Creative writing - Mike Sanders 2014

Submitting to publishers
Publishing your work
Getting published

In this chapter

·  Doing more research

·  Writing more queries

·  Getting turned down

·  Don’t give up!

In Chapter 23, we looked at finding the best agents and publishers for your work. In this chapter, I expand on the publishing part a bit more.

Everyone’s experiences with publishing are different. There’s no magic formula to getting your creative writing published, but some basic guidelines should help you along the way.

Submitting to publishers

Before you approach a publisher, you usually need to have written at least part of the book or the entire story/poem/essay you’d like to get published. Most publishers have certain requirements for submitted work, which you probably can find on their websites. For example, some fiction publishers want to receive a sample chapter and a brief synopsis of the plot; others prefer a full manuscript. Before you send a manuscript, it’s a good idea to find out what’s required. Also, look up the name of the person you should send your submission to.

IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

Many book publishers, especially publishers of fiction and poetry, publish a book only after a writer has proven him- or herself by publishing work in magazines and journals. Another good way to establish yourself is to enter competitions. Even if you don’t win, an honorable mention is still good for your writing résumé. Thus, the usual path to having a book published involves at least some publications in magazines.

Always prepare your submission according to the publisher’s requirements. Details are important, so be sure your work is professionally presented and has been carefully proofread. The manu-script should be double-spaced, with generous margins, and printed on one side of the paper only. The pages should be numbered, too. It’s usually best not to bind or staple the manuscript: use a fastening that will allow the publisher to photocopy the manuscript easily if they want to.

Accompany your manuscript with a brief cover letter. The main purpose of this letter is not to sell your manuscript, but simply to touch base with the publisher and provide your contact details. You might want to give a little bit of background about yourself and maybe a short description of the manuscript. It might be worthwhile mentioning your publishing history as well. For example, if you have won a short story competition or had short stories published in magazines, this information will be relevant if you’re submitting a novel or short story collection.

Send your manuscript by post or internet—whatever the publisher prefers. If it’s conventional mail, be sure to include a stamped self-addressed envelope for the publisher’s response.

Most publishers receive countless unsolicited manuscripts, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it can take some time to get a response on your work. Some publishers send you a brief note—often a preprinted card or email—to say they have received your manuscript and give you an indication of how long it will be before you hear from them. It’s common not to hear back for at least a month or two, and some take much longer. Be patient, and use the time to work on other writing projects, as mentioned in Chapter 23. The worst thing you can do is sit around fretting about a process you can’t control.

Now let’s take a look at the major elements that lead to getting published. Although they are similar to the topic of the preceding chapter, that material was aimed at agents and editors, whereas this chapter is solely about getting your work into print. Between the two chapters, you’ll have a solid approach for handling the often enigmatic publishing industry.