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How to publish the book you've always wanted to write.
Arthur Bell
When Art Bell, a publisher at Lexingford Publishing LLC in Potsdam, read an article covering one of the publisher's recent titles, he also read the tips for self-publishing that another author had included. But Bell wants local writers to know that self-publishing, and contracts with "The Big Four" are two ends of a spectrum, with a lot of options in between, particularly with smaller publishing houses.
Bell wants to be clear that the advice he wants to share with writers is not born from a desire for recognition for his company in particular, but rather "a broad education for beginning authors about the pros and cons of submitting to smaller publishers."
And Bell has the resume to back up his advice: A PhD in English and American Literature at Harvard, literature and creative writing teaching positions at Georgetown, USC, and University of San Francisco, as well as authoring 50-plus books in conjunction with his work managing a publishing company.
Here are Bell's tips for navigating the different paths of getting your book published:
DON'T get stuck in a Catch-22
First a foremost believe in your work and know that there are steps that you can take to get out of the Catch-22 of the publishing world, where you can't get traction with a publishing house because you don't have an agent, and you can't get an agent because you haven't been published.
DO take on other writing gigs outside of your novel
If you need published work to share with a potential agent Bell recommends taking advantage of hundreds of smaller magazines, association journals, newsletters, or writing contests, all of which can be found with some searching or through Writer's Market, which offers both an annual reference book and a website.
DON'T necessarily write an entire article/piece first
While the more writing you do, the better you get, it can be frustrating to write and edit an entire to piece to discover that the editor is only interesting in part of what you have to say.
Get comfortable with the query process. Here's what Bell says you can expect that process to look like:
- Send an email or letter introducing yourself to the editor of your chosen target publication and giving him or her, in a paragraph or two, a good idea of the kind of article you would like to write.
- Within a matter of weeks (not months), you will hear back, sometimes with a "yes, on spec,"which means you can submit the article but the editor has no obligation to publish it or to pay you. The answer may be "yes, with a kill fee," which means you can write the article and will be paid for it or, if the editor decides not to publish, you will be paid a lesser amount for your effort. Of course, you may also receive a "no" response or, more likely, a "yes, but" response spelling out special topics or areas of emphasis that the editor would like to see in your article.
DO approach that agent now
Bell says that once you have about half a dozen or so articles or pieces published you're in a good place to contact an agent. Listing previous publications and talking about the kinds of future projects you'd be interested in gives the agent a better sense of why they would want to represent you. Once again, Writer's Market is a good tool for finding those agents. Some libraries carry this reference guide if you aren't able to buy one.
DON'T oversell yourself or your work with that agent
While it's important to believe in your work and to know that it's high quality, trying to sell it as "the next big thing!" or "better than Shakespeare!" is going to come across as unnecessary hyperbole.
DO have a polished synopsis ready
Now that you have an agent you can get your novel in front of them. As they're unlikely to read all 400 pages of your book have a polished synopsis and a few finished chapters ready to hand over. Bell says, "With good fortune, an agent will place your project with a publisher who, in turn, will offer you a publishing contract."
DON'T expect to then be the next John Grisham
The publishing contract will spell out exactly how much your agent will receive, and what your portion of the royalties will be. This could be 50 cents per copy sold, or even "an advance in copies," which means that the author will receive no advance money but will receive a specified number of free books. Also, keep in mind that 5% of published books appear on the shelves of mainstream bookstores. You're more likely to see it displayed on Amazon or through your publisher's website.
DO be prepared to do some of your own marketing legwork
Reach out to friends and family members to read your book and ask them to leave reviews online. Reach out to local reading groups, local bookstores, and libraries for speaking opportunities. Most small to mid-size publishing companies have access to marketing tools, but nothing beats reaching out to the people most invested in your success.
DON'T give up!
Bell says, "It always saddens me when a talented writer submits something once, gets a rejection, and then 'quits'." Be prepared to send out lots of queries and to receive some rejection, but know that it's part of the process. Always make certain that anything that is intended for another person to read has been completely proofread, and be wary of relying on spellcheck-you can have an incorrect word correctly spelled and nothing will get flagged. Read great books, and that's whatever kind of writing is great to you, take writing classes, and keep honing your work.
Have a book to share?
Are you a local author or have you come across a book set in Central New York? Tell us about it. Send a brief description of the book and the author and we'll add it as a candidate for coverage. Write us at features@syracuse.com.