The Best Kept Secret in Publishing
Opportunities for Fiction Writers
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Frustrated by the slow grind of traditional publishing? Want to see your book on the shelves within months? Dream of hitting the best-seller list?
Imagine the scene. Your sunny holiday destination awaits. You’ve got to the airport on time, you’ve struggled through security, and now you’re trying to relax in the airport lounge. You browse the bookshop and decide that some easy reading is just what you need. After the last few months you want a page-turner that won’t tax the braincells—War & Peace can wait a few weeks. So you buy two or three paperbacks in your favourite genre: crime, sci-fi, fantasy, romance. Maybe you’ll try romantasy, it’s very popular at the moment.
Commercial fiction is where the money is for authors and publishers. But, as a writer, how do you break into this area of the business should you wish to do so?
Well, there is a way, and I wasn’t aware of it until a few weeks ago—perhaps I’ve led a sheltered life and you’ve all known this since forever! I’m seeking a publisher at the moment for my book on memory and place so I’m doing a bit of research and I heard about it via Jericho Writers. There’s an arrangement between publishers and authors called IP projects. (IP stands for intellectual property.) Avon Books, the commercial fiction division of HarperCollins UK, operates such a scheme. Perhaps other publishers do as well. Tell me if you know.
After participating in the ‘SubstackXPublishing Summit’ in August 2024, and sensing the frustration and sadness that currently surrounds the traditional publishing industry, I’m intrigued by this new-to-me business model. I think you will be too. This is what I understand happens if you work with the editors at Avon Books.
What are IP Projects?
After conducting loads of market research to nail down exactly what the public wants, looking at trends and what’s selling well in print and digitally, the editors draft an idea for a book that they feel would succeed in the current market. Confidence is high that there’s an audience ready and waiting (just like you were in the airport lounge). They take the idea further by testing it in-house and, after lots of discussion, they get the sign-off from other key departments in the publishing house. The result of all this work up front is a comprehensive document containing details of what a book should look like and how the story will go. This IP project is ready to proceed!
Now all the editors need to do is match their best-selling idea with someone who can write fast in that specific genre. They check their database.
How do you get on the database?
Avon Books periodically issues call-outs, or invites, via their social media feeds. They also sometimes approach agents, and I understand they’ve also linked up with Jericho Writers to source new authors through them. To be accepted onto the database you have to fill in a form and send in a 500-word sample of your work which, ideally, should be in your chosen genre. If that goes OK, you then just wait for an opening. You’ll get a call or an email.
You’re invited to write a sample
When you’re contacted with information about a project you’ll need to sign a non-disclosure agreement before going much further. Then, armed with even more information, you’ll have a couple of weeks to write 1000-word sample. If you’ve captured the tone they’re looking for, you’ll get the chance to discuss a contract in more detail.
Can you write a book in three months?
Yes, that’s the sort of timescale they work to because they want to edit it and get it on the shelves quickly; the whole project is aimed to be completed in six to nine months. Fast turn around means you need to work to tight deadlines and respond promptly to edits. At first glance this might seem like a big ask for a writer but all the thinking has been done: the plot has been worked out; the chapter outlines written; even the characters have been drafted. So, anyone who enjoys working to deadlines, who can clear their calendar for three or four months of the year, might find this an interesting way to work. And, remember, you’ve already captured the tone of voice the editors are looking for, and you’ve produced 1000 words in the sample, so you have a head start.
What’s the word count?
The number of words expected depends on the genre and what you’ve agreed to in your contract, but the minimum is 65,000 words, and the maximum seems to be around 120,000 with historical fiction towards the upper end.
How much help do you get?
The editors at Avon Books support their writers all the way through because they’ve invested quite a lot in these books—they want you to succeed.
How much do you get paid?
I have no idea, sorry. I understand that each contract is different and, of course, confidential. What I do know is that they’ll offer a fixed figure up front, then royalties after you’ve earned back your advance. And Avon Books take a cut of the royalties because they’ve worked on the development of the book as well. I guess that’s fair.
Have you any experience of IP Projects?
Do you know of any similar schemes to this one by Avon Books?
I look forward to chatting with you in the comments!
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Credits & Links:
Photo is my own.
Avon Books—check out their website.
Jericho Writers describe themselves as an international club for all serious writers, offering editorial help, writing courses, online events and memberships.
‘SubstackXPublishing’ /The Sparkle Summit was organised by
and . The event is recorded so you can still watch it here.
I'm not exactly sure how this works in the UK, but it sounds to me like a "work for hire" writing contract as opposed to a "copyright royalty" contract. Publishers sometimes use commissioning editors who want to hire a writer a particular kind of book written to the market. (Creatives know the flaws of writing for market demand.) They pay the writer for the work of writing it, but the IP is not the author's or not the author's alone. Work for hire contracts are quite common in children's and educational publishing.
This is an interesting model...and I, for one, have never heard of this approach...but then again, I am a newbie to this business. Thanks for sharing the information...