Tip 1 – Never send your manuscript directly to publishers. Absolutely no medium to large-size publishing house accepts unrequested manuscripts unless they are submitted through a literary agent. Any manuscript you send them isn’t even read, let alone regarded for publication, therefore do not waste your time. Rather, take your time making the second and third tip work for you.
Tip 2 – Get a literary agent. Literary agents know how to get a book published. However be sure to hire an agent that works only on commission – they are paid a percent of what the publisher pays you. An agent who works on commission has advantages for you that a “for fee” agent hasn’t got. First, commission-only agents will not accept you as a client unless they truthfully believe they could get your book published. If they think your manuscript has promise but needs some changes made prior to getting considered by a publisher, they will make rewrite suggestions. You may not like their criticisms, but keep in mind that it is from somebody that really knows exactly how to get a book published. Make the modifications they suggest.
Second, publishing houses make use of literary agents as manuscript “screeners”. When an agent submits your manuscript to some publisher, it gets serious consideration simply because publishers understand the agent thinks the book is well written and will sell. Third, the solution to how to get a book published usually depends upon who you know. Commission-only agents work hard to develop and keep good working associations with editors of the established publishing houses. Editors and agents often lunch together. Which would you think is better – you send your manuscript “cold” to a publisher or an agent recommends your manuscript to a friendly editor over lunch.
Tip 3 – Don’t submit your manuscript to a literary agent. Ok, so literary agents understand how to get a book published, but how do you get an agent to accept you as a client? Well, there are two ways to find an agent and one is definitely better than the other. Neither method involves sending your manuscript unsolicited to potential agents. The first and preferred way would be to get another author to recommend you to their agent.
Do this even if their agent doesn’t represent writers in your book’s area of interest (for example, children’s books) because their agent will refer you to another agent who does represent authors in that area of interest. If you don’t know other authors, do everything you can in order to remedy that. Sign up for authors associations and completely network them. Go to publishing and book conventions and do not be a wallflower; introduce yourself to everybody there and give them your card (you do have business cards, don’t you).
The second strategy for finding a literary agent is to send query letters (not your manuscript) to agents. In contrast to the referral method, here you want to concentrate on agents who specialize in representing authors in your book’s subject area. Even the best query letter is thrown in the trash if the letter describes a book in an area in which the agent doesn’t work and thus cannot possibly make a commission. There are entire books written about how to find a literary agent through networking and by writing query letters. I recommend you read those books because having a good agent who works on commission is important to being a prosperous writer.
C Baker has been a professional textbook editor for more than 10 years. He is also the chief editor of WallDecalsforKidsRooms.org. If you want some fun and inexpensive wall decals for kids, visit http://www.walldecalsforkidsrooms.org.
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