Let me tell you about a book, but first let me tell you about why I’m reading it.
I write, do you?
I write a lot of science fiction. Am I published? Sort of, I have a story on Amazon’s Kindle Vella and a nonfiction dog training book that’s out there as both an ebook and audiobook, but that’s just the start of an avalanche of words I’m spilling out everyday for a novel that I really want to put out in the traditional publishing world. I’m sure it would be fine if I self-published, but I believe in this book like it were my ivy-league-bound child. I’ve often heard of stories being compared to children. This child of mine is a star athlete on the soccer pitch of sci-fi ideas.
Great right? But now that the book is almost grown, I have to start thinking about how I’m going to publish it. Since you’ve found this article, maybe you’re someone in a similar boat. You’ve had ideas, you’ve written them down, maybe you’re like me and you’re almost done, but now what?
Let me know about your projects in the comments, I’d love to hear.
Dealing with an Oversaturated Market
With the up-rise of self publishing in the book market, especially science fiction, my market, and the consolidation of big publishers, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. That’s why I bought this book that I promised to tell you about. Here it is: Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents. I apologize for how that link looks, those of us who use Amazon affiliate links have the burden of using what we’re given.
Anyway, of everything I’ve read so far from blogs, etc. this book has the most concise, easy-to-read, no nonsense answers to how to break into the world of publishing. Jeff says that about 1 in 1,000 books submitted to publishers will get published. That’s why you have to play the game more aggressively than you might think. Jeff says:
“As a writer with an unpublished manuscript, your destination is blocked by a cabal of trolls generally referred to as editors and agents. First, you must get them to read your work. This is done by pitching them, which means you must convince them to actually look at your work without summarily assigning it to the abyss.”
Jeff Herman
Herman gives the magic number of 10 for the number of agents to pitch to at a time. To be honest, I would never have guessed that, so I’m glad I’ve read his book.
Up to Date Information
Herman’s book is up to date and full of a fantastic directory of agents and publishing editors to start pitching. I haven’t begun that part of my journey yet, but I will soon. It’s exciting and thoroughly daunting all at the same time. I think I felt less intimidated meeting my drill sergeants for the first time.
Never mind, that’s a lie.
But the list is more than names. Each agent introduces themselves and what they’re looking for, saving you a lot of time. I’ve already got a few that I’m planning to reach out to here soon.
The up to date information combined with Herman’s years of expertise makes for a very interesting read. He talks about starting out back in the days of everything snail mail. Oddly enough, he says that snail mail is still a good way to go because it can help you stand out from the hundreds of email submissions that your work might otherwise have to climb out of. However, I’m sure every agent is different.
Saving Time and Effort
Researching publishers and their submission requirements can be time-consuming and frustrating. Jeff Herman’s Guide streamlines this process, putting all the essential information in one place. By investing in this guide, you can save countless hours of research and focus your energy on perfecting your manuscript and submissions. That’s what it seems like. I’ll let you know once I’m published in ten years. Just kidding, sort of.
But I feel like that with this access to insider knowledge, detailed profiles, and expert advice, I’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions.
Showing My Work
If you’ve followed the progress of my blog, you know that I’ve written on multiple topics. I want this website to be mainly where I show my work, where my creative journey can be documented with a sense of community. So, on that note. Have you read this book? Do you have any others you would recommend for authors looking to “break out.”
