I’m sharing tips in this post that might help with your own publisher search.
How cool that my publisher, Chicken Soup for the Soul, announced its four bestsellers leading up to Mother’s Day … and Mom Knows Best was included!
My story “Mom Turned Mentor” appears in Mom Knows Best: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Love & Wisdom and was published in March 2019. According to Chicken Soup for the Soul:
The books occupied four of the top ten spots for new trade paperback self-help books on the Nielsen BookScan list.
I had a feeling Mom Knows Best would be a bestseller (the stories are so heartfelt), and I was honored to present my own mother with a copy. Family members also got copies, and I donated several additional copies to organizations.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul. My story in The Cat Really Did That? 101 Stories of Miracles, Mischief and Magical Moments was published last year to benefit American Humane. I was thrilled that royalties from the book sales helped fund our nation’s oldest organized animal rescue group, founded in 1877.
Publisher Search — Magazines
So, how do you search for a publisher? I started as a freelancer with magazines and became a contributing editor and editor-in-chief for several publications. I simply studied the tone and content of various magazines, provided spec articles aimed at their target audiences, and was picked up as an writer and editor.
Need more ideas? Why not capitalize on your love of animals! You can submit to Animal Wellness Magazine, Bird TALK magazine, Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy, EQUUS, Reptile Magazine, The Horse, or even Tropical Fish Hobbyist. Some also welcome photography. Check ’em out!
Publisher Search — Books
In your publisher search, consider what tier of publisher you envision. Some authors shoot for the stars with the top-tier publishers. Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, The Hachette Book Group (including the Perseus Books Group) and Macmillan are the big “top five.” But you’ll need to land a literary agent first, and that involves writing numerous query letters to find an agent who agrees to represent you, as well as as a synopsis of your book that catches attention.
The rest of the most prolific publishers have been ranked by Publisher’s Weekly as of 2016: Scholastic, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Worman, Sterling, John Wiley and Sons, Abrams, Dover, Candlewick, W.W. Norton, Kensington, Chronicle, Sourcebooks, B&H Publishing, and Tyndale House.
Do you need help in your search for a publisher? Contact me for book editing and ghostwriting services, and once your book is ready I can share tips on forging ahead.