Traditional Publishing – The Chariot Of Dreams. Yes! You read it right. No matter how many times a writer becomes the Amazon Bestseller or get grand coverage in national dailies, the golden chariot of a writer’s dream always knocks at the unparalleled alley of Traditional Publishers. Every writer dreams to have a stamp of Penguin or Bloomsbury or alike to endorse their ink. After all, you don’t see a one-room holding publisher making it to Booker’s Prize or running for Pulitzer. But then, does that mean that there is no flicker of hope for a writer if the Penguin and co do not acknowledge the writer’s craft? Absolutely not. Just like how Shahrukh Khan cannot work on every blockbuster of Bollywood, the biggies in the publishing market cannot afford to have every good book under their canopy. All a writer needs is an equally enthusiastic and credible publisher who doesn’t dig much into the pocket.

How To Judge A Publisher?

Any business is a cycle; you reap what you sow. Similarly, any market is fickle. Once your product or reputation loses credibility, you are plucked out of the business like a weed from fertile land. This is a universal law. If you think, only writers are to be scanned and scrutinized and criticized by the publishers, you have read only half of the publishing manual. A genuine writer, who wishes to establish his/her author journey over a strong foundation, sits for thorough research before sewing up a publishing deal.

Here are some of the key points to judge the credibility of a good publisher.

• Past publications: Before one decides to go for a particular publisher, it is imperative to do some research on the type of books the publisher has produced in the past. A publisher established over academic books may not be the right choice for fiction publications.
• Market Value: Simply put, just enquire what the writers’ market talks about them. Be it reviews on Google, or Goodreads reviews on their published books. Go through everything that talks about the publisher.
• Response Time: It is an elephantine misconception that a good publisher takes a longer time to respond to queries. Never. Every established publishing houses have a separate desk to handle customer service. Longer time simply reflects their disinterest and nothing else. After all, hardly anyone feels good to utter rejection. However, a genuine publisher shall be responsive even if it has to be curt.
• Marketing Strategy: Never forget to question the publisher’s compass. In this era of Kindle, when you as a writer are going to share your earnings from your book, you must know what all the publisher is going to do to promote you as an author.

The canvass of the present publishing world is complex and baffling in chorus. Even Stephen King has to invest in marketing to keep up with the competition that pops up every passing day. An author’s job is no longer restricted to the undisturbed nook of his/her room, amidst pen and paper. An author HAS to cover a wider landscape, together with the publisher. And a good publisher never leaves the author stranded in the middle of nowhere. It is more like a symbiotic relationship.

How to Approach For Traditional Publishing?

Believe it or not, the writers’ market has grown bigger than the readers. Everyone proclaims to have the ability to bring a storm in the world through their ink, however hardly receive a courteous reply from any publisher. Why? The answer lies in the faulty proposal. Most of the budding authors do not know the basic difference between the synopsis and the back cover information. Still, wondering? They are indeed two separate things.

Here are some of the points one must recheck before approaching traditional publishing.

• Have you finished your manuscript?

Please do not send an exotic proposal when you haven’t yet finished the manuscript. One must understand that writing is a delicate form of art that has its own vulnerable moments. You might have conceived a never-tried-before storyline but have you tried putting it down on paper? Ruminating over Sherlock Holmes is miles apart from making an engaging detective novel. Always approach a publishing house when you know that the created product is your best.

• Do you know your target audience?

One cannot write Fifty Shades Of Grey for children’s book, can they? Before you approach a publisher, ensure that the publisher is interested in your genre and produce books for your target audience.

• How far you can go in marketing your work?

This makes an indispensable question in today’s market. As we know, traditional publishers DO NOT charge an author for publishing the book. However, they will definitely scrutinize the authors before investing a penny in them. The association has to be a win-win, otherwise, no publisher can consider your proposal.

What Does A Traditional Publisher Look For?

That’s a tricky question. If you are someone like Arundhuti Roy, your name is enough for them. But if you are someone new with an incredible story to offer to the reader then your storyline remains their focal point. For every writer, the crux of the process is; read a lot, analyse what is the current trend in the market and whether to go with the flow or try something new that can draw the publisher’s attention.

Self-publishing indeed is pushing far ahead in the market, still, the charm of traditional publishing is never lost. Even though the biggies look like distant unreachable stars, one shouldn’t lose hope in traditional publishing. There are many new publishers in the market who is giving a tough competition by chalking out new marketing strategies, paving aisles through online portals and bringing in a whole new bunch of narratives into the market.

So, keep writing and keep feeding the dream of riding the golden chariot of traditional publishing.