Part II: Finding the Right Publisher
One of the most important steps in getting your book
published is to find the right publisher. With very rare
exceptions, publishers are not philanthropists. They are in
business, and you must be able to convince them that zillions of
people will buy copies of your book. Additionally, the publisher
must be the right "fit"—namely, a house that is already
publishing the kind of book you have in mind. For example, a
publisher of teen novels will not be interested
in your adventure involving 8 to 12 year olds.
The three best tools you can use to track down the
publisher of your dreams are:
(1) The library. Go to the section in the library that
displays the same genre as your work, for the same target age
group. See what's popular. Write down titles and publishers and,
where possible, contact information. The greatest advantage of a
library is…the librarian! This valuable resource person can point
you in the right direction and answer some of your toughest questions.
(2) The bookstore. Browse the titles and mine publisher's information.
(3) The Writer's Market. This incredible book is worth
its weight in gold. Updated each year, it gives information on
types of publishers, contact information, and whether or not they
accept unagented manuscripts or manuscripts from unpublished authors.
For more on finding the right publisher,
watch for our upcoming echapter!
Are you a bit fuzzy on just what genre your book falls into? Then
log on for our October installment; Part III: Genres.
See you soon!
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