[u-89]

Your posts about self publishing vs going through a publisher leads me to want further information from you if it is possible. I have been working on a couple books myself and wondered how to go about finding a publisher. Assuming a low chance of success by approaching a firm off the street so to speak I thought perhaps an agent might be a better route but then there is the daunting task of finding the proper agent. Do you think genre has anything to do with difficulty? Is say a crime mystery easier than an apocalyptic citizens against tyranny theme to get publisher's interests? Any thoughts, observations or comments are appreciated.

On the outside chance that you were curious my work is of two completely different kinds. First there is a series of short stories using Murphy's Law type of daily experiences to illustrate the on going but comical battle of fate against the individual. The main characters are qwerky but sympathetic. Like Checkov's short stories these run anywhere from a few pages up to 20 or 50 pages (single spaced type written on MS Word). One, the longest is about a detective. The other work is a diet and exercise advise type of book. This latter work I could see someone being interested in the short stories I wonder about as I am not sure about a market for shorts in today's world.

P.S. Please do not use my extemporaneous postings on FR to construe writing capabilities or style.

[Travis McGee]

First thing to do is buy Dan Poynter's "The Self-Pubisher's Manual."

Whether you decide to self-publish or go the conventional begging down 5th avenue route ("please please pretty please look at my manuscript!") the book is invaluable.

[Jeff Head]

I'll send you more detail in a private Fremail...basically, unless you have a recognized agent, or unless you have connections with someone in the industry who has some major influence (and I have neither), publishers will either take your manuscript and put it in a stack of others like yours and may get to it in a year or more...or they will not accept the manuscript without the aforementioned at all.

That's why I decided to self-publish.