Which publishing house for new authors is the best?

Question

It doesn't matter which english-speaking country it is (I'm Canadian) but I need to find one that welcomes new authors and is mainstream fiction that dabbles with fantasy and horror.

Also, which kind of publishing house is best suited for me when my story contains elements of thriller, horror fantasy and based in the 1800's?

Thank you so much for any help!!

I heard getting an agent is harder than going straight to a publising house

Answer 1

I agree about the agent thing, but if you're looking to direct submit to a larger house, you might try Kensington or Tor/Forge. The last time I checked, they were still opened to unagented submissions.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Most reputable publishers will not speak with any writer unless that writer has an agent representing them.

To find an agent, you send them a query letter: A a one page letter describing yourself and your book. Sometimes the agent will request you include the first few pages or chapters, but that is an individual preference.

There are several websites out there that will help you find an agent, my favorite is QueryTracker.net at http://www.querytracker.net/ . It is free and has a list of literary agents and also tools to help you keep track of who you already queried and who you haven't, plus more.

They do a good job of keeping the crooks off their lists, but it is still a good idea to double check at http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.h...

There are a lot of crooks out there. Never pay anyone to read or publish your book. A real agent will never ask for money except as a percentage of your royalties.

Keep in mind that finding an agent and getting published is not an easy process. Some people have to query hundreds of agents before they find one who will accept them (sadly, some never get accepted), but be persistent and keep trying.

You should also visit http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/,...... one of the largest forums for writers. They can be very helpful.

Good luck.

Answer 3

The answer is there is no answer. You would have to get a copy of Writers Market and study it. You cant get through to major publishers without an agent. In Writers Market, each agent and small publisher lists information such as what percentage of their authors are new authors. You have to find one that reads work in your genre. Then you have to read their submission guidelines and submit exactly what they ask you for. There is no such thing as "dabbling" in the publishing industry. This is a large industry that is interested in one thing and one thing only. Making money. They have no time to dabble. Make sure your manuscript is edited and properly formatted and ready to be read seriously. If you are lucky, you will get a publisher to read a couple paragraphs so make sure it is perfect. Never send an unsolicited manuscript - publishers and agents have "slush rooms" filled with unsolicited manuscripts just waiting for someone to have the time to send a rejection and feed them to the paper shredder. Send ONLY what is asked for. And never use words like "dabble" . That would be like asking Donald Trump if he dabbled in real estate.

You have to learn to advocate for yourself. Do your homework. Study the Resolved Questions here for information. It takes a tremendous amount of work to publish and it all falls on your shoulders. Pax - C

PS - I just checked with Preditors and Editors - Kensington does NOT accept unsolicited manuscripts any longer.

Answer 4

Your best bet is to find a literary agent who will help you. It is very difficult to go it alone. Literary agents will be able to guide you, based on the genre' of literature you are writing.