Of Queries and Submissions

…and all the things NOT to say.

You’re sure that the manuscript you just finished is going to be a bestseller. You aren’t planning to self-publish though and you are hoping that an established publisher will agree it’s the greatest book ever. How do you get your book in front of a publisher?

First thing you have to do AFTER editing and polishing your finished work is investigate the different publishers to find one where your material fits. Read books published under that imprint, check out publications such as Writer’s Market for listings of publishers, and go online to look at publisher websites. Many of the big-name publishers require agented submissions, most small press publishers accept direct submissions from the author; you will often find this information along with submission guidelines in publishers listings and websites. Be sure to verify titles and names of key people you will need to contact.

Read submission guidelines carefully and follow each as closely as possible. My publisher, for example, requests queries are made by mail starting with an email with a BRIEF synopsis to the acquisitions editor, word count and author bio. Acquisitions determines if the subject matter is a good fit and lets the author know if the publisher is interested. If there is an interest, the author will be requested to send the three beginning and last two chapters in an attached document; if no web presence (ie: website, blog, Facebook, Twitter) was included in the first query, the author will be asked to supply this information as well. Based on the results of a beta reading team, the author may be asked to submit the entire manuscript attached to an email.

A few no-no’s during this query process are: The query letter is NOT the place to make demands of huge, over-the-top advances and royalties  — most publishers have set figures in mind to offer authors, but the time for negotiations (if any) is if and when a contract is offered and before it is signed; Unless a publisher makes it clear that multiple submissions are not allowed, you can query more than publisher simultaneously, however be honest and up front about it and let the recipient know; A refusal to accommodate the publisher’s  guidelines will be viewed as an uncooperative author who will not be a participating member of the publishing team — NEVER insult the publishing house by stating that you are not willing to do “their job” by following the submission guidelines; Do not tell the publisher how they should feel about your book or that they shouldn’t pass up the chance of a lifetime, confidence in your work is okay, egomania is not; And never sign a contract without thoroughly reviewing it and understanding the conditions, the honest publisher will not have any problems answering any questions or concerns.

While larger publishing houses tend to offer bigger advances than small press, you are not really being paid more. The word advance means just that and you will not collect royalties until they have equaled and surpassed the amount you were advanced. Even though advances are normally not returnable (unless you breech the contract), if a publisher winds up taking a loss on you, chances are you will not be invited back. Book publishing is a team effort no matter how successful the author is, so you have to be willing to participate in some shameless-self-promotion. As the author you have the biggest stake in the success of your books. Don’t fear if the publisher offers you little to no promo subsidy, there are a lot of no and low cost things you can do and this is a big part of where social media works for you. Remember that a successful writer is both an artist and a business-person.

Writing Exercise:  Write a three-paragraph synopsis of your most recent story (if you don’t have a completed work, use any book you’ve recently read). Write it as if it was a part of a query letter and you were trying to interest a potential publisher in your work. Make sure that you highlight areas that would be interesting to your specific target audience.

Writing Prompt:  List up to six books that you’ve read that are closest to the type of book you (want to) write. What did you like or not like about each?

Challenge Assignment:  Write a marketing plan for your book (completed or not). Set a budget, it can be a little as postage costs, and make a list of the things you can do to publicize and promote your work; your budget (even theoretical) should be realistic for your means. Include descriptions of virtual blog tours, postings on social media, venues to contact for appearances, and if your budget allows think of SWAG (for giveaways) and paid ads to address your target audience.