You had an idea for a book. It was a good idea and you sat in front of your typewriter or computer and hammered out a draft. You went through a flurry of emotion as the weeks and months went by, but you kept at it and finally, it was complete. You sat on it for a couple of weeks and then picked it up and read it to see if it made sense. You revised it, did a down and dirty edit, then sat on it for another couple of weeks. Now it was time to get serious and you started the self-critique process. Once satisfied you had made it the best it could be, it was time to find a publisher. You’re excited, have visions of fame and fortune and then reality sets in. It comes in the form a solid brick wall as you find that there are a multitude of obstacles which must be overcome before anyone will even look at your work.
So what’s the process? First, get an agent. And yes, to anyone who has tried, that is easier said than done. Like most people in the publishing business, agents are very busy, overwhelmed even by the sheer number of requests for their services. But considering the large, well-known publishing houses deal almost exclusively with agents, it’s in your best interest to keep looking until you find one. Many of the larger publishing houses will not look at anything that is not submitted by an agent. A good agent will help you prepare your work and put together a proposal targeted to editors that deal specifically with your genre of work. Like agents, editors are equally, if not more so, bombarded with submissions everyday. The sad truth is that as a first-time writer, even if you find a good agent, and that agent is successful in getting your work in front of an editor, the chance of it getting attention is still pretty slim. Traditional publishers deal with what they feel will sell. Unless you have something that screams success, or are already well-known publicly, it will be tough even for an agent to convince major editors to take a look at your work.
What’s the point then? Is there hope? Of course there is, and that’s the beauty of the system. While the larger publishing houses rely, even demand that your work be submitted through an agent, many of the smaller publishers and more specialized houses do not. In fact, they pay close attention to unsolicited manuscripts as well as those submitted directly from authors. Even better news for the first-timer is that many of the small, independent and medium sized publishers are among the best in the business. Do your homework. Look at publishing alternatives with small, local publishers. Learn what their requirements are and compare your work to titles they have already published. If it’s a match, then you have a good shot.
Then why would anyone go through the trouble of finding an agent first? The simple answer is experience. Quite simply, agents know the business. You, as a first time author, probably do not. An agent will, most likely, have more bargaining power, knowledge of how the system works, and the ability to command a better deal at closing than you. So while we know that it is not always necessary to have an agent, it is always wise.
Okay, how do I find an agent or editor? Good question, and like most things in life, there are rules. Follow them and your chances of success are better than average. Break the rules and your chances are zero. Before you start your search, put together two documents: a query letter and a proposal.
The Query Letter:
The query letter is a one page letter, exactly one page which is used to identify you and your book. Anything beyond that is a waste of time and gives an agent or editor an excuse to toss it, and your chance of getting published. The query letter generally has three sections: the intro, a short synopsis, and an author bio.
The Proposal:
The proposal describes your book and tells agents/editors why it should be published. It should include the following:
- A description of your book
- Who the intended Audience is
- Who the competition is
- Author information
- Estimated time to manuscript completion
- Sample chapters
If you’ve started your search for a publisher and gotten bombarded with “Your work is great, but we’re not interested at this time,” don’t despair. There is hope and by looking closer at some of the things I suggest here, you will eventually reach your goal. Be patient, though, it takes time to go the traditional route.
Kenneth R. Eaton is a published author who writes suspense/thriller fiction. Learn more about him and his work by visiting his website.
http://www.eatonbooks.com
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