I’ve met a lot of authors who have executed some unique approaches to the publishers they hoped to contract with. Most of them want to just jump in headfirst with everything they have in an attempt to hurry the process of having their project accepted. These authors send their complete manuscripts—sometimes without a return envelope and postage and including either no letter of introduction or a ten-page explanation of their project. I’ve had authors mail their only copy of their manuscripts to me without a return address. Yikes! Why would they mail a manuscript to me? Because I operate a publishing company. If they had done even minimal checking, however, they would have learned that I publish only my own books and don’t accept submissions.
Other authors write weak, pitiful query letters practically begging the publisher to publish their books.
There is so much competition for authors today that it doesn’t take much to score a rejection slip. This is no time to get sloppy or lazy. It is important that you give it your best shot and make all of the right moves when approaching a publisher. And don’t forget to present them with the best project ever.
How would I recommend approaching a publisher for the first time?
1: Attend writers’ conferences where you can schedule face-to-face meetings with appropriate publishers. But before you do that, study the publishing industry so you understand more about a publisher’s job, what he is looking for in a project and an author. Read “Publish Your Book.” Learn as much as you can about each publisher you will be approaching. Create an elevator speech that succinctly describes your project for opportunities like this.
If the publisher asks you for additional material, send exactly what he or she wants, in a timely manner with a clear letter of explanation.
2: If you plan to approach a publisher via email or snail mail, always, always seek out EACH publisher’s Submission Guidelines before approaching him or her. Different publishers want something different from their potential authors. While most want to see a strong query letter, some want the manuscript right out of the chute. And it had better be ready without a bunch of notes indicating what’s missing or handwritten notes in the margins explaining why this section isn’t edited, etc.
Some wish to receive electronic submissions and others do not.
Some publishers want to see a book proposal first and they will often give a list of items they want to see in that proposal. You’ll find this information in their Submission Guidelines.
Locate Submission Guidelines at the publishers’ websites. Do you sometimes have trouble finding Submission Guidelines? It is a mystery to me why some web designers make these so difficult for authors to locate. While some Submission Guidelines are front and center when you visit a publisher’s site, for example, others are imbedded in the most unusual and unsuspected places. Yesterday, while I was working on research for the SPAWN Market Update, I found Submission Guidelines in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) at the site. That’s a first—although, maybe that’s because I’d never looked there for them before. Have any of you found Submission Guidelines on a website’s FAQ page?
I’ve found them under “contact,” “about us,” “for writers,” and embedded in pull-down menus at the site which had absolutely nothing to do with this topic. And, in some instances, I can’t find them at all—usually that is because they don’t exist. In this case, email or call to request a copy of the guidelines.
Be creative in searching for guidelines. Sometimes they aren’t labeled as you would expect. You’ll find them listed under Editorial Guidelines, For Writers, Writer’s Guidelines, Author’s Guidelines, Write for Us, or just simply Writers.
So, the keys to successfully approaching a publisher are:
• Make sure you are approaching the right publisher for your project.
• Find out specifically what they want.
• Give him or her exactly what they require.
• Follow-up with only the additional information or material they request in a timely manner.
For a much clearer idea of how to navigate the publishing industry, be sure to read my book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” This book was created from my own nearly forty years of experience and research in the industry as well as from the experiences and knowledge of dozens of other authors. It’s available at Amazon.com as well as most other online and down town bookstores. Or order it at http://www.matilijapress.com