I’ve decided to write a post to share my experience of being an author with a small press publisher, mainly since in the past month I’ve been PM’d for advice: first from a former colleague and teacher at a secondary school where I worked, asking about how to get published on behalf of a student, and more recently by a writer who has been offered his first contract seeking advice.
To date, I’ve had three books published with small press publishers: my debut poetry collection, A Model Archaeologist with London-based Eyewear Publisher in 2015; my second poetry collection, Chemotherapy for the Soul with Canadian publisher Fowlpox Press in 2017 and my debut novel, Gods of Avalon Road with UK based Blossom Spring Publishing in 2019.
Why did I choose small press publishers rather than large publishing houses?
Large publishers generally don’t allow unsolicited submissions; they only accept manuscripts submitted by agents. Since I don’t have an agent (hopefully some day) I felt it would be better use of my time to search for small publishers accepting in my relevant genre.
How did I find relevant small press publishers?
Primarily by searching for what I wanted. A good starting point is ‘publishers accepting unsolicited poetry/fantasy/literary (etc) manuscripts’ and going from there.
What helps to get a publisher’s attention?
Writing a punchy cover letter is key, since often this is as far as a publisher will get when reading your work. Rejections are just one of those things in the life of a writer; whilst never welcome, you get used to them eventually. For novels, having a sample of three chapters with your contact details included at the start, and a header with your name, email and page number helps too. You should also prepare a one page synopsis of your novel including all twists and turns and the ending.
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Leilanie Stewart 