Novelist Asks about Publishing Her Book
Ginny responded: "You might start with Writer's Market, which is the best source I know of for publishing information. However, if you're interested in publishing with a major press, or at least starting there, you might consider getting an agent first. (For more on this, read an interview with a HarperCollins editor.) If you mainly want a respectable press and don't care about the size (or suspect your book might fit better at a small press), independent presses are a great option. Some good small presses are profiled here, but you can also find them in Writer's Market. Poets and Writers Magazine also publishes regular articles on small and indie presses. Back issues should be available at your library. And I agree that it's a good idea to check out their site and their books before you submit, to make sure you'll be proud of the result."
Asking our community: Do you have other ideas for researching presses? What has worked for you? Do you have an opinion about self-publishing? Share your experiences and advice in the comments section.
I would HIGHLY recommend that new writers (and experienced ones!) check out two websites before submitting anything. In recent years there have been so many scams, and new ones pop up almost daily. Scam publishers and scam agents abound. Two excellent websites that post warnings for writers and other creative artists is Preditors and Editors at http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/ and the Writer Beware! blog at http://accrispin.blogspot.com/
If you’re not into something like http://www.createspace.com (run by amazon) the best thing to do is to try to get out there and meet people who are involved with publishing companies. A lot of times those personal connections you can make will get your foot in the door. Writer’s Market was a great suggestion, and also try writingforums.com and other sources on the web. Also, contact local publishers to see if they have any book club meetings or that type of thing where you can connect on a human level with publishers.
1. The Internet is probably the best source for current information on small publishing houses. Many haven’t been around long enough to get on Writers’ Digest’s radar. For instance I have a manuscript going through the process at Swimming Kangaroo Books in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
2. It is almost impossible to land a big publishing house without an agent. Small houses also move faster on getting your work in shape and out onto shelves. At all costs, avoid anyone who charges any fees for publishing or related services, they’re a scam. Also to be avoided is self-publishing as it automatically closes the doors for you with some major booksellers.
3. Be prepared to do your own marketing and publicity for the book. Most publishers are now wanting to see a marketing plan with your manuscript. If you don’t know anything about self promotion there are good step-by-step guides available at the major booksellers.
If all else fails go self publishing. Then the question is: How good are you at promotion? If you go on a promotion tour you set up, hard to do, then how many books do you need to sell each and every day to break even. If you have a fiction book the odds are way against you. A non-fiction book is much better.
My experience with Book Surge has been more than positive. A great experience for the first time writer to get their feet wet in the business. Travis Craine my publishing consultant was very helpful in guiding me in the right direction for me and not just to augment money for Book Surge. The fact that they are owned by Amazon is a big help in advertising and getting your name and book out there.