How to Get a Book Published in Australia
According to "Australian Writer's Marketplace," more than a half million Australians write as a hobby, and 185,000 get paid for it. If want to join them and get your book published in Australia, you need to follow certain steps.
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Instructions
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Complete the materials you need to submit your book. If you want to publish a nonfiction book, you need an outline, a proposal and two or three sample chapters. If you want to publish a novel, you must have the complete manuscript before searching for a publisher.
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Locate potential publishers. Visit a bookstore, find books that are similar to yours and make a note of their publishers. Most have submission guidelines online. You can also use a print resource such as "Australian Writers Marketplace," an annual guide that lists Australian publishers.
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Prepare a query letter that will catch the publisher's attention. If you are trying to publish a fiction book, send only the query letter. If it piques the publisher's interest, he will request the manuscript. If you are trying to publish a nonfiction book, you will most likely send the query letter and the proposal. Some publishers also want sample chapters up front.
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Submit your book to publishers, following their submission guidelines carefully. If your book has local appeal, focus on that when sending it out to smaller Australian publishers. For larger publishers, emphasize its wider appeal for the Australian market and also for possible international sales.
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Track your submissions. Keep a list of the date that you sent out your query or manuscript to each publisher and the response time quoted in its submission guidelines. If you do not receive a response within the quoted time, wait an additional three to four weeks, then send a polite follow-up letter.
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Keep submitting your manuscript to other publishers if it is rejected by the ones to which you submitted. According to "Australian Writer's Marketplace," Australian editors see more than 5,000 manuscripts each year, so it is a competitive field.
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Tips & Warnings
Use an agent if you do not want to search for publishers yourself. Getting a good Australian literary agent can be as challenging as finding a publisher. You must query agents the same way you would a publisher. For seeking a publisher and negotiating a contract, the agent will take a percentage of your earnings.
Never pay to publish your book. You should never pay an agent either. Agents should make money from taking a percentage of your earnings when they sell your manuscript to a publisher.
