Publishing Information
It is estimated that in the UK alone, 70-80,000 unsolicited manuscripts are submitted to publishers and agents each year. The sheer volume of material means publishers are only able to review a fraction of the work they receive. Even the largest publishing houses are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the constant supply of new material from hopeful writers. It is almost impossible for a new, unrecognised author to get their work published. Employing the services of a literary agent doesn’t guarantee success either; for he is in the same situation as the publisher, too much work!
Most new authors follow the same procedure; they come up with an idea for a book and spend months, sometimes years putting their ideas together. After perhaps two or three drafts, their first book is complete. It is then usually read by a spouse and perhaps one or two reliable relatives or friends, all of whom agree that it’s the best thing the have ever read.
Filled with encouragement, the author sends the book off to the publisher, dreaming of seeing their name on the shelf of the local bookshop and gaining instant recognition. Two months later and with no response they telephone the publisher, expecting the person at the other end to instantly know of the book and come up with a genuine reason why the letter of acceptance has not been sent. In reality the book is probably still somewhere in the office, possibly even unopened, but more than likely waiting to be returned. When the book finally arrives back with its author, together with a short accompanying rejection letter, everything comes to a standstill. After the initial depression, the author submits the book to a second publisher. Again all they can do is wait, again the book is returned. Totally dejected, the book is confined to a box in the loft and the ‘round the world cruise’ is cancelled. There are many other reasons why books are returned, apart from the obvious, that the content or standard of writing is unacceptable. With hundreds of publishers to choose from, it can be hard to find the right publisher for the type of book. Publishers tend to specialise in certain types of books, i.e. fiction, contemporary literature, children’s or science fiction. It would be no good sending a children’s book to a publisher specializing in true crime.
What the publishing world needs is an alternative. A different way for authors to submit material, a way that allows publishers to view the work without all the hassles associated with the current system. The Internet provides the solution. All publishing houses now have access to the Internet, so why not provide a service for authors to submit their work to every publishing house at the same time. Quite simply, Books4Publishing provide a unique service. Our website displays the synopsis and up to 5,000 words of a manuscript. Publishers simply log on the site, click on the ‘Books’ section and view new material instantly. So much easier than having to evaluate the thousands of unsolicited manuscripts received each year.
What has been a notoriously slow process and outdated procedure is about to change.
Welcome to books4publishing.
