Where can I find publishers for new writers?

Question

Most publishers I contact want you to already be a published author before they are interested, thus the proverbial "catch 22" of what comes first. I am loath to try vanity publishers as once something sounds too good to be true, it usually (in my case, invariably is too good to be true by experience).

Answer 1

Contact the publisher that told you that and ask them who they expect their writers to have published with first, and just keep working your way backwards until you find one that will take the chance. You may have to take a hit on the first book to get in the door, so you might want to try a shorter story or not your best work at first, so you dont lose out on royalties from the better book.

Answer 2

Before you worry about getting a publisher for a large project, it is almost required that portions of your work already be published in small journals. For example, if you are writing a novel, try submitting chapters to journals. If you are doing poetry, try to get some poems published in poetry journals.

The International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses is a good place to start. They list journals as well as publishers of books. They list submissions guidelines and presses are organized in an index of subject areas.

Small presses are willing to deal with the unknown author because they want to discover the new talent. Small presses are also often nonprofit and therefore will publish more literary or experimental work that the big presses won't touch. This is their mission.

Contests are also a nice way to get started, but can cost money and are often highly political.

I would suggest going to the websites of several presses that you can find in the above mentioned book. Don't submit anything until you have read some of the work in these pulications, it is only a waste of time, if your style is not what they are looking for.

I have worked from all sides, publsiher, author and instructor.

Don't expect to get rich. Most small journals do not pay, but serve as a stepping stone. Most small presses pay small money, but you have to get that first book out there to even be spoken to by the big guys. Self publishing really doesn't get you anywhere. You will always lack publicity and the financial support of a publisher and it gains you no respect from real publishers.

Best of luck.

Answer 3

Go to your local bookstore or library and look at a 2006 Writer's Market book. It's a huge tome that lists all the agents, publishers, what they publish, their addresses, etc. There's also a list of contests and magazines to peruse for writing opportunities.

You'll also find out if they're interested in submissions from unagented and previously unpublished authors.

The Preditors and Editors site at Another Realm is another good place to start. Click on Book Publishers. They'll warn of vanity publishers, if abuse has been reported by others. Remember, the money should flow TO the writer, not away.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Actually, unless you are publishing children's books, what you are looking for is an agent. Only small independent publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts and even then you are still better off with an experienced person navigating your book through the publishing wheels. The big publishers typically will return manuscripts unread unless submitted by an agent. The best way to find an agent, I feel, is to attend an agents conference. You can learn a lot, meet agents face-to-face, and get an understanding of the publishing biz. There are good ones all over the country.

Answer 5

Hi there. My advice is, invest $20 a month for about 3 months at Publishers Marketplace. Once you've joined, you can build a page that describes you, your books, what you're looking for, your cover art and other graphics to get attention.

Lots of agents and publisher reps read those PM pages looking for gems they've not heard about yet. Trust me, it works. I've gotten movie inquiries and other requests from my PM page.

Once you actually get an agent that wants to read your material, you'll need to write a knock out query letter and mail it off with "Requested Material" on the envelope. That's far better than sending query letters to people who may or may not care what you've written. And believe me, most publishers could care less about reading your material unless you're already published OR you have an agent representing you.

Good luck!

Jon Baxley
THE SCYTHIAN STONE
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY
THE REGENTS OF RHUM (fall '07)

Answer 6

"Writers' Market" is a publication that comes out every year. You should be able to pick it up at your local bookstore, or the public library may have a copy. There are a couple of related publications...."Canadian Writer's Market", "Poetry Writers' Market". They list every publication at least in North America, if not internationally, giving all kinds of info on the publication in question...name & address, editor, what sort of articles they publish, what sort of articles they accept, what they pay, how to submit, etc, etc. The book is quite comprehensive, I'd say about 2000 pages long and about $50, but I wouldn't think they'd go out of date too fast, so you probably don't need to get a new one every year.

Answer 7

try really known publishers like scholastic, barnes and nobles... because if you feel the books are good enough, it is good to find known publishers, so that your book can skyrocket.

Answer 8

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=publishers+for+new+writers&meta=