media platforms allow you to grow an audience and expand your reach.

  • Websites and blogs allow you to showcase your authority in the market and deepen your connection

  • Digital positioning helps you stand out in your category.

  • Your book proposal is how you show your understanding of the market and present a sales pitch for your book. Which is why I’ve added a deep-dive training on book proposals that sell nonfiction books to the Book Deal Bundle, breaking down the 8 key components.

Knowing how the marketing, media and bookselling businesses work together is why both of my books sold faster and stronger than the industry average. The average first time author sells about 250 copies and never earns out their advance. And to even GET a book deal puts you in the 1% of writers pitching work. Some agents see 400 book pitches A WEEK and say no to all of them. So if you can educate yourself to what you need to show in every communication you send to any publishing professional, you will be at a huge advantage.

Final Thoughts

Traditional publishing doesn’t need to feel like an impossible mystery or the far-off dream only available to an elite ‘few’. It’s about sales. And if you’re trying to sell anything, you learn what sells in the industry! The Books and Publishing industry is a business like all other industries, and it has unique considerations. If you understand how books sell, and what the key players, like literary agents, Publishers and Editors actually DO with your book, you can make better decisions and sell your book! You’ll also be able to move strategically (rather than guessing) so you can”

  • Secure a book deal faster.

  • Protect your long-term career as an author.

  • Create a publishing experience that feels empowering and aligned and of course, have your beautiful book reach MORE people who want to see your work in the world!
    The experience of getting A Letter From Paris written and published was so much better than I could ever have imagined, and that’s because I acted strategically, based on what I’d learnt from being published, working in print and radio media, and then in marketing and communications for major brands. It’s all connected, but i’ve broken it down so you can go into your first deal EMPOWERED and INFORMED about exactly how books are bought by agents and Publishers.

I created The Book Deal Bundle because I want first-time authors to succeed the first time—not after years of trial, error, and disappointment!

👉 Learn more about how you can access the book deal bundle right here. It could be the best investment of your writing career!