• Contemporary

    Researching a Publisher: 3 Author Tips by Mary Caelsto @harmoniczen #RLFblog #musecharmer

    Mary Caelsto 
    More choices for authors means more ways to publish and more
    publishers. Having a completed, polished manuscript is only part of the work of
    getting published. The next step is to find a publisher. With so many companies
    arriving on the scene and going out of business, it can be difficult–maddening
    even–to find a publisher. So what’s an author to do?
    The very first thing I suggest to authors is to leverage the
    power of a favorite search engine. This shouldn’t be the only criteria an author
    uses to choose a publisher. It can, however, provide a good start. The best way
    to search is to use proper terms. The publisher’s full name should be searched with
    quotation marks around it to ensure that the name as an entire phrase comes up.
    For example, searching “ABC Books” without the quotes will bring up results
    with “books” in it, but not the ABC. That probably won’t be very helpful.
    Even if the publisher has a unique name, use the quotes. What you feel is unique
    may not be when searched against the entirety of the internet.
    Next add a modifier. I use a word like problems or issues. The
    way this looks in a search engine is like this:
    “Publisher full name” + problems
    Then, look at the results that come up. Newer dates are bigger
    issues, as are venues. Let’s take a moment for some honesty. No publisher will make
    every author happy. This means that there is a good chance that some result will
    come up. A story in Publisher’s Weekly or other high visibility blog will raise
    more alarm bells than a single result from one author.
    It is the author’s job to determine which issues, if any, aren’t
    deal breakers. Personally and for many authors, any issues make the publisher a
    non-starter. There are too many good publishers out there to get caught with the
    bad ones.
    Beyond a search engine, the next step in smart publisher research
    is doing some good old-fashioned leg work. Visit the publisher’s website. Look at
    their covers. See if they lean heavily to a specific genre or subset of books. An
    author should make sure that his or her books will fit in well with the publisher’s
    literary culture (or lack thereof). A sweet romance author in a sea of erotic books
    where it’s obvious the website and publisher caters toward the steamier books wouldn’t
    be a good fit, for example.
    Yet, there’s one more tool for smart publisher research: reading
    the books. Yes, this takes time. Yes, this may be an investment. However, the prettiest
    cover and best laid out website could conceal books with poor editing. If an author
    absolutely cannot find time to read books, then check reviews. Many good review
    sites will mention issues with editing or storyline problems.
    There’s more to publisher research than these three steps; however,
    by starting with these processes, the author will have a good feeling which publishers
    will do right by them and whose books the author will feel proud about being among.
    Taking some time in publisher research will prevent trouble and heartbreak down
    the road. And, there’s a good chance it will lead to better sales.

    More Resources

    If you’re interested in learning more, join Mary starting August
    20, 2014 for Smart Publisher Evaluation for Career-Minded Authors. This week-long
    course will dive deep into the art of evaluating publishers so authors can avoid
    trouble, find the best fit for them, and know that they, and their work, will be
    supported. Learn more and register here: http://musecharmer.com/musestore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=75&products_id=212
    Daily Writing Inspiration: http://www.dailywritinginspiration.com
    Visit her website at www.musecharmer.com
    to get her free video presentation Tap Into Your Muse Power to learn exactly how
    an author’s muse is the most important tool for today’s working author.

    Author Bio

    Mary lives in the Ozarks with her husband, three spoiled horses,
    an office rabbit, an opinionated parrot, a not-so-itty-bitty kitty committee, and
    a charmed chicken (rooster). She’s been published since 2002, working for some of
    the biggest and best digital-first publishers. Three years ago, she began The Muse
    Charmer to share her insights from being in the publishing industry for so long
    with authors. Her belief: it can be easy to be an author today. To that end, she
    offers classes, news, and information authors can use to navigate today’s ever-changing
    publishing industry.

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    Website: http://www.musecharmer.com