When writing a book, do I choose a publisher ahead of time, and how??

Question

I am in the process of writing a non-fiction, health related book--a subject I am quite familiar with. Do I contact a publisher now?? And how in the world do I know which publisher I want?? I see several when I check other non-fiction health books! And do "Editors" work for the Publisher?? As you can tell, I am a novice book publishing.

Answer 1

You'd contact the publisher as soon as you have one good chapter for them to look at. Many writers do have a publisher in mind, and also a plan B and C publisher if they get rejected. Just look at other books on the same topic and go for the same publishers. If the rep for the publisher likes your chapter, they'll ask for the whole book by a certain date. In academic publishing, they'll also ask you for a list of 3 readers who will be given your book to recommend whether it should go to the next phase. The next phase is working with an editor to clean everything up. When you choose readers, it's ok to load the panel with people you know, but they had better be experts in the field or the publisher will choose other readers. The agent would come in after publication to try to book you on speaking tours. That's where the real money is, for academic writers.

Answer 2

With non-fiction you could submit a sample chapter and outline to some publishers. As far as choosing a publisher you could look at Amazon, a bookstore, or local library for books similar to yours and contact the publishers of those books. A small university press might be the best choice for a new writer like yourself rather than trying a major publisher like Random House.

Answer 3

Good guidance may also be found on the "Road Less Traveled', by attending some book signings and such at one of the large chain bookstores. Ask good questions of the writers and literary agents as well as the bookstore regional manager who organizes appearances as well as workshops among writers of every level. I used an agent or two, got at least 3 publishers offers, but decided to follow advice to desktop self-publish my novel on disc. I then controlled the illustrations, type font, layout, all aspects of presentation. I test marketed by giving away between 75 and 100 copies, some as hardcopy. Word of mouth and some of my uniquely-styled short stories came to the attention of some Hollywood friends. Now, I've written & working on the first and only Indie film ever done in Tombstone, AZ. {The movie "Tombstone" was filmed elsewhere!} With new niche markets and distribution networks, even health "books" can be reconsidered for production as non-printed projects. e-book publishers make it possible to be writer, editor, and proofreader, issuing a nearly perfect product for duplication, but in some cases, all you need is a local disc burning replicator's service, and you can dispense with conventional publishers.

Answer 4

get your information and indexes from:

http://www.writersdigest.com

that's how i got started.

they have books from poetry markets to novel writers.. where you can get at any book store from borders to the local mom and pop book shop....

these books have indexes and indexes of publishers from the mainstream to the independant who will take from the well known writer to beginner.

it's a great way to learn and start.

:D

(no this isn't spam...) i've done it this way and was told years ago by another who started out this way to do this.. it's easy... (oh the rejections come more often than the acceptances) you got thousands of publishers to choose from and most are legit.

you can also find many online but do be cautious! if you must pay then it's most likely a vanity press.

chapbooks you pay but it's not vanity that from small press and you get the service and the material for yourself to work with and distribute in most cases.

do the research to, this site will guide you and the books are a treasure trove of information and opportunities.

also ask many questions and show interest with the editors/publishers efforts.

and support the small press also.

editors in some if not all cases want you to work with them.

Answer 5

My boyfriend just wrote his first book, a novel, so we had to put in some time researching this ourselves. What we found out is that you really need to have a completed manuscript to show prospective publishers before anyone will consider you. We also found out that unless you have a book agent, most publishing houses won't even look at your manuscript, and it will spend the rest of its days in something called the "Slush Pile," where nobody will read it. So your first step (after writing the book) is to get an agent. They tend to take 10-20% of your book deal as their commission, though many of them have an initial booking fee as well. There is a literary agent directory in the Reference department of your local library, which is an excellent resource. Once you have an agent, you may be advised to stick with smaller publishing houses to start off, because they tend to be easier for first-time authors to get deals. Good luck!

Oh, P.S.- Yes, editors are employed by the publishing house. Once a book is picked up by a publisher, the author is assigned an editor who will work closely with him/her on any revisions/rewrites that may need to be made before publication.

Answer 6

I would be sure to have at least a working outline before you start contacting publishers. Be sure to find a book called "Writer's Market." It has a list of publishers and their needs and tips from experienced authors and publishers on how to find a publisher that's right for you.

Answer 7

You can write your book first, then contact publishers. Get a copy of Writer's Market to find a suitable publisher or agent. Your local library will also have many books about writing and publishing, including non-fiction proposals and manuscript format/submission.

Answer 8

I've been exactly where you are, and I remember all the questions. In general, you need to have at least three chapters done *and edited* before you query publishers. These guys can advise and help you through the process: www.wordtechs.com. I've just gotten royalties from my books I did this summer -- it's sweet when you get through all the confusion and on to what it's really all about (having others read and enjoy your work).

Good luck with your writing!
~Tia~
Yahoo Brainiac
http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/asktheplanet/brain.html

Answer 9

in this subject, sure! but i would advice that you finish first since they will probably want to see a manuscript before they agree to buy it. some will also pay you by word, page or lumpsum- thats up to you- chose at least 3 publishers, some have editors some dont' so chose carefully.

Answer 10

i would