Ah, that age-old question -- "How do I get published?" When we are new to writing, we have no idea who to contact, and certainly no clue as to what is necessary to getting a publisher to want what we've written.
There are some rules that will help you get your work published....
First, be sure your book/story is "publisher ready" and all grammar and punctuation are perfect. No publisher, agent or editor will want to take the time to correct your manuscript. That is your sole responsibility if you want your manuscript accepted for publication.
You will need to know how to write a good query letter. Many publisher require them. (See "How to Write a Query Letter".)
Once you have that down, then you will have to decide if you need an agent or not. If you have written a novel (fiction), you will need an agent because most publishers will not look at manuscripts unless they are represented. (See
"The Elusive Agent".)
If you have written nonfiction, poetry, short stories or other, you will not need an agent. In this case, you would submit directly to the publishers.
Try to buy the most recent copy of Writer's Market. They run about $30.00, but it's the best thirty bucks a writer can spend. In it, you will find literally thousands of publishers listed, their general guidelines (send for the full ones), if they need a query letter, the person you will contact directly when you submit, and much more information you will need to decide which publisher is for you!
Be careful to choose the right one. Many times people are rejected because they have simply submitted to the wrong market.
Make sure your manuscript is double spaced (so publishers/editors can make notations in the spaces to the printers, or to you). There should be 1" margins, and in the case of a book, the pages should be loose and in a box. Short stories should be loose also, and all manuscripts should have pages numbered and your name, address, phone number, word count and title of piece should be on every page.
Don't worry about getting your work copyrighted before you send out to publishers. They would take that as a sign of mistrust and that you are a novice. If they accept your work, they may register the copyright for you. Keep in mind that you are copyrighted from the moment the piece is written.
Once you have sent your work, now you wait. Waiting time varies with each publisher, so there is no way of knowing just how long it will be. Be patient and start writing something else in the meantime.
I would say that if you have waited longer than 4 months, then a small note to the publisher to see if they got your manuscript, won't hurt. In fact, it may make them track it down and read it! :)
Don't be discouraged by a rejection. As I've told many -- it can be due to so many factors -- none of which necessarily means your work is bad. It can be anything from the editor having a bad day, you submitted to the wrong market, they just published something very similar, they are only accepting "x" number of manuscripts, and a host of many other reasons. Never take it personally!
For more information about getting published or writing, you should stop into our chats, visit the boards, or subscribe to our newsletter or reminders.
The very best of luck to you!! :)
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Copyright 2001
The contents of this article may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, or with intent to republish, without written permission from the author,
Sharzi Avins.
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