The Writing Coach - Column from Woman’s Way Magazine

Week 8

Welcome to week 8 of The Writing Coach, the column that gets you writing.

This is the final week of this column and now that we’ve covered the actual writing, it’s time take the first steps towards getting published. It’s important to remember that finishing a book or a short story is an achievement in its own right, so even if you never get it published, you should certainly congratulate yourself and be proud of your achievement.

Editing Your Manuscript

Before you even think about sending your book to a publisher you need to look at it objectively and make your writing as perfect as you can. We talked before about getting someone you trust to read your work. Listen to their honest feedback and use it to make your manuscript even better.

Once you are happy with your manuscript, it’s time to decide who to send it to. It is very important to match your book to the right agent or publisher. There’s no point sending a crime novel to a children’s publisher for example. Do your research. The Irish publishers are a good place to start as, unlike many of the UK publishers, they still read and publish widely from unsolicited manuscripts or what is referred to as the ‘slush pile’. Visit your local bookshop or library and have a look on the shelves. Familiarise yourself with what the various publishers actually publish. The main Irish publishers of commercial fiction are Poolbeg, Tivoli, Penguin Ireland, Hodder Ireland, and New Island. And here are their details -

 

This section in a box please if possible -

Main Irish fiction publishers and what they publish

Poolbeg

Specialise in commercial women’s fiction. Poolbeg discovered Marian Keyes and Cathy Kelly.

Also interested in thrillers, sagas, historical fiction.

Editor - Gaye Shortland

Submission details on their website - www.poolbeg.com 

O’Brien Press

Publish children’s fiction and adult fiction

Recently had a big hit with Ross O’Carroll-Kelly’s ‘PS I Scored the Bridesmaids’

Editor - Ide Ni Laoghaire

Contact details on their website - www.obrien.ie

 

New Island

All kinds of fiction, including commercial fiction.

‘Tatty’ by Christine Dwyer Hickey was one of their recent bestsellers.

Editor - Deirdre Nolan

Submission details on their website - www.newisland.ie

 

Gill and Macmillan

Fiction imprint - Tivoli - specialises in commercial fiction.

Tivoli publishes Morag Prunty and Tara Heavy.

Editor - Alison Walsh

Linked to Pan Macmillan UK and world publishers

Submission details on their website - www.gillandmacmillan.ie

 

Irish offices of UK publishers -

Penguin Ireland

Publish all kinds of fiction.

Recent success story - ‘The Baby Trail’ by Sinead Moriarty.

Editor - Patricia Deevy

Submission details on their website - www.penguin.ie

 

Hodder Headline Ireland

Publish women’s fiction and crime novels.

Recent success story - ‘Children of Eve’ by Deirdre Purcell.

Editor - Ciara Considine

Contact details - www.publishingireland.com 

There are of course many other publishers in Ireland, check in a copy of the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook for details. Available from your local library or bookshop.

A Word on UK publishers

Most UK publishers expect authors to have an agent, especially for commercial fiction. There are hundreds of UK publishers, but some of the main ones for commercial fiction are The Penguin Group, Random House, Hodder Headline, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Time Warner Group, and Simon and Schuster. Contact details for these publishers and other UK publishers can be found in the current Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook which is available through the libraries or through any of the larger bookshops.

Preparing your manuscript

Presentation is so important. Your manuscript must look professional. Make sure the pages are freshly printed out and look pristine. Make sure your covering letter is clear and polite. Include any personal details which you think are relevant - your experience living in an exotic country where the idea for the book came from for example, working in the circus in your teens, being a special needs teacher if you’re writing for children - but keep it brief and succinct.

Make sure your manuscript is neatly typed on plain white A4 paper, using double spaces and easy to read (eg Times New Roman) 12 point type; and make sure it’s numbered. Put your name, address and telephone number clearly on the title page, as well as the title of the book, and place a large elastic band around the pages. Don’t staple the pages together and don’t bind your manuscript - editors like to be able to read manuscripts on the train and in bed. Some publishers prefer a synopsis and a few sample chapters, check each publisher for details before sending anything to them. Place the whole lot in a jiffy bag, enclose return postage on another jiffy bag if you want your manuscript back, and cross your fingers.

What next?

Most Irish publishers will get back to you within a few weeks. Be patient - it often takes a little time. You can ring and ask if they received your manuscript but always be polite. In the smaller Irish publishing houses the person answering the phone may well be the editor and you don’t want to get off to a bad start with him or her.

 

The Truth about Advances

Whatever you read in the papers, few authors get large advances. Most get royalties based on their sales. These are usually from 6 to 10 % of the price of the book - so say the book is 9e (standard p/bk is 8.99) then the author will get a maximum of 90cent per book sold. On the plus side - some writer’s royalty earnings are tax free - you can apply to the tax office for this status and they will decide whether to grant you the artists’ exemption or not.

Agents - what they do and why you might need one

The Irish publishing world is quite small and very few writers could survive writing only for the home market. This is where agents come in.

There are many reasons why agents are useful:

1/ An agent can advise you on your manuscript and on how to make it more attractive to a publisher. Some of them will act as unofficial ‘editors’ to their clients or at the very least can suggest changes or improvements.

2/ An agent can find the right publisher for your work. We’ve already talked about approaching the right kind of publisher. Agents may also know what kind of areas particular publishers are looking to publish in. And they can sell your UK, US and foreign rights.

3/ Agents deal with the difficult and technical area of contracts.

4/ Money - they can chase up your royalties and talk to your publishers about outstanding monies owed to you

Agents can be found in the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and it is good practice to approach one at a time. There are only a few agents in Ireland, the main ones being Jonathan Williams, Faith O’Grady and Marianne Gunn O’Connor (Details in the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook as above). Many Irish authors are with UK agents. Contact the chosen agent and find out what they would like to see - for some it’s a few chapters, for others it’s the whole manuscript, plus news cuttings, reviews, biog, photo - anything relevant. Some of the best agencies are always looking for new talent so don’t be put off by the fact that they represent Cecelia Ahern or Marian Keyes.

Once you’ve submitted - Keep writing

Don’t get discouraged. Getting published is hard and there will be many set backs along the way. Even J K Rowling was turned down by many of the top publishers - including Penguin and Harper Collins - who are now kicking themselves no doubt. Don’t just sit around waiting for an agent or publisher to get back to you - keep writing.

My word final advice is - don’t give up! New authors are published every month, one day it might be you. Good luck!

 

Recommended Book: The Best Book for Writers That I Have Ever Read

For a real insiders guide to how the publishing industry really works, read From Pitch to Publication. Written by Carole Blake, one of the top UK literary agents, this book is full of useful information on the publishing business, submitting a manuscript, contracts and troubleshooting. I can’t recommend it highly enough - it’s the definitive guide to getting published.