You have completed writing your novel so what next? It’s time to get your book published. I assume you have already made up your mind about whether you are going to self-publish or take the traditional route of publishing. If you decide to publish traditionally, then you will need a literary agent. It is still possible to publish your book the traditional way without involving a literary agent; such authors contact publishers directly and individually. What is important about publishing the traditional way is how you submit your manuscript. Most writers get their manuscripts rejected by either the literary agent or publishers because of how they submit their manuscripts. Below are some of the things you need to do when submitting your manuscript to a literary agent or a publisher.

Know who you are dealing with

It is not enough to reach out to a literary agent or a publisher with your work just because you read somewhere or heard that they are a publisher or a literary agent. Writing is a very broad and diverse field. Each literary agent and publisher has their niche of specialization and their unique preferences. You will have to thoroughly conduct a background check on them. Both publishers and literary agents have websites and social media sites (Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn). All their details about terms of engagement, the type of genres they deal with, whether they are open for submissions or not, and other important guidelines are right there. While doing your research, highlight or identify agents and publishers who accept manuscripts in your specific genre. You would not expect an agent or publisher dealing in the science fiction genre to accept a manuscript on nonfiction health and fitness. It is important to know who you are dealing with.

Join social groups and communities of writers

Staying connected is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to learn about developments in the field of writing. There are many writers’ communities and groups out there solely for this purpose. Through such writing groups, you will be exposed to a lot of information about publishers, editors, agents, how to write your manuscript, and everything about writing. You don't know how much you will learn from such groups, but you will definitely learn a lot.

Attend writers’ events, festivals, and workshops

Most of these events are usually hosted by established or successful people in the writing and literary fields. Writers’ events, festivals, and workshops present a more mutual platform for connectivity. This is because you will get to meet people of different caliber in the writing field in person, and even share ideas. Among the people you may meet in writer’s workshops include successful writers, well-known agents, big names in publishing among others; you would not want to miss such an opportunity.

Once you are well informed about an agent or a publisher, you can then go ahead to format your manuscript (according to their guidelines) and submit it. Good luck with your publishing.