NEW MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION SERVICE

Bowker, the global leader in bibliographic information, has launched an automated manuscript submission process for the general trade.

BowkerManuscriptSubmissions.com (BMS) is an Internet-based service that enables authors to be seen by publishers and ensures publishers don’t miss the next bestseller. BMS brings authors, publishers and agents together in an efficient online system, where authors present their book proposals to the leading publishers in the industry from one central location and acquisition editors apply e-tools that allow them to sort through them and zero in on the ideas they find most interesting.

BowkerManuscriptSubmissions.com is patterned after the highly successful ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com (CMS) managed by and in cooperation with the Christian publishers association, ECPA. The CMS service which has been in operation for nearly 10 years has proven to be a successful process for both authors and publishers. It provides authors a significantly more cost-efficient manner for submitting a manuscript to multiple publishers, while editors gain electronic tools to quickly, effectively sift many submissions based on the specific search criteria. In fact, the CMS service just recently received accolades in the Christian industry having provided the means for Harvest House Publishers to discover and publish this year’s top Christian fiction book award winner from a manuscript submitted by Susan Meissner.

“With all of the automation underway in our industry, the traditional process of getting the right author together with the right publisher is still incredibly time-consuming and frustrating for both sides of the relationship,” said Kelly Gallagher, VP of Publishing Services. “Authors spend time and money sending out many proposals, hoping to be noticed. While on the flipside, acquisition editors are overwhelmed with unsolicited manuscripts that don’t match their interests.

BowkerManuscriptSubmission.com applies a proven model for addressing both issues, allowing authors and publishers to find each other very efficiently.”

Using a simple, intuitive Web site, authors, for a nominal fee, have the potential to present their book proposal to a vast number of publishers and agents through one connecting point. The Web site guides them through a process that allows them to add a sample chapter so editors can get a taste for their style, and descriptors that will help the right acquisition editors find the proposal. The site even includes resources to polish and refine their work. Additionally, authors have the option to decide whether to expose their manuscript to ‘pay to publish’ companies versus traditional royalty based publishers. Publishers can then use the automated system to explore submitted manuscript proposals, sorting them by genre, audience, author, and date of entry – all at no charge to traditional publishers.

“This is a particularly exciting venture for us because it ends a traditional, industry-wide frustration,” said Mr. Gallagher. “This has the potential to be life-changing for both authors and publishers.”

Interested authors should send an email to BMS@bowker.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Publishers are encouraged to register now at www.BowkerManuscriptSubmissions.com.