Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How We Got A Book Agent, Wrote A Proposal, & Landed A Book Deal

We promised you guys a post all about the whole book-deal process back in March (when we spilled the beans about our upcoming book here).

how-to-write-a-proposal-and-get-a-book-deal

And the only reason I can think of that it has taken us this long to write is because we’ve been so busy actually writing our 260+ page book behind the scenes along with juggling the bambino and the blog and all of the projects that go along with those things. Haha. So forgive us for the delay. Many of you guys expressed an interest in how it all went down (a few years ago we never would have known how to navigate the waters of book proposals and agents and potential publishers to somehow “land” a book deal), so we’re happy to share. Here’s how it all happened, in bullet form (with photos of Burger acting out our emotions, naturally):

  • About two years ago (after blogging for about two years) we were contacted by a few agents & independent publishers about a potential book deal.
  • We went crazy for the idea (we love to write and share our projects).
  • We chatted with John’s sister about the folks who contacted us (she works in NYC with a large magazine publisher – so although she doesn’t do books she knows who’s who for the most part).
  • She gently explained that they were a bit less “legit” than some other folks that we could potentially work with if we held out, so we decided to just wait and see what happened.
  • We sort of forgot about it.
  • About six months later (a year and a half ago), we were contacted by a NY/Boston literary agency (Zachary Shuster Harmsworth) – so we asked John’s sister about them and she got really giddy and said they were highly recommended (their agency just emailed us out of the blue asking if we would like to pursue a book).
  • Uh… yes! We got excited. And naturally, we dove right in.

pringles-face

  • We immediately started working with an agent to put together a book proposal (this is what they send out to potential publishers to “shop” around a book idea and see who’s interested).
  • A proposal is typically 70-150 pages, so it takes a while to put together. The process starts with a book outline and you write an intro and a conclusion and explain why your book would be different/fun/exciting. You basically plead your case.
  • It took us a year to complete our book proposal. Not lying. It was a ton of work! And we kept tweaking things until we loved it (no sense in pitching a book that you’re only feeling so-so about, so we took our time developing something that we thought was fun and fresh and exciting).
  • After a year of work on that 100-ish page document we got to a place where our agent thought it was time to send it out. So she did.
  • Then she had a baby. So another agent took over after the “pitching” process. That was a little nerve-wracking but it was such an exciting time so we tried to just remember to breathe and eat and stuff. This was our nervous face:

pooch-adoption1

  • It turned out that after our literary agency pitched our proposal to about twenty publishing houses, seven of them were interested in bidding on our book. We were crossing our fingers for one or two (which we heard was typical – hey, you only need one!) so it was an insanely exciting and unbelievable reaction. We still get glassy-eyed when we think about that day.
  • After publishers indicate that they’re interested, there’s an “auction” (yes, it’s sort of like ebay – haha) and they each extend a bid about what they want to do/pay (everything from a book advance to royalties is indicated in their bid along with where they “see” the book going – so one publishing house might indicate that they see a giant expensive coffee table book while another wants a smaller less expensive handbook).
  • It was super helpful to learn which publishers wanted to do big expensive books and which ones were more of a small shop atmosphere who do a more customized look at a more affordable price point while believing in a lot of collaboration (obviously that type appealed to us a lot more).
  • By the end of auction day our heads were spinning as we compared the offers and picked a publisher. Our pick? Artisan/Workman. Workman is a huge publisher who is known for all sorts of best-selling books (like What To Expect When You’re Expecting) – but Artisan is their smaller boutique agency that manages a much smaller volume of books per year in a real hands-on way that’s full of collaboration. They understood that we didn’t want to create a giant $50 coffee table book and that we just wanted something fresh, fun, and affordable – and full of great ideas and great photos.
  • They actually offered us a two-book deal, which is especially encouraging because they were saying “we have faith even before your first book comes out that it’ll be great and we’ll want to do a second book with you” – so yeah, we were over the moon. We have no idea what the second book will be about (since we didn’t touch on that in the proposal) so it’s nice and open-ended now. Which we like (who knows what we’ll want to write about after the first book comes out).
  • About eight months ago we all signed on the dotted line to make things official (which is actually when we shared the book deal news with you guys – we couldn’t wait!). Then we… you guessed it… dove right into writing the actual book.

french-fry-face

  • After about seven months of nearly nonstop writing (behind the scenes while we continued to blog and love on Clara), we handed in our 100+ page manuscript outline, which felt pretty darn good. Although it’s around 120 pages now, when the tutorials and photos are added it should hit the 260+ page mark. This momentous hand-in day was over a month ago. We’re currently gearing up for the photography stage (working on the book’s layout, fleshing out all the tutorials, and beginning to secretly complete and shoot hundreds of projects with a pro photographer).
  • We’re also coordinating with a few other guest bloggers who we’d love to feature (you know we love to share the love slash eye candy).

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  • Let’s just say we completely understand why the title of “author” is a full time job. It has been kind of crazy being stay at home parents to Clara, keeping up with the blog and the projects that we share, all while writing a book and doing secret projects for the book behind the scenes. But we couldn’t be more excited to see how it all turns out! And when we’re done we’ll probably sleep for at least five days straight.

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  • The book is slated for release in the fall of 2012 (although there are occasional murmurings of the spring of 2013). Isn’t it amazing how much longer books take to make than blog posts? Especially since most of the content is already completed and the release date is still a year (or more!) away. All that pro photography and layout and production stuff takes time though, and we’re sure it’ll be well worth the wait!

As for what our book is about, the concept is that it’s an idea book. A giant compilation of over 250 ideas for showing your home some love (our tentative title is actually Spruce: 257 Ways To Show Your Home Some Love). The number might change as we continue to execute the projects that we have detailed in our manuscript (some might be awesome and lead to other ideas while some might fail – so it’s flexible). We just want it to be a fun book that you can flip through to see tons of numbered ideas, and then you can start on any page and do any project in the order that it appeals to you. Informal just felt right to us, and the idea that every project or suggestion could be altered a bit (so everyone can do their own spin to fit their house and their style) seems fitting.

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A decorating bible with explanations about boxpleats and start-to-finish home staging, it’s not. It’s more of a spark. A starting point. A junkload of ideas to pick and choose from and adapt to fit your home. Some are more involved, some are super easy. Some are free, some might be something that you have to save up for a little to take on. Basically it’s the blog. Only a book. And instead of getting a post or two a day, you get 250+ ideas with photos and checklists and tutorials and illustrations (along with a lot of extra tips, sidebars, and commentary) and a little dorky humor a la us.

stuffed-friends-burger

Oh and virtually all of the 250+ projects/photos/illustrations will be new for the book – so it’s nothing regurgitated from YHL or anything. Some of the ideas might be the same (ex: paint a piece of furniture or reupholster a bench) but those general concepts had to be included – so we decided we’d execute them in a fresh way (instead of seeing the same bench that I painted three years ago for the blog, you might see a dresser painted in a completely different way that we secretly completed this winter). Sure it’s extra work, but we really want the book to look fresh and be full of different “takes” on a ton of decorating ideas – both classic and unexpected (and pretty much everything in between).

So there it is. A big ol’ rundown of the book process, what we’ve been up to, and how it all went down. I would definitely encourage anyone who is looking to be published to work with an agent (if they don’t email you, I’d definitely try emailing them a proposal to see if they’d like to take on your project). Let’s just say that I can name fifty times that having an agent to help navigate the contractual terms, timeline, and general process came to the rescue – so it’s definitely something we probably couldn’t have gone without.

Does anyone else out there have publishing tips to share with others who are hoping to get into author-ship? Has anyone actually tried to author a book in the past? Any self publishing experiences to share (we were too scared to go that route, but hear it can work too). As for book ideas, waaaay before John and I were bloggers we tried to write a proposal for a hilarious pet naming book (say the people who named their dog Hamburger) but after realizing how much work it was… it just sort of fizzled out. Maybe someday we’ll give it another go. We owe it to Burger. Haha.

Update – Some of the most frequent requests that we get are for info about professionally blogging (how we made our site, how we grew our following, how we make money, etc) so we shared all of the details about how we started a blog, grew our traffic, and turned it into a full time job. 

Comments

  2. Cheryl says

    awesome! Your readers are so proud of you!! And thanks to you guys that you won’t be using the same projects that you have shared with us in your blog — I love the idea that this book will be fresh ideas for your long-time readers and that new readers will buy your book and then go to your blog for more ideas (and thus see some of the older projects you have already shared with us). Can’t wait until its published — I’m buying copies for myself and two family members as well — so there’s 3 copies pre-sold already!!

    Reply

  3. Laura Roussy says

    I can’t wait for your book to come out! You guys have an amazing blog and it is so fun to check out all of your ideas during the week. My husband and I are moving to a house on Saturday and you guys have given us so many ideas! Thanks so much for all of your hard work.
    Have a wonderful day!
    Laura

    Reply

  5. Anne says

    So excited for your book! We will definitely be buying a copy for our house, giving it to friends, and most importantly, I will make sure our public library buys a copy too. I think I have a little pull being the Children’s Librarian there! Can’t wait to read it.

    Reply

  7. Mackenzie says

    Cannot wait to pick up the book! It’s already on my 2012 Christmas list (or 2013 birthday list)! Thanks for always being willing to share your DIY ideas :)

    Reply

  8. JBC says

    I’m so excited to buy your book! I can’t believe we have to wait so long. I can’t imagine where you all find the energy and motivation to do all the extra projects!

    I think it’s really cool that you are creating all new projects. I’m sure it’s a ton of work. It will be so great to have a book full of all new projects and ideas rather than just an archive of YHL (which I totally read all the time).

    Reply

  11. Brittney Saffell says

    Thanks for the book update! I know it will do great. Can’t wait to get a copy. Best of luck as you finish up!

    My husband and I are getting ready to sell our home and buy a fixer upper (like we looked at a house last week that did not have sheetrock upstairs and all the kitchens and bathrooms taken down to the studs, WOA). We are SO EXCITED! Thank you for all of the great info on your blog! It will be a big help as we start tackling some major (and minor) DIY projects.

    Reply

  12. Natalie says

    I am super excited for you guys. Are you going to be at BookExpo? I’d love to get you guys for a author event here at my library! Please let me know when the publisher is planning that tour…. or maybe you could come on your way to ATL this summer for the convention… we are on the way.

    Reply

  13. Witty Wife says

    When I was in high school and college, I worked for an independent bookstore in Massachusetts. Part of my job was to take all the catalogs from publishers showing the upcoming books, and manually enter into our computer system the titles we’d be having in the store (no scanning barcodes back then!)

    I’ve always loved books, but I have to say I am SO SO SO excited that you both are publishing a book! As soon as it’s on Amazon, I’m pre-ordering (I know, I know, I should be going back to the small independent store I used to work at.)

    Congratulations, you guys!

    BTW, just curious (not about specifics or anything), but you went through the entire process in this post, and shared a little bit about the auction and offers you get from different publishers. Without specifics, how are authors compensated? An advance, and then royalties? How do royalties work? Is it a certain percentage for each book sold? Just curious.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, it’s a pretty standard thing in the industry (not much room to negotiate unless you’re Stephen King or something) to get an advance that is paid out in a few installments as you write/complete the book and then to get a small percentage (around 5-7% of the profit of each book after the publisher makes back their money on the advance they gave you). So many authors don’t get royalties for a nice long time while the publisher keeps 100% of the profit to recoup the advance that they laid out. We knew nothing about that stuff going into it, so it’s where a literary agent really came in handy!

      xo,
      s

  14. Andrea says

    no doubt, your book will be a huge sucess! i think your network of followers will easily spread the word and we are clearly all very excited for the book to be published!

    you should include a burger section, with all things dog related! he’s a real star, obviously. as are you, john, and clara. it will be great!

    =)

    Reply

  15. Paulina J! says

    I can’t wait!! I just wanted to say how much I appreciate all the hard work you guys do. You deserve it all! I’m so impressed at how you guys are so committed to your family, blog and now a book!!! Thanks for keeping up with us crazy fans despite the hectic schedule.

    Reply

  16. eileen marie says

    Thanks for this! And congrats again! I don’t know if I can wait until 2012 for the book!!

    My husband actually wrote an entire novel last November (yet to be published, except through Amazon’s self-publishing) during National Novel Writing Month. He has also written a travel log of our trip to India, complete with photos, which I hope he will shop with an agent. *Fingers crossed*

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, we usually go to bed really late (around 2am lately, just to try to pack in as much time to get work done while Clara sleeps as we can). So we’re so tired that we collapse and fall right to sleep thankfully!

      xo,
      s

  18. Ashley @ Lewis in Love says

    Wow, serious congratulations. You guys have such a talent and I think this book is going to be huge for you. It’s hard to imagine there are some people out there that don’t do the whole “blogging” thing, but there are…and those people will finally get to see and hear from you guys. It’s awesome. Can’t wait to pick up my own copy. :) :)

    Reply

  21. Lauren says

    You guys are ridiculous…. full time blog, plus projects… plus child, plus life, plus writing a book with other new, unseen projects… ridiculous. Awesome… but ridiculous… but I can tell you for sure that your readers so greatly appreciate the thought, time and care you put into every decision you make. It’s clear you wanted to put our a product that your proud of and excited about … and that makes us excited to see it too…

    Can’t wait to buy it… :)

    Reply

  22. Tamara says

    This is inspiring. I am just taking the first steps to a big dream and the mountain of work ahead of me is gigantic. It actually might eat me. Thank you for breaking down the project, it will serve as a reminder that things take time but they are definitely worth it.

    Looking forward to seeing your book on the New York Times Bestsellers List.

    Reply

  23. Kasey March says

    I’m so excited! My aunt is self publishing a novel series and has been keeping me busy with lots of copy editing!

    The Burger video is fantastic, but with all the excitement going around how on earth are we going to be able to wait until next fall for the book?

    PS Please send your publishers all of these comments – WE WANT A BOOK TOUR! I’m from NJ but I’d go to Philly or NY to see you :)

    Reply

  25. Jaz says

    Congratulations, John & Sherry! …and thanks for sharing the very interesting book/publishing process. I’ll be sure to pick up a copy as soon as they are out!

    Love the Burger pics and video, too! The pet naming book is a great idea…we’ve enjoyed choosing names for our crew :-)

    Reply

  28. Lyndsey says

    Congratulations on your book! I can’t wait to buy it and read it and display it with my (small, but treasured) other decor books. I’m sure the cover’s gonna be beautiful!!

    Reply

  29. jamie says

    Oooohhh!!! I am so incredibly excited! More YHL to obsess about to the hubby!! Ha, him working 60 hours a week is not exactly conducive to all of my projects going on – that require his help! :) He still has a soft spot for you guys though, and I know he secretly dreams of having lots and lots of manly power tools a la John. :)

    Reply

  30. Melissa S. says

    SO Exciting! Congrats! I have a feeling that your “secret dresser painting” is the one from your bedroom that was handed down from family….so anxious to see what you did to it!!

    Reply

  32. Sarah c. says

    I’m so excited for you guys and I’m anxiously awaiting your book.

    Thus far I thought I spied one potential book project in your ‘Seven Up’ post. John is strategically placing himself in front of a piece of art on the office wall to cover it when posing with his precious number 7. Then it mysteriously disappears off the wall and we can only see the anchor where it once was. Could this possibly be a book project?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- you have a great eye! That’s actually an old white framed mirror (seen here) but once we hung the seven we though it was too much white, so we took down the mirror in favor of some colorful art that we hope to add soon!

      xo,
      s

  33. Caroline says

    SOOOOOO excited…not only can I have YHL on my PC but I’ll have a real live in-print version that I can shed some happy DIY tears all over! CONGRATS!!

    Reply

  34. Monique says

    Wow! Such exciting news. I’m so happy for both of you. I know the publisher negotiates the percentage authors can receive but I wondered are new authors allowed to maintain 100% profit if/when the book is printed as an e-book?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’m not sure how that all works, anyone know about e-books? We only get a small percentage of the profit of each book when it comes to royalties (the standard seems to be 5-7% unless you’re huge like Stephen King or something) so an e-book could be a way to maintain a lot more of the profit (although you wouldn’t be likely to get a book advance with a self-published e-book). We’re just so excited to have a book to hold and see on shelves in places like Barnes & Noble! Being published authors has been a dream of ours for such a long time!

      xo,
      s

  36. Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says

    Congratulations! Looks like my 2012 Christmas shopping is complete haha

    Seriously though, I’m so happy for you guys! My new house will (hopefully) be finished being built in the spring and it won’t be until late fall or winter when the money well is semi replenished so a fall 2012 release is perfect timing! :)

    Reply

  37. Sarah says

    So excited! Can hardly wait for the release day. It’ll be your blog-stalkers waiting in line at midnight like for a Harry potter release! I’m voting for a book tour with Clara and Burger too AND for you to post an excerpt on YHL a few days before release!!
    Good luck!

    Reply

  38. Anika says

    So excited!! Congrats – you guys definitely deserve all the success you’ve enjoyed from working so hard! I will certainly buy a copy or two!

    Reply

  39. Bethany says

    Agh – I want to go buy it NOW!!! I can’t believe you have been doing MORE projects than just what you’ve shown on your blog. You two are some of the most hard working people I’ve ever seen. I know your book will be a huge success!

    Reply

  40. Kim says

    This is so exciting! I cannot wait to get my copy (or copies)! I wish I could go on as little sleep as you guys do. I could get so much more done if I worked even half as hard as you do! I really have no idea how you do it all – you clearly must be superheros in disguise.

    Reply

  41. Paula says

    So exciting! It’s amazing that you guys will be making new content for such a hefty book, as opposed to the usual rehash of the blog. Lots of luck and may Clara’s nap schedule be with you!

    Reply

  44. Jenni says

    So excited for you guys!!! It sounds like this has been a fun (but busy) project. Thanks so much for posting the process. I can’t wait to read it next year or so (and hopefully get my book signed when you come to Minneapolis on tour, hint-hint ;)

    Reply

  46. Christine says

    I am a new reader of your website–thank my sister-m-law for showing me the awesomeness. :) Your stuff is fantastic and inspiring, and I will be buying two copies of your book–one for me, and one for her! Thanks for the inspiration–my house is old and ratty and my kids are crazy, but I love seeing your posts and thinking, “Oh, I could do that!!” And also laughing because you keep it so real. :) Keep up the good work.

    Reply

  47. amanda says

    That is some very exciting news!! I’ll def be buying! Sounds like you are too far in the process to change anything, but maybe you could do a blog post or include this in your next book for people new to using tools and afraid of messing up by using the wrong stuff. A guide to the all the different tools, the different saws and drills, voltage or size needed for materials, and types of blades or bits and hardware etc for different projects. Brands you recommend, when you can go cheap or splurge, etc. That would be so helpful. I look at the hardware ads and it all just blurs together so I get nothing. And the basics of building things like tables, how to determine what type of support you need, how you angle in screws or nails and so on. Ok, tall order, but maybe something you could do in the future?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Definitely something we might tackle here on the blog (we’re planning a favorite tools post since so many folks have requested it) and possibly in a future book as well!

      xo
      s

    • Leeann says

      I love this idea. I don’t know my way around anything other than a screwdriver. I come up with design ideas and then make my unsuspecting fiance put them together for me. It would be nice if I had the confidence and knowledge in tools to do it myself!

  48. Jana says

    This is so awesome guys, congrats! I can’t wait to get a copy. I don’t know how you do all you do. I know a book tour isn’t decided yet, but I’ll be seeing you if you come to Orlando :) Maybe you could take Clara to Disney. ;)

    Reply

  49. Laura says

    That’s awesome! Can’t wait to see the finished product. BTW, I was on Linkedin recently and Sherry you came up as someone I “might know.” I have a good friend who was in advertising in NYC a while ago and I think that’s how we were connected through her contacts. Small world. It’s like Six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Only cooler. :) Good luck with the book!

    Reply

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