Are you a micro influencer? I am. I’ll never have huge numbers, but people do seem to trust me and I have decent engagement. That’s my definition, anyway.
But if you feel discouraged that you can’t get a book deal without a huge platform, here’s hope. Literary agent Sally Ekus says publishers could be looking for you and your book idea.
In a recent phone conversation, Sally said she’s noticed three phases of cookbook publishing since she started working as an agent in 2009. First, book publishers signed food bloggers like crazy, then they figured out that not everyone was a good choice, and now they’re thinking: hey, maybe it’s not just about the numbers. Maybe micro influencers are a good bet.
That’s good news for most of us, who do not have social media followers in the hundreds of thousands. We are micro influencers, but we are proud. We have expertise and passion, and we work hard. And many of us would like to write a cookbook.
Here’s Sally’s take on the recent phases of cookbook publishing and rise of the micro influencer as author:
Phase 1: The blog-to-book rush
“This period was defined by website traffic, then unique views, then engagement and access and conversation. People who had large platforms were getting six figure offers. Some of those books did not perform well. There wasn’t the right kind of training and support to teach bloggers how to market books. Many had average or below average sales.
Some books performed well, and those bloggers are still around. Food blogging became their business and career. Books were part of their brand.”
Phase 2: Publishers get blogged down, classic authors get dissed
“In this phase, publishers retracted from food bloggers. They realized they needed to do smaller deals or pay big advances to bloggers who could prove community engagement through
- newsletters with high open rates
- lots of blog comments and
- good social media engagement.
A successful free ebook could show that readers were hungry for a book.
Classic food writers had a hard time getting book deals. Their expertise was no longer enough. I represented both bloggers and classic food writers, and it was really frustrating. It was a challenge to match what publishers wanted with their expertise.”
Phase 3: The rise of micro influencers
“Who has an engaged audience and who has expertise? Maybe these food writers and bloggers have a tiny platform, but their readers trust them. Authenticity is driving reader behavior. These people have true fans who are engaged.
Micro influencers with real expertise are in demand. Micro could mean 1000s of followers or a newsletter with 4500 people. From a brand perspective, brands and PR agencies are asking for impressions, engagement and ROIs (Return on Investment). If potential authors can show an ROI from a brand promotion based on a report, it would be unique to present book proposals based on that.
Publishers are moving back to qualified authors. People who had expertise but who were discouraged can have a fresh idea, a new point of differentiation, and have kept current on social media.”
Literary agent Sally Ekus of The Lisa Ekus Group , who specializes in cookbooks, feels confident that not only those with big platforms can get cookbook deals. (Photo by Sandra Costello.)
And now for Sally’s best news:
“How many blog followers you have is not my first question anymore. Platform matters, but it’s not the only thing. Now is the time for recipes that work and interesting stories. There’s still a work ethic. That’s still the trick: you have to work really hard.”
So who’s afraid of hard work? Not me, probably not you. For most of us, it seems like the least of our challenges.
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I teach. I write. I have a micro-platform. I am very grateful for a publisher who looked beyond small numbers, sought me out, and even though I was already passed the age of 60, took a chance on me. My first book received a James Beard nomination and continues to do well. I have second book that will be released soon (Oct 2018 ), and more projects on the horizon.
When I was a teenager, a very influential teacher in my life said to me “it is not enough to be talented. It also takes hard work, and luck.” She was so right.
Thanks for sharing this piece about your conversation with Sally, Dianne.
Your book has done amazingly well! It was a risk that paid off for your publisher. No wonder they wanted to do a second book. It’s an inspirational story for the rest of us.
Also, I was 50 when the first edition of Will Write for Food came out. I taught but otherwise it was before social media, so I had no platform in the way that we think about it now.
This was great to read, very comforting to hear that expertise once again counts for something.
But it raised questions in my mind: How do acquisitions editors find micro-influencers? Do they rely on editorial assistants to sift through the online equivalent of the slush pile? The assistants may or may not know much about food and cooking, so what criteria are they given for finding a likely prospect? Of course, it’s ultimately up to the editor to decide who has what it takes, but is that pool being filtered fairly? There’s luck, yes, but there’s also SEO; which is more important?
Suzanne- How they found me, I really don’t know. I’ve never advertised. I don’t do the SEO stuff. I started teaching pie making workshops in 2008, and by 2009 was receiving inquiries from publishers to write a book. It wasn’t until 2014, when I received an email inquiry from my now publisher, that I agreed to do so. I didn’t have an agent at the time either but one appeared as if by magic and agreed to represent me. I continue to work hard, to practice a craft I am passionate about and learn more about each day, and I do think, at least in my case, that luck had a great deal to do with it.
Hi, Kate–However you were found, we should all be grateful. Mmm, pie!
My question was more for editors, if they care to share that information. I can see how they might not, lest people who want to be found do more than just be good at what they do, if you know what I mean. 🙁
They find them through agents, conferences, referalls, research and over-the-transome book proposals. I assume they are still looking for what they always look for: someone who has a new idea or a twist on an old idea, who communicates well, and whose recipes seem to work. And who works hard. There’s always that.
Re fairly, no, of course not. It is still difficult for People of Color to break through.
Re SEO, yes, it’s a huge driver. SEO is the answer to everything if your readers search using keywords, and you are making money from ads when they land on your page.
Thanks, Dianne.
Hi Dianne,
Thank you for this encouraging conversation. In other words, just keep following our passions, tell the truth, and work hard. I am fairly new to this and am building my social media presence , so at times I struggle with the balance between spending time building social media and doing the writing that I love. However, it is a worthwhile endeavor.
Yes it is defnitely worthwhile, to both build your audience and keep writing. Thanks, Ellen.
Thanks to Dianne and Sally for this really insightful article. It’s interesting to see how this industry evolves.
I hope it’s not just Sally’s opinion! Thanks Carol.
This is so heartening for someone like me, with a small blog and big dreams and a niche that will never have millions of followers. Thanks for the dose of hope!
You’re welcome, Naomi. It feels good to read something like this.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Having been told by a few publishers that my content is all fine but my ‘platform’ isn’t big enough, it’s great to hear they don’t all think like that. Much needed hope – thank you!
It’s lovely to have this little ray of sunshine, isn’t it? Best of luck.