Do publishers ever take on unfinished books?

Do publishers ever take on unfinished books?

Derek Johns (Managing Director - AP Watt Literary Agency) gives expert video advice on: How long does it take to go from finding an agent to getting published?; What happens when a book is accepted for publication?; What should I do if a publisher asks me to make revisions before they accept my submission? and more...

Agents will sometimes send partial manuscripts to publishers if they feel particularly excited about the work, and publishers will take on books on partial manuscripts. Our client Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" is a very good example of that, which was bought by the publisher on the basis of about a quarter of the manuscript.