I don’t know if anybody reads this blog for publishing advice (editors are easily edited out, I know!). But still, here goes. It pays, in many ways, to research your targeted publisher. And no matter which publisher you decide to approach, do it professionally. “Friending” an editor on social media and then asking her/him to consider your book on said media is not professional. Many publishers don’t allow any kind of business to take place through social media. Be smart about it—go to a publisher’s website and follow their instructions. Or email an editor. At their work email. Again, many publishers do not allow business to be conducted through private emails. I may be an outlier editor for trying to build a social platform, but if you want to talk business, please use my work address.
More books are being published now than ever before. Even small presses are closing submission windows because too many people keep trying to get published. As someone who’s published a few books, I would urge you to ask yourself: why do I want to publish this? Is it just because you wrote it? Then look for a press that publishes that kind of thing. Be prepared to face some frustration, but homework is never easy. Is it because you think publishing a book will lead to fame? Adjust your frame of reference. The vast majority of authors are, and remain, obscure. It is possible to make some money in publishing, but most of the time it’s not very much. If it’s money you’re after, you need to get an agent. It might seem as difficult to get an agent as it is to get published. That should tell you something about the possibility of making money from books.
I’m no publishing guru. Editing’s my day job. One thing I’ve learned, however, is that publishers like to see that you’ve taken their guidelines seriously. A quick social media introduction isn’t the same thing as an email that shows someone at least looked you up at work. And most publishers have descriptions of what they want to receive on their websites. This applies both to fiction and non. I get it. I remember being a kid in high school dreading all that homework—all those books I’d have to haul home day after day. But that’s the tried and true way to learn something new. And if you want to get published you do need to learn how to do it. And just like in high school, deportment counts.