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It goes without saying (so of course I'm going to say it). Not every publisher publishes every genre or type of book. What might be only slightly less obvious is that you, the writer, need to match what you pitch to the right market.
This, of course, is where literary agents enter the fray and do a pretty good job of taking that responsibility off a writer's shoulders. But even if you're fortunate enough to have the best literary agent in the world, remember: No one knows your book better than you do. That means it behooves you to make sure that your agent understands the market for |
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your book (the intended reader), what publishers you think might be appropriate (she already knows that, but sometimes a writer thinks of one or two that the agent has missed), and anything else you can think of that might be of help.
Naturally, if you don't have a literary agent, all that stuff about matching your book to the right publisher sits squarely in your lap. The question becomes: How do you find out which publisher is publishing your genre or type of book?
Back in the good old days of publishing, before the advent of sports drinks and wide-screen TVs, writers used to rely upon one of two magazines geared specifically to their marketing needs: The Writer and Writer's Digest. After a while, W.D. brought out a new publication, an annual guide called Writer's Market (now online at www.writersmarket.com). It tells you lots of things about publishers, their needs, and their markets, as well as markets for other creative artists, such as photographers, poets, greeting-card writers, composers, and journalists.
Of course, running an Internet search can also prove helpful. Entering "Romance Novel Publishers" into Google's search engine brings up several million responses. Among the first sites listed is one that provides several dozen links to different romance publishers, broken down further into various sub-groups. Clicking on a link takes you to the publisher's site, where you can spend hours perusing the offerings there.
For my money, though, I favor AmSAW's own "HotSpots," a listing for professional members of some of the best/newest/boldest publishers around--both print magazine and print book (and some eBooks). It gives you a thumbnail sketch of what the publishers publish, a live link to their sites, and any other pertinent information available, including genres and types of things they publish. All in one easily accessible location.
In addition, AmSAW's "Bits and Bytes," which can be found at the bottom of each month's SCRIBE! Media Magazine Pro's "BooksBeat" column, lists acquiring editors and their companies' latest acquisitions. If you see a publisher that recently acquired a historical novel, you can bet your ink cartridges they'll be receptive to acquiring others.
The bottom line is that there are resources all around you for matching your book to the specific needs and wants of hundreds--even thousands--of publishers. But you'll never find them by sitting on your thumbs. So, get out there, get busy, and get published.
In the meantime...
Smoke if you got 'em.
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