How do I go about getting my book published, without sending off my manuscript?

Question

If anyone knows how to get in contact with a publishing company, let me know.

Answer 1

There's something called "vanity publishing"- it sounds worse than it really is- it doesn't necessarily make you vain, it's just a good way to get your work out there- it's publishing your poetry at your own expense. It's a good way to be "introduced" as a published writer- you can go around to local bookstores and libraries and donate and/or sell copies of your book-it's likely someone will read them- maybe even someone who can get you introduced to real publishers who will mass produce your work. You might want to check out http://www.booksurge.com- it's owned by Amazon, and they put your book on the site if you use it- plus there's no upfront cost- you get royalties, and that's it.

Answer 2

www.google.com ;)

Answer 3

There are so many publishers and they are so easy to get in contact with. Duotope.com lists a bunch of them. Poet's Market lists a bunch of them, too.

However, before you contact a publisher, you should first submit your poems to journals and get them published there first. Unless you enter a contest, and there are many legititmate ones (here's a list of contests: http://www.redactions.com/book_contests.... -- I've checked them all. I made the page and the website). So unless you enter a contest, a publisher most likely will not look at your manuscript unless a majority, if not all your poems in a manuscript, have been published in journals.

So without showing your manuscript to a publisher, there are really only two ways to get a book published without sending off a manuscript: one, go to lulu.com or iuniverse.com or the such, OR two, submit poems to journals, get them published, and hoped to be discovered.

But really, you got to show the manuscript :)

Also, here's a list I made of almost all the small, independent, and university presses that publish poetry, oh and that have websites and that aren't vanity presses--430 in total-- http://www.redactions.com/publishers.asp -- and, really, these are the publishers you want to go to for poetry.

And when you do try to contact a publisher, follow their submission guidelines. Almost every publisher has guidelines listed on their website. If they, don't query them as to how they would like to be submitted to. If you don't follow their guidelines, well ... it won't receive a warm welcome.

La la la

Answer 4

That might not be an entirely realistic ambition.  If you want your book published, you'll have to show some publisher your manuscript.  To learn more about the book publishing industry, check out the book "Writer's Market":

http://www.writersmarket.com/

If poetry publishing is what you're focused on, take at look at "Poet's Market."  Before you publish a book of poems, you'll probably have to publish lots of individual poems in various print and online literary journals.

http://www.poetsmarket.com/