What is a 'vision' for a book?

What do editors mean when they say this? Why does it lead to them turning books down?

Morning everyone,

Today I wanted to write about a topic that an author suggested might be helpful: the publishing vision. This is a term that I think is used fairly regularly when editors pass on manuscripts (i.e. turn them down) and although we know what we mean, I can completely understand why it could feel like a nebulous term if you are a writer on the receiving end.

Obviously, I can’t speak for every editor out there (nor would I attempt to!) but this is my perspective and what I mean by ‘vision’ - and how it might lead to me passing up an opportunity to publish the book:

• I can’t clearly picture in my head what the overall book would look like. By this I mean the cover, the title, the strapline: the key elements of the finished product that should, in a good piece of publishing, tie together to intrigue the reader and make them want to pick the book up. If I read a book that I like but that I am finding hard to picture on the shelves, this can give me pause.

• If I’m not sure where the book might sell. I work in commercial fiction, so that is something to bear in mind whenever you’re reading this newsletter: I am not an expert in literary fiction or in non-fiction (though lots of similar principles do broadly apply). In today’s market, most of our books sell through the following channels: supermarkets, Waterstones, TG Jones, Amazon, Audible, Spotify, WHS Travel, Independent bookshops, subscription boxes. If when I’m acquiring a novel, I can’t see which of these might be a good lead retailer (i.e. the one that might get behind the book the most) then I might worry that the routes to market would be hard. Some books that feel fast-paced, commercial, genre-led etc are books that I know would be good for supermarkets. Some Science Fiction and Fantasy novels I might think would be a specifically good fit for a subscription box. All of our books are available on Amazon, and that can be a great driver of sales, but we also have to think about how many books we’re publishing at a given time and whether we then have enough marketing budget and resource overall to push readers towards them. So if I feel as though a book might not have a clear retailer to champion it, I’m likely to pass.

• If I feel like the vision I have for the book doesn’t align with that of the author. If you are a writer, you might have a very specific idea of where your novel sits in the market, or how you want it to be published, and that might not align with every editor out there (and that’s fine!) It can be really useful to meet with authors before making an offer for the book (we often do this via Zoom) so that you as a writer have the opportunity to ask what the publisher’s vision is for the book, and vice versa. It’s important to feel like you’re on the same page. Sometimes books come in that could sit on a more literary list or a more commercial list, and it’s down to the publishers of each list to draw out the elements that would make it sit more comfortably on their imprint. What the writer wants is a key part of that too.

• If I am not sure who the reader is. This is linked to all of the above really but if I read a book and I’m not sure who the audience might be, that might make me worry. I really want to publish books that I can get into readers’ hands, and if the subject matter feels too niche, or, conversely, it feels too familiar, then I’m likely to pass. Often, I might have another author on the list writing in a similar space and so then the vision I’d have is too similar to the one I’ve already got for someone I’ve already contractually (and emotionally!) committed to. Sometimes, a book might feel as though it’s writing about a topic or an industry that feels elitist or small in terms of reach, and so then for a commercial list I’ll turn it down as I want books that can connect with large numbers of readers in general.

• If I don’t emotionally connect with the book or the characters - this then means I don’t feel as though I have a clear vision as to what the author is trying to achieve or do with their story, and this means I will struggle to pitch it to my sales, marketing and PR colleagues and convey a strong sense of passion or clarity of pitch - both of which are needed for books to gain attention internally and externally. There are some books I feel very strongly about, that I love and can see super clear visions for, and for me I feel that if your book isn’t one of those, I will be doing you a disservice by taking it on. Your novel deserves someone who ‘gets’ it so hold out for that.

I hope this is helpful. All of this, though, brings me to my main point which is that every editor will read a book as a unique individual with their own list, some publishing houses have more space or resource than others, some have different models, and you really only need ONE yes! I have 100% turned down some amazing books because I did not see the vision for them, but the good news is that another editor did! I’ve definitely said to agents ‘I hope another editor publishes this’ and meant it sincerely.

So remember if you’re in the submission trenches or feeling confused by what the term ‘vision’ means, it really does only take one, and if this book isn’t the book that aligns, there’s no reason that your next one might not be. Rejections are never (well, VERY rarely, if we’ve heard an author is really difficult to work with!!) personal, and a publisher not having a vision for your book does NOT mean they actively dislike the book or think you’re a bad writer. Promise!

Happy writing! And remember, if you want to support this Substack you can subscribe below, and share your own thoughts in the comments!

Phoebe x