Finding the Perfect Publisher
by Carol

You’ve written a wonderful book for children. You’ve revised it and polished it. You’ve sent it through your critique group. You’ve revised it some more. And now you’re ready to send that baby out into the world to find a publishing home. Where do you send it?

Every advice you get says: “research publishers.” That means 1) don’t just send it out willy-nilly starting with ABC publisher and ending with XYZ; 2) don’t flood the publishing houses so that they’re forced to close even more doors to unsolicited submissions; 3) don’t waste your postage sending it to a house that doesn’t publish the genre you’ve written.

So you’re going to research publishers. How in the world do you do that? You’ll get advice that says “go to the bookstore/library and read. Find books that are similar to yours and send your manuscript to them.” That’s fine advice, but pretty limiting in scope. Other advice will say “Check websites and publications to see who’s looking for what.” This advice includes SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Other advice says “Check the most recent CWIM (Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market) or Children’s Writers Marketplace. To me, that’s the best advice.

But once you buy one of those daunting 2” catalog and lug it home, how exactly do you research it? Here is what I do.

1.    First, I make a list of all of the manuscripts and book proposals I am looking to sell. I list them by name and then divide them into genres. Give each genre a code, such as PB (picture book); MG (middle grade novel); YA (young adult novel); NF (non-fiction); R (religious). You can subdivide your books any way that makes sense for you, but doing this helps clarify what you’re looking for. For example, there are fewer publishers for a book with a religious angle, so separating that category will help you sort out unlikely publishers.

2.    Be aware that these resources are published each year. That means the information in them may change from year to year. And in fact, by the time the book arrives on the bookstore shelf, some of that new information is already out of date. Once I have my list of genres, I then go through my market guide one publisher at a time. Using either a different colored marker for each genre, or simply circling phrases in the publisher info section or writing in the margin, I note which publishers do which genres. I also circle or highlight whether the publisher accepts unsolicited manuscripts.

3.    I then go back through the guide and select the most promising publishers. If they have a website, I go directly there and glean more information; especially checking their online catalog. If it’s an obvious mismatch, that publisher is crossed out from my guide. If it looks promising, I move to the next step.
4.    I go to the library or bookstore and check out any books that look like they have the same flavor as mine. If my book very closely resembles the story of that book, then chances are they will not be interested in mine. But if it feels like my book would generally fit with their list, then I add that publisher to my list of houses to submit.
5.    I then check through any sources I know to confirm the information I have. These include SCBWI, Jan Fields site, Verla Kay’s site, Jacketflap. Remember that as soon as the market guides come out in print, some of the information is already out of date.
6.    With my list, I begin submitting. If the publisher doesn’t allow simultaneous submissions, then I have to decide if I want to put that manuscript on hold until I hear back from the editor. If the publisher DOES allow simultaneous submissions then I pick 2-4 publishers and in my submission letter I state that it is a “multiple submission to a very few selected publishers.” I also state any compelling reason I may have for selecting that particular publisher, based on my research. Remember that publishing is a business and an editor may be more impressed by you if she knows that you understand that, too.

You may be saying, “I’m exhausted!” Yes, it is a lot of work. But take it step by step. And remember that once you’ve done this research, you’ve got it set up until the next market guide comes out. Also remember that after you’ve done the research once, you’re much more familiar with which publishers do what and how. So next year, the process becomes simply confirming information, keeping up with new books, and researching new publishers that have come onto the market since last year.

Good luck!