Please be realistic. For every published writer, there are at a minimum several thousand waiting in line to get published. In the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) market it has been said that there are 50,000 authors trying to get 5,000 books published a year.
Having an agent greatly increases the likelihood that you will be published. For one thing, on the procedural level, an established agent can usually obtain relatively rapid and serious consideration for his or her clients. One basic reason for this is that editors view agents as a valuable screening mechanism. That is, when a project crosses the editor`s desk under an agent`s letterhead, the editor knows it has undergone scrutiny from someone who is familiar with the applicable standards of quality and market considerations.
Lee Fredrickson is the agent representing 21st Century Press. You might say, what is a publishing house doing with an agent? As a subsidy press, we get manuscripts from authors in various stages of their writing career. We will recommend the direction you should go with your manuscript. Some of our authors choose to publish their first book with us and then allow Lee to represent them to a publisher. Since the time to get a manuscript to an editor, then to the review board, final acceptance, editing, paginating design of cover and printing can sometimes take up to a year, it is to the advantage of some authors to get a book in hand in a few months to sell in meetings.
This may sound like a Catch-22: You need to be published in order to get published. But we have some tips to help you get your proposal reviewed by an acquisitions editor of a publishing house. Please note, most publishers will not discuss unsolicited manuscript ideas over the phone.
Develop a name by writing for smaller publishers or magazines. A portfolio of magazine articles can get you attention for your book proposal. 21st Century Press can get you started by publishing your first book. A number of our authors have gone on and had their next book published by a major publisher.
If you know a published author, ask him or her to recommend you. Consider securing an agent. If an agent doesn`t choose to represent you, it may be an indication that your writing isn`t strong enough; if he does, then you`ve got the inside track. 21st Century Press represents authors to a number of publishers. Contact us with your idea.
Join a writer`s group in your area. This will likely put you closer to other published writers and perhaps find you a sponsoring author.
Consider using a manuscript review and proposal service such as The Writer`s Edge, P.O. Box 1266, Wheaton, IL 60189. (Write them to request an application. They charge a fee to review your manuscript.)
Once you have a connection that will get you reviewed by a publisher, you need to make the most of the opportunity. Consider the following suggestions.
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Review their publications: Know what they publish and do not publish. Many manuscripts submitted are completely outside the publishing plan of most publishing houses simply because the author did not do his or her homework.
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Submit a professional-looking proposal: It really does make a difference when a proposal is neatly presented and clearly organized. A disorganized and sloppy proposal suggests an inferior book.
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Read and study writers` books: We recommend Writer`s Market (Writers Digest Books), Children`s Writers and Illustrators Market (Writers Digest), Elements of Style (White), Edit Yourself (Ross-Larson), On Writing Well (Insert), The Children`s Picture Book (Roberts), Nonfiction for Children (Roberts).
If you meet the criteria explained in our review policy, you will receive a response about your proposal or manuscript within three months of its submission. The publisher will return your material if you provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope or mailer. Manuscripts that arrive without return mailers are discarded approximately 30 days after the author is notified that the publisher cannot use them.
Most publishers offer competent editing, warm support, and lots of encouragement from a staff that is in love with literature. You can expect to get competitive fees or royalty rates, professional illustration and design, and aggressive marketing of your book.
