Ask Sally #30 - Finding an Agent or Publisher

This is a new Ask Sally from Steve. I edited it slightly for reasons of space and privacy.

I have just completed an autobiography encompassing my birth in Nottingham through to my move to Somerset in 1982. I also have a wealth of photos from my late Father's catalogue.

I have also covered my mother's death from Huntingtons disease which occurred during this period and have pledged 50% of any royalties to further research into this crippling affliction.

It is approx. 75000 words. Problem is, it is still in manuscript form and I have no idea how to get it published!!

Do you have any advice? Do I need an agent?


When you say it's still in manuscript form, do you mean handwritten? It's highly unlikely that a publisher would accept a handwritten manuscript nowadays so if you have a friend who can type, or maybe look up a typing service, you could get it typed up. (Steve told me after I asked him this that his mss is indeed typed up but I thought I'd leave this information for others.)

Finding an agent/publisher is the hardest part and something a lot of writers really struggle to do. Some publishers won't take manuscripts unless they come from an agent and some agents won't take on writers unless they've already got a deal, which leaves the writer in a bit of a dilemma. The Writers And Artist Yearbook has a good list of both, and will often state whether the agents or publishers take unsolicited manuscripts. They also, for the most part, say what sort of work the publishers/agents are interested in, so for example they might mention that they only deal with factual works.

There may even be some local publishers in your area who might be interested in your book as a piece of local history. You'll probably find them via your library or local historical society. Or perhaps a charity linked to your mother's illness might have some ideas.

You can either buy the W&A Yearbook from Amazon or a bookshop, or you would probably find a copy of that in your local library. They're usually reference only in libraries so you'd have to take a notebook (I don't think you can photocopy pages). There's also the Writers Handbook etc. Another good book is Jane Wenham-Jones Wannabe a Writer? It's full of good advice about finding your way through the publishing world.

Beware of people who offer to publish your book for you, then expect you to pay for it. There are some reputable self-publishing companies out there, but they're few and far between. It can lead to a very expensive mistake that only leaves you with a thousand books in your garage that you have to try and sell to friends and relatives. If you ever thought of going down the self-publishing route, you'd be as well to contact a local printer, who'd do the job much cheaper.

One thing I will say is that you need to get your manuscript as good as it possibly can be before sending it off to either agent or publisher. Make sure spelling and grammar is top-notch and also that it's formatted correctly (I did an Ask Sally about Formatting here which gives some tips). Publishers won't mind the odd spelling mistake or typo but if a manuscript is littered with them, they'll soon lose interest.

Another thing I would say is that it's very important that you don't part with any original photographs. If you can take copies to send to the publisher or agent of your choice, do so. Otherwise, just state that you have photographs you can share at a later date if needs be. Manuscripts have a habit of getting lost and I'd hate for you to lose such important documents.

Good luck, Steve, and do let me know how you get on!

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