subject: How Not To Approach A Book Publishing Company [print this page] Publishing is a cut-throat business and some big publishers will receive multiple new manuscripts on any given day. Sending your work to a book publishing company that is among your top picks and patiently wait for replies, is something most aspiring writers do or rather have to do at some point. And while every publishing company has their own policies and guidelines, there are a few mistakes are easy to fall prey to and can greatly hinder the chances of your dream of becoming a published writer coming true. Listed below are a couple of common mistakes:
Not enough homework: Most industry insiders say that you have to know the market to get an entry into it. If you are thinking of publishing a book, initially it is always a good idea to get all the latest news and information. Read up on the latest publications, books, magazines and the like about the latest literature in your genre and more importantly what kind of books are selling nowadays. This is will also give an idea about what publishing companies are taking a chance on nowadays. This information may also help in you in deciding on how you want to pitch your manuscript to the publishing company.
Another really big misstep writers make is sending their work and spending time and effort sending out their manuscript to any big publishing house they may have heard of. That is just a big waste of time. Say you have written an amazing science fiction masterpiece, but the concerned publisher does not deal with that genre or hasnt published any under their banner, it would be a highly futile attempt to get them to give your work consideration.
Unprofessionalism: Unprofessionalism in a main few areas will definitely hamper your chances of having even a minute shot at being considered a good option. One is sending in a messy manuscript or sample chapters; edit, check punctuation and running a spell check is always a good idea. Make sure you send exactly what is asked for and it is typed up and prepared as per the regulations of each publishing company. Also very important is to follow the specified contact instructions and once you do send in your work do not keep bombarding the publishers with emails or calls. If they are simply not interested and have made that clear, do not keep contacting them, but simply cut your losses and move on.
One of the toughest phases a writer goes through apart from actually pouring your heart and soul into your manuscript is waiting for a book publishing company to express an interest in your work. It requires tons of patience and a thick skin. But always be mindful of how you approach publishers and avoid the crucial mistakes that will kill your chances before they even get to reading the actual manuscript.
