How to Submit to Path Publishing

  

 

General Information for Writers

 

Path Publishing, Inc. has published over twenty books since its conception in 1993. With our expanded web site, www.pathpublishing.com, we are expanding into e-books, Christian music sales, web site design, and more. We specialize in nonfiction, self-help, Christian, and poetry. Not to say that we will never go outside these parameters, but your safest queries are within these. We never thought we would publish a book on weight loss, but it has become one of our best books; so the self-help category is rather broad. Yet everything we publish must be uplifting, and hopefully entertaining.

 

We generally publish smaller books, 80 to 120 pages. Chapbooks are around 72.

 

We prefer fast, efficient queries by email. But snail mail is OK; just send along an SASE in any correspondence. The basic structure is this:

 

♦ "Submission” in the subject line.

 

♦ A cover letter of about one page, with this basic structure: introductory paragraph about the book or project (where you may want to put the title of the work), a paragraph about your marketing research for the work and how it compares to the competition (not important in poetry or plays, but very important in nonfiction) or additional pertinent information, a paragraph about you and any publications garnered, a paragraph concerning anything else you want to say (Path accepts simultaneous submissions if under ten publishers, so you don’t have to mention that.), and the closing where you give your contact data (or in a letterhead).

 

♦ A synopsis of the work. If poetry, are the poems organized by an overall theme? Not all books can be summarized, while others can be generalized in one or two sentences.

 

♦ A sample from the work, like three poems or the first chapter of the book; first page of the book in a snail mail submission. For a play, send the first page, a middle scene or couple of pages, and the end of the play. For snail mail submissions, skip the middle scene.

 

♦ A table of contents can also be included if it is only one or two pages long.

 

Path’s response time is usually within days, not weeks or months. Snail mail is three to four weeks. However, do not be hurt by a rejection. Your marketing results are more dependent upon the number of queries you send out than almost any other factor.

 

 

Hints for Writers

 

As an author with over 30 years of experience, I often mailed simultaneous submissions to five to seven publishers at one time, if each one was open to simultaneous submissions. The main thing is never give up.

 

Study the marketplace, especially concerning trends. Call your local bookstore to ask what is currently selling well; sometimes you can ask them for an opinion about what may become a new trend. You might have a special talent in that area or can start researching a topic you already have an interest in.

 

Also, carefully read the publishers’ entries in marketing books and Internet sources for authors. Learn to match your project with their needs and special instructions.

 

Whenever you can, be on the lookout for a market for a fellow author, and let them know what you find. Too often, writers forget to help others along the road and live isolated lives. It’s in the giving that love and true satisfaction are found ― loving your work, God, your readers, and others. By writing and publishing works that guide humanity into higher realms that we today can only imagine, we lead ourselves gradually, though sometimes miraculously, into a greater peace and satisfaction than we currently experience or have ever experienced.

 

 

Nonfiction and Self-Help

 

Besides the comments above, create a title page where you give your contact data, the manuscript’s word count, and the rights you are selling, like “First serial rights.”

 

We at Path would like to know the work’s history, if previously published. We are not opposed to making a previously successful paperback into an e-book. However, you must get permission, probably in writing, from the original publisher so we can without worry publish your book as an e-book.

 

 

Fiction

 

Path has never published adult fiction. That is not to say we never will. And that is not to say you should not submit long fiction. Short fiction has a chance to be published at our web site, including works for children.

 

 

Plays

 

We are looking for plays to promote at the site. Our marketing of plays may expand, over time.

 

 

Poetry

 

We have published several poetry books. We also offer poets the opportunity to publish at our web site. If we ask you to submit poems for possible web publishing, just put eight to ten poems in an email, with a short bio, and your favorite Bible verse. Path will do the rest. And tell us how many poems you have that could be made into an inspirational e-book in case the public response is favorable. We have also developed a system for chapbooks so they can be published in weeks or a few months, not half a year or years.

 

 

E-books

 

The electronic book is one of the latest developments in the publishing world, allowing us to expand to readers in Russia, China, Australian, South America ― all in the same day. So for the author, the exposure becomes worldwide. You may get fan email from Ireland!

 

The main problem is that most Americans still prefer a paperback to a CD or emailed book. Someday almost everybody will have a book reader which allows them to read any book in the world electronically for a small fee. This personal library, however, is not yet available. In the meantime we can only hope that book readers soon populate the world so we stop cutting down trees.

 

A second disadvantage to the e-book is that some paperback publishers are less interested in books that have been published first on the Internet. One perhaps wonders why, yet it’s a bit obvious also; if a publisher is investing tens of thousands of dollars, they want something totally fresh. Though, an e-book’s success could be a strong indication that it will also make a good paperback. Some large publishers do both simultaneously.

 

If a book is published as an e-book by Path and the author later finds a paperback publisher who wants e-book publishing halted, Path will cease publication and not stand in the way of the author’s success.

 

The format for an e-book through Path very much resembles the original manuscript. The author does not need to worry about complicated requirements after acceptance. Path will take care of everything. Path formats the book, converts it into a pdf (Adobe® Reader®) file, and sells it on the Internet through its web site and other marketing avenues.

 

Path is also interested in publishing poems collected by poetry societies and clubs. Poems would be submitted by the poets who belong to the organization ― hopefully at least one poem published for every poet. This is our way of helping poets everywhere and expressing love for a genre that has been a delightful companion for over three decades.

 

 

Artists

 

If you are an artist and would like to be part of our “Artists to See” section or have a personal page, email us for our very reasonable rates. One of our great desires is to be a home for many artists, where they not only can enjoy an affordable web presence, showing one to five of their paintings or other works, but sell works at our shopping cart.

 

We are also interested in showing the works of art clubs or galleries. Here at the site you can see the quality of the paintings (and the scanning of photos by our art director, who can be found at lasergraph@suddenlink.net). Join us! You have very little to lose and much to gain. Even grandmothers who are uninterested in earning income can show their works to their family members all over the world. And someday we want to show the works of children.

 

When you email us, you can give a return phone number and tell us the best time to call you so we can keep in touch. The contacts we have made with Texas Panhandle artists have been a wonderful experience. Path helped six artists in the 1990s with the storybooks we published and want to encourage artists all the more here at the web site.

 

 

Musicians

 

We are looking for Christian and alternative, uplifting music by outstanding performers. Are you an aspiring Christian musician, singer, or songwriter? Send Path a demo or your best CD. We also have contacts with talented musicians who can lead you to quality studios and low-cost manufacturing sources.

 

 

Conclusion

 

We hope we have answered all of your questions about submissions and maybe given you a little more than you expected. Any question not answered, please tell us.

 

We wish you great success. As we say on the front page of our web site, we desire to create a haven for creative people and the spiritually rich.

 

Path Publishing, Inc., with Path Publishing in Christ

4302 W. 51^st #121, Amarillo, Texas 79109-6159

877-PATH-877 (877-7284-877) or (806) 322-7007

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Time

www.pathpublishing.com

path2@pathpublishing.com