How to search for the right publisher for your book? First, determine the category your book falls in. There are different markets for different categories of books and there are different publishers that cater to each market. Established publishers concentrate on their field of specialization, be it educational, children's books, cookery, craft, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, anything.



Such publishers know their business and their customers. They also know how to reach the target reader population. They have an established network. They know the specialty bookshops, the forthcoming events and the platform to promote a book. They also know when there is an increased demand for certain kinds of books.

How to find a suitable publisher for your book?

To find a publisher, it is essential to collect some data. Decide the category your book falls in. Look for other books from the same category, and check their publishers. This can be found by browsing through your own bookshelf or any big bookshop, or library. Online resources such as Amazon or BooksInPrint are also a great help.

Many small publishers who publish really good books know the market very well. Big publishers may ignore your manuscript, but small publishers might show interest in your book. They may prove very helpful. It is also likely that you will be able to meet the top person in such settings, which is almost impossible with big publishers.

Get the contact details of your potential publishers from resources. Contact them, talk to them, and discuss your book with them. Experienced publishers will be able to tell immediately whether your book fits into their category.

To make sure you go to the right publisher for your book, you can also collect information on the editors that work for the publishers you are looking for. Websites such as Literary Market Place will be helpful to get the required information. You can find out the names of acquisition editors even from the acknowledgements in the books, as usually the authors make a mention of their editors.

Contacting them, you can ask whether they would like to see your manuscript. It is important to send your manuscript to a specific person, as the unsolicited articles are sent back unopened. This happens with big publishing houses that receive hundreds of manuscripts everyday. Avoid such rejection without review of your book.

Some publishers employ the services of literary agents. They get their manuscripts reviewed by such agents. The agents also differ in the specialized genres of books they deal with. Hence, it is suggested to make a list of such agents, find out the ones that deal with your kind of books, and contact them to seek their opinion.

This much groundwork really pays, when you want to find the right publisher for your book. If you want your book to become successful, then finding the right publisher will make all the difference.