Publishers Marketplace

Publishers Marketplace

a website where new book deals are reported

When will my book deal be announced on PM?

Some agents report their sales right to PM right away. Some like to wait until the contract is signed, which can take months. Some wait to release the news after some sub-rights have sold so they can make the deal look bigger and more exciting. Some agents don’t report sales to PM at all. Honestly, it can be fun to see your book reported there (although you’ll have to have someone screenshot it for you if you don’t subscribe to the site), but I’m not sure it really makes a difference whether it’s reported or not. Sometimes it’s a good way to advertise your book to industry people who are looking to buy sub-rights, but I can’t think of any other reason you’d need to be bummed if your book isn’t reported.

What is the secret code for PM deals?

Your book deal announcement may or may not include some code words to signal how much money your book sold for (example: “Writerface McClackety’s debut, THE NICE WORDS, to Smug Publisher, in a very nice deal”). Here is the deal key:

Nice deal = $1 to $49,000
Very nice deal = $50K to $99K
Good deal = $100K to $250
Significant deal = $250K to $499K
Major deal = $500K and up