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How to Present a Book to a Publisher

Once your book is finished, you might find yourself perplexed with how to get it into the hands of publishers. Large publishing houses, like Random House, usually only accept submissions from writers with agents, but small publishing firms may consider "unagented" submissions. Always check the publisher's guidelines and then try to determine which company is the best fit for your book. For example, some publishers are more successful at marketing memoirs and others fiction. Though this is not the only factor, it could be significant in the difficult process of getting your book noticed.

Instructions

    • 1

      Send a query letter to a publisher. The letter should begin with an engaging teaser paragraph and also include your qualifications for writing the book, the book's synopsis and the reason you think it would be a good fit with this publisher. The query letter should be carefully edited and thoughtfully written.

    • 2

      Prepare a package to send to interested publishers. The package should include a sample chapter (40-50 pages), a three-page breakdown of the book and a two-page analysis of the market for the book.

    • 3

      Mail these items to the publishers that express interest in the book. Once a publisher has dedicated resources to evaluating your book, you should feel confident about contacting the publisher about any questions or concerns you have about the process.

    • 4

      Respond promptly to any questions or concerns the publisher might have. Some concerns a publisher might have are what kind of audience the book will have and how much further editing is needed. Refer to any successful books that have made similar structural or stylistic choices to your book.

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Book Publishing

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