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True, it is a skill to get a major book publisher to take your book for publication. It takes lots of presentation skills to get through the hurdle. Let us take a look at what are the options available for a first time or even an nth time writer to get into a major book publisher's list. If you are already an established writer, you would not be reading this article. You know how to do it and would just go about getting your book published by a major book publisher. Whereas if you are not one of those, and if your heading to become just that, then yes, you might have trouble getting a big name behind you.

There are two ways you can approach a major book publisher. If you are the confident type and know for sure that you can satisfy all the questions a publisher will ask, walk in straight and give them the answers. We will also go through them shortly. Else, you should pick up a very amenable and an all-knowing agent! You need to be careful when you pick up an agent. It is true that every one there will be saying he can take care of your needs. But you need to judge from his previous records and from his contacts whether he can really get the big name behind you. A major book publisher will ensure that your books really sell wild.

Every major book publisher has his own questions to ask. They have a set of questionnaires that they send across to the people who are making a proposal. This is normally called a proposal form. You need to understand the purpose behind every field on the proposal form before answering them. Spend some time and go through the proposal form in detail and then start answering them. Ensure that you are addressing the reason behind every one of the question that is posed in the proposal form. If the question, for instance, is on the market for the book, try to find out to whom you can sell the book that you have written. Identify the possible size of that market in the country and then put that in the proposal form. They need to get the real market size to judge their sales volume. Making a lower figure here can hurt you badly and so will a boosted one too. Your proposal form is the first hurdle that you need to cross. Once you are through with this, you are through with 50% of the work.

The second part would involve developing your work into a form that is in line with the publisher's interest. The major book publisher normally dictates how they want the book to be structured. They have an art team which designs the book for you. They go at it pretty professionally and these need not worry you. Of course you will also be there for the negotiation and finally signing the contract! Make sure you are clear about what you need, even if you are accepting all their terms, be clear about that and sign up!

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