It’s been months since I left my writing friends in England and I miss you all. Now, for news of the Markets. ...

First, there are six major players in publishing in the USA

1. Random House
2. Penguin Group
3. Simon & Schuster
4. HarperCollins
5. Hachette Book Group
6. Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group

All are like huge tree trunks with branches growing out. If you’re interested in one of these houses go to the website and follow the branches. All have guidelines for submitting work. Most accept e-mail queries. There are also small publishing houses, not to be confused with self-publishing houses. 

A few good rules of thumb to tell self-publishing from small press:

• If they ask for money or require you buy your own books – stay away
• If the publisher’s wife, mother, sister etc is the editor – stay away
• If they ask you to provide your own edit or cover – stay away
• If they deliver your books in the boot of their car – stay away

Small presses, like university presses, can be very rewarding but are not usually very profitable unless you write a book that stays in print for a while.

Dee Burks of TAG Publishing, a self-publisher who does a fine job of mostly ‘self-help’ books says, ‘Based on our experience, the average book will not sell more than 1,000 copies….Less than 1% of books across the entire publishing industry sell more than 5,000.&#8217.

When you consider that her number includes all books from family histories to church cookbooks that number may be true. But I always remember my first time at my editor’s office in New York. I saw manuscripts lining the walls. ‘We get about four thousand a month,’ my editor said. I’m sure my mouth was open when I whispered, ‘How did I ever make it in?’ She smiled. ‘You don’t understand. Ninety-nine percent of these could be opened and sent back within minutes.’ Then, she told me the reason most manuscripts never make it from the pile on the mailroom floor.

• Sent to the wrong place. Example: a publisher who does children’s books would never consider a hot vampire love story.
• Not professionally presented. Example: You could turn in the best book ever written but if it’s in longhand, forget it. If there are misspelled words etc on the first page no one will ever read the second page.
• The story is not fresh enough. Houses are looking for something new and original.
• The story is not well written. You have to learn the craft.

More next time. Happy trail you’all.  Jodi Thomas