18
FAQs:
1. What are the
different kinds of publishing available to an author today?
- Traditional publishing
by a paying book, magazine or journal publisher.
- Self published books
printed in quantity by offset press.
- Electronic publishing by
an eBook or ezine publisher, online,
or on CD. May or may not pay.
- Electronic
self-publishing
- Publication on a
website. May or may not be a paying market.
- POD (print on
demand)
paperbound book published by a paying publisher.
- POD
paperbound book self-publishing.
2. What three things
does it take to get published by a paying publisher?
- A salable product that
will make money for the publisher-- good writing that fits a
publisher’s needs and readers’ tastes.
- Professional
presentation of a polished manuscript to the right editor.
- Persistence in marketing.
3. What three things
does it take to self-publish your own
writing?
Learn about
self-publishing.
- A manuscript you want to
publish.
- Money and time.
- Marketing savvy if you
want to sell your book.
4. Why self-publish?
- The book would have a
small or niche market best suited to self-publishing, or no real
market.
- You want complete
control of the editing, publishing and marketing process.
- You want to be in
business and have the entrepreneurial spirit.
- You are sick and tired
of rejection slips and just want to be published.
- You believe the book
will be more financially rewarding and stay in print longer if
self-published.
- You are willing to learn
the ins and outs of the publishing business, review system, business
accounting and taxes, and everything else it will take to make it work
- You believe it is the
best way to launch your writing career.
- You want or need to get
the book into print quickly.
- Is it worth it? That
depends upon your goals and expectations.
5. How do I find out
where and how to submit my writing?
Back to the top
6. Why should I read
books and websites to find out about submissions?
- Publishers
specialize. Don’t send fiction to a publisher that only publishes
nonfiction.
- Editors move
often. Check to be sure a specific editor is still there before
submitting.
7. What is a query
letter and how
do I write one?
- A query letter is a
sales letter asking an editor whether you can submit a piece of
writing. Query letters differ somewhat depending upon what you
are sending, but general guidelines are:
- Write it with as much
care as what you are trying to sell.
- Keep it to one page.
- Use letterhead
stationery if you have it. If not, use business letter format.
- Address it to the
appropriate, specific editor, and be sure you spell the name correctly.
- Be polite. Don’t
inflate, and don’t brag.
- Write a “grabber” first
sentence that “hooks” the reader into reading more about the
piece. It should be about the story, not about you.
- Write two or three
paragraphs about the piece, including its length and intended
audience. If for a magazine, say how it fits that magazine’s
needs. (Be sure you have read that magazine!)
- Include a paragraph
about you and your qualifications to write this piece.
- State that an SASE is
enclosed for their reply. (SASE = Self-addressed Stamped Envelope)
- Don’t include irrelevant
information.
- Don’t tell the editor
how much your family and friends like your writing.
- Don’t identify yourself
as an amateur, beginner, or freelance writer.
- Don’t ask for advice on
writing, how to improve your manuscript, or where else to send it.
- Don’t beg the editor to
publish your work.
- Don’t send anything with
the query letter except a business size SASE (#9 or #10).
- Wait to hear from the
publisher before sending anything else.
- If invited, follow
submission guidelines. Send the manuscript directly to the
requesting editor in a timely fashion. Include a brief cover letter
stating that your manuscript (title) is enclosed and you appreciate the
opportunity to submit it, based on their invitation dated ____.
You don’t need to embellish now and waste the editor’s time. The
ms. must stand on its own.
- There are excellent
examples of query letters in the reference books I’ve listed, and also
examples of poor ones with critiques. Read some of these before
writing and sending yours.
8. What’s an “unsolicited
Submission”? What’s the “Slush
Pile”?
Why
don’t you want to be in it?
- Sending a manuscript to
an editor or publisher without querying and receiving an invitation to
submit is an “unsolicited submission.” It goes into the “slush
pile.”
- Publishers that accept
unsolicited submissions will look at anything sent to them, though they
may not look past the first page. Include a good cover letter and
an SASE.
- Unsolicited manuscripts
are called the “slush pile” because few of them are publishable.
Many “feature” deplorable writing from people who have done no market
research.
- Fewer publishers accept
unsolicited submissions because they have no control over the number of
submissions that arrive, what kind they are, or whether the ms. will
interest them. It’s like looking for the needle in the haystack.
- When publishers get
overwhelmed with material, they stop accepting unsolicited
submissions.
- If you send an
unsolicited submission to a publisher that does not accept them it will
be sent back unread, if you have enclosed an SASE. If you have
not, it will be discarded unread.
9. What’s a “Solicited
Submission”?
- A “solicited submission”
means that the publisher has “invited” you to send your ms. based on
your query letter or proposal. It is not an offer of publication,
only an offer to look at the piece.
10. What is a
“simultaneous submission” or “multiple submission”?
- When you send the same
manuscript to multiple publishers at the same time, that is a
simultaneous submission. Writers like to do that because it gets
the piece out to many possible markets at once rather than waiting from
4 weeks to 2 years to find out whether any one publisher is going to
buy it. Most editors do not like them because:
- It multiplies the number
of manuscripts submitted, increasing their work.
- If it is a good piece,
they are concerned that by the time they get to it and make a decision,
someone else may already have purchased it and they will have wasted
their time.
- They think that rather
than sending your work to publishers you have researched that might be
truly interested, you are just “broadcasting” it to see if someone will
bite.
- Publishers’ guidelines
state whether they accept simultaneous submissions or not. They
want you to state in your cover letter whether or not it is a
simultaneous submission. Some writers do that, and some
don’t. (Multiple queries are okay.)
- Keep records of where
you send each ms. and when. If you send a ms. to multiple
publishers and one of them buys it, be courteous and
professional. Send letters to the others explaining that it has
been purchased and is no longer available.
- When you only submit to
one carefully chosen publisher at a time, and you have good reasons for
selecting that publisher, state in your query or cover letter that this
is NOT a multiple or simultaneous submission, and why you have chosen
to submit to that publisher. This will not sell your work
automatically but the editor will be favorably impressed that you have
consciously chosen a publisher, done your homework, and have a good
reason for submitting to them.
Back to the top
11. What is a book
proposal?
- Proposals are used to
sell books before they are completely written. Some writers with
a “track record” of published books that sell well are able to sell a
new book before they even write. This is extremely unlikely for
new authors.
- A proposal may be sent
as either an unsolicited or solicited submission, depending upon the
guidelines of the publisher.
- A proposal outlines what
the book will be. It can be an involved and lengthy
package. If you need to know how to produce one, get one of these
reference books and follow instructions:
- Formatting
&
Submitting Your Manuscript or How
to Write a Book Proposal.
12. What’s a Rejection
Slip?
- A card, letter, or slip
of paper sent back with your manuscript, indicating that it has been
rejected by that publisher. Most are preprinted or photocopied
and give you no further information.
- Don’t get discouraged by
rejection slips. Date them, note what manuscript they are for,
file them and save them as evidence to the IRS that you actually are
trying to sell your work.
- Occasionally, you will
get a real letter written to you with actual information about your
manuscript, signed by the editor. This means that editor liked
your writing and you were fairly “close” to a sale. Sometimes a
letter like this will invite you to rewrite and resubmit, “on
speculation.” The editor is not promising that if you do so, they
will buy it, just that they are willing to consider it again.
- If you get a personal
letter from an editor, submit another piece of your best work to that
editor.
- Publishers use rejection
slips because they get thousands of submissions and don’t have time to
write personal answers or critiques. All writers get them.
13. What is basic manuscript format?
- Professional-looking:
printed in an easy-to-read font, in black, on clean, white paper, by a
good printer or typewriter. (You can send a good photocopy.)
- Doubled-spaced with
standard margins.
- No spelling or
grammatical errors. If you need a proofreader, get one.
- Include your name,
address, phone number, and the number of words in the manuscript.
- Cover letter on your
letterhead; make it short and to the point.
- Include a SASE if you
want it returned.
14. How
do I package my manuscript
or proposal to send it in?
- Article or story
manuscripts: Very short manuscripts (three pages or less)
may be
folded and mailed in a business envelope, but longer ones should be
mailed flat in a 9x12 envelope. Do not staple. Include a
cover letter and SASE (be sure it is big enough for the ms. and has
enough postage on it!). If you don’t want the ms. back, just want
to know its status, state that in your letter and include only a
business SASE with first class postage.
- Book manuscripts or
proposals: Short children’s book manuscripts can be mailed
like
an article or story. Send longer works in an appropriately-sized
envelope or manuscript box. Do not fasten the pages
together. Include return postage. If it goes in an
envelope, include an SASE the same size. If a box, include a
return mailing label and sufficient postage in an envelope
paper-clipped to the cover letter. Type on the envelope what it
contains and state in the cover letter that the envelope with postage
and mailing label for return in the same box are enclosed.
- Some manuscripts require
additional materials such as slides, illustrations, etc. Package
them properly. You may put them them in a folder with a
professional-looking label on it.
- SAS postcards:
Some writers want confirmation that their submission arrived.
Include a SAS postcard which the person opening the submission will
(hopefully) return. Paper clip it to the cover letter. Type
your name and address on the stamped side. On the message side,
type something like this:
The manuscript “The Tale of An
Angry Bus Driver”
arrived at Katydid Publishing
House on ________________.
date
____________________________________________________
Signature
- The Post Office has a
Delivery Confirmation service. You can either check the website
or
call an 800 number to find out when it was delivered, but it cannot be
used on first class mail.
15. What Happens to a
Submission When It Gets to the Editor?
- Some publishers log
submissions in so they have a record of what was received. Others
don’t.
- Unsolicited submissions
go into the “slush pile,” which is the last stuff that gets read, and
may be read roughly in the order in which it was received, by a “first
reader.” If it has merit, it may then go to an editor, or it may
go through a second reader first. Each reader has the opportunity
to reject it. This saves the editor, who has many other duties, a
lot of time.
- You will not know at
what stage your piece was rejected or whether it made it as far as the
editor unless you get a personal letter.
- First readers and
editors can usually tell from the first page of a manuscript whether
they are interested or not. If you can’t hook them on page one,
they don’t think you are going to hook readers, either. They may
read farther if they see promise, but they are not going to read a
whole article or book if the first couple of pages don’t grab them.
- If the editor is
interested in the submission, he or she will generally have to “sell”
it to a marketing or editorial committee. If that is successful,
you may be offered a contract.
Back to the top
16. Do I have to have an Agent?
- Yes, if you want to
submit to a publisher that only accepts agented submissions.
- Generally, no.
Most writers don’t have them. Some don’t want them. Some
have had bad experiences with them. Some don’t want to share the
profits. Even those publishers who say they only accept agented
material will sometimes read a query letter and invite a
submission. It may be worth a try if you have something that is
targeted very carefully to that publisher.
- Finding an agent is
similar to submitting to a publisher, but you seek a “representation”
contract. If your agent sells your work, he or she will keep a
percentage of the sales, often 20%.
- The advantage of having
an agent is that they know the business and know the editors.
They are able to get your work seen by targeted editors they feel may
be interested.
- Most agents are not
interested in representing new and unknown writers. They
want clients with a track record who will make money for them.
You more likely to get an agent if you contact one when you have been
offered a contract and want help in negotiating it.
- Be careful to get a
reputable one. Some that advertise in writers’ magazines or
online, or send you come-ons in the mail are not reputable. Be
suspicious if they charge a reading fee. There are books that will
assist you, and some writers’ organizations give their members lists of
reputable agents they can contact. Some agents have excellent websites
with their submission guidelines, terms, and other helpful information.
Check the Association
of
Authors’ Representatives.
17. Do I have to copyright my writing?
Will someone steal it?
- You cannot copyright an
idea, only the completed expression of an idea in “fixed form.”
- Copyright exists from
the moment of creation. Your written manuscript is automatically
covered by the copyright law.
- You can register your
copyright prior to publication if you wish but this is unnecessary in
nearly all instances. To do so will cost you at least $30.
- In general, don’t place
a copyright symbol, or statement, on your submitted work or in your
query or cover letter. Editors know copyright requirements.
Doing this will mark you as an amateur.
- Reputable publishers
will not steal your work. They do not want to face copyright
infringement lawsuits. However, be aware that other writers may
have similar ideas and a publisher may have received another submission
on a similar theme and buy it quite legitimately.
- The rights purchased,
leased or licensed will be specified in your contract. Some
magazines and book packagers buy “all rights” or specify that what you
have created is “work for hire.” If you accept these terms, you
have sold your copyright and have no further ownership of the
piece. Sometimes it is possible to get these rights back,
sometimes not.
- Your publisher should
register your copyright with the Library of Congress when the book is
published, but check on this. If it is in your contract, be sure
you get the copyright certificate. If you publish it yourself, it’s
your responsibility. The law requires registration of published
books.
- Copyright law is complex
and there are many misconceptions. Read a good
explanation
here.
- The area of electronic
copyright law is evolving. This includes everything from material
published on the internet to published software, CD ROMS, etc.
Copyright applies to material published on the web, but enforcing it
may be next to impossible.
18. What are contracts
like and how do I get paid?
- Magazine and Newsletter
Contracts: Magazines pay “on acceptance” (when they accept
it for
publication), or “on publication,” (when they actually publish
it). That could take a long time, and the magazine may later
decide to return the ms. and not publish it (it might pay a “kill
fee”). Sometimes payment on publication is just as fast as
payment on acceptance. Magazines state their payment policy in
the market guides and submission guidelines. They won’t change
their policy for you. The magazine will send you two copies of the
magazine when your piece is published.
- Some smaller magazines
and newsletters with small budgets pay only in specified number of
copies of the issue in which your piece appears. You won’t get a
check. They can be good places to begin publishing and build up a
track record. They still expect good writing!
- Book contracts details
are far too numerous to explain here. The terms most new writers
ask about are
“advances”
and “royalties.” Not all publishers pay them.
Manuscripts
can be purchased outright as “work for hire” (see the Copyright
section) or for a “lump sum.”
- “Advance” is short for
an “advance on royalties.” Royalties
are a percentage of the
price of each book sold. The advance is a prepayment of royalties
that you get to keep even if the book does not sell well and you don’t
earn any additional royalties. You have to “pay out your advance”
before you get any additional royalties. The publisher keeps
track of how much you would have received as a percentage of the books
sold until it equals what you got as an advance. After that
point, you will receive any additional royalties due you. These
are often sent quarterly and can be anything from very little to hefty
amounts if the book sells well.
- Book contracts cover a
lot of other ground, such as other rights, like paperback reprint
rights, movie rights, etc. Many of these never come into play
unless the book sells very well, but the contract has to spell them all
out just in case. Also covered will be how many copies will be
provided to you, at what price you can buy additional copies, and what
happens if publication is canceled, the book goes out of print or the
publisher goes out of business. There may be an “option” on your
future books. Some parts of book contracts are negotiable and
some are not.
- Sample book contracts
are available from some authors’ organizations if you wish to compare
them with what you are offered. Author organizations are listed
in market guides; two are in the Books
and Resources section.
|
Ravenstone Press
