BY KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK AND SAM BARRY

The Author Enablers are here to answer your questions about writing and publishing. Together, Kathi and Sam have more than 25 years of experience in book publishing. Kathi is an author, radio producer and former publicist; Sam is a marketing manager at a major publishing company and a freelance editor. They are also proud members of the Rock Bottom Remainders, the all-author rock band founded by Kathi in 1992.

Learning new tricks

Dear Author Enablers,

I have about 15 short stories put to bed, but I don't have the foggiest idea of where to go next. I'm 84 years old and just eight months on the computer. Please help.

Robert Hartley
Dunedin, Florida

We're impressed with your willingness to tackle new technology, but we think you should work toward getting your stories published in literary magazines and journals before worrying about a book deal. Poets & Writers magazine has a very good listing of publications looking for submissions, and you might also check with your local independent bookseller or librarian for a list of local and regional journals. You didn't tell us what your stories are about, but they might also be appropriate for certain newsletters or trade journals (Pizza Today? Florida United?). No publication is too small to get started, and it's one of those "success breeds success" kind of things; once you've had a couple of stories published, it will be easier to find more outlets for your writing and an agent to help you sell a book.

Dear Author Enablers,

Help me, Author Enablers! I submitted what I thought was a well-written manuscript to a reputable publishing company over a year ago. I met their submission deadline and I followed their guidelines precisely. After writing the manuscript, I labored over my cover letter, synopsis and marketing plan. As required, I included an appropriate-sized self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with ample postage. I have not received a response from them. After eight months, I contacted them through e-mail, to no avail, and on the anniversary of the deadline I mailed a friendly, respectful letter of inquiry. I also included with my inquiry a SASE for a written response. I still have not heard anything from them. I did not make a copy of my cover letter, my synopsis nor my marketing plan before mailing my package, and my computer died a few weeks later! Thank God for the dozens of hard copy rewrites I saved. I invested so much time in the entire package and would like to have it returned if there is no interest in it. What do I do next? Do I chalk this up as a loss and freshen up my package for the next potential publisher?

C.A. Dennis
Portsmouth, Virginia

Is this a lesson in keeping copies of everything and backing up your files (on more than one computer or on a disk of some kind) or what?

We know a guy in New Jersey who could "handle" this for you, but that could be messy. Going through proper channels is worth one more try—just to find out if the person who was handling this call for submissions is still working for the company and if not, who took over the task of evaluating manuscripts. Chances are that if you haven't heard from anyone in a year you are not going to see that proposal again; it may well have been lost or accidentally discarded. Our advice is a fresh start: both with a new publisher and the material itself. Applying your critical eye a year later could result in an improved submission and might make that rude, careless publisher really sorry. Meanwhile, enjoy the quiet glow of knowing that your letter has saved countless BookPage readers from a similar fate, because we are all running to our computers to back up our data right this very minute—aren't we?

Dear Author Enablers,

I am writing a mid-grade fiction book in which I reference the Harry Potter books. Do I need permission, or should I make up a name such as the Henry Puffin books?

Helen Curtis
Harrodsburg, Kentucky

If you want to be safe, we think you should use Henry Puffin, especially if you're going to reveal that "Dumblesnore" is gay. But we haven't seen your book and we're not lawyers, so it might make sense to talk to one before submitting your manuscript. If you already have a publisher, they probably have an attorney who can answer this question.

Thanks for writing,
THE AUTHOR ENABLERS