Chris A. Baird | May 6, 2020
Do book publishing companies have people that scan the library of Congress to find new authors?

You might be curious about how do publishing companies find new authors in the library of congress? Let me tell you the ways that can make you stand out as an author.

A question that was sent to me today was, how do publishing companies find new authors in the library of congress? Well, this is an excellent question that I think I have heard this one before.

So this is a new one because I can imagine the question where it comes from. It is that the Library of Congress with the books that it has. The question is perhaps a person publishes a book there.

And then the publishing houses might be going through the Library of Congress and running across these books. And then decide from there that yes, this is a book we wish to publish. Then they make contact with the author.

So then possibly by getting into the Library of Congress, you might be discovered. So this is a very interesting question. But before we get started with that, check out my free Self-Publishing Secrets Checklist.

It has helped me do well with 170 plus books that I have published across Amazon as well as other sites. Well, a little bit of my story, I really didn't know anything about the Library of Congress or any of these other things until I started getting going with ISBNs.

Check out this related article: Is Amazon The Best Free Online Option For Self-Publishing?

And beginning to understand how exactly they do register that now. I have only done self-publishing. I have had no desire to go down to 11% royalties which is what you can expect if you're done doing traditional publishing.

As opposed to the 70% that I get with my Kindle Publishing so I wouldn't want to take that big of a cut. But if I were going to do that, then this would be a relevant question like how is my book? Or how am I going to be discovered by the traditional publishers?

So that would be a very natural question to ask. And the answer to the question is no, book publishers do not go to the Library of Congress to find new authors that they are going to be publishing with.

Establish Your Expertise

If you were to go to the Library of Congress, you would quickly see there are 16 million different books that they currently have there. And the book publishers are getting a pile of books submitted to them every day.

You have to keep in mind their gatekeepers. So even someone like Stephen King, I think he has submitted Carrie 16 or 20 or even more times. Even things like Harry Potter, they get rejected no matter how many times you send them in.

The people who are just based upon what kind of day the person who is reading the book has. These gatekeepers may not be in a good position to evaluate whether the book is going to sell.

Because that is really what they are considering in these publishing houses. Are they going to be able to make money or not from the books that are being sent to them? That comes back to the key answer here.

Check out this related article: Do Authors Work For A Company?

That is the best way to be found by the major publishers is to self-publish. By using content marketing or running ads about content marketing, in particular, that is with Youtube and Facebook and all of these other things building up a following, and an email list as well.

Then, the traditional publishers will not be able to ignore you because they will see that the self-published books that you are producing are selling. The blog and other places that you have, you are establishing your expertise and you will be too popular to be ignored by the publishers.

Many people, once they build up a big enough following on Instagram or Facebook or these other locations, they find that the publishing houses will then make contact with them.

Just Like Celebrities

You may have wondered sometimes why these celebrities who have never written a book in their life suddenly are coming out with a book. Did they just suddenly think of publishing? The answer is no.

It is because of their popularity and the celebrity aspect of what they're up to brings the attention of the major publishing houses. And what better way to show them that you are going to be able to publish. Then, actually publishing your own books and making sales on those books.

Check out this related article: Best Way To Get Publishing House Attention?

So why don't you tell me a little bit about what have you found about this? Have you ever thought that maybe you might be found by them as one of those new authors? Looking you up and finding your book in the Library of Congress?

If so, go ahead and leave a comment below. This is a unique question that I have never heard anybody raise. But again it is worth asking the question.

Because sometimes there are ways that they might find you that you would not have considered and it is worth asking the question and then taking a look. Check out my other blogs and videos to find out more questions and answer more of your questions.

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