Amateur To Published: The Fiction Writer's Guide To Publishing

4 - Find A Reputable Trade Publisher

As stated previously, there are two ways of finding a publisher for your novel; finding an agent who will approach the publisher on your behalf or submitting your manuscript directly to the trade publisher of your choice. In this chapter we'll discuss the latter option; how to get published without going through an agent.

STEP 1: DECIDE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GO DIRECT TO PUBLISHERS

First off, if you're really interested in getting published by the big trade-publishers (the ones who dominate the shelves of bookstores and the review sections of newspapers) then you need to try to get an agent first. Why? It's because many of these publishers do not accept queries from anyone other than agents.

After years of dealing with huge slush-piles filled with both good and bad manuscripts, many discovered that it was better to use agents to find books because those books had already been evaluated for quality. However, there are just as many circumstances where a writer might be better off skipping the agent and submitting directly to a publisher. Submit directly if:

- You met an editor, made a personal connection, and they offered to consider your work.

- You fit into a niche market that mostly appeals to small publishers and regional presses (e.g. urban lit). Since it's a niche project it will likely translate to a very small advance and sales thus is not viable for an agent to represent.

- You'd like more control over your project than trade-publishers traditionally offer but still want to use an outsider publisher. If you're willing to take over some of the publishing tasks in exchange for a higher royalty and more input, then submit directly to small publishers or co-publishers.

- You prefer being a big fish in a little pond rather than a small fish in a big pond. To be honest most big publishing houses have many clients. It will take time for your query to get through even if it's through an agent and maybe even longer to get published. However, if you go with a smaller press, they'll probably get to you faster and if you don't have an agent, there won't be time wasted by getting messages through the middleman.

- You've been rejected by every agent you tried but feel like your novel has promise and would first like to exhaust all your trade-publishing options before considering other publishing methods. There's nothing to lose now anyway.

STEP 2: KNOW THY BOOK

Finding the right publisher for you starts with knowing what genre your book falls under. Is it a non-fiction memoir or a science fiction action adventure? Does your book target adults only or is it a kids' book?

Certain publishers focus on a specific niche. Don't waste your time sending a romance manuscript to a publisher who only caters to historical horror stories. This is why your first step should be listing down all the publishers that cater to your genre and target audience.

STEP 3: START BUILDING YOUR PLATFORM

Of course publishers pick green writers many times but if you want to give yourself a greater chance of being considered then start building your platform. Publishers are looking to you to help bring an audience to your work and to ease their marketing burden. If you've already got a wide audience they can tap into, they are more likely to consider your book.

Consider this; Snookie of the Jersey Shore notoriety got published. It's not because she had an extraordinary book. It's because she already had a built in readership who would buy the book the moment it was published. Try to create the same impression (albeit smaller) when you write your query letter.