If you’re looking for a publisher for your book, you could find an agent to do the searching or you can do it yourself.
An agent will be your representative in negotiations to market your book. Having an agent could be an advantage in that many publishers prefer to have manuscripts filtered through agents. A good agent knows what editors are looking for, helps you make your final proposal, and knows how to find the right publishers for your work.
But first, know whether you really need an agent. If you are self-publishing, or your work is the kind more appropriately published by not-so big press, you won’t need an agent.
If you think an agent is a must, you can find them from searches in the Net, though you should be warned about being scammed. Agents who charge up-front fees, and payments for reviewing a manuscript are often suspect, though some may legitimately charge a small amount for expenses, like mailing cost. Prefer those who are members of The Association of Authors’ Representatives, but don’t solely rely on this. There are top- tier agents who chose not to sign up for AAR membership.
Agents are paid by publishers. The check is written out to the agents and they take a percentage of the amount. Agents usually take a 15% commission from the sale money. The charge will be higher if an agent sells a book to a non-North-American publisher, because often they work through a sub-agent.
Alternatively, you can ask a published writer about her agent.
If you’re looking for a publisher on your own, you can use search engines to find a book publishing contract, but this could present you with a search field that is non-specific and wider than you should go through.
Most experts suggest you do a market research on your own. They discourage random-calling of publishers to solicit interest on your book, however. Instead, they recommend that you find out who produces books in the same genre and/or cover the same topics as you do. Better publishers have targeted niche markets.
The places to go for your research are major book sellers, local bookstores, local libraries, Amazon, and the Writer’s Market or Literary Market Place. You can even visit librarians to ask them for their recommendations of books of your category, and that are popular.
Your target is to find books similar to yours that are selling and get the interests of book stores. Then, once you’ve found those books, see who publishes them. That information is found on one of the first few pages of the books. Amazon has it in the book information.
Then, do what the Internet age people do when they’re looking for just anything — go the Net to find out what the publisher require to get published.
Staple in your search are query letters or book proposals to publishers. This will carry your sales pitch. But if you’re targeting a smaller, specialized publisher, you may call the editor or the top person; and if you need to mail your manuscript, send it to a specific person.
Many smaller publishing houses still accept unsolicited manuscripts, and they often are more willing to doing business with unpublished authors.
