A Writer’s Guide to Navigating the Publishing Industry
There’s something undeniably enchanting about seeing your words come to life on the printed page and connecting with readers from around the globe. The allure of sharing your ideas, stories, or even your expertise with the world is the dream for many writers.
While the idea of publishing a book may seem exciting, navigating the publishing process can be a labyrinth. It requires a blend of passion, persistence, and a solid understanding of how to wade through the murky waters.
So, let’s take a look at the ins and outs of the publishing process and what you need before you start sending your manuscript out to the world.
Identify your genre and target audience
Before you start thinking about publishing, it is essential to identify your genre and target audience.
Knowing your genre will help you determine relevant publishers and agents who specialize in that genre. Understanding your target audience will help you tailor your writing to meet their expectations. For example, if you write young adult fiction, you will want to write in a style and tone that appeals to teenagers and young adults.
Publishers and agents are all about work that sells. If you can show that you know firmly where your book sits in the market and that you know the people your book will appeal to, you will have given yourself a head start. When you publish, your work ceases to be just about you and starts being about your readers.
If you don’t know who you’re writing for, then publishers won’t know who to sell to.
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Get feedback on your work from editors or beta readers
Feedback is crucial for any writer. You want to make sure your work is the best it can be before submitting it to publishers or agents.
If you can afford it, consider hiring an editor to review your work. If you can’t, then try joining a writing critique group or finding beta readers who can offer suggestions and feedback.
When you receive feedback, take it seriously and use it to improve your work. Don’t be afraid to ask your readers for specific feedback, and most importantly, never take their criticism personally.
Betas are your first readers, so try to choose people who read in your chosen genre. Don’t get friends and family to beta read for you, as they’re often not the audience you’re writing for and will find it hard to give you objective opinions. Also, avoid using only other writers as your beta readers, as they’ll often approach your work from a technical view, and not from a reader’s view.
You can learn more about how to get the most out of your beta readers in this post.
Research Publishers and Agents
Researching publishers and agents is an essential step in the publishing process. Agents often have specialisations or work closely with specific publishers, so knowing that in advance can help you avoid a lot of wasted time, and save you from unnecessary rejections.
Not only will agencies have specific types of books they look for, but each individual agent within those agencies will also have specific genres they represent. For instance, a children’s book agency might have one agent who deals only in picture books, while another represents only YA. If you pick the right agency, but the wrong agent, you’ll get a rejection, so be sure to be diligent.
Research is also important because you want to find publishers and agents who work in your who are reputable. Not all agencies are created equal, so you want to make sure you’re vetting your agents. See who they represent, and also make sure they actually manage to sell books to publishers; there are, unfortunately, a number of scam agencies out there, so it doesn’t hurt to be diligent. Check online reviews, and ask for referrals from other writers.
Want a little more help on how to vet literary agents? We got you!
Start Querying Agents
Once you have identified a list of agents and publishers you’d like to submit to, it’s time to start querying!
Agents, and publishers if you decide to submit directly, have very strict submission guidelines, so be sure to read them carefully in the research stage. And incorrectly submitted query will be an instant rejection.
It is essential to be patient during this process as it can take time to hear back from agents and publishers. If you’d like to learn more about querying agents, we’ve got a detailed outline in the Reading Room!
Don’t Stop Writing
While you’re waiting for responses from agents and publishers, it’s crucial to keep writing. Do not stop writing, even if the rejections come in. This might not be the book that makes it, but you’ll learn so much from the process that it’ll be even easier to navigate the next time.
Rejections will be part of the process, so be mentally prepared for that. But throwing yourself right back into the thing you love takes away a lot of the sting.
If you love to write, keep writing, and then keep trying. There are no quick wins when it comes to publishing. It’s hard work, and it’s not always joyful. So keep your eye on the prize, and make sure you stay on that horse. The world deserves to read your words.
Resources
- Twitter is a great place to find information from agents. Agents will often post threads on what they’re looking for and will announce when they’re open for submissions. There are also fantastic Twitter pitch events that can help authors find agents. You can learn more about them here.
- The Writers’ and Artists Yearbook is an annual publication from Bloomsbury that covers most of the big agents and publishers, going through their genre specialisation and submission guidelines. While the majority of the book is specific to UK agents, there is a useful section on US and overseas agents, too, that will list the biggest ones.
- Before querying, try to keep up to date with industry news sites like Publisher’s Weekly or The Bookseller. That way, you’ll know what kind of books are trending and get a feel for where your book sits in the market.