I have finished the first draft of a novel. How should I go about submitting it to publishhers?

Answer 1

Agents are scum, absolute scum. Don't deal with them unless you absolutely, positively have to. Make it a priority never to speak to one and you'll live a longer, happier life. You don't make much money as an author and agents will lessen that amount even more.

Now that that's out of the way, pick yourself up the 2007 Writer's Market Guide, it's got a list of every accepting publisher, as well as their websites. Or you can just look online for companies. On their websites they'll likely have a submissions guide, remember, they want new authors, it's how they make money.

Follow the guide, alter your draft into a manuscript that they'll accept, they may one double-spacing, or one inch margins top, bottom, left, and right. Comply, fit your work into something they'll take. If they ask for a cover letter, write one. Essentially follow their instructions to a t, and mail it in.

Answer 2

First, polish that draft until it's not a first draft anymore! You want to present your best possible work to publishers.

Second, research. Find out who's accepting what you've written. Look at both editors and agents. If you're targeting big presses, you'll probably want an agent. If you're targeting small presses, you usually don't need an agent.

I would recommend joining an author group. Authors who have been through the submission process are a WEALTH of helpful information.

Answer 3

The first person who answered here has given you bum advice. NO major publishers and hardly any small ones accept unsolicited material - certainly not a complete manuscript and most not by e mail. You need to learn how to write a great query letter and send it to either small publishers or agents. If they are interested, they will request additional chapters or a complete manuscript. Sending a complete manuscript unsolicited is bad form and totally amateur. It is a guaranteed form rejection letter. You must go to the website of the place you plan on querying and follow their submission guidelines TO THE LETTER. Send them exactly what they want in exactly the form they want it. It differs with every publisher and agent. However major publishers never ever accept unsolicited material from an author - only from an agent and the really major publishers only really deal with a select list of A List Agents. Dont e mail a manuscript to someone unsolicited ever. It will only earn you a bad rep in the business as a rank amateur and a lot of "thanks but no thanks" letters. Purchase a copy of Writers Markets - even an outdated one - and read about the query process. Then join Absolute Write Water Cooler and check the person you intend to query out in their Bewares and Backgrounds section. Also check with Preditors and Editors. Also join Writers Weekly and get their newsletters. C..

Answer 4

Go online and find publishers, small and 'big'. Send them your manuscript via e-mail attachment in WORD to those who accept such without you needing an agent. There are many now which saves you sharing any royalties with an agent. If you get in with a small publisher this leads to bigger publishers in the future.