
Can anyone get a book deal? What it takes to be a novelist in 2026.
USA TODAY
Agents and editors say market fit, timing and competition, not just quality, are key factors determining which manuscripts get acquired today.
“From Pitch to Publication” is a series taking readers behind the curtain of modern publishing as a business.
I’m so accustomed to rejection that I brace myself for every email – even before opening. Even when good news may be waiting after that click.
Writers, and all creatives to an extent, have to get accustomed to “no.”
About 81% of Americans feel that they have a book in them, according to an often cited survey reported in The New York Times (from the early 2000s). Many aspire to write and publish a book in their lifetime, but only a small fraction see their work formally acquired and announced each year. A little over 2,000 fiction writers announced deals in 2025 on Publishers Marketplace.
What's it like to write a bestseller? We followed Lucy Score for a year to find out













