How to Sell Your Manuscript When You Don’t Have an Agent

• Research the Industry. The internet is a remarkable resource. You can obtain information on editors and their preferences through SCBWI sites. The conference faculty blurbs provide great information.

• Compile a list of publishers who publish what you write. Hold off on those that take only agented queries. Many publishers allow unagented queries.

• Submit only your best work.

• Take advantage of open submissions. After regional conferences, guest editors may open submissions for a short time. Stay on top of your regional loops for this type of opportunity.

• Target the junior editors. Editorial assistants and assistant editors are at the bottom of the totem pole. They are often hungry to build their lists. Send your submission to them instead of the senior and executive editors.

• Take advantage of opportunities to meet editors one-on-one at conferences or workshops.

• Search regularly for contests with final round judges from publishing houses.

• The simultaneous submission dilemma. Many editors insist that you submit only to them. You must then wait until they reject your work to send to another editor. The successful authors that I know bend this rule to extremes. You’ll want to acknowledge in your query letter that the query is being submitted to multiple publishers. Make sure to notify the editors if you sell your work to someone else.
• Send only one of your projects at a time. Don’t give the editor the chance to pick the best and disregard the rest.
• Follow up on submissions after six months.
  
• Interpreting the editor response
• Request for a full—You’re making progress! You’ve gotten the editor’s attention, which is always a good thing. The editor may not buy this work, but she’s likely to be interested in other work from you.
• Boilerplate rejection—Sometimes you’ll receive a slip with a checkmark on the reason for rejection. These are common and do not mean that your work doesn’t merit a real response. They mean the editor is inundated with submissions. Don’t get discouraged. Often, the key to selling is getting the right project in front of the right person at the right time. Persistence is the key.
• Personalized letter—Any personalization on the letter means the editor took some of her valuable time. She may say that she liked the work but already had something similar on her list. You should take this as a compliment.
• Extensive comments or a request to resubmit—Excellent news! You definitely want to make changes and resubmit if the editor asked. They spent valuable time on your manuscript, and expect you to send it again with changes.
• The offer! Hurray! These often occur via phone, and you will need to calm down enough to remember to ask for a day to get back to them. After jumping up and down for several hours, check in with other editors you’ve submitted to and let them know you have an offer. You can also contact your dream agents and let them know you have an offer on the table.

• Keep submitting.
• Keep writing.