I’m not going to beat around the bush: getting published can be very hard. It is a draining process that can take years. But, it is worth it when it finally happens. And it will happen for you, as long as you don’t give up.
For anyone who has never gone through the publishing process before, I’ve provided my five main tips to help you get started below:
1. Selecting Publishers
Generally, publishers specialize in specific genres or themes or audiences. It is important to carefully comb through the big list of publishers to find the ones that are right for your book. If you don’t, you’ll spend hours and money writing to publishers that won’t even give you the time of day.
Of course, if it is your first-time publishing and you don’t have an agent, you may be limited in how many publishers you can apply to that don’t ask for money up front (and a lot of them do). Just make sure you don’t rule out small, but growing, publishers. After all, you’re a small, but growing writer – it may just be the perfect match!
2. Know Your Book
I know you might think you know your book very well. After all, you wrote it. But you’d be surprised how often writers struggle to talk about their stories.
You should know your main theme, and four supporting themes. You should know your characters inside and out. You should be able to summarize your entire book in one sentence, in five sentences, and in five pages. You’ll likely be asked to do just that by multiple publishers throughout this process.
3. Study Your Selected Publishers
Research the shit out of them. Who have they published in the past that you admire? Which of their books are similar to yours? Why should that publisher, specifically, need to work with you? Not want, but need.
Many publishers ask these kinds of questions during your submission, and having a clear idea of how well you fit with their other work will take you a long way!
4. Learn How to Write a Submission
Like all job applications, publishers want to see your resume and your cover letter, though often in less of a formal way and all combined in one document. Your opening should be punchy. It should catch them off guard. Make their eyes widen. Make them pay attention to you. Again, make them need to publish your book.
I could go on and on about your submission package, but I highly recommend researching it yourself. There’s thousands of books and articles out there to help you.
5. Never Give Up
I started by saying this and I will conclude by saying this. It is the most important piece of advice I can give you.
Most publishers do not accept simultaneous submissions, which means that you can only submit to one at a time, and often each one takes months to review. This means, you often wait months at a time only to be told “no” again and again. I went through five rejections before World Castle Publishing was interested in my book.
Just keep your head high and believe in yourself, and in your book, and nothing will stop you from accomplishing your goal. There will be a publisher that loves it just as much as you do. Just don’t stop searching for them.
If you’re interested in learning more about the publishing process, feel free to contact me! I’m happy to connect and help you with your submissions.