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 Although our site is dedicated to self-publishers, we are aware that many authors self publish with the intent of eventually finding a traditional publisher, to publish their books. With that in mind, we have provided a number of tips (below) for helping authors find a publisher for their books.
Research is incredibly important when you’re trying to find a traditional publisher—but, worry not, that’s exactly what this article’s here to help you with. That said, don’t depend solely on this piece for all your publishing homework. Do the research, based on the steps outlined below.
Tip #1
The first thing you might want to do is take a trip to your local library (or book store or even Amazon.com) and have a talk with the librarian (or bookseller or thumb through the popular books), mentioning your book and asking for recommendations for similar (and popular) picks. This will help you in two ways: a notification that books like yours are selling, and that libraries and bookstores are interested in stocking the genre.
You can also identify the publisher behind the genre book—the publisher is listed on the book’s spine or within the first 2-3 pages and is even easier to find on Amazon.com. But before you mail off that manuscript, take a look at the next tip.
Tip #2
Go online and do some research on the publisher starting with the publisher’s website and browsing through to their submission guidelines. This is where they list exactly how manuscripts should be sent to them and couldn’t be easier. But a word of caution: each publisher will have different submission guidelines, so don’t get lazy and take a one-size-fits-all approach.
Requirements can be as detailed as including a set of sample chapters or as minimalist as asking solely for a query letter. Before you type off that letter, print it and mail it out without a second doubt, know that there are books out there that provide lurid details on how to write book proposals and/or query letters. Go through them thoroughly. Don’t skimp now.
When mailing out a work of fiction, publishers quite often wants to know what the book is about (its overall plot), along with some samples chapters of the novel. Provided they like both the concept and the quality of your prose, will they ask for (and should be given) more. It’s a given to say that the manuscript should be complete before sending it to your publisher aside from being professionally edited. While it’s true that the publisher provides you with an editor, your manuscript itself has to be of high standard, make sure send them the best product that you’re capable of creating.
Ditto for the book proposal—the query letter will normally be 2-3 pages long—but a book proposal often tends to be several pages.
Non-fiction publishers as a rule, tend to ask for a proposal that includes the following, at least:
- The book’s summary
- A concise description of your book
- Market and demographics analyses
- Marketing Plan
- Table of Contents (including chapter summaries)
- Sample Chapters (1-2)
Tip #3
It is important to remember that your query letter is essentially spamming publishers, trying to “hook” them onto both the book and its underlying concept/plot. If they don’t like what they read—if it’s fraught with grammatical flaws and colloquialisms—it’s into the slush pile you go. Countless writers have been there before you. Pitch your book in your letter, making it more like a sales letter and mimic the tone of your book in your letter. For instance, if your book is humorous inject that into your letter as well.
Tip #4
What happens if you’ve been rejected by everyone? Don’t take it to heart—or take it to heart and never write again—persistence makes the writers, after all. Go back to the beginning: rewrite your manuscript focusing on what you felt were the weaker parts of the book and resubmit to publishers who felt that while the concept was great, the execution and writing was wanting.
Alternatively you could skip out on the traditional publishing route entirely and focus on self-publishing. There are a number of articles on the how-to’s of self-publishing.
Lastly, try writing a new book entirely and this time (in case you didn’t approach the idea with this in mind before), try writing with your HEART instead of with the desire to simply be published. You don’t always have to get it right the first time. Remember that idiom: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.
It’s a long road—stop wasting more time—get out there!
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