Post by Mariah E. on Apr 2, 2014 16:33:45 GMT
This post was originally up on my tumblr, but I thought I should put it here, too. It was written geared toward finding a publisher for a poetry chapbook, but really, the advice is sound no matter what project you're looking to find a home for, whether it's a single poem, or a short story or a full length novel. The advice is pretty universal.
At the end of last year I decided to take the plunge and put a chapbook together. I spent a few months doing this (years if you count how far back some of the poetry goes) and I spent nearly as much time looking at publishers as I did assembling the book. I learned a lot from the process of hunting for the perfect publisher. Here are some tips.
Know Your Length
Some publishers publish collections of any length, however, most have a preferred length. You can publish a chapbook with as little as 16 pages, or all the way up to 50 or 60. Or you can put together a full blown collection and clock in at 60-100 or more. Don’t salivate over a publisher who takes manuscripts that are a vastly different length from what you’ve produced. Don’t make your work fit them. Find someone who will fit your work, which brings me to my next point.
Know Your Format
Do you want a ebook? Do you want a paperback? Do you want something handcrafted or hot off the press? Do you want P.O.D. or a limited run? All of those are real options and you have to know what you want before you start looking around for a publisher. There’s no use submitting to a publisher then deciding you don’t want to limit yourself to ebook format only. Know what you want and submit only to a publisher who offers everything you desire.
Know Their Stuff
If you write dark, twisted, horror poetry, don’t submit it to a publisher that publishes love poetry. If you write love poetry, don’t submit your collection to a publisher of horror poetry. It’s a waste of their time and yours. Pay attention to their past titles. If you see a publisher you really like, buy one of their books. Read it. Use it to gauge what they like and see if your work would be a good fit. Check out the publisher and authors on social media. See how active the publisher is and how active the authors are. See how prevalent they are on the internet.
Do A Background Check
I don’t mean run them through the police database or hire a private detective. Go to Preditors and Editors and see if there are any red flags listed for that publisher. Go to Absolute Write and join the forums. Ask questions about that publisher. See if anyone can recommend them, or recommend to stay away from them. See what experiences other people have had with them.
Follow Them
…on social media. (Stalking is illegal, LOL) Follow them on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, wherever they roam. Get to know them on social media. Even if you don’t personally get to know them, knowing what they like and don’t like will go a long way for you to find the perfect publisher.
A final bit of advice. If you are offered a contract, read it completely. If you don’t understand something in it, make them explain it. Talk to them at length before you sign anything. Make sure you know every last detail about the deal before you make it official.
Good Luck.
P.S. Remember to read and follow their guidelines. Publishers dig people who pay attention. Right?
At the end of last year I decided to take the plunge and put a chapbook together. I spent a few months doing this (years if you count how far back some of the poetry goes) and I spent nearly as much time looking at publishers as I did assembling the book. I learned a lot from the process of hunting for the perfect publisher. Here are some tips.
Know Your Length
Some publishers publish collections of any length, however, most have a preferred length. You can publish a chapbook with as little as 16 pages, or all the way up to 50 or 60. Or you can put together a full blown collection and clock in at 60-100 or more. Don’t salivate over a publisher who takes manuscripts that are a vastly different length from what you’ve produced. Don’t make your work fit them. Find someone who will fit your work, which brings me to my next point.
Know Your Format
Do you want a ebook? Do you want a paperback? Do you want something handcrafted or hot off the press? Do you want P.O.D. or a limited run? All of those are real options and you have to know what you want before you start looking around for a publisher. There’s no use submitting to a publisher then deciding you don’t want to limit yourself to ebook format only. Know what you want and submit only to a publisher who offers everything you desire.
Know Their Stuff
If you write dark, twisted, horror poetry, don’t submit it to a publisher that publishes love poetry. If you write love poetry, don’t submit your collection to a publisher of horror poetry. It’s a waste of their time and yours. Pay attention to their past titles. If you see a publisher you really like, buy one of their books. Read it. Use it to gauge what they like and see if your work would be a good fit. Check out the publisher and authors on social media. See how active the publisher is and how active the authors are. See how prevalent they are on the internet.
Do A Background Check
I don’t mean run them through the police database or hire a private detective. Go to Preditors and Editors and see if there are any red flags listed for that publisher. Go to Absolute Write and join the forums. Ask questions about that publisher. See if anyone can recommend them, or recommend to stay away from them. See what experiences other people have had with them.
Follow Them
…on social media. (Stalking is illegal, LOL) Follow them on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, wherever they roam. Get to know them on social media. Even if you don’t personally get to know them, knowing what they like and don’t like will go a long way for you to find the perfect publisher.
A final bit of advice. If you are offered a contract, read it completely. If you don’t understand something in it, make them explain it. Talk to them at length before you sign anything. Make sure you know every last detail about the deal before you make it official.
Good Luck.
P.S. Remember to read and follow their guidelines. Publishers dig people who pay attention. Right?