A writer has to be methodical, persistent and business-like in their approach to finding a suitable publisher for their work.
Finding a Publisher
The sound place for a writer to begin is in libraries and bookshops. After thoroughly investigating the shelves they should note the publishers who are issuing the type of material that they have written. If a writer has written short stories they need to note those publishers that have issued collections of short stories. If they have written genre fiction then they should make a note of what has been published in that genre recently, who has written it, who has published it and what else that particular author has written.
Also find a copy of The Writers' Marketplace, other yearbooks and a publishers' association Directory of Members and research them for more possible publishers. The Writers' Marketplace and similar directories of publishers (books and articles, fiction and non-fiction) often have excellent articles in the beginning of the book that make for very helpful reading.
It is a very obvious example but a writer could have written the best science fiction novel in the history of the universe but if they were to send it to Mills and Book it would not be published because Mills and Boon do not publish science fiction no matter how good it is.
At the end of this initial research a writer should have a solid list of suitable publishers to approach.
Visit Publishers' websites
Writers should then visit the website of each of the publishers on their list and note their submission guidelines. If a publisher does not have a website, contact them by phone and request that the submission guidelines be emailed or sent by post. If possible ask to speak to an editor. Some may not take calls from authors of unsolicited material but others prefer a quick phone call. In those few minutes an editor can usually determined if the writer's project will suit them. If the editor does not except phone calls they may except an email.
Once the list is finalised it may help to rank the publishers. Some will be a very close match to a writer's work others less so.
Start sending away the manuscript to the first publisher on the list, of course adhering strictly to the publisher's guidelines. Also, keep detailed records of where the manuscript has been sent and when. If no reply is forth coming, ring the publisher to find out where in the accept or reject process the manuscript is.
If a writer has doubts about any issues a good resource is their local writers centre.
The better a writer's market research the better their chance of getting published.
