Times have changed, and this change has not failed to touch the corridors of the literary world. Authors now have the opportunity to self-publish without any stigma attached to the endeavor. Digital publishing has made authorship possible for many writers. In tandem are the boutique publishers, literary agents and other small-to-medium publishers who may be willing to take on the task of publishing your book. However, this scenario of ample opportunity does not necessarily mean easy publishing of your work. In fact, it’s a long haul, and you must put in all efforts towards finding the right publisher in your genre of writing. The right find would perhaps be the single most important step towards your success as an author that goes beyond writing a great book.
How to find the right publisher
Write a book that your publisher can sell
A book publisher will be interested in your story if he thinks it would sell. Therefore the first important step is to ensure that you have written a superb book that meets the tastes and aspirations of your targeted audience. While preparing to write your book, you must go through several books in your chosen genre. The bestsellers would unveil what made their books a hit while the others will show you what was amiss. So, incorporate the good ideas and avoid the blunders, to write a good story. Also, all genres—from romance to self-help to literary fiction—have certain conventions that you should be aware of as an author. Apart from these benefits of studying books in your genre, useful comparisons can also be made. For example, is your 25-year old protagonist behaving like a 12-year old in your story, etc.? If so, your publisher will reject your writing convinced that it won’t sell however great your writing may be. Avoid following trends in your writing as by the time your book gets published the fad would become passé as other writers would have latched on the ideas. Write uniquely and by all means, avoid writing a cookie cutter novel just to stay trendy. A good book would also have gone through several rounds of editing and formatting in agreement with industry standards.
Pick a publisher in your genre
You must approach a publisher or a publishing agent that is focused on your realm of writing. A sci-fi publisher will not be interested in your romantic novel, however, interesting your story may be. Literary agents who will showcase your work to the publisher operate in the same manner. Publishers and agents will not pick up your story if you provide them only the idea. You must write the whole book for them to consider publishing it. This rule may not apply to non-fiction pieces. With this genre, you can provide the agent with just the outline and some sample chapters. More than the writing in the non-fiction genre an author’s existing personal platform and connections will be advantageous. So the author would need to spend time developing important connections.
Writing, publishing and fame are slow to come. To meet with the success you need the right ingredients – a good story, the right publisher in your genre and good luck to a great measure.
