II. Who to send it to?
Who to send it to is up to you. I’ve only submitted to agents at this point because I have yet to find a publishing house that is right for my book and accepts unsolicited proposals. The best way to brainstorm which houses or agents to submit to is to get a writer’s market book and highlight the entries that are right for your proposal. You can purchase a writer’s market book at any major bookstore. You can also meet editors and agents at writer’s conferences. I sold my first book at a writer’s conference. I also found my agent there.
Once you find an editor or agent to submit to, it’s a good idea to check them out before sending your work to them. You should not be charged anything to have an editor or agent review your material. The exception to this rule is writer’s conferences who offer to review manuscripts at a cost. At a writer’s conference, this is a service not a scam.
For a list of agencies and book publishers, check out the Predators and Editors website.
A. Publishing houses: These are companies who publish books. You would submit your proposal to a specific editor at a publishing house. For an example of a legitimate publishing house that accepts unsolicited submissions, check out DAW books here.
B. Literary agencies: These are companies who represent authors and sell the author’s manuscript to a publishing house. There are hundreds on literary agencies out there and they all represent different things. Make sure you pick one that represents what you’re offering. Many publishers don’t accept unsolicited submissions, meaning they will only work with agents. You don’t need an agent to get published but an agent will greatly increase your chances.
There are things to look for in a literary agency that will show you whether or not they are reputable. They should share information on their clients and recent sales. They should share the names of their agents and maybe a little biography for each. They should only charge 15% of an author’s advance and royalties. The fee is sometimes higher for movie options. Some do charge additional fees for photocopying your proposals, some don’t. Check out the Predators and Editors website to verify that the agency you are looking at is reputable. Below is a link to a reputable agency. This link takes you to their submission guidelines page.
C. Manuscript Services: These are websites that charge you a flat fee to post your proposal to publishing houses. Not all publishers subscribe to these services, however, people do occasionally get published this way.
The Writer’s Edge is one such business. Authors submit a synopsis and sample chapters. The Writer’s Edge evaluates it. If it looks promising, they will send a report to the publishers that use their service. Here is a link to the Writer’s Edge Service.
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