Publishing Tips

Celebrations of Kinship for Earth's Children

Publishing Tips . . .

To those of you considering submitting your work to Heartsong Books for publication, please note that we are not accepting manuscripts—or answering requests for consultations—at this time. The following are basic publishing tips and resources — plus personal comments— you may find useful when preparing to submit your work elsewhere. Good fortune to you, and take heart!

If you believe from a place of deepest knowing that you've written quality work, keep your faith, and persist. Be open to suggestions, but only those that resonate within you. Otherwise, a spinning top won't beat your twirling speed. And, not surprisingly, your heightened confusion will surely block the road to peace—and to publication.

	Read This Tip First! If you're interested in submitting your manuscript to a publisher you've discovered on the Internet, don't use their 800# to call them — this is usually their ordering/information number. And even if you call them at your own expense don't expect publishers to call you back at theirs! Show compassion! Be understanding! Imagine the number of people trying to submit their manuscripts every week, every month! Your book may be of the finest quality, but you won't get through the doorway unless you make life as easy as possible for the editor/publisher you're trying to reach. (I've been on the submission end. I remember what a long process getting a book published can be . . . Many, many blessings on you!) *And remember, please — it's not a good idea to use capital letters throughout an e-mail message — to publishers or to anyone — unless for emphasis. Using caps is like SHOUTING! Ouch.*
	Keep quiet about your writing projects. Just write. Every word you use to talk up your project prematurely is a word that dissipates power and meaning. (A confession here, however, regarding titles. Every book I write I must remind myself that a title must come to me. I cannot effectively scramble after it, no matter how much more comfortable I feel when I have one to use as touchstone. When I explore the patterns in my life, I see how the universe's timing is always perfect. Tuning myself to that perfect rhythm, mine, as well, feels fine.)
	To find the publisher of your dreams, go to your favorite bookstore — preferably one that features small, quality presses, in addition to larger ones — and plan to spend hours there discovering the companies you admire which publish books most like yours.
	Send queries to your favorite publishers before you send along a completed manuscript. Some companies, already deluged with submissions, may appreciate this courtesy enough to ask to see what you've written. Others may rule you out immediately because they only accept manuscripts agents submit. And then there are the presses who don't think your manuscript is just right for them, or those, like Heartsong Books, who aren't presently accepting manuscripts. What a process! Have you heard about the famous novelist who submitted his award-winning book, under a different name, to a publisher (I think, his own.) in manuscript form to see what would become of it. The book was soundly rejected. So much for publishing good sense.
	Always address your queries to a particular person—and call before you send your letter to make sure the editor you've chosen to approach is still around. (The speed with which companies change hands, and the editors within them change jobs, is dazzling. I worked with three editors on just one of my children's books.)
	Your query is best kept to just one page. From the first word, make your presentation powerful and, of course, easy-to-read. Keep your sentences easy to understand. How clearly you write your query will be a clue to the clarity to be found in your manuscript. Imagine editors becoming blearyeyed after hours of pouring over letters and manuscripts. You've got to make them want to keep reading. Include in your letter only that about yourself which relates to your book—don't mention your passion for kayaking unless kayaking is the subject of your book! Quote a line or two from your text if what you've written—and how you write—might spark interest. Explain how your book is different from similar books, and use facts you've uncovered to back you up. If someone well respected in the world, or in your field, is willing to offer a comment for your book, or write an introduction for it, let the editor know about this. Be ready to offer an annotated table of contents, and one completed chapter to send along (this, if the book is non-fiction). Mention book length. State the what kind of book you've written—the genre—and tell what other writing you've sold. If your book is fiction, offer a chapter-by-chapter synopsis and be ready to send in a completed chapter as part of our submission. Also, if you want to submit your book electronically, ask first. NOTE: I've been asked how it was that so many well-known and respected people gave me a blurb for Roots of Peace, Seeds of Hope, especially since acquiring blurbs had not been my intention. I'd written Roots, partly, as a thank you to Native people in this country for what so many had given and still are giving. The first printing sailed out into the universe like seeds in the wind, the price of the book a suggested donation. Giving my book away, I could send it to anyone. I'd offered Roots to people I felt close to in spirit, though we had not met. What returned to me unexpectedly were powerful and generous responses. I wrote again, asking if I could use these comments as blurbs, and 'yes' came back every time.

Read the publishing story-behind-the-story of each of these three Heartsong books:

Roots of Peace
Choices of a Growing Woman
Glory! to the Flowers

When you do submit a manuscript to a publisher, and you'd like your manuscript returned, make sure you include correct return postage, plus a return envelope. Also, keep a copy of your work in case the universe swallows your original copy. This is a good idea anyway. In years to come you might want to look back at what you've written, and either reminisce—or laugh!

Librarians are always eager to point you in the right direction. They'll help you choose reference books that suit your needs. They'll drown you with books you can take home and dive into. Read everything you can about writing query letters and submitting manucripts. One book will lead to another. Step-by-step you'll learn all you need to know.

Click here for writing and publishing resources which will inspire and inform you—also live links to sites on the Net that will likely do the same.

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	When you do submit a manuscript to a publisher, and you'd like your manuscript returned, make sure you include correct return postage, plus a return envelope. Also, keep a copy of your work in case the universe swallows your original copy. This is a good idea anyway. In years to come you might want to look back at what you've written, and either reminisce—or laugh!
	Librarians are always eager to point you in the right direction. They'll help you choose reference books that suit your needs. They'll drown you with books you can take home and dive into. Read everything you can about writing query letters and submitting manucripts. One book will lead to another. Step-by-step you'll learn all you need to know.