By Susan M. Phillips

For an author, writing is the easiest part of the job. Getting published, especially that all important first time, is the hardest. Old, but good advice I received when I first started to write is as follows:

Before you even start to write, check out the market and target your work accordingly. A book of 30,000 words of poetry and romance will not interest a publisher that is concentrating on 100,000 word adventure epics and vice versa - especially from a new and unproven author. Contact publishers of work similar to what  you intend to write and ask for their submission guidelines. These will tell you what they are looking for and how they want it presented. It used to be necessary to send everything double line spaced, but this is beginning to be phased out by some publishers.

When you finish a piece, put it in a drawer and ignore it for a while. Don't look at it again until you have begun to forget what you wrote so that you come back to it with fresh eyes. You will be surprised at what you find. Passages you thought lyrical and as perfect as they could be may appear overwritten and dull, whilst other parts you wrote without giving much thought to what you were putting down might shine with a genius you did not know you possessed.

Write an initial enquiry letter explaining what you intend to write and asking if the publisher will be interested. Spend time and effort on this letter, it will be the first contact with your publisher and first impressions count for a lot. You should be polite, yet warm. Brief, yet concise. Find out the name of the submissions editor and write to them direct. Include planned word count and any salient details. This way, when you are ready to send off your manuscript, you will already have a toe in the door.

Now edit your work fiercely, cutting out all redundant passages, checking for repetitive words and phrases that will bore your reader or irritate a potential publisher. Correct all anomolies and ambiguities that are not necessary to the plot and give a final grammar and punctuation check. 

When the publisher gets back to you with a request to see  your work, get ready to impress. Include a submission letter that echoes what you said in your initial enquiry and mentioning that you are sending your manuscripe "as agreed". Remember to address the submissions editor by name [formally at this stage - Mr. X, Ms Y etc., unless you have been invited to use first names]. If you have found any other potential markets, mention them.  Publishers always look more kindly on manuscripts likely to prove worth their investment.

Now print off a pristine copy, of two or three sample chapters [for a book] , following the submission guidelines and ensuring your name, address and the page number are on every page. Package it carefully with your letter and send it off.

By following these simple steps you will find it easier to sell your work.

Now, good luck!

Copyright March 2004 Susan M. Phillips

 
Click here to post or read comments.