Finding a Publisher

Getting published is a tough, tough business. I need to say it again, it's tough.

If you want to go the route of hiring an Agent, this can be very helpful. They can help you have your material read and considered by publishers. Some publishers are reluctant to hear from writers without them having agents. But agents take up to 15% in commissions. Legitimate agents will not ask for any money up front. Beware of those that do.

Find the latest edition of Writer's Market. It is published every year. You can also view it online. It is full of information on current publishers and the types of materials they are looking for.

Read Publishers Lunch. This is another great way to find which publishers are looking for material and who to contact with them for submissions. Their website is www.publisherslunch.com.

Visit www.publishersweekly.com. It is expensive but I believe you can find the information in a library as well.

You can also go to the bookstore and read the covers of other books in your genre. The will list the publishers and agents as well. You can also search online bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The websites also list the publishers.

Do you research on the publishers as well. Do not rely on search engines solely. Some of the publishers fill the web with promises. Be careful. Some of them are only out to publish your material and offer you little help beyond that.

The most important thing is to not give up. Expect to be rejected over and over again before you find the right fit for you. I was talking with a fellow author recently. It took her nine years to find a publisher. Now that she has, her work is being sold all over the world and she has been fortunate enough to have several more published.

Keep and it and never give up.

Copyright 2008 Lynn Tincher