Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start fiction publishing education with an undergraduate degree

A few schools offer a certificate in publishing as part of an undergraduate education or continuing ed program.

I recommend: The City College of New York's undergrad publishing certificate program includes courses on the publishing business and book editing, as does the publishing certificate program at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Find a good list of academic publishing degree programs at the Association of American Publishers.

Prepare to publish a novel with a Masters degree

Following a Bachelors degree in business or English with a Masters in publishing perfectly shapes a student for a career in publishing by providing more in-depth education, experience and one-on-one instruction. Getting a Masters will open up the possibilities of securing the financing needed to start a business in small publishers fiction.

I recommend: Emerson College offers a two-year Master of Arts program that covers writing, editing, distribution, production, and design of books. Pace University offers a two-year Master of Science program that specializes in financial and technical aspects of publishing.

Learn the ropes of publishing fiction with an internship

An internship with a publishing company will provide the opportunity for training and experience while still in school. You will learn how the business is run, gain hands-on experience and network in the business for important industry contacts.

I recommend: Search for publishing internships from all around the world listed at University of Dreams. Search for summer internship programs to work during summer break from college at Random House, one of the largest fiction publishers in the world.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If getting enough capital to start publishing is not an option, earn publishing experience with self-publishing small presses fiction.

Guide to Fiction Book Publishers

Narrow down the list of fiction book publishers for your work

By Lisa J. Jackson, Writer / Editor

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search for fiction publishing companies

It would be nice to be able to go to one location, whether online, in a bookstore or at a library, and be able to find a list of publishing companies sorted by genre targeted to your needs. There are a couple of annual publications focused on fiction markets, but the data is outdated almost before it hits the shelves. The Web is a blessing in that data can be updated faster, but it still takes time to find what you need.

I recommend: The best resource to start your search for fiction publishers is Duotrope's Digest. This free, donation-based resource is extensive, constantly growing, and current. It offers full details on small and large presses by genre including the length accepted, response time, and current needs of each press, among other details. Piers Anthony's site is purely a labor of love to help writers who are seeking publication. He updates the site monthly.

Seek out small fiction presses

Small publishers of fiction are growing in number. Focus your efforts on small presses. Fiction writers who find a home with a small press have a great chance at a long publishing career. Because of their size and their inherent need to stay small, small fiction publishers may take more time to locate than a larger publisher, but responses are generally quick and more personal than from a big publishing house.

I recommend: eTreasures Publishing is a small press accepting manuscripts direct from the author. They publish in e-format and once sales reach over 100 books, they will print in traditional paperback if you aren't already under a print agreement. Flux is a young adult fiction press accepting unsolicited and unagented manuscripts.

Consider an e-book fiction press

Book publishing isn't limited to paper-based books. E-books are as viable a market as traditional publishing, and some e-book presses can also print your novel traditionally. If you're seeking a faster route to publications, e-book publishing may be the answer for you.

I recommend: Wings ePress accepts fiction for children and adults. They work closely with authors and are quite supportive during the publication process. They publish e-books and traditional paperback. Mundania Press publishes e-books and traditional books in genres such as mystery, young adult and science fiction. They accept submissions from new authors four months out of the year.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Always check writers' and submission guidelines before submitting, and follow them exactly to avoid instant rejection.
• •  Look at the front matter of books that are similar to your novel to see who the publisher is.
• •  Network with other writers, join online groups, participate in critique groups, and join professional organizations. These are great ways to get leads on publishing houses.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Agent

A literary agent sells your work to a publisher. Avoid agents who charge up front fees as this leaves far less financial incentive for them to sell your book. When seeking an agent, look for up-to-date information. Many literary agencies have websites.

I recommend: Guide to Literary Agents is a blog devoted to current information from agents about finding the right agent.

Unsolicited manuscript

An unsolicited manuscript is any material sent to the agent or editor that he or she did not request. The vast majority of publishers and agents will not read unsolicited manuscripts, but most will accept a query letter.

I recommend: Rants and ramblings, written by a literary agent, explains some reasons why publishers and agents won't accept unsolicited manuscripts.

Query

A query is a one-page letter introducing your book. If interested, the agent or editor will ask for your manuscript. There are many dos and don'ts for writing a query letter.

I recommend: Nelson Literary Agency answers questions about and shares samples of actual cover letters. Nicholas Sparks shares a detailed sample query letter.

Self-publishing

Self-publishing was once considered a last resort, but when done with a clear plan and an eye for business it can be profitable.

I recommend: HowStuffWorks offers information about the self-publishing process, as well as practical insight from a successful self-published author.

Large publisher

These are the giants in the world of publishing. They tend to stick with mainstream books. Only agents are able to pitch a work to the largest publishers, so if you want to approach a major publisher, you must have an agent.

I recommend: AgentQuery offers information on the dozen or so large presses.

Small press

Many well known authors got their start with small presses, because this kind of publisher tends to be more willing to work with new authors. Small presses are often on the cutting edge of new trends. Most accept at least queries directly from authors.

I recommend: Check out The Modern World for its spotlight on small presses that are making significant contributions to the publishing world.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Subscribe to newsletters from fiction book publishers

Many fiction publishing companies provide newsletters to which you can subscribe to keep informed about what is going on in the industry. These newsletters are great ways to read about the latest in book publishers fiction and get information about fiction press authors.

I recommend: Random House provides a selection of categories of newsletters you can subscribe to, as well as specific author newsletters. Knopf Doubleday also provides a newsletter subscription to the various divisions under the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Read editor blogs from fiction publishers

Editor blogs are good sources of news and trends, as editors for a fiction company know in great detail the things that publishers are looking for. Their blogs can often contain useful tips and trends about book publishers fiction and occasionally, small presses fiction, too.

I recommend: Unbridled Books provides a publishers blog with reflections and trends in the publishing world, while On Writing: A Tate Publishing Blog is written by an executive editor with updates and news relevant to writers.

Receive the latest news in book publishers fiction from news outlets

News magazines are important places to get the latest news and trends in book publishers fiction and small publishers fiction. They provide editorial reviews of books as well as news releases about the latest books being released by fiction publishing companies.

I recommend: You can subscribe to an RSS feed at Publishers Weekly about trends in books, which will give you insight on the news in fiction publishing. The New York Times Book section has a large selection of news articles about books and publishing. You can also subscribe to an RSS feed at this site, so that you will always get the latest news.