Submitting Literary Works
Students who are members of a group called PALASA at Southern Crescent Technical College asked Debbie Jones to speak April 7 for their creative writing group. These are the questions they specifically asked Debbie to cover. She, in turn, did a spontaneous poll of friends and colleagues who are in the publishing industry. Here are my answers which I thought may be helpful to you as well. Please read the Loiacono Literary Agency guidelines for more details.
https://loiaconoliteraryagency.com/submission-guidelines/
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1. I’ve always heard that publishers would rather publish writers who are already published. How do you get published without being published? Well, sometimes you have to start with smaller publishers who are establishing themselves as well. It is a win-win situation, especially if both the author and the publisher are highly, self-motivated and ready to do whatever it takes to sell books. Sometimes these small houses sell lots of books with better royalty percentages and eventually merge with bigger houses which, in turn, means better sales. Then everyone sees this author in a different light. Please read this blog I did: https://loiaconoliteraryagency.com/on-this-day-of-your-life-i-believe-god-wants-you-to-know-that-enthusiasm-means-everything-not-just-a-little-everything/
2. Are all publishing opportunities worth pursuing? If not, how do you tell the good from the bad? That is where having an agent is beneficial. Agents deal with editors/publishers on a daily basis and know from experience what is good or bad. Never go with ANYONE who asks for money upfront. You may as well self-publish and keep all the profits. This includes publishers who tell you in the contract that you have to buy/pre-purchase any number of copies upfront. NO. Do not do it.
3. How do you avoid being taken advantage of in the publishing world? Get an agent. Having an advocate/mediator/professional to look out for your best interest, is a plus.
4. What websites or other resources should aspiring writers look to for publishing opportunities? Anything that is FREE. Try to avoid sites that require a membership, reading fee or that asks you to buy some of their books first, then after reading, submit your work. Do your research. Use Google to find anything you are interested in within your genre.
5. What is the best way (or ways) to pitch a book idea to a publisher? YOU DON’T. You get an agent. Agents make sure your work is polished, does a submission package, researches the correct acquisition editors to submit to and then does it via the agency. 99.9% of the publishers out there will delete or shred any submissions coming directly from an author. They get tons of submissions yearly and know if it comes from an agency, it is not junk. Put yourself in their shoes. Uh-huh.
6. How do you retain your creative integrity if editors want you to change your writing beyond your comfort level? That is a decision you must make. Do you want to be published that bad? First-time authors need to get some publishing credits in order to advance their careers. I know your manuscript is your baby; you think it is perfect the way it is, yep, but it is not. No matter how many have proofed it beforehand, it will need to be edited for content and copy edited. You must get past it. It is like taking your child to kindergarten the first day. You have to cut the umbilical cord several times before they fly. You have to give up a little bit of control or you may never be published. If you have signed a contract with a publisher and it is stated in that contract that they have the final decision, and all do, you have to swallow the editing pill and hope you feel better in the morning. That is why self-publishing has such a bad name. SO many books are out there that are just bad—period. They have not been edited in any way, professionally, or were “edited” poorly. Get an agent and let them get you a good publisher. A good editor works with the author to perfect a story he/she has fallen in love with/believes in and wants to see soar.
7. What advice can you give for developing the thick skin necessary to deal with rejection? Let your agent take the hits, give you constructive feedback and send you all the positive information, as well as the bites. If I sent my authors all the responses, most would be on anti-depressants. I take it in stride knowing that particular publisher was not the one. It all happens in God’s time, not ours. So when the right one sees what we see, then you can do the Snoopy Dance.
8. What advice do you have for someone interested in self-publishing an e-book? You can do whatever you like, but from my POV, I don’t recommend self-publishing unless it is a personal memoir, cookbook or family history that you just want to see in print or on an ebook. Those are hard to sell if you are not a celebrity. Anything else, get an agent.
9. Do you have any advice for someone wishing to specifically carve a path into writing for TV and film? Do your research, friend those in the industry on all the social medias, send them samples of your work and get an agent. Agents have contacts/connections you don’t. You will be taken advantage of without one.
Debbie is a freelance editor, artist and teacher (and she can sing!)
D. Savannah George
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