Publishers are always looking for new talent, and they know that beginning writers aren't always familiar with the often-confusing maze of the publishing business. They don't expect you to have the same level of knowledge as an editor with years of experience. But they do expect you to be professional and honest in your dealings with them.

Professional Courtesy

Editors are plagued with wannabe writers who have no respect for the editor's time or expertise. They flood editors' inboxes with vapid e-mails; they call incessantly, demanding to speak with the editor about their work or just to chat; they challenge every suggestion, even the most constructive ones. These writers are the ones that make editors question their choice of profession and fantasize about a “normal” career in a field that doesn't involve dealing with authors.

Your professional attitude will set you apart from the crowd. Give the editor time to do her job. Accept rejections and suggestions for changes with grace. Limit your e-mails and phone calls to topics that really matter; don't call or write just because you're bored or need somebody to hold your hand. These small gestures, coupled with your terrific writing, will endear you to an editor and make you one of her favorite authors to work with.

Timeliness

From the author's perspective, publishing moves at a glacial pace. It takes weeks to get a response to your query, several more weeks to hear back on your proposal, and several more weeks to see the contract. Then you have a number of months before the manuscript has to be turned in, and months after that before you see the final product. When you're looking at a year or even two before your book is in the stores, it's easy to develop a casual attitude toward deadlines.

But deadlines are the sacred cow of publishing. A publishing house's entire year is planned according to a multitude of deadlines, many of which you won't even be aware of. Delays mean extra costs, holes in the catalog, and disgruntled salespeople. If you're two months late turning in your manuscript, that puts the development editor two months behind schedule, which in turn puts the production department two months behind. And if every author is two months late, the carefully crafted plan for the whole publishing house is in a shambles. That's why it is so important for you to deliver your material on time.

Honesty and Integrity

Publishers expect their authors to be honest. That means creating original work — no plagiarizing or unauthorized “borrowing” of another author's material. It means telling the truth in your author's bio — you cannot claim bestseller status when you haven't achieved it or paint yourself as an expert when you don't have the credentials to back it up. It means living up to the promises you make, making sure your manuscript matches what you promised in your proposal, delivering your work on time, and being willing to work with your editor to improve your copy. Dishonesty in any of these areas will, at the very least, tarnish your reputation; you could even put your entire writing career at risk.

Many of the larger publishing houses won't deal with unagented authors. There are several reasons for this. One is that agents act as pre-screeners for editors and publishers; they won't submit material that is inappropriate or not up to standards. Another is that agents know the business and the vocabulary of contract negotiations, and they can distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable demands.