Question for Traditionally published/hybrid authors

[D.C.]

How many manuscripts did you submit before you sold something? I've always assumed most writers acquire a fat stack of rejection emails (or letters, if they've been at it that long) but I was wondering recently. Did one book make the rounds of a lot of houses before someone wanted it? Did you submit different works to one or two publishers? Did you start with the small fry or the big ones?

[[deleted user]]

When submitting to publishers a piece can sell right away, it can sell after two dozen tries, or it may never sell. You may send out a hundred manuscripts before you sell one, or you may sell your first one right out of the box. No set formula exists. My primary experience with publishers is from a few years ago, submitting short stories to magazines, and the rule at that time was to submit it to the highest paying markets first (you might get lucky), and work your way down from there.

[Andrew]

If we're talking short stories, my strike rate has always been pretty good. I got nowhere with the higher paying markets (though as Ken suggests, they're always worth a punt), but then as I work my way down I tend to get more and more selective about who I submit to. I do a lot of reading around publishers before I send them stuff, it's a great way to improve your strike rate and avoid wasting everyone's time.

[Andrew]

The one book I've seriously put out to market, I sent to two publishers. One really liked it, but turned it down for scheduling reasons at the very last moment. The second publisher sent me a contract. But I smelt a scam-shaped rat, and didn't sign it. That proved to be a really good instinct.

Then I self-published it and sold 50 copies. Life, eh? ;)

[Sharon]

D.C. wrote: "How many manuscripts did you submit before you sold something? I've always assumed most writers acquire a fat stack of rejection emails (or letters, if they've been at it that long) but I was wond..."

Two, actually. The first publisher liked the first three chapters and asked for the whole thing ... and then sent me a detailed rejection letter. I spent several months being angry, to be honest. Then, I went back and looked at that letter again. I took the advice I could agree with, rejected the rest, and re-edited the manuscript. I then sent it to a publisher in the UK, which resulted in a contract there. The US edition was picked up as a direct result of the UK edition, by yet another publisher ... but they came to me.

[Leon]

There are certain types of genres that will find publishers relatively easy and others that are substantially more difficult. If you are one of the millions submitting young adult/science fiction/fantasy manuscripts then obviously finding a publisher will be very, very difficult regardless of the quality/originality of the story. Anyone with a compelling story to tell has a reasonably good chance to find a publisher. I sent my manuscript to about 50 publishers, received about 15 rejections and five acceptances. There were one or two; "we would love to publish this but . . ."

[D.C.]

I was curious. I had sent a YA manuscript to an agent in the late '80s/early 90's and was told that it was well-written but clearly for the straight to paper market and they weren't interested in it, and I never bothered to do anything else with it. When I started to write seriously again and was ready to submit I sent one out to one publisher, had it rejected, self-published it because I had serious doubts about its marketability anyway, and sent the manuscript I had finished that I was fairly sure was marketable off to another publisher. They sent me a "revise and resubmit" which I did, and then they took it. So it wasn't magically smooth, but I didn't have a long track record with it either.

I've had people tell me that my experience is really atypical, but I also know of people who had their very first manuscripts accepted. I will say I did a LOT of research before I picked publishers to submit to, and in my genre it's all small houses, most of them specializing in that genre to some degree. The same publisher that took my first book is publishing the second one as well, and I haven't bothered submitting to anyone else, although I may branch out a little.

[Brenda]

The first novel I wrote was the first one I sold. I finished it, and selected a publisher by looking at the books already on my shelves. I chose the one that was publishing books like my ms. I sent it to them and a year later they sent me a contract. It is still around: THE CRYSTAL CROWN.
I will say, however, that I have accumulated many a rejection letter since then.

[Geoff]

D.C. wrote: "How many manuscripts did you submit before you sold something? I've always assumed most writers acquire a fat stack of rejection emails (or letters, if they've been at it that long) but I was wond..."

Thirty five rejections from a mix of publishers and agents before I self published, after which the e-book version (I also published my novel in paperback) was picked up by a UK publisher. It has been reissued under a new title, and this time in hard back. I self published in 2010 and the hardback under its new title was published last year. From when the publisher wrote to me and asked about republishing to actually being published was about two years.
I thought publishing day would never come. . . :-o)

[A.S.]

Hi DC,
Like others have said here, it does vary! I got into writing books in a bit of a strange way, though. I replied to an add in a national paper (in the UK) asking for people to contribute a chapter for a new walking guide to part of the UK. I replied, got the job and had a chapter published. I then approached the same publisher with an idea for a whole book of my own and they said yes; first full book commissioned! After that, I've had one book that went to a big publisher via an agent, and a book I wrote at the request of a publisher, again via my agent. I then went self published for my first novel (out on 24th April!) and thus became a 'hybrid' author. I have to say, I'm loving the total control of self publishing! It's hard work, but fun and so much better than being treated as the least important person in the publication of my own work (which so often happens, especially if you are a small name with a big publishing company)!

[Bonnie]

I'd say my short story acceptance was about 15%. I didn't have any luck with novels until I started looking for "calls for submissions." That did the trick.