Well, who publishes books similar to what you write? Who agents authors similar (but not too similar) to you? Those are the first places you should target. If you're targeting a house that doesn't publish what you write, you're pretty much wasting everyone's time. For instance, when I finish my young adult novel, I won't be sending it to Ellora's Cave or to my editor at Resplendence. Why? They don't publish YA.
I know, I know. It seems super obvious, doesn't it? But the obvious seems to escape many - particularly when said authors are doing blanket submissions. I once had to reject a children's book - submitted to an erotic romance publishing house.
Always read the publishing house's guidelines. Find out what they accept and what they don't. See if there are any specific calls out. Maybe they're looking for holiday stories...or zombies. Sometimes it's easier for a new writer to get into a publishing house if you're submitting a story for a specific project.
After you've done your homework in terms of researching publishing houses or agents, the most important thing you can do is make sure the story you wrote is in the very best shape possible before submitting it. Make sure your story is as error-free as you can possibly make it. The same goes for your synopsis and query letters. I once received a query letter that had seven grammar and spelling errors in the first eleven word sentence. Not. Cool.
Present yourself and your story as professionally as possible. Note: professional doesn't mean terse or abrupt. You can be friendly and approachable without being unprofessional. Make sure that your web presence says the same thing. Publishing professionals will google potential acquisitions. Make sure you have an active web presence - blog, twitter, website. Make sure you're also not bitching about rejection letters, beta readers or anything else that may give an industry professional the idea that you'd be more trouble than you're worth.
Again, I bet all of these things seem really obvious, but you'd be surprised at how often they're overlooked or straight-up ignored.
2 comments:
Great advice! I can't believe someone would send a children's book to an erotic publisher, though I guess I shouldn't be. LOL
Ah yes, the harder you work, the luckier you get! Research takes a little effort, but pays off in many ways.
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