Manuscripts, Agents, Typography A tip sheet for self-publishers By Jennifer Joseph
The process of getting published takes a thick skin (there's a lot of rejection), a bunch of money (mailing manuscripts requires postage) and a wagonload of patience.
But don't let that discourage you. I'll always remember getting published for the first time by a cool 'zine called Lobster Tendencies, which I bought at City Lights bookstore. It's a rare thrill to see one's work in print, and even more fun to see it for sale in a cool bookstore. Here are a few hopefully helpful publishing tips from a slightly cranky literary publisher.
Getting published
Always read a publication first before submitting your work. Learn about the editorial viewpoint and specific areas of interest. Guidebooks like the "CLMP Directory of Literary Magazines and Presses" and magazines like Poets & Writers list calls for submission, grants, awards, and contests (which usually charge a $15-$25 "reading fee" to enter). Websites with good information include www.pw.org/ and www.writenews.com/.
If you're set on being published by the major New York commercial houses, you'll need an agent. Unless your work has appeared in the New Yorker, major book publishers have no interest in unsolicited poetry manuscripts or unagented, unsolicited fiction. It may be years before you find an agent for your work, another several years before you find out if anyone's interested in publishing it, and then another couple of years before it sees print. Agents usually take 15 percent of the manuscript's selling price. First books often garner a $5,000-$10,000 advance against royalties from NY houses, more if there's a bidding war. Get the biggest advance you can, because often that's all that you'll get paid, unless sub-rights like translations or film options are sold.
Literary agents are listed in the gargantuan industry tome Literary Market Place (www.literarymarketplace.com/). The Association of Authors' Representatives website has a downloadable agent directory at www.aar-online.org/. Smaller indie presses offer advances of $1,000 or less, but may pay royalties of six to eight percent based on actual sales. Often they pay in free copies. On the positive side, indie presses may keep your title in print far longer than major houses that will have your beloved book on the $2.98 table at Barnes & Noble within two years of its publication. Learn more about all this and more (copyrights, contracts, etc.) from the National Writers Union, www.nwu.org/, and the Authors Guild, www.authorsguild.org/.
Regardless of who you're sending writing to, follow these handy rules:
Get -- and follow -- the publisher's writers' guidelines (by mail or online).
Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of work and/or reply.
Make clear to editors whether or not the manuscript should be returned.
Run the spellcheck -- and have someone else do quick proofread before mailing.
Never send the only copy of your work.
Include a cover letter about yourself, your publishing history and any marketing ideas. Mention if you've read the publication.
Include contact info on every page, unless otherwise stated in the guidelines.
Check policies on simultaneous submissions to other publishers, and whether submissions via email or fax are acceptable.
Do not call or email the publication regarding your submission. Be patient.
Never pay a publisher to print your books. But do pay a printer -- preferably a book manufacturer -- to print your books.
Publishing it Yourself
So you've decided to forego the heartbreak of endless rejection, saved up some money and are ready to just publish the damn thing yourself. Good for you -- that's how Manic D Press got started. First, go to a bookstore and buy a book whose design --cover, typography -- you admire. Take a class in desktop publishing at City College, or teach yourself how to lay out text. Study everything about the book you admire: How wide are the margins? What information is on the copyright page? Is there a table of contents? What's on the back of the book? Take a few notes and try designing your own book.
All books sold in stores (and on Amazon.com) need an ISBN (International Standard Book Number, www.isbn.org/), kind of like a Social Security number for books. These can be expensive. Once you have an ISBN, get a barcode made instantly online at www.createbarcodes.com/ for $10, and drop it into your cover design.
Never pay a publisher to print your books. They charge up to four times the actual cost of manufacture because they're not publishing your work for editorial reasons -- they're publishing it to milk you dry. No distribution or promotion is provided, regardless of what is promised. The entire print run will have to be sold at retail to break even, which ain't gonna happen.
Do pay a printer -- preferably a book manufacturer. For small runs of under 1,000 copies, use a reliable on-demand printer. Recommended are DeHarts Printing Services in Santa Clara (www.deharts.com/) and Fidlar Doubleday in Michigan (www.fidlar-doubleday.com/). For print runs above 1,000 copies, check out United Graphics (www.unitedgraphicsinc.com/) and Bang Printing (www.bangprinting.com/). To get an accurate quote, you'll need the following information: title, quantity, page count, trim size (what size is the book?), cover stock and finish (glossy or matte?), paper stock (white? natural?), inks (four color? Black only?), binding and shipping destination.
Do you need proofs? Always! Look into sending digital PDF files, as most printers prefer them. Always request samples so you can see what kind of work the printer is doing.
Distribution is another headache, but everyone starts off with the hoof-and-woof method: Go into bookstores and see if they'll take some on consignment, usually on a 60-40 percent split with you getting the former. Send out copies for review and create a website. Set up a publisher's account directly with Amazon and sell them there. Contact the Publishers Marketing Association at www.pma-online.com. Get busy and maybe your art project will turn into a full-time career -- ya never know ...!
Publisher and editor Jennifer Joseph founded Manic D Press in 1984 (www.manicdpress.com/). She also writes literary criticism, lectures at universities, has appeared on CSPAN's BookTV, and hosted San Francisco's longest-running weekly poetry reading at the Paradise Lounge.
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