The process of getting published by a publisher is not as difficult as you might imagine, providing you are looking to use a mainstream publisher and not some academic or independent publisher aimed at a niche market. Here are some steps to guide you through the process.
Have an Accepted Book Proposal Before You Start Writing
Unless you have found a publisher to accept a book proposal, especially for nonfiction books you will find that they will not entertain your manuscript. A publisher needs to receive the book proposal from a literary agent, and the agent will not read your manuscript without having first read and agreed with your proposal. So save yourself some blood, sweat and tears by defining the idea for your book before you start writing. The proposal that lands on the desk of the agent and the book publisher should be clear and straightforward, without creative flourishes.
Find an Agent and Streamline Your Book Proposal
Lots of hard work and a bit of luck will enable you to find an agent willing to take you on, it doesn't have to be the perfect pairing of author and agent, just so long as they are willing to contact the book publisher on your behalf. Start streamlining your original proposal, your agent needs to understand everything you are trying to achieve so that they can effectively sell your proposal to the book publisher.
Test the Market and Make a Deal
Your agent will send your refined proposal to just about every book publisher on their books, some will show interest, some will not. Sift through the available offers and go with the book publisher that offers the best deal, then go away and start working on your manuscript to meet the deadline from your book publisher.
Lastly, make sure you are always covering your bases - don't just opt for one publisher but rather survey the market and try to increase the chances of getting accepted, and submit to multiple publishers. It's also vitally important to do everything you can to get a face to face meeting with the publisher and really demonstrate your enthusiasm for the publication of your title. Book publishers are looking at your book as a business decision, remember this - the creativity you have put into your book is great, but ultimately it's about how many books they can sell.
If you can convince them that your book will sell, then you've done all the work.
Have an Accepted Book Proposal Before You Start Writing
Unless you have found a publisher to accept a book proposal, especially for nonfiction books you will find that they will not entertain your manuscript. A publisher needs to receive the book proposal from a literary agent, and the agent will not read your manuscript without having first read and agreed with your proposal. So save yourself some blood, sweat and tears by defining the idea for your book before you start writing. The proposal that lands on the desk of the agent and the book publisher should be clear and straightforward, without creative flourishes.
Find an Agent and Streamline Your Book Proposal
Lots of hard work and a bit of luck will enable you to find an agent willing to take you on, it doesn't have to be the perfect pairing of author and agent, just so long as they are willing to contact the book publisher on your behalf. Start streamlining your original proposal, your agent needs to understand everything you are trying to achieve so that they can effectively sell your proposal to the book publisher.
Test the Market and Make a Deal
Your agent will send your refined proposal to just about every book publisher on their books, some will show interest, some will not. Sift through the available offers and go with the book publisher that offers the best deal, then go away and start working on your manuscript to meet the deadline from your book publisher.
Lastly, make sure you are always covering your bases - don't just opt for one publisher but rather survey the market and try to increase the chances of getting accepted, and submit to multiple publishers. It's also vitally important to do everything you can to get a face to face meeting with the publisher and really demonstrate your enthusiasm for the publication of your title. Book publishers are looking at your book as a business decision, remember this - the creativity you have put into your book is great, but ultimately it's about how many books they can sell.
If you can convince them that your book will sell, then you've done all the work.
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