Agent Regina Brooks On: The Publishing Process at a Glance

Editor's note: I am declaring November 2010 to be "Agent Guest Column Month," and therefore, every weekday, I will be posting a guest column by a literary agent. Day 20: Today's guest agent is Regina Brooks of the Serendipity Literary Agency.

Guest column by Regina Brooks, literary agent at Serendipity Literary. This text excerpted from Regina's 2009 book, Writing Great Books For Young Adults.

Author writes the manuscript.
Author revises the manuscript.
Author gets critiques and implements necessary changes.
Author submits queries to agents.
Author secures agent.
Author makes changes per agent’s feedback.
Agent submits work to publishers.
Editor reads the manuscript and tells agent she is enamored and plans to share with the editorial board.
Editor shares the manuscript with the editorial board.
Editor prepares profit and loss (P&L) statement for the book.
Editor contacts agent and makes an offer.
Agent shares offer with the author.
Agent negotiates the terms of the offer with editor.
Agent reviews actual contract, makes additions and deletions to
the clauses in agreement in the best interest of the author, and sends
it back to the publisher’s legal counsel.
Editor sends final contract to agent.
Agent sends contract to author for signature.
Editor prepares editorial notes for author, and the author revises again.
Author submits final manuscript.
Editor reviews the manuscript and then prepares it for production.
Editors in production department copyfit and proof the manuscript.
Editor sends copyedits to the author for review.
Author reviews last pass of manuscript after proof.
Editor prepares back cover copy, catalogue copy, and other tools to sell the book.
Publicity sends out galley copies to media for review.
Book is published and starts to be sold.