Thursday’s Three: Things I Learned from Jeff Herman

I should probably mention that Jeff Herman and I are not close friends. In point of fact, Jeff Herman doesn’t know me from Adam’s house cat. Which is a funny sort of thing we say around here that means Jeff Herman and I are complete strangers.

HOWEVER, I am reading his swell book, Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents 2011, and I feel like a kinda know the guy. I mean, I’m on page 515 (out of 1094) and a body gets a feel for things after that many pages.

So, as I’m done with the publishers section, I’ll share three things I learned:

1. Many publishers, especially those from the publishing conglomerates (ie. Random House, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster), don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. If you want your manuscript to find a home there, you’ll need an agent.

2. The independant U.S. presses are more open to unsolicited manuscripts, but do your research! Check the websites and fine print and follow submission guidelines carefully to maximize your chance at acceptance.

3. University presses offer excellent opportunities for publication if you write non-fiction, particularly if you’ve written a book with regional appeal. Some presses accept fiction, too. Look into your local college or university to see if your book will fit and follow guidelines. It may be a long process, but these presses are well-respected.

That was about the gist of 500 pages. Not that there wasn’t tons more exciting stuff that I learned, but if you want details, you’ll just have to get to know Jeff yourself.

11 thoughts on “Thursday’s Three: Things I Learned from Jeff Herman”

Hi Cathy,Thanks for the synopsis.Adam's house cat—I love that one.Donna V.http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com

You're welcome, Donna.I used to think everyone knew my expressions, but now I know to explain. :-)(Glad you liked it!)

Thanks for the info, Cathy. Please keep us posted on what you learn in the next 500 pages! It's very helpful. Maybe I should do the same with the Giblin Guide!

Kudos for swimming through 500 pages of information. I'm with Debra and will wait to hear your review on the next 500.

Hmmmmm…the next 500 pages won't be as easy, I'm afraid. It's the section on agents. Cue the scary music-:-)But if I glean some good tips, I'll share, y'all.Meanwhile, I think the Giblin Guide probably has some fine tips, Deb. Bet your blog readers would appreciate a few! 😉

Hey Cathy – You can't fool me. That scary music will draw you right in, even if no vampires or zombies are involved. But, wait…you said it's the section on agents, so…hmmm…. 🙂

That's oodles of information to wade through, but boy do I understand the intent. I am ever so happy for those indie publishers that accept us humble writers who aren't agented. For me, they're the best thing since sliced bread! And yeah, that's an expression we use here in my corner of the world. 🙂

Thanks, Cathy C!

J.L., I use that expression, too!This book is chock full of details. If you're thinking of submitting to an indie, you might want to start research here!Lisa, oh, there are zombies in this book. Probably a few zombie agents out there, too-;-)You're welcome, Becky P.!