Many authors envision writing a book and submitting it to one of the top publishers to let them take the reins—editing, formatting, creating the book cover, marketing, and distributing. Yet, the reality of that actually happening is what has made self-publishing and print-on-demand (such as Amazon KDP) so popular.
I have worked with some authors who want to try the traditional publishing route FIRST. If you are one of those and want to submit your manuscript to a publishing house, start by making a list of at least 5-10 publishers who specialize in your genre (self-help, sports, romance, mystery, African-American, LGBTQ+, etc.). Selecting publishers because of their name, size, or popularity will most likely lead to receiving NO feedback or racking up rejections quicker than you’d like.
Rejections are inevitable. However, choosing publishers who specialize in your genre will increase your chances of having your manuscript considered.
A simple internet search will yield a list of potential publishers and blogs with publisher lists. Reedsy.com has a useful directory of publishers, and asking different LinkedIn, Facebook, and Reddit groups may provide helpful information.
