Many authors would like to know the secrets to getting their books published. The first secret we are going to share with you might seem a little silly but it could easily be the determining factor in whether or not a publisher will review your manuscript. There are many obvious things a publisher looks for when deciding to review a submitted manuscript such as the writer’s ability to tell their story, grammatical and sentence structures, plot outlines… However the first thing a publisher looks for is the ability of the author to follow instructions. Ha! Sounds simple doesn’t it? Trying to gain a competitive edge by giving more than what is asked might hurt you more than help you. Publishers develop submission guidelines to help them in their procedures of providing a systematic, fair process of receiving and reviewing manuscripts. When this process is not followed per the specifications nine times out of ten it means you have eliminated your chances of having your manuscript reviewed.
Imagine all the time you have spent on writing and proofreading your manuscript to find that it was not read because of your failure to follow the submission guidelines. Before submitting your manuscript research the publisher and find out what their specifications are. Some publishers only accept manuscripts submitted through an agent. They have established this rule for a reason. Publishers receive tons of manuscripts and by choosing to only review manuscripts submitted by an agent helps in narrowing down the submissions they receive. An agent will take the time to review the manuscript and will only submit manuscripts to publishers who are looking for the type of material you have written. Agents also understand the importance of following the submission guidelines and do so accordingly. Therefore when a publisher receives a manuscript from an agent they are confident that the submission is worth reviewing.
Not all publishers require agents but all publishers require that submissions follow their guidelines. If a publisher only asks for the first three chapters of your manuscript, along with an outline it is your best interest to follow that procedure. A publisher might indicate that it is acceptable to send the entire manuscript with the first three chapters but only send it if it is acceptable to do so.
There is stiff competition when trying to get published. Publishers receive a plethora of submissions and only publish a certain number of books per year. In order to ensure your manuscript gets a fair chance start by following instructions.
Tonya Shirelle is author and CEO of Infinite Xpression Publishing. For more information on publishing boot camps visit www.publishingbootcamps.synthasite.com
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