A few weeks ago, I had a wonderful visit to the Vancleave Public Library in Mississippi. The absolutely phenomenal librarians there set up a Publishing Talk with me, Katie Reus, and Manda Collins. For two hours, we talk publishing and books with attendees, and we had a fabulous time.
My part of the presentation focused on the 8 ways that people could break into publishing. I thought I’d share those tips here on my blog, in case anyone was interested in pursuing writing. You’ll see below that most of my web addresses are typed out (and linked)–they are typed b/c when I originally prepare this list, it was in hand-out form. Just wanted to explain that. So, here we go…
8 Ways To Break Into Publishing
By: Cynthia Eden
1. Start small. You don’t have to immediately begin by trying to publish a novel. Why not try your hand at writing articles? Short stories? You can slowly start to build your writing resume.
There are lots of choices out there like…
Chicken Soup for The Soul
Writer’s Digest
The Writer
Cosmo
Children’s Magazines
The Romance Writer’s Report
2. Enter Contests. If you final in a contest, then you can often catch the attention of a judging editor or agent. RWA Chapters host a variety of contests. You can see the links here: http://www.rwa.org/cs/chapter_conferences_and_events#contests
Publishers will also hold their own contests. For example, Harlequin holds a “So You Think You Can Write? Contest to find new authors. (http://harlequinblog.com/so-you-think-you-can-write/)
Many magazines also host writing contests. I gained enough confidence to write a novel after I won 1st place in a Writer’s Digest Writing Competition (article category).
3. Attend local or national writing conferences. At these conferences, you can pitch your stories directly to editors or agents. Each writing “group” usually will hold a conference—some examples of those groups include Thriller Writers, Romance Writers, Horror Writers, and Children’s Book Writers.
4. Query agents. Once you have your manuscript polished and you have your synopsis written, start your query process. You CAN query multiple agents at one time. Visit www.agentquery.com to search for agents who are interested in the types of stories that you write. RWA also keeps a directory of agents.
5. Query publishers. (I know, obvious, right?!) Some big publishers will only accept agented material; however, there are many publishers who will take unagented material. Kensington Books, Harlequin (for series), and Sourcebooks all take unagented material. Be sure to always check a publisher’s website for specific submission guidelines.
6. Break in with an e-line. Many of the “big” publishers are starting (or have started) their own e-lines. Kensington, Grand Central (Forever), and Avon all have or are starting e-lines.
Avon’s e-line is Avon Impulse: http://www.avonromance.com/impulse/
Forever’s Romance line is Forever Yours: http://www.forever-romance.com/about-forever-yours/
Harlequin also has several e-lines: Nocturne Cravings (Paranormal tales of 15,000-25,000 words) and Undones (Historical tales of 10,000 to 15,000 words).
In addition, Carina Press is Harlequin’s main digital-first imprint: http://carinapress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/
Speaking of digital publishers…
7. You may not want to begin your career with a “traditional” publisher—instead, you can work with some great digital publishers like Samhain (www.samhainpublishing.com/submissions/) or Entangled Publishing (www.entangledpublishing.com/submission-information/). In today’s digital world, digital publishers are seeing amazing sales numbers.
As with a traditional publisher, you should carefully research any digital publisher. Make sure the publisher will be the perfect fit for you. All digital publishers are not created equal—some will do more for their authors! Some have fantastic reputations and strong sales records.
8. Self-publishing. Thanks to programs like Amazon’s KDP and B&N’s PubIt, authors can now easily self-publish their work. If you are looking for formatting help with your manuscript, I’d recommend: www.e-bookformattingfairies.blogspot.com/. In addition to proper formatting, I’d suggest hiring an editor and/or proof-reader to assist with polishing your work.
Make sure that you produce a high-quality product. Don’t expect to instant be a million dollar self-pub seller. Self-publishing will require a commitment that is just as intensive as traditional publishing. There are lots of opportunities out there for writers—truly, it is a great time to be a writer.
Seize your opportunities! Good luck.
