Top 9 Ways to Approach Book Publishers

Have you ever written a book but were unsure how to proceed with the publishing process, such as whether you should try self-publishing, hire literary agents, or look for individual publishers or book publishing companies on your own? Then you have come to the right place.

We will help you through the process by giving you tips and advice on becoming a successful literary agent and, thus, helping you approach good and right-fit publishers that suit your own needs.

As it is known, many writers, no matter the genre they are writing in (i.e., be it chronicle books, YA fiction or young adult novels writers, short story writers, children’s literature, science fiction, adult nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, etc.), hope that the best book publishing companies. When choosing a book publisher, the main aim is to receive lots of sales after being published, be on the New York Times bestseller list and winning literary awards thereafter.

So, buckle up as we take you on a journey of learning nine ways to approach book publishers or publishing houses to get you started with your dream.

A. Types of book publishing or publishers

Before we begin to know how to approach book publishers or book publishing companies, we must understand the types of book publishing available to us and which one is the right fit for us.

1. The first and most common one is the traditionally published one, or traditional publishing, as most people call it. This is the method where the author or writer sells their work to a publishing company that then deals with everything from publishing to design, sales, and marketing.

Here, the author pays a portion of the sales percentage made.

NOTE: Even though many traditional publishers accept unsolicited submissions for children’s books or books based on illustrations. Most publication houses or production houses, for that matter, refuse such submissions. Hence, it is mostly advisable to refrain from turning in unsolicited submissions.

2. The second type of publishing is vanity publishing. This is the method that is sometimes known to be the last resort for authors, as they opt for this method usually only when their work is rejected by traditional publishers or publishing companies. In this type of publishing method, the services are provided in exchange for payment being upfront.
3. The third method is the individual publishing method, also known as the self-publishing method. This is the method where the author can self-publish their books, thus having full control over the services such as design, creativity, and sales. Here, the author usually funds/spends from their own pocket even before earning a profit. Autobiographies are usually published using the self-publishing method.
4. The fourth method is the commercial publishing method. Here, the publisher or the publishing companies tend to be very selective in picking the type of book and kind of writing they want to publish. The publisher does not charge for your publication in this method; instead, you, as the author, must provide these publishers with the selling rights to your book or books.
5. The last and fifth method is the hybrid publishing method. This method provides similar services as the traditionally published method, but it differs in the revenue or sales-generating process. Here, the author has a say in every step of the publishing process.

With all these methods in mind, let’s get back to looking at the ways we could approach a book publisher or book publishing company.

B. How to approach book publishers

1. Figure out the right book publishing companies or book publishers–

The first step in approaching a book publisher is to figure out the right publishing houses and the right book publisher to help get you started. But how do you know which book publisher or publishing company is right for you becomes a question?

Fear not, as we are here to provide you with a few ways to evaluate who is the right publisher for you.

1. The right book publisher will make the book publishing process easier for you, which means they will assist you in the book assembly and production process.

2. Your right book publisher will be economically friendly; this means that they will cater to your economic conditions and needs, thereby being affordable. NOTE: It is sometimes considered a red flag if your traditional publisher requests all the money upfront without providing the necessary services.

3. Your ideal book publisher will be completely transparent with you at all times; this means that they will provide you with complete information on the process of getting your book published (for example, the MRP of your book, the book sales reach, annual revenue, the people behind the publishing house, and so on).

4. Your right book publisher will cater to both your pre-publication and post-publication needs. This means that your book publisher will help you with your pre-publication needs such as marketing, providing copyrights, etc., and post-publishing needs such as sales guidance, sales reports, etc.

2. Create a list of book publishers or publishing houses you want to approach

Once you know how to find the right book publishers, it becomes important to make a list of the book publishers/publishing companies you want to approach (it is better to have them in order of priority depending on your needs and likes).

These could be big publishers like the Penguin Random House and The Random House or smaller publishers like various independent publishers or publishing houses such as The Tiny Fox Press and The Unnamed Press. This helps to not limit your options. If more publishers like your book, it then opens the space for price and service negotiations.

Not limiting your options also increases the chances of your book being picked up by a publishing house that would cater to all your needs.

While listing out your book publishers, make sure you pitch to the right and best publishers for your work.

For example, if you’re writing a book in the young adult fiction genre, then you must look for book publishers that are looking to publish fiction or young adult fiction genre books. Similarly, if you’re writing nonfiction books or a book in the literary fiction genre, you must look for book publishers that are ready to publish in the literary fiction or nonfiction genre.

3. Sending in sample submission materials of your work to your desired book publishers

After making the list of book publishers, now is when we send in a sample of your work. This could entail 1-2 sample chapters from your book or a summary of the book.

Before sending in your sample work, it is advisable to check the publisher’s website for their evaluation criteria and see that your sample fulfils them.

4. Sending in full manuscripts

Send in your full manuscript if the publisher or book publishing company asks for it. If not asked for, then it is usually preferable to send in a sample chapter instead of a full manuscript. This helps the book publishers gain a better insight into your work and also lets the publisher know you are up to date and done with your work; thus, it wouldn’t cause delays because of incomplete work.

There are various areas where the complete manuscript is usually required; they are:

1. While approaching educational publishers for educational/research-based content: In this type of publishing, it is sometimes required for you to send in proofs and documented research materials in order for the publisher to avoid publishing plagiarized or pre-known research work. These book publishers also accept manuscripts directly from the author without the interference of agents.

Make sure the book publisher you are approaching is authentic and verified to avoid your work being manipulated or stolen.

2. Many agents also request the entire manuscript before approaching publishing companies or book publishers. This is because, for many authors that are just starting out, the agent needs to make sure the full book is marketable/sellable and not only in the first few chapters.

Unless otherwise specified by the publisher, always submit your work in Word or doc. format. This makes it easier for the publisher to review and give remarks on your file if necessary.

5. Be professional and on time with your work

When approaching book publishers or publishing companies, it becomes very important to be consistent with your submissions and to be on time with your work. This means that you must be able to follow the submission guidelines, meet the deadlines given by the book publishers, and be responsive (i.e., you must reply to or acknowledge the messages and emails sent out by the publisher or publishing house).

6. Make your writing stand out

Yours might not be the only one whose work the publishing companies are receiving. That’s why it becomes important to make your writing stand out among the rest.

There are many ways to make your writing stand out. A few of the ways are mentioned below:

1. Fixing grammatical errors: One way to make your writing stand out is by reviewing and making sure your writing is free of grammatical errors. This helps improve the quality of your writing.

2. Structuring your writing: Structuring your writing helps build the flow and also makes your work easy to read. This is another way to make your writing stand out.

3. Maintaining the flow between chapters: Maintaining the flow between your chapters is a sure way to make your writing stand out. This is because maintaining the flow of your chapter increases the readability of your writing and your book.

4. Adding descriptions or summaries of your work: A small description or summary that goes behind your book on the cover page is required. This is because a summary or a description allows the book publishers to have an insight into your writing and the genre you are writing in even before they read your complete work.

Make your description or summary sound interesting and mysterious (i.e., do not give everything away). This will pique the interest of both the audience and the publisher, and will thus serve as your hook paragraph.

5. Identifying your target audience: Identifying your audience and writing accordingly not only helps to make your work stand out but also helps with marketing, making your work more profitable in the long run. You must make sure you are fulfilling the criteria of the book publishers or the publishing house while submitting your work.

7. Sell yourself and your work to the book publishers

Sometimes, even before the book publishers see your work, they tend to look for reasons why they should choose you over other interns or in-house writers. This is when selling yourself becomes important.

Here are a few ways we would recommend for you to be able to sell yourself and your work to book publishers:

1. Creating a cover letter: Creating a cover letter and introducing yourself and your work experience (if applicable) is a great way to let your book publishers know what your work means to you and why you must be chosen over others.

2. Upload regularly on various writing sites: It is also advisable to write and upload on sites like the publishers weekly in order to be visible and recognized by other publishers that like your work (as a side note, doing so increases your chances of getting published). This also helps you sell both yourself and your work to the book publishers without you having to reach out to them.

3. Let the publisher know you are good at accepting constructive criticism: Showing that you can take in constructive criticism and shape your work accordingly can help the publisher know that your work is saleable and would generate profit in the long run, or at least be able to generate annual revenue.
   

   8. Things to do after the sample chapters are sent

   1. Once your samples or your full manuscripts have been sent out, it is necessary to follow up with the book publishing house or publisher, either by in-person meetings or through e-mails and online texts regarding your work. This helps to know if your work is up to the mark or in need of another revision.
   2. If your publisher requests a minor revision, then make sure you send out the revised manuscript or sample at the earliest.
   3. If your sample gets chosen and you have been provided with a book deal, then make sure to respond at the earliest possible time (be it for negotiation or to accept the offer).
   4. Do not be afraid to ask questions or write a query letter to your publisher, as this will help in negotiating the services provided, as well as help you learn more about the publishing company and the publishing industry in general. Before accepting the offer from the publisher, make sure you are willing to work with them and that you are satisfied with the service they provide.

9. Review based on publishers’ remarks

If you have followed up with your publisher and you notice that your work is bound to be rejected, then don’t lose hope. Instead, here are a few things you can do to make a long-lasting impression on the publisher and, at the same time, better yourself.

1. Acknowledge the publisher’s remark: This helps to understand your writing from a publisher’s point of view, thereby helping you write more profitable and sales-generating books. Reviewing and correcting your work based on the publisher’s remarks also increases your chances of getting your work published and liked by other publishing companies, publishing houses, and book publishers.

2. Reviewing your work based on the publisher’s remarks also shows that you are ready to take in constructive criticism and improve yourself accordingly. This also opens up opportunities with the publisher or publishing company in case you want to work with them in the future.

3. Reviewing your work based on the publishers’ remarks will also help you perfect your writing and writing style in order to match the fast-paced changes in the writing field.

The publishing industry is an immense space, with thousands of publishers looking for authors they’d want to publish. But it takes a lot of effort to identify and approach book publishers that are right for you.

A clear tip to finding your right publisher is to not only approach top publishing companies but also approach smaller publishers which are willing to provide you with a few free resources, but mostly with a platform to get yourself published.

As seen, optimism is surely the key to getting you going and being able to achieve your dreams. So do not let rejection stop you, but instead learn to take it as a sign in order to analyze and approach book publishing in a different and better manner.

Last Updated on August 21, 2023 by