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Getting
Published
I
founded a publishing company
in 1990 and have since published hundreds of books. I've also written
lots of books and written for other media including television,
radio, stage and film. It's given me a broad experience as a writer
in the various aspects of the writing business. In particular, I've
been able to see submissions from over 10,000 writers (that's about
3 per working day on average) that I chose not to publish. That's
right: I've rejected 10,000 manuscripts. Sometimes reluctantly,
sometimes with relief, or shock, or despair or frustration. But
always for a reason. I don't like to reject a manuscript. No publisher
does. It gives us no pleasure - indeed, it's finding that rare diamond
of a book in the slush pile that we get excited about (among other
things, of course). I want to help writers, but I can't give a detailed
critique of every book I reject. There wouldn't be enough time left
in the day to get on and publish the ones I actually want to print.
So
these are my top 10 tips for getting your book published:
1.
Use Amazon or your local bookstore to research the names of publishers
who publish similar books to your manuscript.
2. Look up the websites of those publishers and find their submission
guidelines. Most publishers will tell you on their website what
kinds of books they are looking for. Many will also specify what
they don't want to see. Don't waste your time and theirs
by offering them a book they won't want. Here is an example submissions
page from my own publishing company, Summersdale.
Some of the larger companies will not accept any unsolicited manuscripts,
and will only consider agented authors. That's a tricky problem
for writers who struggle to find an agent, and the only way around
it is to aim for smaller publishers who won't slam the door in your
face.
3. Make a note of how they like to receive submissions. Some prefer
e-mail approaches first, others insist on printed manuscripts or
sample chapters and a synopsis. Make sure you follow their instructions.
4. Call each publishing company to find out the name of the editor
you should send the book to. If you get a chance to speak to that
editor, ask them if they are currently looking for books like yours.
Don't keep them on the phone too long, though - editors are busy
people and are wary of signing up an author who has nothing better
to do than chat all day.
5. Send your proposal in the appropriate format to as many publishers
as you think will be interested, but let them know they are not
viewing your manuscript exclusively. They won't want to invest their
time in reading and considering your book only to be told that someone
else will now be publishing it, so it's fair to let them know the
score at the outset. It may even make them hurry up their consideration
process.
6. Begin writing your next book. It will take your mind off the
pain of waiting for a decision on the first one.
7. After about six weeks, or whatever time period is specified by
the publisher, phone or write to them to check that the manuscript
or proposal was safely received. Don't get angry if they can't recall
having seen it. Just offer to re-submit.
8. If the publisher requests to see more samples or the entire manuscript,
send a clean copy promptly. Don't package it in excessively lavish
binders or folders - simple, unbound papers will suffice.
9. Advise other publishers if a rival company expresses interest
in the book. It will make the others take you more seriously and
in rare cases may instigate a bidding war.
10. Let the potential publisher be aware of anything you can add
to the sales potential of the book. For example, you may have your
own website, or be in control of a club mailing list whose members
will want to buy the book. Perhaps your sister produces the local
television news and can arrange an interview. Or you might even
want to guarantee to buy 1,000 copies of the book. Offers like that
have helped to sway my publishing decisions with regard to otherwise
borderline books.
More
information is available in my book, How
to get Published.
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