Getting any book published is no easy task. The self improvement industry boomed in the 1970s and has steadily remained popular ever since. But with the increased number in self-proclaimed self-help gurus, publishing a self-help book is harder than ever, as a reported 98 percent of self-help manuscripts are turned down or never even looked at.

By having an understanding of working with self-improvement book publishers, become one of the 2 percent that gets their books published. To work with self help book publishers, you must first:

1. Do the legwork in finding out each self help publishers submission guidelines.

2. Write, edit and rewrite your book until it is not only mistake-free but unique enough in subject matter to attract self-improvement and inspirational book publishers.

3. Write self improvement books that are easily marketable to the trends of current times, using subject matters that are relevant like low self-esteem and fulfillment in careers.

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

Adhere to submission guidelines of self help book publishing companies

Most book publishers are so busy and overwhelmed with legitimate submissions from already established authors they won't even glance at unsolicited manuscripts. Get the attention of self improvement book publishing companies by completely adhering to strict submission guidelines so your manuscript doesn't end up in the wastebasket.

I recommend: Look at samples of submission guidelines from some of the major publishers of self help books to get an idea of what is needed, including Frederick Fell Publishers, Health Communications and Aberdeen Bay. Find tips for grabbing the attention of publishers with your self-help book at Go Publish Yourself.

Look for freelance self-help and inspirational publishing

Get your name and work out in the public eye to grab attention by submitting freelance work to publishers of self-help magazines. This will give you experience that many book publishers require and access to publisher contacts. If your work is recognized for quality and gains a popular following, publishers will be knocking down your door to publish your self-help or inspirational book.

I recommend: Find a long list of self improvement publications, each with their own submission guidelines at SelfGrowth.com. InSpire Magazine is a major, national inspirational publication that reaches thousands of readers. Try to get published with Selfhelp Magazine, the self-proclaimed largest and oldest self-help publication.

Self-publish to get the attention of self-help book publishers

Self-publishing services have opened the door for huge numbers of new writers that never before would have been able to publish a self-help book. Many publishers are willing to take on a book that has already been self-published, marketed successfully, and has proved to make money.

I recommend: Get tips from BookMark Self Publishing on how to publish your own self help book effectively and then print it through them also. Infinity Self Publishing provides professional services, book cover design, marketing tips and access to distribution channels.

Work with ebook self help publishers

It is much easier for unpublished authors to break into publishing of ebooks. Since the cost of publishing books online is much cheaper, the risk involved for publishers is much lower.

I recommend: Submit your manuscript to publishers of self-help ebooks like Write Words and publishers of inspirational books like DiskUs Publishing. Use the resources available on eBook Crossroads for writing ebooks and working with ebook publishers.

Researching the process to publishing a self-help book 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 find self-improvement publishers, self-help book publishers or inspirational book publishers.

Completing your self-help or inspirational is book is part of the battle. Once you edit and fine-tune the manuscript to the best of your ability, you're ready for the next steps. There are many publishing companies that publish self-improvement, self-help, and inspirational books, but you should consider all avenues and find the one that works best for the topic you've written about:

1. Traditional publishers generally only 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 publishing is a great starting point for new authors of self-improvement books.

3. Vanity presses and self-publishing give an author the most freedom.

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

Submit your unagented manuscript to publishers of inspirational books

The inspirational, self-help and self-improvement categories cover a lot of subjects from personal to business to education and science, and are focused on all ages from children to adult. The variety of subject matter makes it easy for many inspirational book publishers as well as self-help publishers to see material from new writers who offer unique points of view. Be prepared to meet submission requirements, especially word count for the topic you are covering.

I recommend: Calliope Press seeks inspiring generation-crossing book manuscripts. The Reed Edwards Company is a small independent publisher seeking new inspirational book authors.

Search for self-improvement book publishers using publisher databases

Self-help and inspiration are expanding book categories and with the numerous subjects in each category to write on available, the number of publishers is also increasing. It's important to know where your book 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 self-improvement book as an e-book with a relatively unknown company.

I recommend: The goal of SearchForPublishers.com is to match authors with publishers. It's a free searchable database after you register. FirstWriter.com is a paid subscription book publisher database which can create customized lists of markets based on your search criteria.

Locate e-book publishers open to new authors seeking to publish a self-help book

Many e-book publishers also offer traditional publication options. Do not rule out e-books before researching the market completely. There are many small e-book houses and finding the one for your subject matter may take time, but it's worth the investment if your goal is publication.

I recommend: Motivational Ebooks is an Internet-based publishing service for anyone wanting to publish an e-book almost instantly. It also has avenues for distribution and sales at your fingertips. Whiskey Creek Press is one of many inspirational and self-help book publishers and always welcomes submissions from new authors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The inspirational publishing market is always looking for great stories. If you have confidence in your story, persist against any rejections you may receive. The Web has many resources to help you prepare your manuscript and query: general and specialized e-mail loops, blogs, and peer editing boards are great places to connect with professionals.

It's not uncommon for someone to want to condense their life experiences into something that they can show the world, and a contract with self-improvement book publishers is sometimes the best vehicle for this kind of goal. As a result, the shelves of bookstores are teeming with self-improvement book titles, apart from those trusted classics from Dale Carnegie and others that keeping popping up in business even today.

When a business leader finds that he wants self-improvement or inspirational book publishers to get a message out to the public, or just as a memoir, it's a good idea to do a little background research before taking the manuscript to the mat. Readers can find information on self-improvement book publishers for beginners online, for:

1. Looking up how others partner with self-improvement or self help publishers to get a book out onto the shelves.

2. Finding guidance on how to slant or theme self improvement books for best chances of appealing to a certain audience.

3. Getting more on how to sell a book to self help book publishers, from the title to the message.

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

Do a little research on what readers of titles from self-improvement book publishers generally read

This step is a great one for beginners, and the web has various resources on how self-improvement book publishers and authors get noticed in a world hungry for good non-fiction.

I recommend: A book search can reveal in-depth guides like this one: "Self-Help Books: Why Americans Keep Reading Them". Try Yahoo Groups for more "market research" on the general audience around the self-improvement genre.

Look at options from different self-improvement book publishers

Then there's also assistance from the web on the nuts and bolts of getting a book out with the help of self-improvement publishers. Beginners can learn about conventional publishing as well as 'vanity press' or print on demand options.

I recommend: Articles on Street Directory give readers a breakdown on what kinds of options are generally available to independent book authors. Get more from Book Publishing 101: Know Your Options, available from World Village.

Publish your own self-help book

A new breed of print-on-demand publishers will handle the design, marketing and production of your book. Unlike traditional publishers, they only print based on sales and don't carry an inventory of books.

I recommend: Author Solutions is the leader in field. Or try E-Reads, a publisher of both hard-copy and electronic versions of books.

Collect more info on practical guidance for dealing with self-improvement book publishers

There are other ways the web might help beginners looking to use inspirational publishing authorship in a business capacity. Browse the info on these sites to get more on tailoring a book project to its most likely chances of success with help from publishers of inspirational books.

I recommend: The Business Opportunities Weblog will help prospective authors figure out if self-improvement book publishing is in the cards for them, and how to get toward the goal. Find more on avoiding possible pitfalls with a book deal or with self-improvement book publishing companies from volumes like this one on EBooks.com.