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Subbing direct to a publisher - what's the best way?

edited February 2014 in Writing
A visiting friend whom I've known half my life came to dinner and he asked about my novels. He said they sounded interesting - actually he said, "they sound like powerful stuff, Liz," - and offered to introduce me to a publisher he knows through his golf club.

On the basis that you'll never know if you don't try, I'm going to put a submission on a pen-drive for him to take back to the UK.

Should I -
1. Write an introductory letter like I do when subbing to an agent? or
2. Just put on the pen-drive a synopsis and three chapters?
3. Neither of the above?

ps: I have two novel in totally different genres ready to go - how do I choose?

All advice gratefully received.

Comments

  • This reminds me of something I read recently... will try to dig it out.
    But basically, it said: if the book is not suitable to that particular publisher, it won't make any difference how close the friend is.
    I would treat your sub in the same way as you would if you were submitting 'cold'.
  • Thanks Carol - I do realise that the only favour I am being offered is a personal delivery of my submission - I am not so naive as to expect miracles.

    All I am looking for on TB is advice on the best way to submit to a publisher - ANY publisher!
  • That was Claudia who commented, Lizy.

    Your friend's golfing publisher friend, might help if you knew who the publisher was, so you could make sure it's right for them.

    Generally, always check the website of the publisher you're interested in. They may say who deals with particular stuff, if they produce a wide variety of fiction, so you can send the letter to them.

  • Hi Lizy,

    Covering letter, synopsis and first three chapters. But check the publisher's website to make sure that's what they want, as some ask for a certain number of pages as maximum. Re which novel to choose, see what they are publishing at the moment. That should give you a guide as to what they are likely to be interested in.

    Oooh, Carol's popped in there before me as I type!
  • So it was, Carol - I apologise - I am not having a good day.

    I've already sent my friend a text asking who the publisher is and what his interests are. No point in me subbing if he's a crime man, for instance.

    Thanks Lou - you've said pretty much what I had in mind. It's the same as subbing to an agent from the look of things, and I've had LOTS of experience of that!
  • I don't understand why when offered an opportunity to circumvent convention you are seeking the best way to conform. i.e. Business deals done on golf courses do not involve honed sales pitches with Powerpoint Presentations.

    I'd simply ask my friend which story he preferred, print out *that* manuscript, and give it to him together with both stories on a pen drive.

    Let your friend deliver the manuscript, and pitch it himself.
  • Thanks Michael - that approach had occurred to me.
    Perhaps I should ditch my conventional self for once and just go for it?

    *throws knickers in the air*
  • I'd do the covering letter etc and put together a formal submission.
  • You definitely need to do it by 'the book' ie the conventional approach as stated above to ensure it's professional otherwise you'll end up tee'ed off and go straight into a bunker.
  • 'A publisher he knows through his golf club' is really not a strong recommendation (quite apart from the possibility that he spends more time on the green than at his desk). Would you invest in a banker a friend knew through his golf club? All that's known of him is that he plays golf. Do your homework on his company first, and save yourself a lot of hope and heartbreak - because you will hope, in spite of the circumstances.
  • 'A publisher he knows through his golf club' is really not a strong recommendation (quite apart from the possibility that he spends more time on the green than at his desk). Would you invest in a banker a friend knew through his golf club? All that's known of him is that he plays golf. Do your homework on his company first, and save yourself a lot of hope and heartbreak - because you will hope, in spite of the circumstances.
    Oh I know, Mrs Bear - and this has already occurred to me.
    My first, gut reaction was "Wey-hey!" but I've sobered up since and am having second, third and fourth thoughts.
    I shall ask Bas to give me the man's details so I can check on him before even composing an introductory letter, although Bas did say that this bloke helped another friend get published. I shall proceed with caution - I have sent off several 'proper' submissions this month so I have threads of hope stretched tight already.

  • Treat it professionally, you're only accessing a shortcut to someone.

  • 'A publisher he knows through his golf club' is really not a strong recommendation (quite apart from the possibility that he spends more time on the green than at his desk). Would you invest in a banker a friend knew through his golf club? All that's known of him is that he plays golf. Do your homework on his company first, and save yourself a lot of hope and heartbreak - because you will hope, in spite of the circumstances.
    In the modern business world "A publisher he knows through his golf club" is probably the strongest recommendation you can get! It's almost a cliché!

    Despite what we are led to believe the majority of business is conducted on the basis of 'I know a guy who knows a guy' and 'Any friend of Frank's is a friend of mine'.

    When I worked in the music industry we had a room full of submitted demos which were, no doubt, meticulously prepared before submission - we never opened the envelopes. The only submissions we ever paid any attention to were those with a 'smiley face' drawn on the packaging. The 'smiley face' meant the contents had be sent by somebody we 'knew'. At which point we ignored all the presentation (if any had been provided), stuck the CD in the player, and had a listen. Unless it was a total disaster it'd get sent upstairs.


  • Yes, we all know that happens Michael, but Lizy has no idea at this moment whether this person is involved with a real publisher, or a vanity company.

    The person may be genuine, but only publishes non-fiction- that's no use to Lizy.
  • Yes, we all know that happens Michael, but Lizy has no idea at this moment whether this person is involved with a real publisher, or a vanity company.

    The person may be genuine, but only publishes non-fiction- that's no use to Lizy.
    Whenever I witness these conversations I always think the same thing - what it the worst that can reasonably happen? Why all the Chicken Licken responses.

    The facts of the matter are simple: A manuscript is being read by *somebody* (writers like being read - It's why they write). Lizy is not selling her soul or parting with money. She's not entering into a 'til death us do part relationship. Her friend is offering to have her manuscript read.

    It's rather bizarre that we will encourage, and, on occasion, beg, anybody in the universe to read what we have written, unless they claim to have some connection the publishing industry. Before anybody in the publishing industry can read our work we need to see seventeen forms of ID.

  • edited February 2014
    Thank you all for your input. My friend flies back to UK on Friday morning and I still haven't decided whether to give him a pen-drive with a submission on, or wait until he's emailed me more details.
    Either way I am not, as Michael so succinctly puts it, selling my soul. After all, I trusted one agent years ago who turned out to be a charlatan, yet I survived. What's one more submission - and, if it comes to it, rejection - among all the others?
    :)>-
  • Finally found the quote I was looking for. This was on a thread posted by Silver Linings last November.

    The whole article is at:

    http://www.jessieburton.co.uk/1/post/2013/08/dear-juliet.html

    And the relevant quote is:

    Two friends, who had publishing contacts, asked me if I wanted to put them in touch, but I said no, thank you. I was doing this alone. Forget that it’s ‘who you know’. Believe that, and you’re on the path to bitterness. Yes, if your friend’s mum is owner of Random Penguin, maybe she will get you some introductions, but if your book’s not for them, do you really think they’re going to put their necks on the line to please your ego?

    Lizy – you are not to take that final sentence personally! This quote is not aimed at you - I’ve posted it because it’s pertinent to the discussion on this thread.

    You’re quite right, Michael, when you say that Lizy is not selling her soul or parting with money. I think the words of caution are being given in good faith: what’s the point in subbing to an inappropriate publisher? I don’t think it has anything to do with being ‘chicken’ – just to do with professionalism and not wasting peoples’ time.


  • You’re quite right, Michael, when you say that Lizy is not selling her soul or parting with money. I think the words of caution are being given in good faith: what’s the point in subbing to an inappropriate publisher? I don’t think it has anything to do with being ‘chicken’ – just to do with professionalism and not wasting peoples’ time.

    Exactly, Claudia.


  • You’re quite right, Michael, when you say that Lizy is not selling her soul or parting with money. I think the words of caution are being given in good faith: what’s the point in subbing to an inappropriate publisher? I don’t think it has anything to do with being ‘chicken’ – just to do with professionalism and not wasting peoples’ time.
    Again, I disagree.

    There's every point in submitting to an inappropriate publisher. I probably have a different background to most of the members here, subsequently I have different experiences.

    Publishers and agents lunch with other agents and publishers. I have submitted to an agent and received a reply saying 'no thanks' but asking permission to pass my manuscript to a third party because they feel the work has merit but is not quite right for them.

    Beyond that, there's the element of 'I'll know it when I see it.' - This is how literature evolves (or devolves depending on your POV).

    - We don't really do Y/A fantasy. It's not a big market and the only stuff we publish is around the 40k mark . . . What did you say your name was, Joanne who?

    - Sorry Ms James, nobody will publish this. We publish romance. This is not romance. It's low-grade porn.

    And as I always ask; what do you think 'Green Eggs & Ham' is *really* about.



  • It's a nice thought, and maybe it occasionally happens, but frankly I doubt if many publishers go beyond reading the covering letter and synopsis. If the synopsis clearly describes a book that the publisher doesn't normally publish, it's unlikely they'll say to themselves: this isn't for me, but I'll read it anyway in case I can pass it on to someone else.
    You say that happened to you: I think you were extraordinarily lucky.
  • Some time ago . . . (Not on this forum) I was confused by advice from forum members with varying degrees of experience - so I telephoned an agent! (Trust me, I'm good on the phone). During a 30 minute conversation she answered all of my questions.

    But because I'm NICE! - I got her to agree to answer 20 questions from other forum members.

    If anybody wants me to repost the article on my new website I'll do so.
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