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).

butt-sniffer

  • 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.

flask-burger

  • 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.

nice-to-meet-you

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

  1. Meg@Keeping up with the Jenks' says

    Congratulations! I don’t think success could come to a more deserving couple!
    I will definitely be there for a book signing if you come anywhere close to SC.
    P.S. I think your next book should be about how to raise the smartest and cutest baby ever.

    Reply

  2. Amber says

    Thank you for taking the time to do secret, fresh projects. I think that just shows how dedicated that you guys are in what you do. I can’t wait to have you on my shelves at home! I may even be guilty of giving you a “morning Sherry, morning John”, as I walk by every day. Would that be weird? Haha. Congrats you guys! Really, can’t wait to read them!

    Reply

  3. Becky says

    Yay! So excited to read this! Can’t believe you guys have time for all that you do! And thanks for the insight on how you got a book deal. My husband just finished writing a book on his experiences in the music industry and is planning to go the self-publishing route with lulu.com, but he may want to look into agents/publishers for future books so this post is really helpful!

    Reply

  4. alex says

    Im voting for a 2012 Burger calendar! With all the pizzazz and charm that dog has its a wonder he is so humble. Doesn’t let the fame, glitz and glamour of being a famous blog dog get to him. Ahh the life.

    Reply

  5. Elizabeth says

    I wish there was a “LOVE” button for this post!

    Coincidentally I was reading this post during my Storytelling Theory class (I’m in writing), and we were learning about the process of being published!

    Reply

  8. Siona says

    Wow! What can I say! Congratulations! I can’t WAIT to see the finished project – If it’s anything like the blog, it’ll be a best-seller. That, I can guarantee! And SECRET projects?! Oh yes! Where you get the time I’ll never know, but I think it’s great that you actually came up with new projects instead of, like you said, regurgitating the blog! Good luck with everything (And I hope you get that illustrator!) S xx

    Reply

  10. Carissa says

    I am SO excited for you guys – and am ready right now to pre-order your book ;) As I’m sure you will, please keep us updated! (PS: If you do a book tour, please come to British Columbia!!)

    Reply

  11. Penny says

    Yay! Congratulations! Cannot wait to buy this book! For the second book may I suggest 100+ pages of Burger sticking his head in food containers? Cause I’d totally buy that book too.

    Reply

  13. Andrea says

    My first dog was named Macaroni Ginger Mac -the result of an awful decision to draw three names out of a hat. But alone, Macaroni (a tribute to my little brother’s favorite food) was rather fun. So I’m looking forward to this dog naming book.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hahaha- I love it! We once had a frog named Fluffy in my elementary school because we drew names from two hats (one for naming a rabbit and one for naming a frog, and somehow “Fluffy” got into the wrong hat and was picked for the frog).

      xo,
      s

  15. LARY says

    This is sooooooo exciting! Thanks for sharing all the details, your book is on my wish list! You guys are awesome! You guys will have to go on a book tour and come to L.A! :)

    Reply

  17. Diane says

    How exciting! I think you should include pop-ups of all 4 of you in the book – ok, I’m just kidding. Well, may not….Burger will HAVE to have his own section, especially since he had his own blog for awhile!

    You deserve all this success and more.

    Reply

  18. Addy says

    Well lets just hope that book comes out Fall of 2012 just in case those darn Mayans are correct with their whole calendar. I’m beyond excited for your book to come out! You two (I mean four) are too much fun to read about, you’re blog is kind of my “break” between studying at college. When I was in 4th grade me and 4 other kids in my class (along with our teacher) published a children’s book through Scholastic. Maybe just maybe Clara will read it someday, and she’ll awe at it like how I’ll more than likely awe at yours, haha!
    p.s. I’m pro book tour, and by that I mean pro book tour stop in Minnesota =)

    Reply

  19. Jen says

    I am so incredibly excited and smitten about this whole book project!! I will be waiting in line at midnight for the book release! :)

    Don’t know how you guys do it, such superstars! And now you totally have us all waiting in major suspense for all of that new eye candy! Eek!

    xoxo,
    Jen

    Reply

  20. Amy says

    Huge, huge congratulations to you both. It must take major talent and work ethic to take on the book project while keeping your blog so fresh and comprehensive. Count on my husband and I to buy your book — and we won’t even wait until it’s used on Amazon, like we usually do. :o)

    Reply

  24. beth johnson says

    Just curious..are you writing this book as one voice, ie the Sherry/John voice combined or is it more like the blog where you each write individually? Either way, I’m sure it will be great!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re writing most of it from the “we” POV, since we have done almost everything together, so we’re kind of both speaking most of the time – but it’ll have little sections from John (ex: how to convince your hubby to get involved) or me. We’re having so much fun with the little individual sections as well as the overall chit-chat from both of us!

      xo,
      s

  26. Gail says

    You asked for stories about writing/publishing books. I self-published a big book called “Quiltworks Across Canada: Eleven Contemporary Workshops” in 1996. Took out a second mortgage on our house to do it, did the photography, and marketed it myself (sold out). Needless to say, it’s a huge learning curve, and I am very glad I got to learn so much, but it didn’t pay for groceries, let alone my time.
    Now, I’m doing the general contracting and much of the labour on the green home we’re building. (Blog: http://www.buildinggreenbc.com) Even though it’s a completely different subject matter, there are many parallels with the book project, and it definitely saves tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars to do it ourselves. I can relate to your projects, big time.

    Reply

  28. Sayward says

    Oh man, so exciting. I wish you guys tons of patience. When I get an idea it’s so hard for me to wait for it to come to fruition. Next you should write a children’s book about the adventures of a little girl and her chihuahua… maybe they have to learn to cope with moving into a new house. So cute and wayyyy less words to write :)

    Reply

  31. Johanna says

    Congratulations! Didn’t know about the book deal (only discovered your site a few weeks ago) but can’t wait to buy it!

    Reply

  33. laxsupermom says

    Congratulations! Can’t wait till the launch date. I have no idea how you two get so much done. Looking forward to trying to spot a sneaky secret project in the background of a pic or video this next year.

    Reply

  34. Janelle D says

    I will definitely be buying a copy, or two, or three… Gotta share the Young House Love :)

    You both are such an inspiration to all of your readers. I gave up on crafting and projects while completing my Bachelor’s but you helped me get the ball rolling again in the past couple years. I’m looking forward to this book for more creative ideas. Thank you!

    Reply

  35. Trina says

    Hey Sherry–

    I have a quick question not related to this post…

    I spray painted my aluminum shower door enclosures using the Rustoleum ORB indoor/outdoor paint you recommended in a previous post. They turned out great but I was wondering if you know, do I need to put on some kind of polyurethane finish since it is a shower door enclosure and will be constantly exposed to water/moisture? If so is there one kind you recommend? I appreciate any helpful info you can give me!

    Reply

  37. renee says

    Add Minneapolis to your list of locations that are panting at the thought of meeting you!!

    And honestly? I hope the book deal makes you RICH. You guys so deserve it, and we know it would never change you in a negative way. You have taught so many people the benefits of working hard, saving a ton and living under your means.

    It doesn’t hurt that you are both fabulous writers and adorable to boot.

    I LOVE it when good things happen to good people.
    Huzzah!!
    xox

    Reply

  38. heather e says

    wow!!! congratulations! i can’t wait to get my hands on your gem of a book!

    by the way, one of my dogs looked up from his nap all confused when sherry said “sit” in the video of burger running around in circles on the bed. hahaha…

    Reply

  40. KCatGU says

    I just wanted to say I really appreciated that it is new content. I know when I bought the Pioneer Women’s cookbook and even went to a book signing, it was such a let down to see so many repeat recipes. The effort is worth it!

    Reply

  41. julie g. says

    Well that settles it – there is nothing the four of you can’t accomplish! The book content sounds amazing and I can’t wait to own a copy.

    For now, I am waiting for you to finish your kitchen so I can decide how to go about painting my cabinets!

    Reply

  42. Jeremy (TheTravelApprentice) says

    You have a great article here. My girlfriend Melissa reads you every day and forwarded this to me…

    I’m self-publishing a Travel Guide that should be ready to go in a couple weeks… In fact all my words are on my website right now, however I’ll be removing most of the text in the New Year and replacing it with visual multimedia to compliment each section of my book.

    So far it’s around 45,000+ words, 272 pages and it’s been a ton of work but I truly enjoy doing it. So many hours and I have yet to see a dime but I’m certain it’ll be a success on day. Fingers crossed…

    So thanks for writing that article! I’m certain your book(s) will be a huge success. Good luck eh!

    -Jeremy

    Reply

  43. GreenInOC says

    Secret projects?! How very James Bondish of you!!

    Do you find it hard to not accidentally include something on the blog not intended for it – like in a photo?

    Reply

  45. Angie says

    How exciting! I am already planning on buying it. I love DIY stuff, and your blog is the only one I’ve found that I keep coming back to and keep getting inspiration from. I also LOVE that I get to know your family as a whole as well. Congratulations on your little “family” blog turning into this huge BRAND: “YoungHouseLove”!!!

    Reply

  46. Laura says

    It’s been decided (by me) that “Spruce” should just be your tentative title, it should be your final title! It sticks so well, I actually thought about it all morning for some reason haha. Nerdy poet.

    Reply

  49. Hanna S. says

    I’m truly excited for you guys!! Thanks for also breaking it down a bit for me..I’ve been writing a book myself for about a year (off and on) and didn’t know about the process at all.
    So many exciting things happening for you guys and after reading your blog, it’s pretty obvious that you guys deserve all the amazing things coming to your way. It also shows how hard work and passion goes far!
    Congrats!!

    Reply

  50. Linda Danis says

    Congratulations! Publishing a book is such an exciting adventure. I can totally relate to working on your book until the wee hours of the morning, most of the writing for my book took place from midnight to 2:00 AM, because I had four young children, including a newborn, at the time. You might remember my book, 365 Things Every New Mom Should Know, that I sent you when Clara was born (it’s being re-released this spring with a new cover!).

    Probably the biggest suprise to me in publishing a book was discovering that writing the book is only one part of your job, marketing it (book signings, article writing, TV and radio interviews) is an even bigger part and continues as long as it is in print. You definitely have an advantage with so many faithful readers of your terrific blog (YHL is the first blog I started reading and is still one of my favorites!).

    I think my biggest advice would be to not get too concerned about how many books you sell, but instead focus on how you can best help and inspire others with all the great projects in your book. The whole idea of having to promote my own work was very uncomfortable, it felt like I would be bragging. But when I thought about how I wanted to help new moms and how my book was one way to do that, then I began to feel a little more comfortable letting others know about it. For me, success is determined not by the number of books I’ve sold, but instead by the number of moms (close to 50,000!) I’ve helped during that exciting, yet often overwhelming, first year of parenting.

    Have fun with the whole publishing process and enjoy the ride! I’m sure your book will become a bestseller!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! I love that book and read it often! I loved following along as Clara grew! It always amazed me that you wrote that with four young children running around! Such an inspiration! And such great advice about focusing less on how it feels a bit like bragging (something that already throws us off since we mostly feel like “is this really happening?” and “what did we do to deserve this?!”

      xo,
      s

    • Linda Danis says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed my book and found it helpful! Oh, and I just noticed one of every writer’s nightmares, a typo after you hit Send. :-) That would be surprise and not suprise… Good thing perfection isn’t one of the requirements for parenting!

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