Are you a wannabe author?  You could be an experienced freelance writer, blogger or journalist or a complete novice with a great story that’s waiting to hit the book stores but don’t quite know how to go about it.  Here are a few tips to help you along the way…

• How do you want to see your work? As paperback or e-book?  If you have no idea, then think about this aspect first as it is vital in determining who your publisher will be.  Also the waiting time in paperbacks is more than that in e-books.
• Finding a publisher: A quick online search will throw up a number of publishing houses.  Visiting websites of different publishers will give you an idea about the kind of books they publish. Most reputed publishers have a wide range which includes biographies and memoirs, fiction novels and short stories, poetry, general and narrative non-fiction, current affairs, business, travel, cookery, religion, philosophy and self-help, reference and quizzing, photography and illustrated books. Depending on what kind of book you want to publish you could narrow down your search.
• What else can you “Check out”? Works already published by the publishing house you intend to approach to get an idea about their author profiles and the type of work that they have published.  It will help you to get an idea about whether or not your work fits into their mould.
• Who are the top publishers to approach? Random House, Harper Collins, Penguin, Rupa & Co, Jaico publishing are the big wigs in the publishing business. Those of you who would like to self-publish have the choice of many publishers like CinnamonTeal, Pavement publishers and of course Chillibreeze Private Ltd for e-publishing.
• Your synopsis and manuscript: Most publishers do not ask for the complete manuscript in the initial stages.  A detailed synopsis with two-three chapters will suffice. However it is not uncommon for publishers to ask for the complete manuscript.  It is advisable that you keep the faith and work on your manuscript while you await their reply just in case they do ask for it.
• Sending your work out: Most publishers do not accept manuscripts sent via email so no matter how convenient or tech savvy an option that seems, do not use it.  You should send out a synopsis, sample chapters (two or three depending upon publisher requirements) and a resume, (all hard copies, no soft copies) by post or courier to the publishing house. Visiting the website of the publishing house will give you an idea about how many sample chapters are required for short stories, fiction, etc. When you design your resume for this purpose ensure that it highlights your qualifications and strengths as a writer.  This does not mean that your educational qualifications and work experience do not count.
• Retain a copy of your work: Publishers do not return manuscripts even if they choose not to publish your work.  So always remember to keep a copy of your work in a hard as well as soft copy form with you.
• Follow up: Most publishers have their calendars full and many of them receive hundreds of manuscripts every year.  This is why you have to be prepared to wait for some months before you hear from them.  Publishers do not entertain telephonic enquiries from authors who have sent in manuscripts so an email enquiry would prove to be less intrusive from the publisher’s point of view.

Making a debut as an author these days could be a complex and time consuming process not to forget one fraught with stiff competition.  A positive attitude, innovative ideas and a great style of writing with a good deal of persistence will definitely get you there.  So what are you waiting for?  Armed with these tips you now know how to go about it.

Mariam Noronha