Researching how to publish a mystery novel is not difficult, but it can be intimidating and time consuming. Remain diligent and committed enough to follow through on what you've learned, and use Web tools available to even the most inexperienced author to demystify your quest to publish a mystery novel.

Once your manuscript is written, edited and polished to the best of your ability, you're ready for the next steps. There are many publishing companies that publish mystery novels, but you should consider all avenues and find the one that works best for you:

1. Traditional mystery novel publishers generally accept solicited agent material. Unsolicited material received from authors is not considered. Research using industry books such as the "Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents."

2. E-book mystery book publishers welcome new and already published authors, without requiring agent representation.

3. Vanity presses and self-publishing give an author the most freedom in publishing a mystery novel.

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

Submit your unagented manuscript to detail-oriented publishers of mystery novels

The mystery genre includes thrillers, crime, and suspense novels, as well as remaining the umbrella for cozies, capers, hard-boileds, noirs, police procedurals, amateur sleuths, and romantic suspense. The genre's variety makes it popular for publishing houses at every level, and new writers can benefit from publishing with smaller presses and saving themselves an agent's fee. Just be prepared to meet exacting submission, manuscript content and formatting requirements.

I recommend: Avalon Books accepts unagented manuscripts of 50,000-60,000 words suitable for the family market. BeWrite Books seeks finished manuscripts of 60,000-130,000 works from established authors, but will consider work from new authors. They publish in paperback and e-book formats. Both publishers maintain a strict ethical code for manuscript content.

Search for mystery book publishers using publisher databases

Mystery is a popular novel category and, with sub-genres expanding, the number of publishers is also increasing. It's important to know where your novel fits best so you spend your time in the most productive manner. You may start your search looking at well-known presses, but end up publishing a mystery novel as an e-book with a relatively unknown company.

I recommend: Duotrope's Digest is an excellent starting point for any publisher search. It is an extensive database which is constantly updated and includes feedback from writers who submit to markets. SearchForPublishers.com provides free publisher searches by genre. Review each publisher's home page for details and to see what they've published to date, before submitting.

Locate smaller mystery novel publishers, e-book publishers open to new authors

Getting caught in the catch-22 of locating the perfect publisher for your manuscript to discover they only seek work from published authors is frustrating. Persist in your research. The mystery book publisher for your novel is out there, and may offer non-traditional publication in the form of an e-book.

I recommend: Independent publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, seeks high-quality mystery novels. Their website is excellent in terms of details regarding what they will and will not accept. Wings ePress seeks manuscripts for cozies (60,000-75000 words) and mystery romance (up to 150,000 words). They publish in paperback and e-book format.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The mystery novel publishing market is competitive, so don't get frustrated with negative responses when you know you have a strong manuscript. Use the Web's many resources to prepare your manuscript and query: genre-based author sites, general and specialized e-mail loops and blogs and peer editing boards.