How to Get a Publisher to Read Your Work
Need some tips to help you get over the transom, under the door, through the second story window and in front of a publisher's eyes? Here is how to get a publisher to read your work.
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Things You'll Need
- A finished manuscript of 150,000 to 175,000 words or 250 to 400 pages
- Skin of a rhinocerous
- An ego that can take a licking
- the patience of Job
- the persistence of Sisyphus
- the wit of Anansi
Instructions
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Your Magnum Opus...
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You just finished writing a 150,000 word manuscript. What are you going to do next? No, you are not going to Disney World. Instead, you are going to that special place in Hell reserved for those of us who think other people want to know what's going on under our skullcap. Yep, you're going to try to get your baby over the transom.
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First, look in the mirror. Now laugh hysterically. That's exactly the reaction you may get when you send your manuscript off to the number one publisher in the nation. And again for the numbers two, three, four and all the way through thirty or so. Publishers are servants of Beezelbub. They're demons! They exist to torture writers who harbor the insane belief that they might someday be published. "New author? Hahahaha! We only publish previously published authors. We don't accept anything from authors, only from agents." Get used to it.
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What's that? You got a rejection letter? Do the Happy Dance! You are halfway there! They tell you they are sorry but they only accept romance on alternate Sundays after the third full moon after the winter solstice? Rejoice! Follow their instructions to the letter and your manuscript will be on its way to the printer in no time.
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Your rejection letter has an editor's name on it! You've struck gold! The only thing better is an email address to go with the name. Once you have those, you are set! Here is where the challenge comes in, though. You cannot flood the editor's inbox. One email only, Vasily. In this email, you introduce yourself, then ask for writer's guidelines. Do not send your manuscript, but do send a query. Explain your genre, give your title and word count, and give a short synopsis of your work. If you can do it in three to five sentences, that is ideal. Thank the publisher for considering your work. Now do not touch your keyboard and do not send any additional emails for thirty days, at least not to that publisher.
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After thirty days, if you have not heard anything, send a second email asking if they received your query. Send your synopsis, genre, title and word count again. Now sit on your hands, Vasily. No more emails to that publisher for sixty days. At that time, thank the publisher for considering your work. Move on to the next publisher on your list.In time, you will become known to editors. Ask questions if you receive any replies. The best questions? "What genres do you need most? What could I do to improve my writing? What courses would you recommend that would help me write what you need most?"Most important of all, do not give up until they have to shove your manuscript back into your cold dead hands. You've written a masterpiece. Someone somewhere will figure that out someday, and then you will be the one writing tips to aspiring authors!
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Tips & Warnings
All kidding aside, attend writer's workshops, participate in story projects such as NaNoWriMo, get a writing buddy, dare a fellow writer to use some odd thing or event in the story, hold word count challenges, lock yourself in with your laptop and a perpetually flowing espresso machine, duct tape your inner editor, and get to writin'!
This entire article should be taken with a liberal dose of grains of salt. Jane M.Smith is a nutcase who spends five days a week editing for Written Pictures Publishing and two days a week writing her next best seller. She is crazy as a basket bug and willing to read anything.
If your manuscript is 150,000 to 175,000 words, and in one of the following genres, feel free to email a query to the site listed at the end of this article: military fiction, historical, mystery/suspense, horror, science fiction/fantasy or mainstream fiction. We do not accept erotica. We do not publish young adult or children's stories at this time.
Give your full contact details, title, word count, genre, synopsis, and author bio when sending your query.
