A - The world of publishing is very competitive and, especially now, in a state of uncertainty due to many factors, such as the global recession and the undercutting and closure of bookshops due to the rise of on-line retailers like Amazon. Emerging alternative technologies to printed books are another complication. Many publishers are uncertain of the future themselves and are therefore much less inclined to take market risks, as they might lose large amounts of money. However, they are in the business of making and selling books, so are also constantly searching for the right products and trends. My advice, to give yourself the best chance to get through this barrage of negativity, would be to observe and understand the market you are trying to enter as clearly as possible before approaching them with your ideas. One way to get some insight into publishing might be by participating in a writer’s and/or illustrator’s group or organisation. I have added some suggestions on this in the section other sources of advice, as well as some useful books that are full of better advice than I can outline here. In addition, go and have a look around with your own eyes at what’s selling in bookshops and on the internet. Research the number of pages, target age group, text length per page and ratio of text to pictures of the market you are aiming for to get as clear a picture as you can.
Also find out who publishes the kind of book you are creating. Look at publishers’ websites to see what they publish, as you can often order their catalogue via the website or by ringing their switchboard.
You’ll find that many of the larger publishing houses are segmented into different imprints specialising in books for different markets. It’s really important to find the right imprint, which will have its own name – for example, MacMillan Publishers Ltd has several imprints, including Campbell Books and Young Picador. MacMillan is the parent company.
Through your research, try to assess realistically whether your story might be of interest to your chosen publisher. Is it at the standard they publish already, and is it akin to some of their other books?
If, after your research and feedback from honest friends and colleagues, you feel confident that your work might get a favourable response from a publisher you’ve identified, look them up in the Writer’s & Artist’s Yearbook – see Other Sources of Advice. You’ll probably be able to find out whether the publisher is willing to see unsolicited manuscripts MSS. If they are unwilling, it’s a complete waste of time to send anything and your next best approach might be to find an Illustration Agent. If you can’t find out elsewhere, you could try ringing the publisher’s switchboard. If they confirm that they are willing to see unsolicited MSS, find out the name and role of the person you should send your package to."
I am interesting in illustrating children's books and found this section of Amanda hall's website with questions related specifically to getting a book published. Her answer starts off with some negative points but then quickly moves in to useful advice and links to organisations and books that provide information and guidance for illustrators and authors. In the interview she talks about the best ways to approach authors and the pro's and con's of being able to contact publishers worldwide. Technology means that we can now communicate with publishers all over the globe rather than being limited by our location or forced to move to find work. the downside is that publishers are now inundated with work and have had to make it harder to contact them directly. the level of competition has gone up and it is important to know the right ways to contact publishers and how to present your work to them. She mentions that if publishers like your work they will often keep a file of it that they can refer to when a job comes up that would suit your practice so if you do not hear back straight away it does not mean that you have wasted your time. She suggests getting in touch after a certain amount of time just to check that they have successfully received your work, this may even lead to you getting some feedback.
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