How to get your book published?

amother

Azure

Mon, Apr 06 2015, 1:54 pm

how do you write a book in the frum world?
do publishers provide editors or do you need to hire one yourself?
do they accept books from anyone, or just well known individuals?
is it like shidduchim?
advice, please!

amother

Periwinkle

Mon, Apr 06 2015, 3:55 pm

I've only published with mainstream publishers (not the frum sector) but I know a bit about the industry.

If you can afford to hire an editor before you submit, do it. Publishing houses don't always have enough in house staff to do your book justice, and it's a shame to work hard on a book only to see it appear with typos and other preventable errors.

When you submit, make sure that the publishing house is looking for your kind of book. If you're writing fantasy for young adults, don't submit to a house that does nonfiction. And follow the submission guidelines exactly.

Also, think hard about why you are doing this. Although reputable publishers don't ask authors to put out any money, I understand that this is more common in the frum world, where audiences are smaller and earning potential is lower.

And when you do get that contract, compare it to standard contracts that you can find online. Even better, get a lawyer to review it for you.

Hatzlocha!

doctorima

Mon, Apr 06 2015, 6:25 pm

I think it depends on what topic you're writing about, but I do believe that they will in general provide an editor (at your expense), and that they will publish books even from non-renowned authors, though they will likely make you pay the up-front costs to protect them in case it's a flop.

amother

Azure

Mon, Apr 06 2015, 7:02 pm

doctorima wrote:

Publishers make an author pay the upfront costs of publishing? Is that because the frum market is small?

doctorima

Mon, Apr 06 2015, 8:48 pm

I believe that is the case. Unless you are world-renowned, think Rabbi Krohn, Rabbi Frand, you have to lay out / raise the cost of publishing, and then make it back through a % of the sales. Maybe some genres work differently, though if you've never before been published, I would doubt it in your case. Many frum books will only sell 1-2000 (or sometimes even less), so it's just not worth it for publishers to lay out the $.

oliveoil

Mon, Apr 06 2015, 10:34 pm

I think it depends. When I published my first book they gave me several options to choose from. Some of which required me to lay out the money, while the others didn't.

amother

Oak

Tue, Apr 07 2015, 4:54 am

it depends what you're trying to publish.
Fiction, non fiction, for kids, for adults, what is it?
in my publishing experience (so far only in the frum world), the publishers hire editors and proofreaders.
Also, if your manuscript has merit I believe it will seriously be considered for publication even if no one knows you... (depending of course on what you've written.)