As all of you know, Laura Baumbach is an icon in the publishing business as well as an award-winning author. So when I wanted to get the perspective of someone who knows both sides of the business intimately, her name came immediately to mind because I knew that she would give newbie or aspiring authors the straight goods. Here’s Laura’s excellent advice on how to get published:
*************
How to Get Published?
It’s a straightforward question that isn’t easily answered. The whole ‘getting published’ process has numerous layers to it. I’m going to assume for 
the purpose of this article that the writer has acquired a degree of writing skill. While this may be the first story they have decided to try and get published it is not their first attempt at writing a story. While they may not be a seasoned, multi-manuscript author, they know how to craft a story from beginning to end and craft three dimensional characters readers can relate to.
The first step is to take that awesome idea you had in the middle of the night or in the shower and write it down. Give it a beginning, a middle and an end. Craft a believable storyline with heroes readers want to root for. Include sub-plots and interesting secondary characters. Remember, your characters have five senses and keep atmosphere and setting in mind. Then when that’s done, reread it, rewrite it. Have someone else read it, if you trust their opinion. Read it out loud to yourself if you don’t have anyone. Use beta or critique groups if that type of sharing works for you. Evaluate their feedback. Make changes if you agree with their feedback. Polish your baby until it shines. But understand that if it is accepted somewhere for publication there is a huge chance the editor involved in making your work release ready will want you to rework anything from a few words to major portions of the manuscript. As pretty as it is now, every word most authors write, even the pros, are not golden. Yours aren’t either.
The second step in getting published is, now that you have the manuscript completed, find the appropriate publisher to submit it to. The best way to do that is to find presses that publish in the genre you are writing. Buy a few of their books, read them, make sure you like the quality of the house. See if you think your manuscript and their press are a good match. If you have contacts in the industry you can also ask around. Privately authors will discuss the pros and cons of the publishers they work with. And every place will have pros and cons. No one press is an exact fit for every author. Check on the sites that post warnings about problems with publishers to locate potential black holes you don’t want to fall into.
Third step. Once you have chosen a house, study their website, read their submission guidelines and follow them. Locate the correct submission email addy. Format the manuscript the way they tell you to, including the files they request, whether it is three chapters and synopsis or the entire manuscript. The key here is to send exactly what they ask for the way they ask for it. If you don’t follow directions now, you are telling them you won’t follow them when you go to editing. Include your name and contact information on everything you send them–the query letter, the synopsis, and the manuscript or files.
Don’t skimp on the query letter. Make it no longer than one page. Include a brief introduction of yourself, with mention of any writing accomplishments you might have, in the first paragraph. In the second, sell your storyline. Make it intriguing. Tell me why I want to read this story. Don’t tell them it is the best thing ever written or what a masterful author you are. If you or it is any of those things the editors will see it when they read the story. If not, you’ll just sound silly. The third paragraph should give a sense of what you plan on doing to promote the book—your Twitter, Facebook, author website, blog, autographing plans, and conference attendances planned, etc. Keep in mind the Internet has a permanent and long memory. It is not unusual for potential editors to research you on the net before offering contracts. If you don’t play nice with others, or have a history of rants or negative presence, it will affect how they perceive you and your work. Even if the best of authors are too much work in other areas of the industry, publishers will hesitate to deal with them repeatedly, if at all.
Your synopsis should not be a cliffhanger! If a press is to publish a story they really do need to know the whole storyline from start to finish, including all the spoilers. It should be a point by point outline of the plot and character development. No skimping here either.
Step four in the process is sometimes the hardest for unpublished. Once you have all these elements together, take a deep breath and submit them to the publisher of your choosing. Really, send it out. Make note in the submissions guidelines how long of a wait you can expect before hearing back from them. If that time period approaches and you haven’t heard from them besides an acknowledgment of receipt, send a polite inquiry to them to jog their memory and let them know you are still patiently waiting. Once you hear back from them, respond appropriately. If it was a ‘no thank you’, hopefully they included some feedback so you can see where they felt your manuscript was lacking. If it was an acceptance, then the real work has just begun.
Step number five is establishing good working relationships, not just with your editor but your fellow authors. Show you are willing to join loops, participate in other authors’ events, and generally present yourselves in a positive light within the industry environment and events. These are factors that keep open that publishing house door to more of your work.
Laura Baumbach’s Contact Information
email: mlrpress@gmail.com>
Publisher website: www.mlrpress.com
Author website: http://www.laurabaumbach.com/
Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to post my opinion on the subject, Wave. It is always appreciated.
Laura
I think the shoe is on the other foot. I am the one who is appreciative, especially since I knew how late you were working on this article night, after being out of town on the weekend.
Your reputation for helping aspiring and inexperienced writers can only be enhanced by this post.
After ten years in the genre, I know it’s my role to give back and open doors for others to enjoy the same kind of success I have found writing. It’s a small thing.
Great advice Laura. Sometimes it’s the simple things, being respectful, following directions, taking time to do it right the first time around. Thanks for sharing your advice and some really practical tips.
You’re welcome, Tam. I love seeing new authors entering the publishing field. There is so much talent out there waiting t be found and with a little work an author can stand out in the crowd for a publisher to notice them.
An insightful post, Laura. Loved reading it. 🙂
It’s a complex process that sounds simple at first. A lot of factors are actually factored in with that first acceptance of an author and their manuscript. It’s not just the story that the publisher is signing, it’s the author, too. Package deal. Sometimes a great story isn’t balance out by a diva author. Luckily, the field is full of talented AND professional people to keep that to a minimum.
All sound advice. Networking is another step in the process too.
It is, Faith. Joining loops, attending events, and doing chats are all part of the networking needed to establish one’s self in the industry.
Speaking as a new author whose first novel, “Home,” was just published by Laura, her advice here is golden. That is exactly how the process worked for me. What she modestly did not say was that her own house, MLR Press, has been a fantastic partner at every step of the way. Her’s is a very author-centric press whose family of staff and authors provide a very helpful and instructive support system.
I could not more highly recommend MLR to any new, or for that matter, veteran author.
Thank you so much, William. You have been the perfect example of a terrific ‘first time’ author. Professional, willing to learn, great at promoting your work and willing to ask questions about things when you don’t know the answer. And a gentleman all the way through, as well as a talented author. It’s been our privilege to be your publisher.
As yet another “William” in Laura’s stable of writers, this one having been around for a very long time, and published with many a publisher in that time, I can truthfully say that an author isn’t going to be any luckier than if he or she can manage to publish with Laura’s MLR Press or its two imprints. As a successful, respected, published author, herself, she’s tuned in to authors, in general, like very few, if any, publisher presently in the business. What’s more, she’s always out there working her tail off to get her books and her houses before the buying public. I simply love this gal, the risks she takes, and the way she’s always ready, willing, and able, to provide insight to newbies (like her article, here) and to those of us who have been around for more years than we like to count. Brava!
Thank you, William. One of things I love the most about writing romance is the variety of styles and tastes in both readers and authors. There is literally an author to fit every reader if they look. And I feel it’s part of my responsibility as a publisher to provide as much of that variety as I can. ManLove Romance Press provides m/m erotic romance and gay fiction, its imprints Passion In Print offer everything else in adult erotic romance, and Featherweight Press opens the door for YA in all genres. We are small, but quality means more to me than high author numbers or hundreds of titles released. We go for quality and we believe in working for it at a steady pace. There is a reason our authors bring home so many established literary awards nominations and wins. We just provide the publishing trail to the final showcasing of their awesome storytelling.
What a great article, Laura. I’m very excited about having the opportunity to publish my science fiction romance with Passion in Print. You really see the dedication to excellence, not only with your staff, but also with your authors. That says alot.
Thanks, DL, I appreciate your kind words. Know that I plan to live up to them with all the titles/authors at PIP and MLR!
Laura i just want to ask u, ? when it launched the next book in mexican heat? said it would launch a book every six months but what happened to tequila sunrise? and even seen the cover but can not find a link to buy the book..
Hi, Estaban. Unfortunately the collaboration ended after the first book. I hesitate to write the next book myself because it will feel different than one collaborated on and it might be a disappointment to readers.
Excellent advice, Laura. You’re a leader in the industry for a reason. You know the business better than most and never hesitate to help new and seasoned writers.
Destiny Blaine
Thanks, Destiny. It’s taken 10 years to reach this point. I enjoy sharing what I have learned by fire so others might have an easier time of it. Paying forward.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for the information–interesting and worthwhile. I asked Rick a question regarding “simultaneous submissions,” but I think my question came in a little late. Can you say something about this? Some publishers are very clear that they expect you to not submit to other publishers if you submit to them. However, they may not get back to you for months, if at all. I understand that if they accept your work, they don’t want to worry about competing offers. But how long should you wait?
Hi Erik,
Simultaneous submission are a dilemma for some. As an author I understand how difficult it is to wait on one press to decided over the course of weeks or months whether they want your work when you could be waiting on several places to decide.
As a publisher, I understand that an editor risks investing a large chunk of time in reading, evaluating, and writing a detailed letter discussing the manuscript with the author only to have it be a waste of effort because the manuscript went elsewhere by the time they responded, even if that response time was well within the stated waiting period.
Which translated to we don’t accept simultaneous submissions. Multiple submissions, yes, but not manuscripts that are being submitted to other presses at the same time as ours.
When an author submits to us, I have to hope they picked us because we are the press they want to be associated with, that we are the right fit for their work and that we have something to offer them that other presses don’t. And if that is true, they hopefully will be willing to risk 90 days or less waiting for the possibility of acceptance.
I also caution that if an author submits a story to several houses without disclosure and when offered a contract they respond with it has already been accepted by another house, the editor who just lost her time and effort will be less inclined to look favorably, if at all, on anything else that author might submit again. They will understandably see it as a potential loss from the start.