Day 5: 20 Publishers in 30 Days

Well, the Lord is good.

The second article from Kaye Yohe, "Sacred Mysteries," has, as I highlighted so long ago, the crux of the book! It's so beautifully written in the context of my book, and so priceless in its understanding. I feel like the Holy Spirit has lead me back to those passages to reaffirm the need for this book and to lead me in a direction for a publisher. Perhaps the Spirit is behind this completely. The publisher I see with the greatest alignment for my desire to publish not only a Catholic, but also a Christian version, will not accept simultaneous submissions.

I am so confident in where this "20 Publishers in 30 Days" has lead, that I'm going to push "Pause" on the blog accountability because it worked... I am submitting to a publisher who is the best fit for my book.

At which point I receive a response from this publisher (6-8 weeks), I will update you all on the future of the "20 Publishers in 30 Days" status for this project. In the meantime, I will attempt to "ghostwrite" an accountability for those who might want to keep up and really submit the articles.

New Game Plan:

Days 3-5: Write Query Letter
Day 6: Buy stamps, completely address SASE
Day 7: Rest
Day 8: Using the spreadsheet of 20 publishers, address the envelopes that are going out to them.
Day 9: Prioritize the list and decide who will go first, second, third, etc. Then put the envelopes, with SASEs inside, in order
Day 10: Research your #1 publisher. This is the one you'll spend the most time submitting to.

Order of Submission Fulfillment for Each Publisher:
1 - Pull out the pre-addressed envelope with SASE inside
2 - Address the query letter address to the proper person
3 - Change the date of the letter
4 - Change the Dear ..., line to the proper recipient
5 - Go to the publisher's website, or find some books on Amazon that they have published.
6 - Write your query letter to them! (Suggest 4 paragraphs, first introducing the book and its magnificent purpose in the world, second write your qualifications, third, write the best 3-5 sentence summary of the book and its "thesis" or point, four, tell them what they want to know... whether it's audience and word count or page length or rationale or your contribution to publishing distribution.)
7 - Send to an accountability partner friend who will be willing to return feedback tomorrow morning or by noon
7 - Sleep 1 night
8 - Edit next day
9 - Print
10 - Sign the Salutation personally
11 - Proofread
12 - Fold it nicely
13 - Seal it
14 - Stick it in the mailbox or go to the Post Office
WARNING: Do not wait even one day to send it out. Let it go! Leave it alone! Trust!

Days 11-30: Repeat Day 10 Instructions.

Slainte! as a soon-to-be published author!

~Renee de Burgh