When a publisher ‘buys’ the right to publish a book from an author. From a writer’s perspective, this is when you are offered a book deal from an editor (usually via your literary agent). This is often for one book, but sometimes it can include several books, or even a series.
The decision on whether an editor ‘acquires’ a book takes place in the acquisitions meeting, which takes place weekly. This is where an editor brings in colleagues from across the publishing houses, including sales, marketing, publicity, production and finance, to decide whether they want to publish a book. This takes into account lots of different factors, such as: where the book will sit in the market, which type of reader it is targeted towards, or if there are other similar titles and how they have been received.
Find out more about getting a book deal here.