Publishers are very specific in the types of books they sell and sending the wrong book to the wrong place not only increases the frustration but wastes time in a business that moves slower than molasses in the best of times. Here are some tips for finding the right publisher for your work.
Internet Research is Good Starting Place
A good place to start is with some of your favorite authors. Look on the spines of their books or go to their websites and look for release information. Most will say the name of their publisher somewhere. Then go directly to that publisher’s web page. Some will have sections for writers that list guidelines and submission requirements. Does your subject matter or genre fit with the listing? If so, you’re good to move to the next step in the process.
Another internet source are writer’s organizations. If you write romance novels, Romance Writer’s of America and their local and regional chapters have a ton of available information on publishers for members. There are other writers groups (Mystery Writers, Science Fiction, etc.) Check out the websites and see what they require for members but they are also good sources on which publishers are looking for a certain type of book.
Writer’s Digest
Still not certain where to go? Visit a library or bookstore and look for Writer’s Market. (Also available on the internet at writersdigest.com Updated yearly, it lists market information for fiction and nonfiction and for works both long and short. Writer’s Digest also offers a wide variety of writing books on numerous topics and genres you may find useful. They feature books on craft (the techniques of writing), editing and the business of writing.
No Replacement for Reading
Once you find several publishers specializing in what you write, there is no better way then to read what they have published. Try to pick the newest titles as that will give you the best feel for what they are buying now. What they published in 1960 may be a long way from what they are buying now. Remember though, titles in the bookstores and libraries now were purchased by editors as long as two or three years ago in some cases.
Don’t Overlook Smaller Publishers
Every writer wants the six figure contract and to sell on proposal (meaning the book hasn’t been written yet.) Few unpublished writers are fortunate enough to have that happen on their first project. Small and independent publishers (who also are sometimes niche publishers) are many times easier to break into and more willing to look at work from an unpublished author. Remember though, research any publisher thoroughly. Nothing guarantees a rejection quicker than sending a romance with a gay couple to a publisher who does only religious nonfiction.
