Question: I've been told that my manuscript has potential. How do I find out if it does?

Answer: You could have the manuscript assessed by a member of the NZ Association of Manuscript Assessors. An assessor will be able to give you a detailed report on the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript in terms of structure, plot and characterisation, and offer some ideas for improvement.

Question: I sent my manuscript in for a free reading and was offered a contract to pay up front to have the text marketed to publishers. Is this normal?

Answer: No. Agents do not charge fees to market your work to publishers. Instead they receive a percentage of your royalties once the book is published. They may also receive a percentage of the subsidiary rights if they are subsequently sold. This depends on the contract you have signed with them. The advantage of this for you is that an agent actively markets the work on your behalf before getting paid. 

Question: I've written a novel and I want to send it to a publisher. What do I need to do?

Answer: After the novel has been through several drafts and perhaps even been assessed by a qualified manuscript assessor, research the publishers to find the one who publishes the type of writing you do. You can do this at your local bookshop of via the Internet. Alternatively you can check the BPANZ Directory of Publishers as it lists publishers and the genres they publish in.

Next, contact the publishers you have selected and ask them how they like manuscripts presented. Some may say send in a covering letter and three chapters; others may say send in the entire manuscript; and still others may say send in a synopsis and a covering letter. You should also ask how they want the text set out. Most publishers have specific guidelines, which it pays to adhere to.

If you send your manuscript to more than one publisher, it is polite to let each one know this.

Question: Is it permitted to have a manuscript accepted by a publisher in New Zealand, the US and the UK at about the same time?

Answer: It would depend on the contract signed with the first publisher. Publishers, naturally, like to buy world rights, but it's rare for them to contract a work with the intention of selling all over the world in translation or even just in English-speaking countries. When a publisher buys world rights it is to protect their subsequent position. You can protect yours by limiting the licence you sell to the initial market for which the book is intended, which in the case of a local publisher would be New Zealand.

Question: I sent my manuscript off to a publisher three months ago and haven't heard back from them. Is this normal?

Answer: Three months is a fairly average time for a publisher to contact you. However, it would depend on how many unsolicited manuscripts they receive. It could also mean that they liked the text enough to send it out to a reader and they were waiting on the reader's report before they accepted or rejected it. This process can take some time. Contact them, ask if they received the manuscript and if so, when you might expect to receive an answer on it.