by Tamela Hancock Murray @Tamela_Murray

Since I’ve been an agent a long time, I don’t need to write a blog post like this to butter up the publishers I work with. They already know me. But I think it’s always a good idea to show gratitude. Let’s think about what publishers do for their authors.

To the publishers, thank you for:

Publishers think through each and every book project before bringing it to market.

This means vetting each manuscript through several meetings, composed of different groups of people who’ll have a say in whether they think the book will be a success. As a result, every author will have a team of publishing professionals behind each book. No one stands alone in a publishing decision. Does this mean each book will be a bestseller? No. But it does help more authors become successful once they are published.

Publishers invest money in each book.

It’s hard for authors, and even agents, to understand just how much money we’re asking a publisher to invest in an author. Great cover designers, editors, marketing people, accountants, contracts people, administrators, and author relations people don’t come cheaply – nor should they. It must be frustrating for publishers to hear authors complain that not enough money was invested in their particular books. Maybe in some cases, more money could increase sales; maybe not. But even the last book on the list has still had considerable investment.

Publishers hire fabulous editors.

As an agent, I can attest to the high quality of editors in CBA. I would hate to be an author going it alone in the publishing wilds, hoping to find an editor on my own. And while not every author and editor are a good fit at every publishing house, the publishing houses I work with consistently hire the best editors in the business. The fact that I rarely if ever read a book review saying, “The author could have used a good editor,” regarding a CBA book is testimony to the fact. Readers of secular book reviews will see such criticism time and time again – justified or not.

Publishers care about their authors.

Yes, this is a business. And sometimes authors don’t “feel the love” but the editors themselves really do care about their authors. I’ve seen the tender loving professional care editors give to their authors’ books – and real friendships can develop.

Publishers care about the quality of the books they publish.

The editors and publishers I know truly want to glorify the Lord by presenting readers with quality books. Isn’t that what authors want as well? What more can we ask?

How else would you thank a publisher for what they do for you, as an author? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Tamela Hancock Murray has been a literary agent since 2001. She was named Agent of the Year in 2017 by ACFW. She is a bestselling author of over thirty novels, novellas, and nonfiction books and won an RWA Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Because of her experience, Tamela brings the perspective of a working writer to her role as a literary agent. She represents many top authors and continues to develop new talent. She earned her BA with honors in Journalism from Lynchburg College in Virginia.

Today she enjoys living in Northern Virginia with her husband of thirty-three years. They are the proud parents of two lovely adult daughters. Her personal book collection takes up way too much room but that doesn’t stop her from buying more!