On this episode of The Book Proposal Podcast, Debra Eckerling answers the question, “How do I choose which publisher to send my proposal to?” 

There are different ways to go about finding the right publisher for your book proposal. The larger publishing houses, namely the big five, and their imprints, will only allow submissions through an agent. However, there are plenty of smaller publishers that accept proposals and queries directly from writers. So the first decision you need to make is whether to seek out an agent or go directly to a publisher. 

If you are going the direct to publisher route, you have a few options, but they all boil down to research. Start with a simple online search for publishers that accept unsolicited or un-agented manuscripts - or reverse engineer it and look at who publishes books you feel are akin to yours. Then check their catalog, accepted genres, and submission guidelines. You can also find potential publishers through networking, writers communities, and events. 

Whether you are sending your proposal out to an agent or directly to a publisher, remember: your cover letter/query needs to be as professional as your book proposal and your manuscript: spelling counts, formatting counts, alignment with the publisher counts. 

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Debra Eckerling is a goal strategist, book proposal specialist, and author of “Your Goal Guide” and “52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting.” 

Have a question about book proposals, email Deb@TheDEBMethod.com. Connect with Deb on LinkedIn and follow @TheDEBMethod for more resources and tips. Learn more at BookProposalPodcast.com.

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