How To Crack A Book Publishers Code
Major publishers have an agenda to meet when looking for manuscripts to publish. Whereas once they were simply looking for well-written manuscripts, today they are also looking for marketable authors with ideas for future titles. Rejections are not uncommon for aspiring authors who now need to become savvier and more pro-active to ensure that their manuscript is noticed amongst the hundreds of manuscripts left waiting on an editors' desk.
Here are some tips to increase the chances of publication:
Find the right publisher
After completing their book, first-time authors often send out their manuscripts to any publisher they can find. Overwhelmed with excitement and enthusiasm, you may think that it's a great idea to send your work to hundreds of publishers, but it's not! Often this shotgun approach results in lots of rejections, which only deflates your enthusiasm and lowers your esteem.
Why? Because you need to tailor your proposal to a particular publisher. All publishers may appear to be similar, however, they differ quite substantially. You need to craft a proposal that says why you're approaching this particular publisher and why you believe your book will be a great fit with them.
…and how do you do that?
The key is to match your manuscript to the publisher. So find a book that's as close to your book as possible. Then look on the imprint page (the page with the copyright details) and find the publisher's name. Once you have done this, research the publisher and find out the necessary details.
What other books have they published? Do they accept unsolicited manuscripts? What do they need to know in your cover letter? You can do this either over the Internet or pick up the phone and call them.
What should you send?
Every publisher will request something different. Some may want a letter, other may not; some will ask for a chapter outline, others might just ask for the first two chapters. There is no right answer, so that's another reason why you should either view their website or call them before sending your manuscript. Otherwise they will simply return it back to you, without even opening the envelope.
Will publishers steal your manuscript?
In most western countries, the moment you write a book it's your copyright. You don't have to register it anywhere, it's yours. That means if someone takes that information and reproduces it with someone else's name on it, that's in breach of copyright and effectively you can sue. However, don't waste your time thinking that your book is so amazing that a publisher will replace your name, because they won't. Yes there are isolated incidents, but normally it doesn't happen. And if it does, you're able to sue and publishers are very protective about being sued.
More books
Publishers don't just want one idea, they want many. If you've written your whole life story in one book, consider splitting that book into a series. Publishers are investing in your book and want to see potential income beyond your one and only book.
It's very difficult for aspiring authors to get their first book published. While a manuscript needs to be written well, understand that there a plenty of well-written manuscripts out there. You need to do everything right and deliver your manuscript exactly how the publisher want it.
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Dale Beaumont is the author of this article. He is an internationally renowned book publishing expert, the author of 16 best-selling books and the creator of the Get Published Secrets Program.
To discover how the Get Published Secrets Program can help YOU become a best selling author in record time, click on the link below now:
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