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A traditional book deal is not a magic ticket to becoming a thought leader, gaining validation, or creating impact out of thin air. You are ready to pursue one when you already have proof that your advice matters, works for the people you serve, and has the potential to reach people at scale.

In a lot of ways, coming up with a viable book idea is easy. But writing a book requires practice: practice sharing your ideas with your target audience, practice learning what they want from you, and practice knowing what resonates and what doesn’t — and refining that message while growing your ability to reach more and more people.

There is a reason most of the entrepreneurs, experts, and creators Meghan Stevenson works with have millions of followers and run multimillion-dollar businesses. They are not depending on their book to share their message because, in many ways, they are the message.

Instead of seeing yourself only as a writer — or even as a guide with a message that matters — you understand that a book deal is a business partnership.

And that changes everything.

Your publisher is not a fairy godmother who will magically create impact out of thin air. A book deal is also not the magic ticket you need to be seen as a thought leader or to get the validation you really, really want.

The clients Meghan has seen succeed and hit bestseller lists were focused on more than writing their book. They were also prepared to promote, market, and launch their work into the world like any other product or service offering in their business.

Their book mattered, but it was not their only focus.

You are ready to pursue a traditional nonfiction book deal when:

• You have tested your ideas and know your advice works for the people you serve.
• You have proof that your message matters to people.
• You understand what resonates with your target audience and what does not.
• You have refined your message through practice sharing your ideas.
• You are growing your ability to reach more people.
• You have the platform that makes a book appealing to a publisher.
• You are prepared to promote, market, and launch the book.
• You see the book as one component of a bigger mission and broader business impact.

To understand whether you are ready, take Meghan’s free assessment and have custom advice delivered right to your inbox: meghanstevenson.com/quiz.

Traditional publishing expert Meghan Stevenson blasts open the gates of the “Big 5”—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan—to share what every entrepreneur and expert needs to know about landing a book deal.

In episodes released every Monday, Meghan shares wisdom and stories from 20+ years in publishing as well as interviews with authors, literary agents, and editors. She also answers questions from listeners like you.

Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur with an empire, or are just starting out—this podcast will help you understand what you need to do in order to turn your dream of being a bestselling author into real life.

Have a great idea for a book but don't know where to start? MeghanStevenson.com/quiz

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You do not need a huge Instagram following, celebrity friends, weekly speaking engagements, or thousands of email subscribers to have an author platform worthy of a traditional nonfiction book deal.

What matters is whether you can promote, market, and sell your future book to the people it is written for. Sometimes that platform is public and easy to find online. Other times, it is a “secret platform” built through client relationships, corporate work, workshops, speaking engagements, and bulk-book-buying opportunities.

What is an author platform for a book deal?

An author platform demonstrates your ability to promote, market, and sell your future book.

Many people hear “author platform” and immediately think of social media. Social media can certainly be part of a platform, but it is not the only measure of whether you are positioned to get a traditional nonfiction book deal.

Your platform can include:

• Social media followers and the ability to reach them
• An email list
• Media mentions
• Podcast appearances
• Speaking engagements
• Workshops and live events
• A network of friends, colleagues, and clients
• Corporate relationships
• Opportunities to organize bulk book purchases
• Events where you can distribute books to attendees

The most important question is not simply how many followers you have. It is whether the audience, clients, relationships, and opportunities you already have can become book buyers.

Social media is not the only path to demonstrating a viable author platform.A strong online following may help, but it is not always relevant to the work you do or the audience you serve.

If you have the ability to sell books that is not immediately visible through public metrics such as follower counts, media coverage, or online popularity, you have a secret platform. This often applies to people who work with corporations, but it can take many forms.

A book idea must have potential, but your ability to convert your followers, clients, and audience into book buyers is equally important when pursuing a traditional book deal.

If you want to assess whether you are ready for a book deal, take Meghan Stevenson’s free quiz at meghanstevenson.com/quiz.

Traditional publishing expert Meghan Stevenson blasts open the gates of the “Big 5”—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan—to share what every entrepreneur and expert needs to know about landing a book deal.

In episodes released every Monday, Meghan shares wisdom and stories from 20+ years in publishing as well as interviews with authors, literary agents, and editors. She also answers questions from listeners like you.

Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur with an empire, or are just starting out—this podcast will help you understand what you need to do in order to turn your dream of being a bestselling author into real life.

Have a great idea for a book but don't know where to start? MeghanStevenson.com/quiz

Send us Fan Mail

You deserve help with your book — and that support can go beyond your editor at a publisher. If you are an entrepreneur, expert, or creator pursuing a traditional nonfiction book deal, having a literary agent, a publisher, and an in-house editor can be invaluable. But a collaborator can help you navigate the personal, intense work of actually getting the proposal or manuscript done.

Hiring help with your book is not a weakness. It can be a strategy for creating the best book proposal or manuscript possible.

An in-house editor’s job is to edit your completed draft and help in-house teams produce the book. Editors care deeply about the books they work on and often do detailed, thorough editing that makes the book better.

But editors have limited time and many responsibilities. Helping an author project-manage the delivery of a manuscript is not actually an editor’s job. A collaborator can provide deeper, more hands-on support throughout the writing and production process: helping you structure the book, manage timelines, complete assignments, incorporate revisions, and navigate copyediting and design proofs.

Three Reasons to Get Extra Help
1. In-house editors are busy: Editors care, but they cannot deeply support every part of an author’s process. They need to prioritize what only they can do: edit completed drafts and guide the book through their publishing house.
2. Many literary agents are not deeply editorial: Literary agents have major responsibilities: negotiating contracts, managing money and publisher payouts, navigating traditional publishing, and supporting dozens or even hundreds of clients. Your agent should be able to focus on being your agent: handling your contract, communicating with your publisher, and selling foreign rights.
3. You deserve support: Most entrepreneurs, experts, and creators write one book — maybe two. Writing and publishing a book, or even trying to get a book deal, is an intense and personal process.

A collaborator who understands the publishing industry and the people involved can make writing your book less stressful and more fun. Even if you are doing the heavy lifting of writing it yourself, having someone to answer questions, help with structure, or talk through an emotional moment can save time and be well worth the investment.

You deserve as much support as you want, need, and can stand: an editor, a literary agent, and a collaborator who has your back.

If you are deciding whether Meghan Stevenson Books is the right fit for your vision and your book, visit meghanstevenson.com/quiz.

Traditional publishing expert Meghan Stevenson blasts open the gates of the “Big 5”—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan—to share what every entrepreneur and expert needs to know about landing a book deal.

In episodes released every Monday, Meghan shares wisdom and stories from 20+ years in publishing as well as interviews with authors, literary agents, and editors. She also answers questions from listeners like you.

Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur with an empire, or are just starting out—this podcast will help you understand what you need to do in order to turn your dream of being a bestselling author into real life.

Have a great idea for a book but don't know where to start? MeghanStevenson.com/quiz