Many small, independent publishers accept queries directly from authors. If your dream publisher is not open to unsolicited manuscripts, then finding an agent is the way to go. However, if your manuscript is better suited to a smaller press and you're comfortable negotiating contracts and managing the business side of publishing, then approaching publishers directly might be the best option.
Approaching a press directly has the benefit of eliminating the middleman between the author and the press. All the advance and royalty payments stay with you and it's one less set of expectations and ideas to contend with. However, going agentless means more work for you during negotiations and you won't have the same kind of knowledgeable support behind you as you would with an agent. You also lose the benefit of the agent's connections in the industry.
Note: While publishers are unlikely to care if you have queried agents and been rejected, most agents will not consider manuscripts that have already been rejected by publishers since this means there are fewer publishers they can approach once they sign you.
Before You Query
Make sure your manuscript is as complete as you can make it. This means it has
been through multiple drafts.
been through a big-picture edit (evaluation or structural edit).
Note: It is recommended you have at least the first 20,000 words/50 pages of the manuscript copy edited. While this isn't strictly necessary (publishers will do their own edit), the cleaner the manuscript on submission the better your chances of signing a deal.
been assessed by beta readers.
These can be professionals, friends, family or members of a writing group.
Once your manuscript is as good as you can make it,
know your genre, word count, series info (if applicable) and comp titles.
do your research. Find publishers that are interested in the type of manuscript you wrote.
Find the best email address to send your query to (and ideally the contact person's name).
understand the submission requirements and collect everything necessary.
Check submission dates. Many publishers that accept author submissions limit these to specific times of year.
create a document to track your queries.
*See Finding an Agent for general tips for querying.
Finding a Publisher
Note: While this advice is geared towards Canadian authors, the same tips can be used for querying in other territories.
Most small and mid-sized Canadian presses take unsolicited submissions. Canadian publishers are more likely to accept unsolicited manuscripts than American publishers, especially from Canadian writers.
Do your research and submit widely. Vet every publisher you consider by looking at their website and, if possible, the books they've previously published. If their submissions page invites questions or there is a general info email, reach out if something is unclear. In rare cases, you might be able to speak to authors who have worked with the publisher. Just because the press is small/new doesn't mean they aren't good at what they do. In these cases, a clear and professional website is a good indication of if they're a good fit or not. Also look at the backgrounds of those who run the press. Many small independent presses are run by people with extensive backgrounds in the publishing industry who have decided to leave larger publishers to start their own.
Make sure that your manuscript is a fit for the press. There is no value in submitting your fantasy romance novel to a press that specializes in mysteries. The mystery press will immediately reject your manuscript, and it might hurt your chances of publication if you have a great mystery in the future.
Pay attention to the demographics of the authors the press publishes. Some publishers specialize in female writers, Black writers, Indigenous writers, queer writers, etc. If you identify outside of the press's focus, you will need to have a manuscript that respectfully serves these communities and ideally a strong connection to the community. This doesn't mean you should never submit to a press that focuses on authors outside of your identity, but make sure you have a very good reason to do so. In some cases, a press will only publish authors with specific identities. This will be made clear on their submissions page. In these cases, only submit if you fit the identity the press represents.
Always read the publisher’s submission guidelines carefully and follow them exactly. Submissions should be sent out in small batches of 6 – 12 at a time with 3 – 6 months between submissions. This gives publishers time to review your manuscript and get back to you. After 6 months, assume a rejection. Apply any feedback you get from rejections to future submissions. If a publisher asks for changes to the manuscript and invites re-submission, then make the changes. While there are no guarantees, an invitation to resubmit is about as close to a sure thing as you can get without a contract, especially for a new, unpublished author.
Other Tips
Attend author and book events; publishers often attend both. This is a great way to make connections so your query stands out.
If you met the person you are querying at an event, mention this is your query letter.
If someone at an event invites you to submit work to them, remind them of this in your query letter.
In these cases, always follow up, even if you don't feel your manuscript is ready for submission.
Talk to authors represented by agents/publishers you are interested in and ask them about their experience. This can help you find a good fit.
Avoid unsolicited emails to other authors unless you have a preexisting relationship.
Attending author events is a great way to connect with other authors.
Do not ask other authors to submit on your behalf or put in a good word to their agent/publisher.
Attend workshops and classes on querying, especially those run by agents/publishers you would like to work with. This can help give you direct insight into what they are looking for. It is also a great way to make personal connections so they are more likely to read your work.
Match spelling and style choices to the agent/publisher as best you can. At a minimum, use Canadian spelling for Canadian agents/publishers, American spelling for American agents/publishers, etc. Failing to do so won’t make or break the query, but it is another detail that shows you understand who you are pitching to.
Make sure that everything you send is well edited and error free.
The best way to ensure this is to have the query reviewed by at least one other person, ideally a professional editor. It’s always easier to spot other’s typos than your own.
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