Article
Members Only
October 4, 2016
By Tobias Carroll
Writing a book is a challenge for any author, from someone working on their debut novel to a veteran scribe finishing their twentieth book. But while finishing a manuscript represents one accomplishment, there’s still another imposing one lurking in the distance: finding someone to publish it. While having an agent can help, it isn’t an insurmountable obstacle to publish without one. A 2014 profile of William T. Vollmann noted that he had no agent for his first seven books. Some writers may also prefer to work without an agent for the experience of dealing directly with publishers, avoiding paying a percentage on any advances, and having a more direct immersion in the publishing process. My own experience, which involved two books released by independent presses in 2016, also serves as an example that publication without an agent is an attainable goal.
If you are seeking publication without an agent, it helps to have a few things in mind as you enter the process. There are plenty of resources out there for writers, and using them correctly can be incredibly helpful as you make your way towards publication. But just as no two writers are alike, neither are any two books, and a strategy that might work well for one of your peers could be much less effective for your own work. Above all else, your search for a publisher should be geared around the kind of writing you’re doing. If an independent press has an open call for submissions and their focus is horror fiction, it probably won’t be the ideal place for you to submit your memoir of traveling in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Most of the publishers you’ll be researching will be independent presses and presses affiliated with a university. (Or, in a case like FC2, which has several prizes to which writers can submit, they’re something of a hybrid of the two.) Most big publishing houses will only accept work submitted by agents. There are rare exceptions, but, by and large, the route you’ll be taking will be through a host of independent, university, and academic presses.
Once you’ve narrowed your search down to publishers that would be a good fit for your book, you’ll need to get things ready to send out. Some publishers will consider proposals for works of nonfiction. The specifics can vary from publisher to publisher, but in general, you’d want to have at least a sample chapter and a detailed outline ready. If you’re submitting a work of fiction—either a novel or a short story collection—odds are good that you’ll need to have a completed manuscript ready to go. Many independent publishers will have information on their websites about whether they take unsolicited manuscripts and, if so, what they’re looking for.
Whether you’re submitting a manuscript or a proposal, take some time to look it over. Make sure that your formatting is consistent, that you’ve selected a readable font, and that nothing seems out of order. You’re going to need to impress whoever’s reading your manuscript with whatever’s inside. The last thing that you need to have happen is for something completely unrelated to distract them from the story you’re trying to tell. Mismatched page numbers, fonts that change size from chapter to chapter, or glaring typos can all distract a reader from your work, and make them more likely to reject it.Some writers opt to hire a freelance editor to work on their manuscript before sending it out. (The Editorial Freelancers Association maintains a directory; some authors may offer similar services on their websites.) This can be helpful, especially if you’d like to get another set of eyes on your book and some potentially useful feedback. But just as you wouldn’t send your science fiction epic to a press that specializes in fishing memoirs, you should also make sure that a freelance editor has worked on books similar to yours, and can offer advice that’s useful and constructive.
An editor who’s an expert in one genre might not be as qualified to offer advice about something that’s in a completely different field. Make sure to ask them some questions about the books they’ve worked on before, their own areas of interest, and if they can provide any testimonials or references. The right editor might be able to offer a perspective on your work that you’d never considered, benefiting it immensely—but finding them can take a little extra time.
When submitting work and reaching out to editors and publishers, there are some other things that you’ll also want to have prepared. Many of the people you’ll talk to will ask for some combination of this information before requesting a full manuscript:
If you have a public-facing social media presence, be aware that publishers may look you up there as well, and act accordingly. If you have a website featuring links to things you’ve written, make sure that those links are relatively current—an editor who goes there, clicks through, and finds a bunch of 404 errors may not be impressed. And if your website doesn’t have links to published work you’re proud of—add them.
As alluded to earlier, researching publishers is important, both for the relevance of your book’s subject matter and for their own policies on manuscript submissions. Many independent presses list their submission policies on their websites. Keep track of these and be respectful of them: if a publisher says that they don’t accept unagented submissions, you sending their main contact email address a host of messages isn’t going to change their mind. If the publisher does accept them but doesn’t provide more details, email the contact address with a brief description of your project and ask what materials you should submit for consideration. Some might ask for a full manuscript; others might want to see an excerpt. It will vary from publisher to publisher.
Again: be polite. Being told that your manuscript was rejected, or that a publisher’s submission window is now closed, is understandably bad news. No one likes rejection. But taking it out on someone working at that press is not going to convince them to make an exception for you.
Some publishers may have finite reading periods for manuscripts. Some will mention this on their websites; others may announce it on social media or via an email newsletter. Keep track of these. If something is several months away, set a reminder in your calendar. Open reading periods can lead to publication, as can contests, which often focus on a specific type of manuscript. These are great ways to have your work looked at by presses; additionally, journals like Entropy (with their recurring “Where to Submit” feature) frequently compile lists of open reading periods and contests that can result in publication.
You should also keep a record of where you’ve submitted manuscripts or queries. Spreadsheets can be very useful for this; you’ll want to note things like the name of the press, the date you submitted work, and (if applicable) what you sent them. If the publisher uses an application like Submittable to handle submissions like this, you’ll have some of this data available when you log in, but it’s best to keep track of this separately as well. And if your book does get accepted by a publisher when it’s under review from another publisher, it’s good form to let that other publisher know so that they don’t spend time reviewing a manuscript that’s already been taken by another press.
Finding a publisher without an agent can be a formidable challenge—but then, so is writing a book in the first place. Having a sense of the best practices to employ when doing your research and an idea of the resources out there can make a difficult project that much more streamlined. And sometimes the people you encounter as part of the process may be interested in a future project of yours. The route to publication is a complicated one, but can lead to a host of rewards.
Tobias Carroll is the author of the short story collection Transitory and the novel Reel.
