the PDF Version - Authors Publish Magazine

10 Authors.
10 True Stories.
10 Ways to
Get Your Book Published.
Emily Harstone, Editor
Authors Publish
Copyright 2016. Do not distribute without explicit permission.
To share this book, please go to:
http://www.authorspublish.com/get-your-book-published/
Editor: Emily Harstone
Copy Editor: Marian Black
Associate Editor: Jacob Jans
Contributors: Eric Williams, Shirley Raye Redmond, Janice
Oberding, Hester Schell, Patricia Gaydos, Rebecca Ann Smith,
Linda Kush, Heather Smith Meloche, Kathryn Olsen, Shani
Greene-Dowdell
Introduction.................................................................................................. 5
How I got My Book Published…Twice!............................................................. 7
"What are You Looking For?"..........................................................................13
Self-Publishing as a Step Toward Traditional Publication...............................18
That is My Book.............................................................................................. 21
How I Sold Over 7,000 How-to Books.............................................................26
It is All About the Right Fit.............................................................................. 32
How a Magazine Article Launched the Rice Paddy Navy................................38
Winning was the First Step............................................................................. 45
Lost in Interpretation...................................................................................... 48
You Should Write a Book!............................................................................... 53
Appendix..................................................................................................... 57
Recommended Tools and Resources............................................................. 62
Introduction
Writing makes intuitive sense. One sentence follows another. Anne
Lamott might have phrased it best when she said, “Writing has so
much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. . . the act of
writing turns out to be its own reward.”
Trying to publish a manuscript is not always intuitive or rewarding.
There is a lot of work involved and most of it, like self-promotion,
research, and conferences have nothing to do with writing.
Because of this, publishing your first book can seem
overwhelming.
When it comes to publishing, everyone has an opinion of what is
the best thing to do for your book. Some say it is best to selfpublish. Others argue for an agent. Some writers say you should
approach a publisher directly.
This book isn’t about the "best" way to get published. I don’t claim
to know the best way. Neither do the ten authors whose essays are
contained in this book.
Each of these authors followed a very different path, some selfpublished, others obtained an agent, still more approached
publishers directly. No matter which path they pursued, all paths
led to the same place: successful publication.
Some of these authors, like Kathryn Olsen, are just about to
publish their first book. Others, like Shirley Raye Redmond, write
full-time, with a number of successful books under their belts.
None of these essays will reveal exactly how to get your book
published, but they will give concrete examples of how other
people did it.
In the back of this book there is additional information pertaining
to agents, publishers, and other resources that will help you publish
your manuscript successfully.
How I got My Book Published…Twice!
Erik Williams
So, how’d I get my novel Demon published not once, but twice?
Well, gather around and I’ll tell you a tale.
It all started back in the spring of 2008. I was in Salt Lake City
attending the World Horror Convention. I was a newbie writer
with a few short story credits under my belt. I knew the next step
was a novel, but had no idea for one. Sometime during that Con, I
was walking around the dealer room, looking at all these different
small press publishers (because no big publisher would ever take
me, cuz I didn’t have a book or an agent, so why not try an easier
path? Brilliant!) and their books and a thought occurred to me: I
can do this, and I can do it faster and better.
Self-centered? Sure. But sometimes as a writer you need to think
that way to fuel the creative drive. To get the pistons humming.
You know, all that stuff.
Anyway, I’d been toying with the idea for a short story about a
ship that finds a life raft adrift. On board is one guy. And that guy
is possessed by a demon. Of course, they don’t know that when
they bring him on board. However, they soon find out when all
hell breaks loose.
Then I got to thinking, well, where did this guy come from?
How’d he become possessed? And who the hell is this demon?
Suffice it to say, the book took on a life of its own. No longer a
short story, I knew I had at least a novella in my hands. As I
started writing it and learning more about the characters, I came to
the conclusion it would be a novel. Not a big one, but your run of
the mill trade or mass market paperback size coming in at around
80,000 words.
I plunged in, writing every single day, for multiple hours, until it
was done. Side note, it was easier to do when I didn’t have kids.
Anyway, in twenty-eight days, I had a finished first draft at just
under 80,000 words.
Fast forward to January 2009. I decided to attend Thomas F.
Monteleone’s Borderlands Writer’s Bootcamp for novels (I
attended a short story bootcamp in 2006). Tom always lines up
great professionals who will review (and by review, I mean tear
apart) your work and give you honest feedback to make it better.
That year I had Tom, author Gary Braunbeck, and a couple of big
New York editors as my reviewers. The feedback was priceless
and, thankfully, the book was well-received. In fact, for a moment,
I thought I might come out of there with a publishing deal. Sadly,
it didn’t happen.
In 2010, I sold a novella to Bad Moon Books, a small press
specializing in limited edition hardcovers and collectable trade
paperbacks. My experience with that book was so positive, I sent
them a newly revised Demon. They bought it. So, there, that’s how
I got Demon published the first time.
Ah, but what about the second?
Well, that is another story. Demon came out in 2011. The problem
about that timing was the small press was imploding, while, at the
same time, e-books (especially self-published e-books) were going
through a parabolic rise in sales. Nobody wanted to buy the
limited edition hardcover (because, hell, the economy sucked and
nobody wanted to throw down $50 for a super-duper hardcover).
Very few wanted to toss money in the hat for even a trade
paperback. Thankfully, I had retained the e-book rights. I did my
own cover art and book formatting and put it out to the world of ecommerce myself.
In 2012, sales for Demon had completely stalled. I was making a
few bucks in royalties for the electronic edition. I had a sequel
ready to go, but was hesitant to pull the trigger. And then came
along this open call for submissions to this new e-book only
imprint HarperCollins was starting. I figured, “Hey, I have the erights to Demon and Harper is accepting reprints. What the hell?”
So I sent it off. And quickly forgot about it.
In late 2013, I bought back all the rights to Demon from Bad Moon
Books. Basically, I bought what they had remaining in stock and
they relinquished their hold on the trade paperback and hardcover
rights. It was a good business deal for all sides.
And then something odd happened. I got this e-mail in early 2014
—literally out of nowhere—telling me HarperCollins wanted to
publish Demon for their new Harper Voyager Impulse line. They
wanted it and the sequel, Guardian, with an option for a third. All
they needed to know is if I had all the rights back. Boy howdy, did
I!
I quickly fired off all the info required, received the two-book
contract with an option for a third, and found myself being
published by a big New York publishing house. HarperCollins!
Victory!
You may be thinking: Hey, great story. But how did you get your
book published…twice! Enough yammering!
Okay, okay. Here’s how I did it:
1. I wrote the book. Sounds obnoxious but, hey, if you don’t
have a book, what do you think you’re going to get
published?
2. Feedback. Not only feedback from your peers, but also
professionals who are gracious enough to give your book a
read. Luckily, I had a great writer’s group I was a part of at
the time, in addition to capitalizing on my previous
experience at the writer’s bootcamp. If I wrote the book,
those experiences forged it.
3. My experience with the publisher of my first novella gave
me an “in” where I could contact them whenever I wanted
with possible other projects. Having these kind of
relationships are invaluable. Instead of going in a slush
pile, you go into the To Be Read pile, which may still be
big, but not legendary like some slush piles are.
4. Keeping my e-rights for the first round helped me pocket
some money. It also made it easy to submit to other
markets, since I had retained them.
5. My decision—after realizing sales in the small press
weren’t ever going to pick up—to buy back my print rights
was, in hindsight, brilliant. Yes, I had to fork out some
money out of my own pocket, but after I had, the book was
mine again.
6. The HarperCollins open call was a huge opportunity. I
didn’t think I had a chance, but sometimes you have to say,
“What the hell?” Thankfully, when that opportunity came
to fruition, I had the rights in my pocket to make the
transition very easy.
7. As any experienced writer will tell you, this stuff doesn’t
happen fast. Publishing is a snail’s world. It moves slowly
and deliberately. But sometimes, unexpected and
outstanding things happen you never dreamed possible. Be
ready for them.
Erik Williams is a former naval officer and current
defense contractor (but he's not allowed to talk about it).
He is also the author of Demon, Guardian, and Bigfoot
Crank Stomp, and numerous small press works and short
stories. He currently lives in San Diego with his wife and
three daughters. When he's not at his day job, he can
usually be found chasing children or coveting
carbohydrates. You can visit his website here:
www.erikwilliams.blogspot.com
"What are You Looking For?"
Shirley Raye Redmond
Eager to put my first children’s picture book manuscript in front of
a Random House editor, I signed up for a writing retreat sponsored
by the New Mexico chapter of the Society of Children’s Book
Writers and Illustrators. Each attendee was guaranteed a private
twenty minute critique session with the editor. When my turn
came, I eagerly presented my fictional story and held my breath,
waiting for her response.
She smiled and said, “Nice story, but it’s not the sort of thing I buy.
Other editors at Random House do, but not me.”
Needless to say, I was crushed. I could have thanked her politely
and given up the rest of my time with her. Instead, I asked the
question that changed my writing life: “What are you looking for?”
I wanted to know.
She explained that what she really wanted was nonfiction readers
for the Random House Step into Reading line. She admitted that
writing such books was not considered glamorous, but they sold
well and most major publishers had their own line. I had no idea
what she was talking about.
“What’s a reader?” I asked.
The editor went on to explain that while both readers and picture
books were illustrated, a picture book was intended to be read to a
child, while a reader was structured in such a way that a youngster
could read the book on her own. I also learned that nonfiction titles
for youngsters do not go out of print as quickly as fictional ones,
and that teachers, parents, and school librarians are always looking
for kids’ books on nonfiction topics that tie into the school
curriculum.
Following the retreat, I took the first available opportunity to check
out readers at my local bookstore. I quickly found them in a
spinning carousel. There were lots of titles on just about everything
—from dogs and dolphins, wolves and whales, to anecdotal stories
about U.S. presidents.
These simply written paperback books were aimed at youngsters in
kindergarten through third grade. As the editor had mentioned,
most of the major publishers had a line of readers. These books all
looked the same—easily identified as readers and much cheaper to
purchase than the picture books available for sale.
I bought a dozen and took them home to study the formatting,
sentence structure, word count and diction. Each had a story arc—
a distinct beginning, middle and end with interesting episodes in
between to keep the story narrative moving forward. After doing a
little market research, I was surprised to learn how well these little
books sold. For instance, Joyce Milton’s Dinosaur Days sold more
than one million copies and had surpassed its fiftieth printing by
the time I’d discovered the book some years ago.
After doing my homework, I decided I would tackle a new project
and write a nonfiction reader of my own. Recently, I had taken a
family trip to Yellowstone National Park and learned a great deal
about Lewis and Clark’s adventures out west. I decided to write an
850 word manuscript about the explorers' attempt to capture a
living prairie dog to send to President Thomas Jefferson back in
Washington, D.C.
When I submitted my manuscript to the Random House editor for
consideration, I pointed out that the 200th anniversary of the Lewis
and Clark expedition was just around the corner. In a matter of
months, I received a contract and an advance for Lewis and Clark:
A Prairie Dog for the President from the editor I’d met at the
retreat. That same year, I also sold a second manuscript to the same
editor: Tentacles! Tales of the Giant Squid. These titles were
released in paperback for bookstore sales and in hard cover for
libraries.
Both titles have hundreds of thousands of copies. Scholastic
purchased book club rights for both titles—more than once.
MacMillan purchased textbook rights for the Lewis and Clark title.
That book has even been translated into French—Lewis et Clark,
Un Chien de Prairie pour le President. Each of these sales resulted
in a nice financial bonus for me.
Insisting that it was not wise to put all my eggs in one basket, my
agent Irene Kraas (now retired) made a deal with Simon &
Schuster to purchase two other nonfiction reader manuscripts for
their Ready to Read line: The Dog That Dug for Dinosaurs and
Pigeon Hero! Pigeon Hero! won an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
Gold Book Award.
These sales opened many doors for me. I have gone on to sell more
than two dozen children’s books—both fiction and nonfiction. I
continue to earn royalties on these early titles as well, and am so
glad I took the time to ask, “What are you looking for?”
Shirley Raye Redmond is a full-time writer with an M.A.
in Literature. Her most recent nonfiction reader, Fairies! A
True Story (Random House), gives young readers the
details of the Cottingley Woods fairy photographs that
fooled a gullible Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Connect with
her at www.shirleyrayeredmond.com
Self-Publishing as a Step Toward Traditional
Publication
Janice Oberding
A lot of writers still think that self-publishing a book ensures that
it will never be taken seriously by a traditional publisher. I never
believed that. In fact, my self-published books actually opened
traditional publishing doors for me.
I guess you could say that I found a need and filled it. There were
a lot of regional nonfiction ghost/history books out there. But there
were none for my state (Nevada). I wrote my first book, Haunted
Nevada, and self-published it as an expediency to seeing my name
on the front cover of a book. That was fifteen years ago. Since
then, I’ve written and self-published nine other regional
ghost/history books and one true crime book.
There’s no reason to write a book if no one is going to read it.
Being self-published, I had to do my own marketing and
promoting. This was nearly as much work as the writing had been.
I’d heard all the arguments against self-publishing. I’d witnessed
firsthand many of the obstacles. But I wasn’t about to be
stigmatized with the self-published label. I realized that even in an
alternate universe, my books probably wouldn’t be appearing on
the NY bestselling list, so my goal was to find ways to make damn
sure that readers saw them.
I decided to become an expert on my subject matter. I contacted
the local community college and offered non-credit classes in my
field of interest. Along the way, I met many people who became
readers and thus helped get my name (and that of my books out
there).
My books had attracted readers and I’d sold much more than the
two dozen or so they say most self-published books sell. Still, I
wanted the attention of a traditional publisher. I looked at my
books with a critical eye. The printer had done a beautiful job with
the covers. The material was good, but I knew it could be better.
Honestly, what writer hasn’t looked at their earlier writings and
seen the need to rewrite? I did. And so I got to work and rewrote
two of my early books. Haunted Nevada was my first book. But it
wasn’t the first to be published by a traditional publisher (it was
published later by Stackpole Books). That honor went to my
Haunting of Las Vegas that was published by Pelican Publishing. I
approached Stackpole through the internet and Pelican via snail
mail.
I like the internet. It is absolutely a Godsend to writers. I maintain
a presence on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And because of
this, I have fans. Certainly not as many as novelist Dan Brown, but
enough so that when an acquisition editor for History Press started
looking for someone to do regional books on Nevada’s ghosts
history and haunts, my name came up. That might sound more like
luck than an actual game plan. Yes, luck may have had something
to do with it. But I also knew that if I hadn’t ever self-published
my books and promoted and marketed them for all they were
worth, I probably wouldn’t have heard from History Press.
Janice Oberding has self-published over a dozen books
and had six books published by traditional publishers:
Stackpole Books, Pelican Publishing and History Press.
She teaches non-credit classes on how to get your book
published and self-publishing at Truckee Meadows
Community College.
That is My Book
Hester Schell
My book came after much urging from two friends, who not only
encouraged me, but insisted I publish all the pearls of wisdom I
was dishing up for my students. They kept asking, “When are you
going to put all this in a book?” I kept telling them, “The market is
already saturated with books on this.” and “The world really
doesn’t need another one.” Truly, there was already a plethora on
this content out there. My limited thinking was, there’s no way
another one would sell.
So, months later there I was again, on the phone with a potential
client, answering the most obvious questions, the kind of basic
questions that they should know the answers to. That was my
“eureka” moment. It hit me: That’s my book. If this person has
this level of questioning and truly doesn’t know how to get done
what they need to get done, then others are out there as well.
In that flash, that “eureka” moment, I realized that while my
friends were thinking about a particular segment of our industry on
one side of the aisle, my potential client was on other side of the
aisle. There it was staring at me: change the targeted audience,
adjust the approach for a different part of this industry, a different
audience. Write a book on casting aimed at directors.
After an hour or so of online research I discovered—much to my
surprise—that there were no other books on this topic targeted to
this other side of the aisle reader in need of help. There was not a
single book about casting written for directors. What I did find was
a chapter here or there in a very limited arena of college text books
or a bit in an occasional blog or advice column on what to do and
how. But believe it or not, there just wasn’t a thorough step-by-step
resource guide.
I had found a niche occupied by no one else. I had something no
one else had for an audience no one was targeting. Today, my book
is still the only full volume on the topic.
What? Hasn’t everything been written about already? It’s so rare in
today’s world, and nearly never happens, especially in non-fiction.
It wasn’t so much that the content was unique. It was that my book
would be for a different segment of our industry.
This was the shift that did it: shifting the audience.
Next, it was the query letter and the online submission form. I
pitched the book to the two top publishers in my field. Since I
knew no one had published on this topic for this audience, I sat
down to write that short and perfect query letter, emphasizing
“Don’t take my word for it. Check Amazon, Barnes and Noble, any
bookseller you want, and you won’t find a full volume guidebook
on the market.” I didn’t even tell them the topic until the very last
paragraph of the query letter. I grabbed their attention with “No
one else has written for this audience,” and waited to spill the
beans until the very last paragraph to reveal the audience. I got the
two publishers curious with “Go look.” I motivated them to check
it out for themselves with “I was as surprised as you’re going to
be.”
The head of acquisitions from one publisher said, “We like it, and
we can get it into our pipeline in about six months. Please
recontact at that time.” The head of the other got back to me in
about thirty minutes saying, “If you will send us your table of
contents, we’ll take a look.” So I did, and within a few days I had
a book deal with the world leader in film publishing do-it-yourself
books, Michael Wiese Productions, out of Los Angeles.
Sales were not great and after five years my publisher informed me
they were dropping the title and placing the book on “out of print
status.” Perhaps it was a really sunny day or maybe it was because
it was nearly my birthday, I refused to get upset that day back in
February of 2015. How could the only book targeting this audience
go out of print? Ridiculous. So, rather than put myself through a
fit of depression, I immediately went to that other publisher who
had put me off for six months, five years ago. I filled in the online
submission pitch form and simply spoke from the heart. I told them
all this had happened just as I was thinking about revisions for a 2 nd
edition. I reminded them that they had passed on the book five
years ago, and that still, no one else had published to my targeted
readership. Would they like to take on the 2 nd edition? Might they
want to give it a stronger textbook focus?
You know where this is going. They said, “Yes.” The new
revamped, redesigned, updated and improved book would include
a new companion website (which they would design) with a blog
to reach students and keep in touch with my readers and fans. My
new publisher, Focal Press, part of Taylor & Francis, a subsidiary
of the global power house Routledge, was bigger in the textbook
market and had a full staff to get the book out to schools, colleges
and universities.
It was thrilling and it still amazes me. Here I am, five years later,
working on the 2nd edition.
So, what’s this book about? It’s a resource guide about the casting
process of hiring actors for the entertainment industry, a step-bystep procedural manual of standard industry practices and
resources. But it’s not for actors. A plethora of books had already
occupied that market. There were numerous books on auditioning,
for actors to learn how to do it better and land jobs. But what about
all those new, young, low budget and independent film directors
coming into the industry?
So, how did I get my book published? By identifying a unique
and specific targeted audience, and a lot of luck. How did I get my
2nd edition with a new publisher? By not giving up, either on my
content or myself, and by understanding that old adage: write
about what you know about.
Now that I have my foot in the door at one of the largest global
book publishers, I hope the jump across the hall to fiction will be a
bit easier when I’m ready to pitch my novel.
Hester Schell, MFA, is an award winning comedy director,
master acting teacher and recovered academic. She resides
in Portland, Oregon and is working on a novel and several
scripts with roles for middle-aged and senior women. The
second edition of her book, Casting Revealed: A Guide for
Film Directors, hit shelves in summer 2016.
How I Sold Over 7,000 How-to Books
Patricia Gaydos
My self-publishing career began while I was earning a MA degree
in Publication Design at the University of Baltimore. I was an
intern working in the graphic design lab. My job was basically to
assist students who were in the graduate program and were using
Adobe Publication software.
The software included Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign,
Acrobat, and PageMaker. My opportunity presented itself one
morning while I was on duty in the lab. The software instructor
had quit without notice, leaving the lab director in a lurch. The
director approached me and asked if I knew anyone who was
proficient in PageMaker and may be available to teach a two-hour
workshop. He said the workshop was scheduled for the next
evening.
Now keep in mind, I had no experience teaching when the light
went off in my head. My husband, who was a successful
entrepreneur, always said, “When an opportunity presents itself,
put your foot in the door and don’t let it close.” So the next thing I
knew, I was saying, “I know PageMaker and am willing to teach
the workshop.” The director replied, “I’ll let you know,” and
within an hour my career as a self-publisher of printed books
began. Notice that I said "printed books." Electronic e-books did
not yet exist. The year was 1992.
The next evening, I taught my first workshop and discovered that I
enjoyed teaching and sharing my knowledge with others. I
remember thinking, my goal is to write and layout books, not teach
software. But here I was teaching. And by the end of the semester,
I was officially the software instructor for the publication program.
After instructing a few workshops, my director then asked me if I
would put together handouts to aid the students whom I was
teaching. I said “yes.” Those handouts eventually evolved into
booklets including a cover and table of contents. My husband next
advised me to ask my director for permission to sell my booklets in
the workshops. I asked and he said yes.
I sold my booklets for $10.00. Since writing and designing books
were my crafts of choice, my booklets were a great success. Just
about every student in my workshops happily bought one. The
input from the students who clarified my written directions was
immeasurable in producing great books. My books were selling
and I was honing my skills. I was also earning an intern stipend, an
hourly wage for teaching workshops, and receiving booklet sales.
My next step up my ladder to success came after I graduated from
the publication program. I secured a position as the Director of
Digital Education at a large printing company. I was basically a
liaison who instructed graphic designers in the use of the Adobe
programs and how to setup digital files for the printing press. I
now had the opportunity to sell my booklets to these designers and
clients. I still taught the workshops at the university two evenings a
week.
My husband told me it was now time for a price increase because
of the continuous Adobe software updates. He said, “Software
updates means book updates.” He also said, “Why not ask if the
university will include the cost of the booklets in the registration
fee.” So I outlined a proposal, presented it to my director, and
within a week the proposal was accepted. I now decided to include
"update time" in the cost of the booklet and increased the cost to
$15.00.
In 1998 and 4,000 sold books later, my husband and I moved to
Florida. I was hired as an adjunct at Daytona Beach Community
College teaching Adobe Photoshop and digital design. Realizing
the value of my booklets, I made an appointment with the
bookstore manager and was granted approval to sell my books
through the college bookstore for a 30% per book fee. Students
who registered in my classes were directed to purchase my book to
enable them to follow my instructions in the classroom.
As the years passed, the information and techniques increased in
my booklets, as did the amount of pages. I had always printed my
booklets from a home printer and bound them using a long arm
staple gun.
But with the increase in pages, I now required a professional cutter
to trim the page edges (creep). So I researched the area in which I
lived and found a print shop with a large paper trimmer. The owner
agreed to trim my books for ten cents per book. My booklets had
grown into books. I had by now also inserted a CD in the back of
each book; the CD contained technique exercises and an e-book
version of my print book in PDF format. It could be opened and
read on any computer using the free Adobe Acrobat Program.
With the increased expenses, I raised the price of the books by
$22.00 to cover the bookstore fee, the physical cost of the CDs, the
CD design, book trimming, plus the basic printing expenses such
as paper stock, ink, and staples.
Today, I am retired, but I still dabble in the marketplace. I’m still
teaching workshops and selling books. I have sold approximately
7,000 printed Adobe Photoshop books. It may not sound like a lot
of sales to you, especially if you have expectations of selling
millions. But for me, my goal remains the same as it did back in
1992 when I was in the Publication Design Program: to write and
layout books
I no longer teach Adobe programs; instead, I teach Amazon Kindle
workshops and sell Kindle manuals in both print and e-book
formats. I take my workshops to libraries and Adult Education
Programs. I also sell e-book versions on Amazon and Barnes and
Noble’s marketing sites. I still print my own books, but I no longer
have to limit the number of book pages; in today’s market, the
necessary tools are both available and affordable. My trimmer
trims up to 400 pages and I can purchase binding glue, cover stock,
and ink at a reasonable price via the internet. What a wonderful
world a writer/publisher lives in today.
I am a successful self-publisher. A feeling of satisfaction fills me
every time I walk into my office and look at my self-published
books lined up on a shelf, or when I open my e-mail and see the
subject line "Pay Day" from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. And the
most rewarding part of my story is that I never have to share my
profits with anyone. I do it all myself. After all, I am both a writer
and self-publisher.
Patricia Gaydos is a how-to writer who has successfully
written and marketed a series of six self-published Adobe
Photoshop books. She recently mastered the Kindle tablet
and has written a Kindle Fire User Manual. All books are
in print and e-book format.
It is All About the Right Fit
Rebecca Ann Smith
It’s a cliché, but I got my break the moment I stopped trying.
You know the way a person gives up on dating, and meets the love
of their life in the post office that very afternoon? Or perhaps
better, given the subject of my novel, you know that old story
about the couple who decides to walk away from another grueling
round of IVF, only to fall pregnant naturally?
Back in 2010, I’d written what I thought was a well-polished, highconcept, psychological thriller about fertility medicine; a kind of
Handmaid’s Tale meets Brave New World, by way of Before I Go
to Sleep.
I’d already been through several drafts, workshopped scenes with
my writing group, changed the ending several times (as well as the
point of view and the names of half the characters). It had to be
finished, right?
I did some research, drew up a list of agents. My book was so great
it was bound to get snapped up.
When nobody signed me I wasn’t disheartened. I’d seen successful
writer friends jump through all manner of hoops to get their agents,
and later their publishing deals. When one agent told me she’d be
interested to read a rewrite and gave me the name of an
independent editor she trusted, I took that as encouragement. I
spent a year rewriting and resubmitted, expecting good news.
When the news came it wasn’t good. The agent liked the rewrite,
but not enough to take me on. "Keep trying," she said.
A friend suggested a new project might help. So I wrote another
novel, and for a while got very excited about that. My writing tutor
told me she expected to see it published. I polished the manuscript,
and sent it out to agents.
Almost exactly the same thing happened. There was plenty of
praise for the concept, and for my writing, but no contract on offer.
A couple of agents said they’d be interested to see the book
reworked, others offered to read the next book I wrote.
Somewhat shaken, I threw myself into yet another new project. It
was much better than those other books, I knew it was. I sent it out
to agents, filled with new hope.
Exactly the same thing happened.
There’s something particularly demoralizing about hearing "nearly,
but not quite" time and time again, year after year. How should I
respond to this latest one? Spend another year rewriting? And then
what? None of these agents were offering to sign me if I rewrote
according to their notes. By this time, I’d written four novels that
were "promising" but not "good enough" to win me representation.
I didn’t appear to be moving forward, or getting any closer. How
would I ever make the leap?
Then I saw a tiny ad in the news section of Writing Magazine, a
call for submissions from a small independent press called
Mother’s Milk Books. They were looking for uplifting stories
about parenting and breastfeeding for an anthology. A quick glance
at their website confirmed the kind of publisher this was: poetry
pamphlets, beautifully illustrated children’s books, anthologies of
fairy-tales.
Of course, I hadn’t written uplifting, encouraging prose or poetry
about early parenthood.
What I’d written was an occasionally violent, often confusing
thriller, with shed-loads of plot, a dark conspiracy theory at its
heart, a complicated timeline, and a borderline unreliable narrator.
It wasn’t the kind of book you’d buy a new mum to offer her some
encouragement. It was the kind of book you’d buy Steig Larsson if
you wanted to give him a headache.
But it had lots of breastfeeding in it (along with a couple of
gruesome medical procedures, and a very nasty bout of mastitis).
I wrote an email to Mother’s Milk Books and attached my
manuscript. The email took me about fifteen seconds to write and
I’m not even sure I read it over before I pressed send. I thought,
they’ll never publish it, never in a million years. I think I just
wanted someone else to read it, before I put it away for good.
I’d spent years waiting, hoping, dreaming, yearning for agents to
come back to me with the response I wanted. This time I didn’t
expect any reply; I forgot all about the email.
So I was amazed when some time later the editor at Mother’s Milk
Books emailed back to say she loved my book. There was a lot
wrong with it, she said. It was much too long, and much too
complicated. The plot needed streamlining, and did I really need
quite so many point-of-view characters? But it was a brilliant idea,
compelling, and, she felt, important.
I braced myself for "rewrite it, resubmit and maybe we’ll look at it
again." I wasn’t sure I had it in me to get back on that treadmill.
But she didn’t tell me to rewrite and resubmit. Instead, she sent me
a publishing contract, and then she worked with me to make the
book better. We had a few long phone calls (we didn’t live close
enough to meet in person) and we went back and forth by email.
When I handed in the rewrite we treated that like a first draft. She
sent me copious notes on what was wrong with this version and I
worked through a structural edit; then she sent me more notes on
the following draft. And then there was the copy edit.
So, yes, it’s been a long process, but there’s a world difference
between "not quite, try again," and someone who believes in a
book – even the idea of a book – enough to bear with you while
you struggle to make it work.
Baby X comes out in June 2016. I’ve just seen a draft of the cover
illustration and I love it.
I still haven’t got an agent.
Rebecca Ann Smith writes novels for adults, teenagers and
children. Her first published novel, Baby X will be
published by Mother’s Milk Books in 2016. She's
interested in creativity, feminism and social justice, and
blogs about swimming, parenting, writing and other
random bits and pieces at www.rebeccaannsmith.co.uk She
lives in West Sussex with her husband and two young sons
and works part-time as a copywriter and project manager.
How a Magazine Article Launched the Rice
Paddy Navy
By Linda Kush
I never imagined that I would be a published author. But at the age
of fifty-eight, I found myself at a podium at the International Spy
Museum in Washington, D.C., reading from my first book, The
Rice Paddy Navy.
Although I began writing professionally late in life, the dream of
being a writer dated back to my childhood. After completing my
bachelor’s degree the year I turned fifty, I finally had a chance to
realize my dream.
I started writing freelance stories for local newspapers in Boston,
while working part-time as an editorial assistant for a university
alumni magazine. As a late bloomer in an evolving profession, I
couldn’t risk giving up my day job, but I kept striving for more
complex stories in larger publications.
Looking for a new challenge, I set a goal to publish in a national
magazine. I had a great story that I had uncovered through family
history research. My father, who died in 1979, had served in the
U.S. Navy in China during World War II, teaching demolition
techniques to members of the Chinese army.
Researching his service career, I discovered that he had been part
of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization (SACO), a
complex, top-secret Navy group of spies, weather forecasters, and
military advisors. This organization worked intimately with the
Chinese army in the fight against the Japanese occupation of
China.
Friends were intrigued by the story. It seemed to be the perfect
vehicle to break into magazine writing, and I pitched it to World
War II Magazine. The editor loved it and assigned me to write an
article.
The effort to cram this remarkable tale into 2,500 words was
painful, because there was so much to tell. Based in the mountains
of central China, U.S. Navy personnel established posts throughout
the country. They traveled on foot, via sampan, and in charcoalpowered trucks, working in caves and abandoned Buddhist
temples. The cast of characters included friendly Chinese pirates, a
gun-toting-moonshine-making Catholic missionary, a Thai
princess, and Chiang Kai-Shek. My piece could offer a mere
glimpse into this multi-layered story.
By the time I filed the article, I had plans to write a book about
SACO as a retirement project.
But an incredibly lucky break advanced my timeline.
A few weeks after the issue of World War II Magazine hit the
newsstands in November 2010, a message from a stranger
appeared in my LinkedIn mailbox. Kelli Christensen, a freelance
acquisitions editor in Chicago, had seen the article and recognized
the story’s potential. She asked if I would consider writing a book.
Her client, Osprey Publishing, a military history publisher based in
London, was seeking new titles to expand its American market.
Kelli and I spent an hour on the phone. She believed in the story
and in my ability to write it. She equated the project with writing
twenty magazine articles in a year, which seemed possible—if
challenging—to me. She would help me assemble the book
proposal, and if Osprey accepted it, I would receive an advance of
$5,000.
After I hung up, I was ecstatic but scared. I had never attempted
such a large project, and I felt utterly unqualified for the job.
Osprey was a serious military history publisher, and other than
what I had learned through the article, I knew nothing about the
military or China. Besides, the offer seemed rather slim for twenty
magazine articles.
After discussing it with my partner, I realized I could not pass up
this opportunity. No one calls an unpublished author and asks her
to write a book!
Additional research convinced me to request a larger advance. I
agreed to write the proposal on the condition that if accepted, the
advance would be $1,000 higher. And Osprey said yes.
Kelli provided the format and instructions for the proposal and
gave me two weeks to map out the book, chapter by chapter. I had
expected Osprey to request revisions, but the proposal was
accepted without changes.
I had one year to write 100,000 words.
My original intent had been to visit an archive in Washington, D.C.
for research, but lacking the time and the money, I had to abandon
that plan. Instead, I relied mostly on secondary sources.
Fortunately, as a staff member at Harvard University, I had all its
libraries at my disposal. I read hundreds of articles and books,
including an early manuscript of the published memoir by the
founder and leader of SACO, Milton Miles. I interviewed scholars
and a few surviving SACO veterans. Then I supplemented with
primary source materials available by mail and online.
I realized that my book would not break new historical ground, but
it would introduce an intriguing, little-known piece of history to a
new audience. I focused on writing an exciting adventure story for
the general reader, emphasizing colorful characters and anecdotes.
But six months into the project, my fragile confidence was shaken
by a conversation I had with a new acquaintance. As I described
the book, he asked brightly, “Then you have a PhD?” When I said I
did not, he snapped, “Well, how can you be writing a book like that
without a PhD?”
PhD! I had barely managed a bachelor’s degree. That remark
played on my deepest insecurities. Still fretting over my book’s
lack of primary sources, I felt like an imposter tapping away on my
laptop in the library.
But when I delivered the first chapters to Kelli, she was delighted.
My work far exceeded her expectations.
Writing the book was one of the most rewarding experiences of my
life. As I wrote the final chapter, in which the SACOs left China
one by one, a surprising wash of sadness swept over me. I, too,
was leaving China, a place I had come to love, although I had
never been there. And I would never see it, because the China of
my imagination, if it ever existed, was long gone.
The opportunity to publish my book was a stroke of luck, but I
have since realized that I contributed to my good fortune in several
crucial ways.
It took nerve to embark on a freelance writing career later in life.
As a fifty-year-old cub reporter, I eagerly lapped up my editors’
advice and improved my skills quickly.
I recognized a great story, and my hunch that it would resonate
with editors proved to be correct.
My LinkedIn profile helped Kelli find me. I had initially
discounted advice to join LinkedIn, but once convinced, I took it
seriously. My profile emphasized not my “real” job at Harvard, but
the freelance writer I wanted to be. I included a professional photo
and regularly added to my publication list. Kelli recognized me as
the writer of the magazine article and a potential book author.
Self-doubt plagued me throughout the process and threatened to
paralyze me. But with the help of loved ones, I overcame it. I
reminded myself that the Osprey editors had asked me to write the
book after seeing my resume, and my lack of an advanced degree
had not deterred them.
I am very proud of The Rice Paddy Navy. It received good reviews
in several media outlets, including the The Washington Times and
the monthly newsletter of the CIA. I was invited to speak at the
International Spy Museum and at Harvard University Extension
School.
But the accolades I treasure most came from SACO veterans, men
in their 80s and 90s who loved the book and were deeply grateful
to have their story revealed. They invited me to their reunion two
years ago, and I still correspond with them.
Soon after I finished the book, my job and family responsibilities
increased, rendering it impractical for me to jump into another
book with a deadline. I am now working at my own pace on a
historical novel about Polish immigrants in old Chicago.
Linda Kush is the author of The Rice Paddy Navy, a book
about the U.S. Navy’s secret operation in China during
World War II. She is a freelance writer based in Boston and
has published in many magazines and newspapers. She is a
communications coordinator at Harvard Business School.
Winning was the First Step
Heather Smith Meloche
“You should submit this short story to the Hunger Mountain
contest.”
It was a simple suggestion stated back in 2011 by one of my
critique partners regarding my short story in verse, “Him.” At the
time, I had no idea that comment would lead to me getting an agent
and then a contract for a novel from Penguin Putnam.
When I first started writing for children and teens back in 2001, I
went to tons of conferences, workshops, and anything that would
help me learn the craft and the industry better. I remember going to
a presentation with the very talented children’s writer Lisa
Wheeler. Lisa had mentioned, prior to publication, she gauged her
progress as a writer through contests. If she got an honorable
mention, she knew she was progressing. Once she started taking
top prizes, she started submitting to publishers, and she was
quickly realized as a strong talent and given contracts.
So I sent stories to various contests. I won a couple of top prizes
from the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition and
continued searching for strong contest options.
After my critique member’s suggestion, I submitted “Him” to the
Vermont College of Fine Arts’ literary journal, Hunger Mountain,
for their annual Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and
Children’s Writing. I got a call several months later from Hunger
Mountain’s editor to tell me I had won. I was over-the-moon
thrilled, but my success didn’t stop there. After the story was
published in Hunger Mountain, I got an email from a very
seasoned agent, Heather Schroder; at the time she was with
International Creative Management and has since started her own
agency, Compass Talent, in New York City.
Submitting to reputable contests that editors and agents took notice
of was a golden way for me to get my foot in the publishing door.
My agent said she randomly checked out Hunger Mountain to see
what kind of talent was there, and when she read my winning story,
it really resonated with her. I’ve been working with her on various
projects since then, and she’s sold my novel based on “Him” to
Penguin Putnam. It will be released in the fall of 2016.
Heather Smith Meloche’s work has appeared in Spider,
Young Adult Review Network (YARN), and Once Upon A
Time. She has placed in the children’s/YA category of the
Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition and the
Hunger Mountain Katherine Paterson Prize. Penguin
Putnam will release her debut novel, Ripple, in Fall 2016.
Lost in Interpretation
Kathryn Olsen
Ten months ago, a friend invited me on an adventure. We worked
together and she had overheard enough of my conversations with
clients to be impressed with my Spanish fluency. So she suggested
that I pay a $25 testing fee to evaluate my English skills and start
the process of becoming a certified court interpreter. She was
Peruvian and I was flattered, so I said yes.
The next few months saw me sitting through workshops and
observations, and it was honestly one of the best learning
experiences of my life. One of the things I took away from the
training was what the trainer called “intralingual interpretation.”
The best example of this was when we had to describe a victim as
lying in a pool of blood. In the heat of the moment, almost every
student chose to interpret “a pool of blood” as “una pecina de
sangre.” Individually, those words were correct, but the phrase
literally described a person in a swimming pool full of blood. We
discussed the true meaning and revised the interpretation to say
“un charco”—a puddle.
Intralingual interpretation is the deceptively simple process of
finding another way to say something without changing an iota of
its meaning. This is an instinctive step in interlingual
interpretation most of the time, but it’s not always that simple.
On the surface, this account from a courthouse conference room
has nothing to do with the publishing process, but one aspect of
getting my book into its finished form required a lot of intralingual
interpretation. To be clearer, this is the story of how I finally came
up with the ending to my 21st-century retelling of Swan Lake.
I am not alone in having problems with the finale of this fairy tale.
In its original form, the ballet ended with the lovers drowning at
the hands of the evil sorcerer. After Tchaikovsky’s death, his
brother decided that the lovers should break the curse by throwing
themselves into the lake. At my alma mater, a version was done in
which the world’s most artistic stage fighting led to the sorcerer
being defeated with fisticuffs.
Drafts one and two of Swan and Shadow ended with the lovers
choosing to separate and the swan maiden voluntarily returning to
her cursed life. My roommate/informal editor read that version
and cried as much as I did while writing it. I sent in draft three to
two editors and sat back to nervously wait.
When the editor who acquired my book first contacted me, she told
me that my prose was lovely and witty, the characters interesting
and the ending untenable. I’d long dreamed—as a fanfiction writer
—of having my first "shipper" (someone who is a diehard fan of
one particular romantic couple and also a fan of the fanfiction
written on that couple), but didn’t think that it would happen in the
form of an editor telling me that there was no good reason for the
romance to fail.
Naturally, I respectfully argued. I pointed out the obvious reason
that they had gone through a catastrophic argument. I then
informed her that the swan maiden’s proverbial prince might have
been right for her at seventeen, but would be unsuitable for her
when she was ready to marry after college. On her invitation, I
even sent over the synopsis of the second book, in which the swan
maiden marries another worthy man from the first book. She
granted that in the grand scheme of things, she understood why I
wanted to keep the ending as is, but she could not move past that
objection.
Let me pause here to say that her idea wasn’t dumb or wrong or
invalid, but it was not mine. I felt as though she were speaking my
native language with a very confusing accent. In the interest of
bridging that language barrier, I explained that for the swan
maiden, the bravest thing she ever does is to choose the curse over
a loveless relationship. I finally put into words why I’d chosen
that ending.
It was unpleasant, I told her, but it wasn’t unrealistic; the split was
based on a former relationship of mine. I didn’t tell the editor that I
myself had left an abusive marriage and suffered my own curse of
PTSD in the aftermath. The character was only like me in that
moment of courage and I didn’t want to lose that.
I thought the discussion would come to a close at that point, but
she wouldn’t yield. She asked if a greater act of courage wasn’t
staying. With that question, I decided to explore that angle.
I started by deleting everything that followed the beginning of the
fight. I relinquished a scene that depicted depression more honestly
and personally than anything else I have ever written. I borrowed a
few lines to set the stage, but brought the characters to an
understanding instead of a breaking point. The moment of
understanding led to an unplanned moment of compromise, and
while the curse still held sway, hope returned to the story.
In the original version, the character finished this episode of her
tale with an act of courage. Because of a literary form of
intralingual interpretation, she lost none of that bravery. It was not
the ending I wanted, but it was the resolution that I unexpectedly
needed.
Kathryn Olsen (aka Kaki) has been to 17 countries on five
continents. After an illustrious upbringing in
Massachusetts, she studied English at Brigham Young
University. As a result, she's been known to find
theological flaws in zombie lore and Peruvian sacrifice
metaphors in Superman movies. When not working a desk
job or overanalyzing media, she enjoys writing about
anything from possessed iPhones to dragon-smuggling
androids and has been called upon to lecture on writing by
various organizations. Her debut novel, Swan and
Shadow, was published in March, 2016.
You Should Write a Book!
Shani Greene-Dowdell
The year was 2005 and I was sitting in my cubicle doing what a lot
of people do at work–daydreaming. My coworker was sitting
beside me telling a grand, new story about her romantic life. Her
stories were as interesting as some of the stories I’d read from my
Black Expressions subscription. As I was taking in the juiciness of
her latest tale, I said, “You should write a book.” I was confident
that if she crafted one of the stories into a novel, I would be able to
say I worked with a bestselling author.
When I suggested that she write a book, she looked at me and said,
“You’re the one who loves books, so you should write a book!”
Hearing those words did something for me. It was the first time I
seriously thought about writing as a career. Before then, I’d
followed national bestselling authors and imagined that I’d written
an acclaimed novel that was the staple of households in America,
but I had never acted on it. Needless to say, I took her up on the
challenge and started drafting my first novel, Keepin’ It Tight, in
2005.
In early 2006, I was watching BET and I heard a musician say to
follow him on Myspace. I got on the computer, created an account,
and followed him. I also started connecting with friends and
eventually with people who loved books. I began blogging about
different topics, including sharing some of my writing. I began
researching publishers and reading the many stories of authors who
had received rejection letters before they were published. To skip
past this process of rejection, I chose to self-publish using
Lulu.com.
When my book went live in May of 2007, I had one person
purchase my book, out of the hundreds who promised to support it.
It was disheartening to get only one sale, but I was determined. I
found a print company that had affordable rates, printed 200 copies
of my book, and began selling the books everywhere I went.
Within one month, those books were sold. I began scheduling book
signings at military bases, festivals, and I joined a group of writers
and toured, signing copies of Keepin’ It Tight in Seattle, Cincinnati,
New Jersey, Alabama and Atlanta. By the time the tour was over,
I’d sold 500 copies of my debut novel.
Things really started to turn around with the eBook revolution. My
second novel was Secrets of a Kept Woman, which I eventually
directed and produced as a stage play in 2011 that opened to an
audience of 800 people. This live event helped me hit the
bestsellers lists for African American Romance, which accounted
for most of my sales coming from electronic downloads through
Kindle and Nook. The play helped me receive exposure for my
books, which totaled over 5000 eBook sales for the Secrets of a
Kept Woman title alone.
In 2014, I was blessed to sign with David Weaver Presents, the
leading eBook publisher for urban books. In planning my first
book to release with David Weaver Presents, I decided to publish a
multicultural romance series, which sold 5000 downloads in the
first month; the series was a bestseller in the African American
Romance and Multicultural Romance categories on Amazon. I
wrote five books in 2015 and was able to bring home thirty
thousand dollars in 2015 in author income. I’m currently working
part-time as a medical transcriptionist, and publishing other
authors who are hitting the bestsellers list.
As you can see, my journey to becoming a paid writer was not a
short one. I worked a full-time job and raised three children during
the process. Now that I’m able to focus more time on my writing,
as well as having the support of a publishing machine like David
Weaver Presents, I’m finally able to reap the benefits of my
creativity.
Shani Greene-Dowdell is a medical typist who turned her
love for words into a career as a writer and publisher. This
amazing storyteller found her true passion between the
pages of her journal while working on her debut novel,
Keepin’ It Tight. Shani's work has received special honors
at the African American Literary Award Show,
SistahFriend Book Club, Imani Book Club, Liberty
Theater and The City of Tuskegee Key to the City, among
others. You can follow her on Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/shanigreenedowdell
Appendix
After I finish the first draft of a novel, I always have a great surge
of adrenaline. When I was younger, I would enjoy the thrill of
completion for days and then start on a new project. It should
surprise no one that my early efforts were not published (thank
goodness).
Now that I am older and wiser, I know that the first draft is just
that, a draft.
If you're not sure if your work is a ready to submit, this article can
really be helpful. It covers the three steps you need to follow in
order to make sure that your manuscript is ready to be sent out to
agents or publishers.
Once you are sure that your manuscript is ready, you can start
submitting it. But realize that you still might have to make changes
in order for it to be accepted by a publisher or an agent.
For a long time, submitting seemed strange and mysterious to me.
It seemed too overwhelming to actually do.
In fact, for the most part, submitting is relatively easy.
Most publishers want the same two things - a query letter and a
synopsis. They also expect an excerpt of your book, generally the
first two chapters.
There are specific requirements that differ from publisher to
publisher and from agency to agency; it is good to have a basic
query letter and synopsis that you can modify to meet the needs of
the given agent or publisher. Just make sure you send the correct
version to the right person; it really annoys a publisher to receive
submissions with another publisher's name on it. The same goes
for agents.
You should spend a lot of time and consideration crafting the cover
letter. This is the first impression you will make on agents and
publishers. This article is very helpful to read before starting your
cover letter. It is written from the perspective of submitting to
agents, but all of that information can easily be applied to a small
publisher as well.
It is important note that most publishers expect information about
your author platform or marketing plan. Don't know where to start
in terms of an author platform? Building an Author Platform by
Chantelle Atkins is a great place to start.
If you meet a publisher or an agent directly at a conference, most
want a pitch. A pitch can also be handy to include in your cover
letter. Don't know what a pitch is? This article talks about what a
pitch is, and more importantly, how to make a good one. I always
include my pitch in my cover letter.
Not all publishers and agents require a synopsis, but many do.
Most want a complete synopsis of the plot that fits on one page. By
complete synopsis, I mean that they want spoilers. They also
generally want information about character development.
It should go without saying, but edit and polish the query letter and
synopsis. If you can afford an editor get them to review the query
letter, the synopsis, and also the first twenty pages. Twice. Or
more. The first twenty pages of the novel are all that most agents
and many publishers will initially see, so make sure they are
compelling and error free.
M.J. Moores interviewed a literary agent, an editor, and a
published author to see what the top reasons most manuscripts are
rejected. Her article The Top Three Reasons Most Manuscripts get
rejected, should be read before you begin the submission process.
Once you have completed a query letter and a synopsis that you are
happy with, start to research where you are going to submit your
book. You can start your research earlier if you want.
You should decide early on if you want to submit directly to
publishers or if you want to submit to an agent.
If you are focusing on finding an agent, you should read the article
The Safest Way to Search For an Agent before proceeding. One of
the best free reputable search engines for agents is Agent Query.
So you can start looking for an agent there.
If you are looking at submitting a manuscript directly to a
publisher, our index of manuscript publishers is a good place to
start. We always check Preditors and Editors and other watchdog
sites before reviewing a publisher.
Remember, there is no such thing as a legitimate traditional
publisher that charges its writers. You should be paid by your
publisher, not the other way around.
When examining a publisher's website this article will help you
know what to keep an eye out for.
Some publishers can respond to submissions within weeks, others
within years, so keep that in mind. If you have not heard from a
publisher in six months, you should email them to ask about the
status of the manuscript, unless they explicitly say they will take
longer on their website.
Once you find agents or publishers that you feel would be a good
fit, you should check and double check their submission
guidelines.
Most publishers accept electronic submissions through email or a
submission manager, but a few still require submissions through
the post. Either way, the publisher’s submission guidelines should
walk you through the steps. The same goes for agents.
It is important not to submit to an agent or publisher if they say
they are closed to unsolicited submissions. Your manuscript will
not be read and in all likelihood you will annoy the person or
persons who receive it, which could hurt your chances in the
future.
Hopefully this helps give you the courage, the motivation, and the
information to start taking steps to turn your manuscript into a
published book. If you have any additional questions, please email
me at [email protected]
Recommended Tools and
Resources
As this anthology makes clear, everyone takes their own path to
publication. Out of the hundred plus essays I read for this book,
less than 10% of the authors had an agent who actually landed
them a publisher. About 20% of the authors whose essays I read
had an agent who did not work out.
That said, an agent can be very helpful. If you are looking for an
agent the following two resources can be very helpful.
The Safest Way to Search For an Agent
This very helpful post by Victoria Strauss really helps authors
navigate the overwhelming waters of agents and agencies. Her
advice is thorough and practical. She also runs Writers Beware, a
great watchdog site for publishers.
Agent Query
This is the largest free reputable agent search engine.
If you are in need of guidance in terms of writing a query letter this
article is very helpful, not just in terms of writing a query letter for
an agent, but also for writing one for a publisher directly.
If you are interested in find a publisher that accepts queries
directly, we review one a week in our electronic magazine, which
you can subscribe to here. We check all the publishers we review,
before reviewing them. The watchdog sites we recommend are
listed below. I also recommend that you read our article on how to
avoid the wrong publisher and how to evaluate a publishers
website.
Preditors & Editors
Preditors & Editors is a website devoted to listing publishers,
agents, and book distributors. They are established, reputable, and
receive many tips about publishers that are not. If they have a
legitimate and verified tip about a publisher, they put the words
“Not Recommended” next to the publisher’s name on the listing.
The Index of Agents, Publishers, and Others
This section of the Absolute Writes forum contains a lot of
valuable information, particularly about publishers. Because it is a
forum, there is a fair amount of speculation and unproven facts
mixed in.
Writers Beware
A great watchdog site run by Victoria Strauss.
The 2015 Guide to Manuscript Publishers
This book reviews 81 publishers that accept submissions directly –
no agent necessary.