The Journey to Publication

Good morning and welcome to Thursday Thoughts.  Today, we’ll be discussing your journey to publication.
You’ve written a book. It’s taken you a long time but you feel this novel is ready to be published. Because you want to have the comfort of a publisher, you are now looking at which ones to submit to. Of course, you’re also reading blogs on how best to present your book to a publisher and they have so much advice on that. Things like “all publishers require you to submit a query first of a mere three chapters plus your synopsis and blurb in addition to a little bit about yourself.” Or the ever happy news that you need only email the submissions manager and indicate your interest and sit back to wait for the response they’re happy to read your book.
Hold on there. Have you read the submissions guidelines of the publishers you have on your very extensive list yet? Have you had beta readers or critique group go over your novel, so you can fix those errors you haven’t noticed because you’ve become used to them fitting in well with the story? Once you’ve had your book critiqued by these people, have you let it rest for a while, so you can look it over with a clear eye and catch anything they might have missed?
All you’re thinking at this point is that your book is publication ready but a submissions manager or editor in chief might see things differently. These people are looking for publication ready books their editors don’t have to spend months working on with you, in order to ensure you have a winning book that will attract readers. If you send them a book that needs a lot of work, where they see grammatical errors or missing punctuation, they are going to tell you that your book isn’t right for them. Some of the time, they might tell you exactly what’s wrong or suggest you use beta readers/critique groups to clean up the problems they noticed, but usually they don’t even go that far.
Why?
A submissions manager or editor in chief is a very busy person. They often have many other duties with a small publisher than looking at submissions. Therefore, they go with the three strikes rule – once they see three mistakes, your book isn’t going to be accepted, no matter how good the story is. It’s a sad truth that we must live with.
One other thing you’ll need to consider with small publishers. Very few, if any, have a marketing team. That’s right – there is no team of individuals ready to market your book to the viewing public. It’s up to you, the author, to also become the social media maven, diving into the murky waters of promotion. Have you set up your social media pages with Facebook (a fan page – not your personal page), Twitter, Google +, and any of the myriad of smaller social media sites that abound on the internet. You need to be active on those sites, even if you have a day job, in order to be noticed. Those small publishers look for that kind of activity. But don’t post politically divisive rants or hateful commentary about other people. That will get you a no thank you too. No publisher wants their name associated with someone who is turning off at least half of the readership for your book.
Today’s author needs to learn a harsh lesson fast; a lesson even well-known authors from the major publishers have learned the hard way. In order to succeed in this business, you must never reveal your true feelings on a lot of issues, lest you alienate your fan base.
Now that you’ve decided to submit, now that you’ve made sure all the little pieces are in place, there’s one last thing to refine. Your cover letter. Make it simple but also informative. Don’t go more than a single page. Include your social media links, because a publisher will want to see them. And finally, if you don’t gain entry to the top publisher of your choice, quietly move on.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

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