Help, finding a Publishing House!!!!?

Question

Does anyone know a publishing house that publishes Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, and Romance novels that take unrepresented authors?

Answer 1

Well if you have the cash I'm sure anyone would take you. My mom works for a publishing company and I don't see why they wouldn't do it. Octavo Communications, in Boston.

Answer 2

Lil,

You need to get yourself a copy of Writer's Market 2008. In there you'll find literary agents who accept manuscripts as long as you write them a query letter with a bit of a synopsis.

Here's what you'll need to know and do if you're truly serious about publishing with a major publishing house.

Read on:

Writing a book takes more than just sitting down and putting your idea into words. There are a lot of things that you have to consider.

Keep an eye out for spelling and grammar errors. When typing fast with fresh ideas in our heads, we tend to forget ourselves. Check and recheck your work. Editors are very expensive these days.

You’ll need to know how to write an effective ‘query letter’ to a literary agent. The letter will also include a synopsis that will hold the interest of the agent, and want to make him or her ask for the first three chapters of your work. Never send a manuscript to a publisher or literary agent without querying first.

You’ll need to know how to format your manuscript. This includes the fonts (size and type) that most agents, editors, and publishers want. These are usually Courier New and Times New Roman (12 pt). Short stories and novels are formatted differently. You will need to follow submission guidelines just as they are laid down for your submissions. Anything less will result in your manuscript sent back or destroyed unread.

You will need to know what Point of View (POV) is. Know how to write in First Person Point of View. You’ll need to know the can and can not of each.

Do you know how to write dialogue? How to format dialogue? This is very important and allows the author and his/her characters to communicate with the reader. Remember dialect as well. Dialect is how a person speaks. Your characters may be highly educated or dumber than dishwater. ‘Ain’t got none’ is highly acceptable when used properly by a character who is even less than street smart.

It’s a good idea to know some of the publishing laws. The use of names and places.

These include

o Delivery Of Satisfactory Copy

o Permission for Copyrighted Material

o Grant Of Rights

o Proofreading and Author's Corrections

o Advances and Royalties

o Author's Warranties and Indemnities

o Copies to Author

o Option Clause

Learn how to get a ‘word count of your work. Some novels have a prologue and an epilogue. You’ll need to know how to write them and why they’re used.

Know what the word ‘genre’ means. Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction; These are all genres.

One of the most important issues in manuscript submitting is the proper ‘page set up’ for your work. This includes margins, indents, and paragraphs. Most editors will want to see your manuscript double spaced. This allows the editor to use his/her proofreaders marks between the lines. Most margins will be one inch all around with a ragged right margin and an even left.

Are you prepared to do a lot of ‘research’ involving your work? Remember that many professionals such as, doctors, lawyers, nurses, public accountants, judges, architects, bricklayers, engineers, and police officers read, too.

Do you know what a sub-plot is? This is a plot that comes ‘under’ the main plot. The hero may be after the vampire, but the mob may be after the hero as well. This is a sub-plot.

Can you take rejection and constructive criticism? If you’re easily hurt in the feelings department, then writing may not be your forte. Critics will tear you apart or build you up. The best writers in the world “King, Patterson, Koontz, J.K. Rowling, and many others” have been torn up one side and down the other. You can’t please everyone.

If you decide to hire an editor, remember: Your manuscript will be double spaced, which means there will be twice as many pages. A 600 page novel could cost you around $1800.00, some even more depending on what the editor charges per page. Then there’s the hourly rate that some charge. Usually it’s within the range of $65.00. So, if they work on your book for 18 hours, that’s another $1170.00 + $1800.00 = $2970.00

These are the things you must know to work at your craft. Don’t let these things deter you from writing. There are books in libraries and bookstores that can teach you all of these things. Buying these books (if you want to be a serious writer) is the best thing to do. Why? Well, because you can use a yellow marker to highlight all the points of interest. Then you can use the front of the book to make page references to those markings in order to check back on them at a later date, when you need to.

You’ll need to get a copy of Writer’s Market for the current year. This has literary agents whom you can send out query letters to. Some of them allow email queries. They also have a website. Google: Writer’s Market.

I wish you the best of luck!

PJ M

Answer 3

It would be extremely rare for a publishing house to accept a manuscript from an unpublished author. Your best bet is to get a copy of the Writer's Market and find a suitable literary agent that might accept your genre.

Follow the agent's guidelines exactly and make sure your manuscript is error free.

Answer 4

Actually, there are quite a few publishers who publish unrepresented authors.  I would go to your local library or to any major bookstore and get The Writer's Market.  The Writer's Market lists hundreds of publishers of books and stories and tells which one will and will not consider an unrepresented manuscript.  Many publishers--some of them big ones, too--will publish up to 20percent unagented works in a given year.

Although a publisher will consider an unagented author's work, usually you'll want to obtain one for the same reason homebuyers use real estate agents.  You don't have to have one to buy or sell a home, but it sure does help making sure you avoid legal pitfalls.  Also, some publishers will consider an unagented writer to be an amateur.

Although publishers will consider unagented manuscripts, you are talking about lottery-type odds of getting someone willing to go to bat for your work.  Publishers are getting hundreds of unsolicited manuscripts every year--some are receiving thousands every year--and if you don't have a professional agent who has proven that they have an understanding of what a given publishing house is looking for, you had better have written one heck of a novel from the very first sentence.

My understanding of the publishing industry is that a publisher will consider your manuscript if you are unagented, but that once they have decided to publish your story, you'd be much better off obtaining an agent before you sign any contracts.  

I'm assuming your question is regarding whether publishers will look at your manuscript, rather than whether they will publish it.  Once you have a publisher willing to shell out cash for a book, finding an agent to represent you becomes a lot simpler!