Puzzle books are "consumables" that end up filled in and scratched out, leaving behind erasures and answers. Libraries don't purchase them and, unless pristine and unused, they won't turn up in used book stores. The steady demand makes this niche highly desirable to publishers, which is a boon for creative puzzle designers.

Establish Your Credentials

Although there is a steady demand for new and original puzzles, publishing is a small and highly competitive world in which publishers want the best in any field. Anyone who seeks publication needs to be especially outstanding or have a respectable track record. The magazine market is a good place to begin and will improve the chances of attracting a book publisher. Magazine work provides an opportunity to establish a publishing history and is excellent training for the book world.

Do Your Research

Part of marketing any print material is to offer what the marketplace actually wants and can use. Therefore, knowing the puzzle market and targeting your work where it will be best received is very important. Browse the magazine racks and shelves of puzzle books in area stores to find the ones that carry a line of puzzles similar to yours. Make a list of the publisher addresses for the ones that look most promising for your kinds of puzzles and take note of submission guidelines. Check out the writing and publishing sections of larger book stores for books on all kinds of publishing. Puzzle World offers a listing of the websites of different publishers of puzzles and manuscripts. There will often be a designated link, either in the site header or at the bottom of the page, for submissions. This area will provide specific guidelines for submitting your work--whether or not a cover letter or letter of query is required, if email submissions are accepted or if hard-copy submissions are preferred, the length of time to anticipate a response and other important information that will give your work a better chance to be considered. Self-publishing is an option to investigate as well. You will find Self-Publishing Boot Camp's "10 Steps to Self-Publishing Success" from Scribd a valuable set of download instructions for $14.95. Except for finding and contracting with a printer in your area, it includes everything, from start to finish, including important marketing and distribution tips. Current trends in puzzle book publishing continue to include a wide range of creative, well-designed puzzles. Despite the popularity of sudoku and emerging variations, publishers have seen no fall in demand for crosswords, and sales of puzzle books of all kinds are holding up well against the e-puzzle competition. According to Puzzlewright Press executive editor Peter Gordon, "As more and more research shows that to prevent brain problems later in life you need to exercise your mind, I see a bright future for puzzle books. A daily crossword or sudoku is a lot more fun than a daily jog." Consider investing $23 per year for membership in the National Puzzlers' League (NPL). Regardless of the type of puzzles you create or where you eventually publish, you'll surely find the sharp minds and wits of this organization to be a positive influence. This is also a great source for networking. Many NPL members are puzzle-composing professionals in a variety of areas who can offer opportunities that might otherwise be hard to come by.

Source:

Publishing Trends: The Puzzlers

National Puzzlers' League

More Information:

Puzzle World: Publishers