Submitting Written Work
Multi-Submitting Manuscripts in Today’s Publishing Industry
Yes. You’ve heard writers should sit tight after submitting their work to that one agent or that one publisher and then wait for weeks or months or even years to hear back from them. And, yes, some publishers’ and some agents’ submission guidelines restrict writers from submitting simultaneously.
Posh! With writers competing for the same white space daily, even hourly, publishers and agents cannot restrict a writer’s opportunities anymore than they already are.
So, what does a writer do? For one, take that query – the one you just wrote and emailed – and copy it into a brand new email to a different agent AND a different publisher. Go ahead. You’re keeping track of all your submissions in separate files, on your computer and hard copy too, so, don’t worry. If a publisher picks you up, you’ll just withdraw all those other submissions to those other publishers. You can also use that publisher as leverage to fine an agent to represent you. The agent may want to represent you on an on-going basis. Wouldn’t that be nice? Or, they may want to represent you a one-time-only basis. That would be okay too. Once an agent agrees to represent you, you need to contact all the other agents who have not yet responded to your requests for representation and withdraw your submissions from them.
What if an agent agrees to represent you before a publisher does? You will pull all those requests to other agents and copy your submissions files to your new agent letting her know all the publishers with whom you’ve already submitted.
Where else can a writer submit her work? Here is a sampling of different entities to where you can submit:
· Agents
· Book Publishers – print and ebook
· Contests, Grants & Awards
· Residencies
· Magazine Publishers – print and online
· Literary Journals – print and online
Get involved in your own career. You want an agent or a publisher to take time to promote you. They’ll want to see how much time you’re willing to invest in your own promotion. So get involved with the following:
· Membership Associations – such as Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of American, Writers Guild of America; regional writing associations, like, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and the Arizona Authors Association; and local writing associations like the Whidbey Island Writers Association and the Lopez Island Writers Guild – Do a search on the internet. You’ll get a slew of hits.
· Writing Conferences – look on Shaw Guides www.shawguides.com under “writing workshops” and different trade magazines for writers.
· Book Clubs – check with bookstores and libraries in your community.
· Reading Groups – again, ask libraries and bookstores if they know any reading groups. More and more, libraries and bookstores host monthly and even weekly reading groups.
If time permits, volunteer to organize readings in and around your own community. Bookstores, libraries and schools love guest writers who will give reading and talks. Contact schools and propose writing classes. Contact writing conferences and propose workshops for an upcoming seminar.
Blast your work out to the world. Use your Writer’s Market Guides. Online versions make searching databases easy and you’ll find the benefit far outweighs the cost.
When you’re not writing and you find you’re sitting in front of your computer waiting, work up a proposal and get it out. The busier you are today, the busier you’ll be tomorrow. Take charge of your career. Just watch what happens.
Susan Wingate, Writer
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