Creative writing - Mike Sanders 2014
More research
Publishing your work
Getting published
If you want to be a writer, it’s important to do your own research to educate yourself about the profession. Don’t expect everything to be handed to you. For another thing, the internet is forever reflecting changes in publishing changes, and you should keep abreast of these. New publishers come along all the time; others fold all the time. Thus, any list of publishers I provide here will be outdated by the time this book hits stores.
Instead, I can tell you what to look for and how to do the research so you can figure out what publishers are right for you. Ideally, you’d do all this research before you submit anything. Before you send a query letter or a manuscript, you should do some legwork to come up with your submission list.
As in Chapter 23, one of your first stops should be a bookstore, preferably at least one outpost of each major chain operating in your area: a major general retailer that sells books (Target, Walmart, etc.) and any independent stores in your area that sell the kind of book you write. Go to the section where you think your book would fit, and look at who publishes those books. Those are most likely to be your potential publishers.
If you don’t find books from a publisher in any of the stores you check, that’s a bad sign. It’s harder to judge electronic-only publishers this way because many of them only sell through their own websites and don’t have books in stores. That’s where you’ll have to do more research.
Next, check the organizations representing your genre. Most professional writing organizations list publishers. Membership in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (sfwa.org), for example, gives you access to science fiction and fantasy publishers. Romance Writers of America (rwa.org) maintains a list of publishers as well, although you have to join the organization to access it. (If you’re writing romance, you owe it to yourself to join this organization to learn about the industry.) Mystery Writers of America (mysterywriters.org) also maintains a list of approved publishers. The Horror Writers Association (horror.org) has a list of recognized publishers, too.
WATCH OUT!
Check sites like Preditors and Editors (pred-ed.com) and Writer Beware (sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware) for alerts about possible scams. While you’re at it, search for the name of the publisher and see what comes up beyond its own site. One or two complaints might mean embittered writers stinging from rejection. A pattern of complaints or complaints from writing organizations is a big red flag. Agents often discuss real publishers that have engaged in questionable business practices on their blogs, and that should come up in searches, too.
You’ll also want to perform an Amazon search for the publisher’s titles. Look at the reviews, and note the ones that mention bad editing or lots of typos. You can’t judge by just one book, so look for a pattern from that publisher. If most of their books are criticized for bad editing or a lot of typos, that’s a bad sign.
Also be wary if most of the titles that come up in your Amazon publisher search aren’t actually sold through Amazon but rather through outside sellers. Amazon sells so many books; if it doesn’t carry something, there could be a reason why.
Remember, too, that a legitimate publisher makes money by selling books to readers, not by selling books, publishing services, or marketing services to authors. I’d be concerned with any publisher whose acceptance letter contains a menu of optional services like editing, enhanced cover treatment, publicity services, etc. An acceptance letter should only talk about what the publisher will pay you, editing, and publicity. (You might do a lot of your own publicity, but you make your own decision about who to hire and what to pay. You don’t pay your publisher for publicity or sending books to Hollywood.)
In summary, don’t submit to a publisher without at least checking the alert sites and performing a thorough internet search. Moreover, take the time to determine which publishers produce books that resemble your manuscript. You’ll save a lot of paper, stress, and time if you do so.