“I
am pleased to confirm the publication of your book.” A trip to space would have
been less euphoric than the rush of emotions those words— that my would-be
publisher conveyed in a single-line email confirmation—triggered in me. In
fact, I’m still trying to absorb the fact that I am now a published author.
I
started exploring publishing options for my spiritual memoir in January 2010. Just
seven months into the process, I struck publishing gold. Nine months hence, my
book was in print.
Of
course, not everyone is that lucky. Every writer aspires to be a published
author. And why not? A compelling story you’ve written has you utterly
convinced of its publishing appeal and Harry-Potter-like potential. You contact
publishers, only to receive rejection upon rejection. You question the
authenticity of your talent; you examine the effectiveness of your
storytelling; you lament on your bad luck. But what writers often fail to
understand is that most publishers—and bookstores—are in it for the money. Publishers
and bookstore owners want something that will sell, in terms of number of copies, and frequency and longevity of
sale. Sustaining the business is their bottom line and as the publishing industry
reassesses its future in the digital age, works that don’t meet their revenue projections
get chucked down the rejection chute.
The
first thing I acquired when I thought I had a somewhat-complete draft
manuscript was the services of an editor. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area
and, upon a friend’s referral, I contacted the Bay Area Editor’s Forum (BAEF)—an
association of in-house and freelance editors from a variety of publishing and
publications settings. A posting on their jobs line generated over thirty
responses in just forty-eight hours. Then came the challenging task of narrowing
the selection, followed by interviewing the individuals to determine the editor
who was right for my manuscript and fit my budget. Buying membership at a local
writers’ club and attending their meetings is also a way to access the editing
circle.
Heed
my advice and hire a professional editor as their feedback is worth its value
in gold. My editor did a meticulous job, scrutinizing every word and sentence
formation, correcting erroneous and inconsistent syntax, examining the logic of
my argument, highlighting glaring gaps, and providing suggestions for improving
my prose—all while retaining my original voice. Overall, her input enhanced my
writing and gave it a professional polish. When the second draft was ready, my
editor advised me to seek “wise reads” on my manuscript from subject matter
experts in the community. I connected with two
outstanding individuals who willingly provided “wise reads” for my manuscript,
free of charge, in a very timely manner. As an extra bonus, my editor shared a
template to help me develop a book proposal, and then she reviewed my draft
proposal. May be this is just her, but my editor also supported me during the
entire “publisher hunt” process. She’d checked-in with me from time to time,
offering a subtle tip or two that would change the direction of my search. She
consistently made herself available to answer and/or redirect my questions. She
genuinely rejoiced when I informed her of my finding a publisher. When I needed
a read for my “About the Author” and “Author Bio” blurbs for my book jacket, my
editor once again jumped right in, at a moment’s notice, and offered her
insight. The bottom line is, get an editor!
So,
the manuscript is now professionally edited, reviewed by subject matter
experts, and ready to be moved forward. The next step is to either find a
literary agent or explore publishing options on your own. A literary agent is
the way to go, especially for works of fiction. The big publishing
houses—Random House, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, to name a few— work almost
exclusively with agents. A search on the Internet for literary agents should
yield a list of agents. The Literary Market Place (the LMP) is a reference
guide that contains a listing of literary agencies, available for purchase at
any bookstore and for checkout at any library. Authorlink is another source for
information. The Writer’s Market directory at www.writersdigest.com is yet
another resource. Personally, I didn’t use an agent. I wanted to explore the
industry on my own, but would have sought an agent had things worked out
differently.
An
aspiring author must prepare three things prior to establishing contact with
publishers. That is an independent topic that is addressed separately.
Take a read.
Another point worth addressing is Copyright Registration. The author is the copyright holder of his/her work. Retain your copyright privileges for a small fee by registering your work with the US Copyright Office.
