Where to Send a Book Proposal

Now that you have a proposal, it’s time to figure out where to send it. So how do you find a publisher?

How to Find an Agent

First, maybe instead of a publisher, you need to find a literary agent. The right agent will know lots of editors. They’ll help you finesse your proposal and identify the right publishing houses. In fact, some publishers don’t even accept unagented proposals. An agent can negotiate a publishing contract for you, and explain any contract elements you may have questions about. They can do the same for the publishing process, and for your royalty statement.

And they can help you determine your next step after the book is published. Think about it like this: your editor may like you as a person, but the publisher’s priority is selling your book. Your agent’s priority is selling your whole literary career. (After all, your next book might be at a different publisher.) Your agent is the person you can call and say “what about this for book 2?”

Here’s how it works: Your editor gets paid when you do; usually the publisher sends your royalty check to the agent, and the agent turns around and sends you a check, minus their fee (usually 15% or so). Reputable agents don’t charge reading fees or other up-front fees.

So how to find one? The best place to start is usually the Association of Authors’ Representatives. There’s a handy “Find an Agent” tab on their website that will help you narrow down the list. Once you find a potential candidate, head to their agency or individual website to find their latest information and submission guidelines. And make sure you follow those guidelines!

Query Tip: Don’t send the same proposal to two different editors at the same publisher, or two different agents at the same agency. They probably don’t have time to sort out who’s going to reply, so it’s basically a shortcut to query inbox no-man’s-land.

How to Find a Publisher

Any publisher will work with an agent, but many also accept unagented queries. If the benefits of having an agent don’t appeal to you, you can reach out to publishers on your own.

The easiest place to start looking for a publisher is the competitive titles list you made when you were doing your proposal research. You already know those publishers put out books in your category, after all. Look them up! If you like what you see, and if you think there’s room for your book on their list, check their website for submission guidelines. Follow the submission guidelines.

If you want to broaden your list, head to the bookstore and check the publisher on titles related to yours. And Publisher’s Marketplace can offer you a list of dealmakers in various categories, though you have to subscribe to search the archives. Once again, look up the publishers’ websites and follow the submission guidelines.

Always follow the submission guidelines. And good luck!

Query Tip: Decide if you’re going to query agents or publishers and do one or the other. Definitely don’t send an editor like me a query letter in which you ask for representation (or otherwise assume that I’m an agent, not an editor). I’ll just be so confused. Why would you confuse me like that? Where did my coffee get to, anyway?