Have you ever tried to find a publisher who accepts unsolicited manuscripts that is really good? If so, you’ll know that it’s difficult because most major publishers don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts and the smaller publishers who do are always suspect. So what do you do? Many people have found success by making sure they dot their i’s and cross their t’s before they go ahead and submit their manuscript. But there are a few things you should research before you do submit your manuscript and implement a series of questions to ask yourself to ensure you don’t get in trouble with a publisher who isn’t honest, quality, or worth the hard work you have put into your manuscript. This post will tell you what you need to know to make sure you select a great publisher that will give you the best chances to get your book published with a quality publisher.
Criteria for a Unsolicited Manuscript Submission to a Publisher
If you’re looking for a publisher who is accepting unsolicited manuscripts, the best method to ensure you end up with a publisher that gives you the best chance of quality sales and a good contract is by looking for these things:
- Make sure you check out their previously published books. Check the reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, blogs, etc. which lets you see how their previous books did. If they didn’t do well, you’ll have trouble selling your book if you sign the contract.
- Ensure you contact other authors who have published with the publisher to see their experiences. Without knowing how the editing and attitude was you won’t have any idea of how good they are and what they can offer your manuscript.
- Any good publisher should let you ask hard question before you submit. This is important because if they don’t have customer service before they publish you then they probably won’t have any after you sign the contract for your manuscript.
- They will never ask for money from you otherwise they aren’t really trying to publish, but trying to get at your wallet.
- Check out their social media to see if they are a new age publisher or an old school publisher. New age publishers will have a better idea of where to get their books published in the new eBook world than an old school publisher.
While not necessary, some great bonus features of a great publisher are famous editors, best sellers, and unique marketing methods.
Now that you know how to choose a publisher accepting unsolicited manuscripts, you’re ready to start looking without worrying about whether you will be getting caught up in a scam.
Remember that major publishers like Penguin, Harper-Collins, and Bookkus do sometimes accept unsolicited manuscripts so keep your eyes open because there are chances that they will open their doors in the coming years and it is always good to get you book into the hands of a major publisher due to their connections. Small publishers shouldn’t be overlooked either. Sometimes they are the best in their niche. If your books is specific, think about giving them a try.
William Yatscoff is founder and CEO of Bookkus Publishing. The company was founded on using a crowd to choose which books to publish allowing better books to be chosen and giving quality feedback to authors. The company opened in September 2012 and is currently looking for authors who wish to submit manuscripts on the site in order to get published. Bookkus is always open for manuscript submissions from aspiring authors.
