Site Web Get a free search engine for your site

Sept / Oct 2003 Finding the Right Publisher for your Writings by Christine Jette, RN, BA

It’s time to make your list of publishers to contact. After all, you need something on the front of your envelope or in your E-mail address box. Why waste time sending your baby to a publisher who’s not interested in your topic? Please note: E-publishing is another topic. I am writing about traditional book publishers.

Writer’s Market is the granddaddy of all resources for writers and the best-selling writer’s reference in North America. It is published each September and lists addresses, phone numbers, details on types of material to submit, names of editors, and whether or not you need an agent. It will also tell you if the publishing house accepts simultaneous or multiple submissions (sending your query or manuscript to many houses at once) or exclusive single submissions (sending to only one house at a time).

In Writer’s Market, you can look up publishers by category and find out what they are currently emphasizing. It also lists their newest release and suggests trends, or hot topics. You’ll find about 30 new age publishers and many more when you add spirituality, women’s studies and alternative categories.

One of the biggest mistakes writers make is to rely solely on Writer’s Market. It is a good place to begin, but it has only 35% - 40% of all markets available to writers. The easiest and least expensive way to expand your horizons is to spend time in a large bookstore or library. Find the type of book you want to publish and see who published it. Write the information down. Determine how you can make the book better.

Next, call the publisher and ask for a front list catalog, usually costing between $2.50 and $5.00. A front list consists of the books the publishing house has just published and a list of forthcoming books in the next four to six months. It will show you the publisher’s current subject interest. (Please refrain from actively pitching your book idea on the phone. It doesn’t go over well. Your writing should do all the talking for you.)

The following list of resources is not exhaustive, but it will give you a good start on matching the right publisher with your book. Before you buy anything, look in a major library for copies of these publications.

Literary Market Place (Published yearly). An excellent guide for writers hoping to publish their books. www.literarymarketplace.com

Publishers Weekly (weekly magazine). Cahners, 245 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011, 800-278-2991. This is the trade journal of the book publishing industry. www.publishersweekly.com

Writer’s Market (Published yearly by Writer’s Digest). An informative guide to different types of markets, including book publishers. Hardcover or CD-ROM. www.writersmarket.com (Online subscription is $2.99 a year)

• Pen to paper: Using the resources above, develop a list of publishers to contact. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Start with six to ten houses. The wider you spread your net, the greater your chances of success.
Coming Next Issue: Query Letters—Your Written Sales Pitch


Christine Jette, RN, BA in psychology, is a Therapeutic Touch practitioner and professional tarot consultant and author of Tarot Shadow Work, Tarot for the Healing Heart and Tarot for All Seasons. (Llewellyn Publications, 2000 / 2001)
Forthcoming books: Writing for the New Age Market (Crossquarter Pub. Group, early 2003) and Professional Tarot: The Business of Reading, Consulting and Teaching (Llewellyn July 2003) www.findingthemuse.com