Things to Note in Your Manuscript Before Approaching a Publisher

 

Many times, writers are so eager to have their work published that they forget to do their own due diligence. They just write and send it to the publisher and hope that he/she would do the needful and then publish their work.

It does not work that way. A writer is not an editor, and neither is a writer a publisher although those roles can be interchanged between them. As a writer, it is important that you have basic editing skills. That way, you are able to preserve the integrity of your work rather than leave it for someone that would edit in the way he/she thinks about what you have written.

This difference in roles is very important because it would help you in playing your part well and make it easy for others to do their work effectively. Here are some of the things you should note before taking your manuscript to a publisher:

1. You must ensure your work has been proofread and edited for errors.

As a writer, it is not just enough to write a good piece or a good book. You have to go through the book several times to make sure your thoughts are fully captured and well written then you also have to make sure that it is properly edited before you send it out. That way, whoever picks up your work would be comfortable reading it and even eager to publish it.

2. Follow the publisher’s guidelines.

This is very important in publishing as it fast-tracks your work and makes things easier for the publisher. Many times, publishers have certain standards or a couple of rules that they lay down for their prospective customers. And it would do you a lot of good to follow those guidelines. When your work meets all the necessary criteria, it will be easy to publish.

3. Know what you want your work to look like.

There are times that all a writer cares about is having their work published. To them, nothing else is important. They would prefer for the publisher or friends to make the choices they need to make. Don’t be that kind of writer. Have an idea of what you want your work to look like and the way you want people to perceive it. Then do a good job of communicating it to the publishers.

That way, you are seen as someone who knows what they want, and you would also be proud of the creativity that you displayed.

4. Be open to ideas.

Many times as writers, we already have an idea of what we want our books to look like, the cover page, the size, the colour and so on. But sometimes, it is good to listen to ideas and suggestions from more experienced people or from publishers. Remember that it is their job, and they have been doing it for years. So they have a lot of experience in it.

You don’t have to take their suggestion. Just open your mind to receive it and if need be, be humble enough to take the suggestion. You would be better for it, and your work would also get visibility.

In conclusion, when it comes to writing, it is important that you play your own part. Make things easy for everyone working with you on your way to success. Keeping all these things in mind would make your dreams come true sooner than you think.

Olamide Omolawal is an avid research enthusiast with interest in creative and content writing. She could be reached via LinkedIn or email: oomolawal@gmail.com