Matthias Lim
08 Jan 2023
Three Tips to Help You Get Published in Singapore
Finding the right publisher for your book can be a challenging process. MATTHIAS LIM finds out more.
Before getting her world-famous series ‘Harry Potter’ published, JK Rowling was rejected by 12 different publishing houses before someone was willing to take a chance on her, according to an article published by Insider on Jul 31, 2018.
Publishing a book can be challenging, especially if you’re trying to make your debut as an author. Lucky for you, on Nov 28, 2022, Mr Fong Hoe Fang, 68, owner of Ethos Books, came down to Ngee Ann Polytechnic to give Mass Communication students a talk about publishing a book in Singapore. So, here are three tips to help you find your launchpad to set off your writing career!
1. Pitching Your Book
“When you understand what goes through a publisher’s mind, you’ll be able to then fine- tune your pitch to this publisher in a way that will help both (them) and yourself,” said Mr Fong.
Making your book appealing to the publisher is one of the most important parts of trying to get your book published. In order to do that, we must first understand what publishers have in mind when choosing to accept a manuscript.
According to Mr Fong, publishers will first want to research more about the topic that you have written about to see if it will return profit. According to The Writing Cooperative, a site where writers gather to give each other advice, mainstream topics are more widely acknowledged, but may get overshadowed by more prominent titles in the genre, such as The Hunger Games in science fiction.
On the other hand, more niche topics usually have smaller fan bases and require more convincing in order for publishers to accept it, but according to The Writing Cooperative, are considered to be a more reliable source of readership and income.
Of course, publishers will also take a look at the quality of your writing, such as your consistency and command of the language. But more than anything, the content of your writing will determine whether your manuscript gets accepted or rejected.
“Publishers look for creativity with a good storyline which can attract readers. Your manuscript must be captivating enough for a publisher to want to work with you,” said Ms Bessie Kum, 39, a children’s book author.
So make sure that your content is meaningful and interesting, and publishers may even overlook some of the minor flaws in your writing.
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2. Finding the Right Publisher
“If you’re gonna write a very exciting book, don’t go for a literary publisher or textbook publisher. You (want) to go for a trade book publisher,” said Mr Fong.
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There are many different types of publishers in the writing world, each with its own niche of books. For example, there are trade publishers, who publish books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, while there are also academic publishers, who publish scholarly reports.
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Because there are so many types of publishers, finding one that publishes your genre of books is important. Self-publishing is also an option, but takes a lot of time and resources that most budding authors don’t have.
There are many different types of publishers but likely only one is right for your book. (Photo credit: The Visionary)
3. Presenting Yourself
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Finally, presenting oneself to the publisher is equally as important as the other tips here. Apart from looking presentable on the outside, you must also be humble and willing to listen.
According to Mr Fong, one of the most unpleasant things about publishing is working with authors who think that they know better than the publisher themselves.
Having a big ego and strong personality is one of the largest detriments of presenting yourself. So before you make your pitch, make sure that you have a cool head and humble heart, and obviously, remember these tips to help you get published.