Dear Leigh Michaels:
A Novelist Answers the Most_Asked Questions
about Getting Published
ISBN 0964127504
Information on agents, submissions, copyrights, queries,
publishers, self_publishing and much much more.
table of contents
read an excerpt
Table of Contents
 | How do I find a publisher? |
| Do I need an agent? |
| When should I submit my work? |
| What about illustrations? |
| What should I send? |
| What's a query letter? |
| What's a cover letter? |
| What's a synopsis? |
| What are sample chapters? |
| How important are mechanics? |
| How should I mail it? |
| What about foreign publishers? |
| What about copyrights? |
| What's an ISBN? |
| How long should I expect to wait? |
| What about multiple submission? |
| What does this rejection letter mean? |
| What happens after acceptance? |
| Should I use a pen name? |
| Why are revisions so tough? |
| What about the production steps? |
| How does a writer get paid? |
| What about self-publishing and subsidy publishing? |
No matter how good your story is, finding the right publisher is a challenge. There are hundreds of publishers, and sending out a manuscript for consideration is costly and time-consuming. Sending it to publishers who are unlikely to actually publish it is particularly wasteful and unnecessarily discouraging for the hopeful author.
So the author's first goal is to locate the publishers who are most likely to find this particular manuscript attractive. That requires some research.
A publisher is most likely to be interested in a book which is similar to other books he has handled. That doesn't mean editors are looking for the same subjects, handled in the same way, but for books which fit into a category the publisher already has experience in editing, printing, distributing, promoting, and selling.
A company which produces only science fiction is not likely to be interested in an individual's memoirs. A company which publishes only historical romance isn't likely to buy a contemporary, mainstream story. A national press isn't likely to publish a story which is of regional interest (the history of a small town, for example).
While a publishing company, like any other business, may decide to branch out into new endeavors, these are likely to be related to current successes. A company which already publishes romances (or one which publishes science fiction) is more likely to take a chance on a time-travel romance set in the 21st century than is a company which has always focused on regional history.
A good first move when seeking a publisher is to study bookstore shelves to see which ones are currently producing which kinds of books. (Libraries can also be a good source, but bookstores will give you more up-to-date information.) Consider which department your book would fit into in the store. Would it be listed under fiction and literature? Mysteries? How-to books? Start looking in that section. When you find books similar to yours, note the names and addresses of publishers from the title page and the copyright page (the back side of the title page).
Once you have a list of publishers you think might be interested in your work, check your library or bookstore for WRITER'S MARKET or LITERARY MARKET PLACE. These books are annual publications which list publishers' addresses and give information about the kinds of books they publish. WRITER'S MARKET also gives details, supplied by the publisher, about what they're looking for and how and what to submit. Many writers' magazines also list markets. Magazines and newsletters published by writers' groups often carry the most up-to-date information on specialized fields.
A publisher may offer tip sheets, which give further information about the kind of story, length, style, etc., which is being sought. This is particularly true of genre publishers who bring out books in a series (category romance publishers, for instance). You can usually obtain these by sending a request along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to the publisher.
It can be difficult to track down enough of a publisher's titles in a bookstore to get a feel for the range of material they handle, especially if the publisher is a small press. Some publishers will send you their catalog, which lists every book they currently have in print. Reading the catalog is a good way to see the range of titles the company currently offers in order to see how your idea fits in. Sometimes there's a small fee for the catalog or for postage.
Copyright 1994 Leigh Michaels
Available through www.pbllimited.com
for more information, contact pbl@pbllimited.com