[Podcast] HarperOne Senior Editor Mickey Maudlin on the Promise of Your Book

by Dave Goetz and Melissa Parks

Ever wonder how an editor at a large commercial publishing house sees the world?

In this intriguing interview with Mickey Maudlin, senior vice president of editorial at HarperOne, a division of Harper Collins, he cuts to the heart of the issue: Your first chapter matters. Your first chapter is what he calls the "pitch chapter."

In the pitch chapter, your book had better make a huge promise to the reader that you deliver on as the reader makes her way through the book.

Mickey also talks about passion - and the importance of connecting to the "why" of what set you on the path to write a book. One other topic that Mickey addresses is the topic of "platform." That is, writers who aspire to publish with a traditional publisher need a media platform - or else the publisher won't be interested in your project. That may include a large email list, a history of publishing, or a large social media or podcast following.