Writing your magnum opus? Some tips on hot to get happily published

By Melissa Dymock

May 5, 2005 | Many writers have the desire and even the talent to become published authors but many lack the knowledge on exactly what it takes to become published. Should a writer get an agent or contact the publishers themselves? Should they self-publish or submit their work? Do you have to pay to become a published author?

Wendy Gabbert, a student at Utah State University, is struggling with this some of these problems. She writes for a hobby and has written several poems, ten or so short stories and one novel length piece with two more in progress.

She has published several of her poems through Poetry.com. This Web site provides many services for poets including publishing outlets for writers, monetary contests and writing helps.

Gabbert would also like to publish her stories, but she isn't sure what to do next. The publishing world is large and diverse, but a writer can usually find an outlet for their specific field.

Delosliterary.org provides a publishing outlet specifically for undergraduate students. They submissions each year and the writer whose work is selected to be published receives $100.

Dr. Jennifer Sinor, an associate professor at Utah State University, wrote a non-fiction book titled The Extraordinary Work of Ordinary Writers. The book began as a dissertation for her PhD at University of Michigan. She had been given the journals of her great-great-great Aunt Annie, a homesteader in the Dakotas during the nineteenth century. After the dissertation was well received, Sinor made some revisions and sent book proposals out to several presses with a sample chapter.

When trying to have a book published by a press Sinor said a person can do this one of two ways. First you could send the book yourself, including a book proposal and one or two chapters of the book. A query letter or proposal outlines what the book is and why it fits what that particular press publishes.

A certain press publishes in certain categories. Sinor said, "This is true of all presses. It's their footprint.

"You have to do your homework to find out where your work matters." Many rejections are because writers send their work to publishers who don't publish in that field. They wouldn't send a romance novel to an academic press."

Chis Cokinos, editor of Isotope: A journal of Literary Nature and Science Writing, said the number one reason he rejects work is because it doesn't meet the taste or standards of the journal. When researching a press pay attention to what they're publishing. To do this a writer can read books within that field and check where they're published or research through the Internet or other writers.

"People should read the journals they submit to," he said.

One Web site that Sinor recommends for writers is Newspages. This site lists various publishers and what they publish. It also offers directories of magazines and journals that publish submitted material.

Eserver.org recommends Writers' Market and Literary Marketplace. Both are books that contain directories of publishers.

For fiction writers the book, Novel and Short Story Writer's Market provides information "for you, no matter what type of fiction you want to write, whether you are just beginning or already published."

If a writer doesn't want to go through this process the second way they can submit their work is through a literary agent. According to Soyouwanna.com agents, if they like a manuscipt, will shop it to publishers for around 15 percent of the final deal. This can have an advantage because agents already have a relationship with the publishers and some publishers won't accept manuscripts directly from writers.

After Sinor submitted her proposal she had several presses that were interested in her work. The next step is to send the entire manuscript to the press. She recommends picking one press, sending them the manuscript and waiting to hear if they're interested. This way publishers aren't fighting over manuscripts.

Sinor sent her manuscript to the University of Iowa Press where it then was the submitted to an in-house read. They is when the press decides if the manuscript is something that they want to publish. After it passed the review Sinor's book was sent out to peer reviewers. Sinor said peer reviewers are writers who have published in the particular field that the book is a part of. These reviewers are scholars, who up-to-date in that field and can check the manuscript for accuracy and factual errors. They report back to the press and their opinion holds great weight. After that a final decision is made on publishing the manuscript.

Sinor said it took a year to a year and half to determine if they would publish her manuscript. She said it's the writer's responsibility to check the progress of the book every few months.

She advises writers to be patient with the process. "Not hearing back can be a good thing. It means they're considering it," she said. "If you hear back quickly it's usually rejected."

If a work is rejected the writers aren't usually told why. They just receive a form letter saying their work has been rejected. Sinor said sometimes if you're really close to what the publisher is looking for the editor might send small notes to you.

For Sinor's manuscript it took the University of Iowa Press about another six months after agreeing to publish her book, for her to receive a published copy. She hadn't even seen the cover. The press decided the cover and the title. Her book was published in 2002.

The day it arrived she said was exciting. "But ultimately anti-climatic."

Sinor said it's a lesson all writers should pay attention to. "Writing isn't about publishing, it's about the journey. It's the act of writing that brings you the joy."

And just because your book is published doesn't mean you'll be rich. Many of the academic presses such as Iowa don't pay for scholarly books Sinor said.

For writers still in the writing process, Sinor said there are many outlets for writers to receive help on their works. Writers can attend various workshops offered at a college or in the community. A writer can form their own workshopping group with other writer in their area. Local bookstores might post these groups and where they meet.

Cokinos recommends reading and more reading to improve writing. He also said, "to write not with publication in mind but posterity." If the work is very good "then it will find a home."

For writers who have given up on having someone else publish their book, there are many ways to self-publish a manuscript. Lulu.com offers such a service. According to their Web site having your book published is as easy as clicking a button. They publish your book as is with no editing. They then offer the book for sale on their Website. They print the book as it is ordered so don't pay unless it sells. For this service they charge 20 percent of sales in royalties.

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