Responding to some questions about submitting to publishers.
Sino-sino ang mga publisher na tumatanggap ng story from Wattpad?
Go to a bookstore's teen fic/Filipiniana/Wattpad section and look at the books na katulad ng kuwento mo. Tignan ang copyright page ng book na iyon at malalaman mo kung sino ang publisher. Puntahan ang website ng publisher na iyon at hanapin doon ang SUBMISSION GUIDELINES nila. Iba-iba kasi and para mas maganda ang submission mo, dapat kumpleto ang requirements.
Kailan ako pwede mag-submit sa publisher? Pag 1M reads na?
Any publisher will tell you that they are not looking for millions of reads. A GOOD STORY will do, kahit konti lang ang reads. Kahit zero.
Pero ano ang proof mo na maganda ang story mo? Siyempre biased ka, ikaw ang author eh. Ang magdi-decide niyan ay yung editor na tatanggap ng submission mo. Eventually yung publisher.
Ang katotohanan ng pagtingin sa reads - ito ay somewhat objective proof that someone thinks your story is good. Editors and publishers know that even they can make mistakes and bet on a story that does not sell. That's a difficult lesson to learn when you're in business. Pag sikat na ang kwento pag-submit sa kanila, mas madaling mag-decide.
Pero minsan kahit sikat na kuwento, baka hindi nila gusto yung theme. O yung ending. O yung pagkakasulat, kasi marami pang editing ang gagawin. O baka may na-publish na sila na katulad nung story na iyon, at gusto nila iba naman. Popularity is not the only deciding factor.
Do you approach a publisher, or does a publisher approach you?
This is my rule in life (not just in publishing): if you want it, you have to ask for it. Kung gusto mong ma-publish, at handa ka na at ang kuwento mo, then go ahead and approach publishers. Baka lang hindi sila aware of you. If you wait for them to come to you, baka maunahan ka ng mga mas bibong tao. If they say no, then maybe it's not the right time. Don't be afraid to wait and try again.
Anong ibig sabihin ng "handa ka na at ang kuwento mo"?
Your story should be finished. Even if iba-iba ang guidelines ng publisher, many of them want to read the whole story before committing to publishing it.
When you submit your manuscript, it should be in its BEST FORM. Walang typo. Walang mali sa grammar. Editors ang mga titingin, at kung sumakit ang ulo nila sa pagbasa pa lang, they won't agree to work on this.
When you submit your manuscript, include a letter (sa body ng email) explaining who you are, what your story is about, and WHY IT IS WORTH PUBLISHING. Bakit ikaw at hindi ibang author? Bakit itong kuwento? What makes it special? Why will people want to buy it? Kahit hindi required ito sa submission guidelines ng gusto mong publisher, isipin mo pa rin ito. It's good for a writer to think about this and realize WHY they want to be published.
Wag mag-submit ng manuscript tapos blank yung subject line at yung body ng email. Wag. Hindi papansinin ang mga yon.
Kailan sila magre-reply?
Walang standard time. Mahirap mag-decide kung mapa-publish ang isang story. Minsan marami ang maga-approve. It might take weeks or months and no reply. If no reply, it doesn't mean they rejected you. When you get an email saying they rejected you, that's it. Kung walang reply, that could still be a future yes or no. Now it's up to you if you want to wait, or move on.
BINABASA MO ANG
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Non-Fiction[FILIPINO/ENGLISH] Advice for writers based on my experience self-publishing (more than 20 novels as of now) and traditional publishing (more than 10 novels with a traditional publisher, and consulting for other fellow authors). Read and learn, but...
