How I Navigated My Way to a Memoir Deal from a Small Publisher

Today’s post is by author Audrey Shipp.

Last year, as I began the query and submission process for my hybrid memoir, I knew I was going to submit directly to small publishers. I’d heard from industry experts about the difficulties non-celebrities face trying to publish a memoir. As recently as January of this year, a Jane Friedman newsletter referred to an article that notes non-celebrity memoir as the most difficult nonfiction genre in which to publish. Thus, I began my querying journey as a non-famous person knowing that agents are paid from a percentage of an advance, and the chances of securing a large advance from a big publisher were slim to nil.

I became familiar with the pitch-query-submission process after taking a series of courses from various creative writing and publishing providers. With Jane Friedman and Allison K Williams, I’d taken a slew of courses on topics such as writing the proposal, publishing paths, and book marketing. And following Courtney Maum’s guidelines, I learned how to pitch hybrid memoir specifically. As a result of my coursework, I wrote a 26-page proposal that I submitted on occasion since not all publishers required it. Although I didn’t always use the entire proposal, it was an incredibly useful resource because I pulled out sections related to my comps, my audience, or other topics that I could use for individual submissions. 

I gained in-depth insight into querying during my participation in the AWP Writer-to-Writer Mentor Program. During the mentorship, I exchanged ideas with author Patrice Gopo and asked a lot of questions that came up as I began to submit.

As I sent out my manuscript, I focused on two areas of interest. First, there were the few publishers I noticed at the AWP Conference in Los Angeles last year. At AWP, I had paced back and forth in the Bookfair section scouting for nonfiction titles and talking to editors about my book. I got personal contact information from a couple of editors I later submitted to. Second, I submitted queries and full manuscripts to a list I created that contained my preferred small presses and contests. I learned about these presses by researching online and looking for books similar to mine.

Before clicking the send or submit button, I was careful to study each publisher’s website to find titles comparable to my own. Of course, I already had a list of eight comps in my proposal. But for each distinct publishing house, I found at least one book they had published that had themes, storylines, or settings similar to those in my hybrid memoir. In my query letter, I referred to their book and made an argument for why my book would make a great addition to their catalog.

I had to be flexible regarding the logistics of the query and submission process because they were different depending on the small press. Some publishers use Submittable or a similar submission portal and accept full manuscripts. Others allow writers to query with the first few pages and submit via email. Some request a fee, and others are free.

I became more steadfast in my search after attending a Zoom meeting with a small group of publishers and hearing one small press describe the 1,000 submissions they had received in their two-month open reading period. That press doesn’t require agented submissions, but one half of their batch of a thousand was from agents!

The most intriguing part of the querying process was how it made me feel as if I was traversing a delicate spiderweb. Every small publishing house led to another small publishing house I had never heard of before. So, despite my starting out with a short list of publishers, the list of possibilities for unagented submissions just kept growing. Also, when I learned that a new fiction or narrative nonfiction book had just been published, I checked to see which press published it and what their requirements were for querying. That curiosity sent me down an entirely new branch of the spiderweb. The maze-like nature of the U.S. publishing industry is captivating. And as the months went on, and as I became increasingly tired of the process, I also became more obsessed with learning more and more about these independent publishing houses.

In total, I sent out manuscripts and queries to about 30 publishers and that number includes contests. Midway through the process, I was excited to receive an email requesting my full manuscript from a press that had read my first 25 pages. In the back of my mind, I felt confident this publisher would accept my manuscript. Nevertheless, I continued querying because there is a huge difference between feeling confident and actually having a contract.

As I waited for the publisher to review my full manuscript, the most difficult thing was checking my Submittable account and watching the “Declined” icons pile up. It was also disconcerting seeing the “Received” icons remain stagnant for months on some of my favorite presses, which suggested to me that the editors hadn’t even opened my manuscript.

Imagine then my feelings of defeat when the publisher who had requested my full manuscript emailed back to say they didn’t think my narrative was a good fit for their press.

All along, I hadn’t been sure what I would do if I failed on the road of traditional publishing. Would I try the hybrid route? Would I self-publish?

During a brief period in which I found myself wallowing in self-doubt, I received an email from another publisher I’d submitted to. I opened it and was thrilled to receive an acceptance from Unsolicited Press! My hybrid memoir When I Was a Bilingual Writer Birthed by Black L.A. found a home with them, and it will be published in 2027.

Learning from others, applying my newly acquired skills, and practicing patience while navigating the labyrinthine nature of the U.S. publishing industry led to a bright light at the end of the tunnel. I had to travel winding and often obscure paths to reach my goal. Perseverance didn’t just win the day, but it also landed me a publishing contract.

Audrey Shipp

Audrey Shipp is an AWP Writer to Writer mentee and a PEN America Emerging Voices Workshop LA honoree whose hybrid memoir When I Was a Bilingual Writer Birthed by Black L.A. will be published by Unsolicited Press in 2027. Her writing has been published in various literary journals including Good River Review, Another Chicago Magazine, Litro USA, A Gathering Together, and Américas Review. She has English degrees from both UCLA and Cal State LA. Her professional life has been dedicated to teaching English and ESL in public high schools in Los Angeles.