ASK A LITERARY CONSULTANT
Second chances
You’ve published though a small press, or self-published, but now you want to take your work to traditional agents and publishers. Sarah Conkerton, Cornerstones’ assistant editor with an agency background, looks at the practicalities.
Sarah Conkerton
Q I have a book that I published via a small press, wanting to get it into the hands of my friends and family quicker. There hasn’t been any publicity and sales are low. Can a book published this way still be submitted to agents and/or publishers? If so, how should I go about it?
A This is no doubt a scenario many authors find themselves in, and it’s a question with multiple factors to consider. The key question is of the publication rights, and whether the book is currently on sale anywhere. We’ll go into the points to address below, with insight from Helen Corner-Bryant and Michele Rubin, our US managing editor with 25 years of experience at Writers House.