If you’re a writer looking for a way to publish your next business book, you might be interested in an opportunity with JHP Business Books, part of the John Hunt Publishing Company.
Currently, JHP Business Books is looking for proposals from business authors who can provide a unique perspective on topics like marketing, management, finance, leadership, motivation and more.
How To Submit Content To John Hunt Publishing
Interested writers can submit ideas on JHP’s online portal. The publisher provides a New Book Inquiry page where you can add information about your book, such as the chapter list, estimated word count, unique selling points and marketing opportunities, along with at least three chapters. The more specific and unique your idea is, the better the chances of it moving forward.
Sarah-Beth Watkins, publicist for John Hunt Publishing, said in an email to Small Business Trends, “When they submit a proposal, they do so on a book details page and this needs to be filled in as much as possible. There’s no use just sending us one chapter as it’s not enough to make a contract decision on, so upload as much of the book as possible. It’s also important these days to add in any marketing ideas and social media links. We like our authors to be proactive with PR so if they have ideas, contacts, suggestions, tell us. It makes your proposal all the more viable.”
Once you submit your idea, you should expect to hear back fairly quickly. According to Watkins, that’s one of the major things that sets JHP apart from other publishers.
She explains, “John Hunt Publishing has a really quick response rate. Some publishers take months to decide whether they want to publish a book whereas after an initial inquiry is sent in, we respond in less than a week if we want to see a full proposal.”
From that point, you should be prepared to upload the manuscript of your book, or at least a large part of it. Then, Watkins says the publisher aims to make contract decisions within two weeks. And working with the JHP team is fairly straightforward as well. The editing process is all online and transparent, so you can see all of the comments, questions and reports about your work. And you also have access to an online forum for discussing any issues.
John Hunt Publishing started back in 2001 under the name O Books. To date, the company has worked with more than 1,000 authors with various specialties. The company doesn’t just work with business writers. It also publish fiction, history, politics and more. But JHP has published a number of successful business titles such as “StoryWorks: A Handbook for Leaders, Writers and Speakers” by Jane Bailey Bain, “Team WORKS! — The Gridiron Playbook for Building a Championship Business Team” by Chris Valletta, and “The Blockbuster Book of Brain Expanding, Creativity Enhancing, Writing Exercises” by Philip Theibert.
Aside from the publisher’s work with these established authors and its streamlined communication processes, a big part of what makes JHP stand out is its author involvement. Authors have the opportunity to impact the direction of the company as a whole. And as such, they enjoy unique perks and features like an author forum, access to more than 40,000 related contacts and mentoring services for an additional cost.
JHP also provides its authors with regular sales figures and marketing assistance. Royalties are paid twice a year. But authors should note that JHP does not pay advances.
Overall, the company’s goal is to provide a platform for authors to reach their desired audiences. There’s a lot that goes into creating an experience that works from the first submission until the process of releasing and marketing a book. But the company is dedicated to listening to its authors and providing the tools they need to succeed.
Watkins says, “We know what its like to be a writer as all of us at JHP are, too!”
Image: John Hunt Publishing
