Green Flags in Potential Publishing Partners

We’ve talked a bit about some red flags to look out for in a publishing partner, but what are some of the green flags? What are those things that should get us excited to collaborate with a particular professional, and what are those things that can add to a professional’s credibility? Let’s talk about it!

Publishing Partners That Squash Your Dreams

We know, this one might sound counterintuitive, but stick with us here! No one wants to work with someone who doesn’t believe in you, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. When we say that you need a publishing partner who squashes your dreams, we mean one that squashes your unrealistic dreams and unrealistic goals and then helps you shape and create realistic ones in their place. 

We’ve talked a lot about working with publishers who promise they have the secret to a best-seller, so you should know by now to be wary of those folks. But if you’re interviewing a publishing partner who isn’t afraid to tell you when a dream is unrealistic, but helps you shape a realistic, achievable goal? Although it might sting at first to hear that your book isn’t guaranteed to become a multimillion-dollar earner in its first week on the market thanks to nothing more than word-of-mouth, a publishing partner who can gently direct you away from unrealistic goals and toward realistic ones is not only interested in helping you succeed, but also ready and willing to problem solve, dream, and brainstorm with you. They want to help you build a sustainable and rewarding writing career that you’ll be happy with. You don’t want a “yes man” in a publishing partner. You want someone who isn’t afraid to tell you when something is a bit unrealistic, and someone who will be ready to work out a plan alongside of you.

Editors and Ghostwriters Who Will Push You and Respect Your Boundaries

When you’re writing a book, especially if the story is a bit personal, it can be easy for a writer to keep the story (and by extension, the pain and trauma) at arm’s length. The thing is, readers can sense that aloofness, and it often lessens the emotional impact of a story. It’s why you want to hire an editor (not a friend) who can see the story, spot that emotionally tender moment that you’re keeping at arm’s length, and push you to flesh it out in your writing a bit more completely.

However, you don’t want an editor or ghostwriter (if you’re taking that path) who will push you to the point of breaking. Working with an editor or ghostwriter who isn’t going to hesitate to push and encourage you to dive deeper into an emotionally impactful moment in your writing, but will always stop when you tell them you can’t go further is such a huge green flag. In essence, it proves that they see how you can improve and believe you can reach those new heights in your writing, but they also have the respect for you to stop when you tell them something is becoming too much.

 In the acknowledgments of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, you see Prince Harry refer to his “sparring partner"—that sparring partner is, of course, his ghostwriter. By referring to his ghostwriter as a sparring partner, it shows that the prince was empowered to hold his own, he felt as though he was an equal party in telling his own story because he calls his ghost a sparring partner (not opponent), and it highlighted a relationship that was very much a push-pull in balancing truth-telling and narrative unity. You want a sparring partner, not a bully.

Publishing Partners Who Don’t Limit Your Opportunities Outside of Your Collaboration

When you’re considering working with someone, ask them how you feel about pursuing opportunities that do not include them. While this can get a little bit tricky when it comes to the realm of literary agents and traditional publishers (because they often traditionally have clauses in their contracts that refer to exclusivity or rights ownership), you want a self-publishing partner who not only doesn’t stop you from pursuing opportunities outside of your collaboration but who encourages you to grow. There is no greener flag than the publishing partner who wants you to grow and seize any positive opportunity that comes your way, even if it doesn’t include them.

Publishing Partners That Don’t Require You Buy a Course to Work with Them

It’s not uncommon for publishing professionals to offer courses or books alongside their professional services. And it’s not uncommon to see those same professionals pushing their projects on their clients. However, if you’ve got a publishing professional who is willing to work with you and does not push their book, course, or class on you before you two work together, that’s a massive green flag. There’s nothing wrong with them suggesting a product or class that they believe will help you, and a green-flag-style publishing partner is only going to do that if the product or course will be beneficial to you for your specific project. And even then, they won’t push the additional purchase or use it as a first step in a collaboration.

A Publishing Partner Who Responds to Emails

Any publishing endeavor is a collaboration, so you want to be able to get in touch with your team. It’s not uncommon to find publishing professionals who are very slow at responding to clients. A massive green flag is when you reach out to a publishing partner and they respond promptly to your requests. A publishing partner can reply instantly to non-urgent matters, but knowing that you’ll hear from them in at least forty-eight to seventy-two - hours every time for non-urgent matters not only helps you feel confident that you’re being taken care of but that they are invested in making sure your project comes together successfully.

The best way to find a solid publishing partner? Interview a bunch of professionals to find the best fit! We’d love the chance to talk with you about your latest publishing project, so if you’re looking for a team to help bring your book to life, schedule your free consultation today!