Let's say I write a book, how do I get it published? Or attempt to at least. Where do I send my work? I can't just send it to a publishing company, so does anyone know how the process works? I love to write, so I was wondering!!:icon_bigg Thanks to who helps!
How to Publish a Book (with Sample Publisher Letters) ---------- Post added 21st Jun 2014 at 06:31 PM ---------- And let me read XD
Disclaimer: I've done a fair amount of writing, have had shorter pieces published, and have even been paid for some of those pieces. But I have not attempted selling a book length manuscript yet. That said... There is a lot of information in writing books. There have even been entire books written on the subject. So you might start by browsing your local library's writing section. Also pay close attention to how to format the manuscript. A professional looking format will not guarantee anything, but it may mean the difference between it getting fair consideration, and it not getting considered at all.
Incidentally, some publishers will accept submissions from the writer, although I think they aren't that common, and the chances of success may not be that great. But for some things, like niche books, that may actually be the better road. As for "regular books", at least fiction, the approach is generally to have an agent whose job is to sell the book. And there is another option: self publishing of some sort. This has carried a stigma, but it seems like a lot of writers are turning to it. The minus is that, of course, you have to do all the marketing.
Don't pay to make your book published. NEVER. I'm not an expert because I dunno if in America it's like in Europe, but when you send your book, NOBODY can ask you for money. If your book is good, then they have to publish it without your payment.
Okay. Nowadays you have a lot of options when it comes to publishing a novel. There's 2 main venues: independent publishing and traditional publishing Let's start with the latter. Now that you're written and presumably edited the crap out of your baby, it's time to send him out into the world. Basically, you want to either begin submitting to agents or to publishing houses that accept unsolicited manuscripts. The latter typically consists of smaller publishing houses. Research the agents/publishing houses and find someone who's an appropriate fit for your work (no Westerns to a textbook publisher). See what they want for their submission packets. Usually that consists of a cover letter, a sypnopsis, and the first couple chapters of your novel (or in some cases, the entire novel). I'll go into detail in another post. And then, submit. Most agents will accept electronic submissions and so when you submit, make sure you submit in the file type the agency requires and format the email to their specifications. Some agencies might have you paste the body of work into the email. And make sure your manuscript is properly formatted. 1 inch margins, 12 point Romam or Courir font, your contact information on the front page, etc. Thankfully, this format is consistant throughout (but more info on another post- I have to check my notes). Basically, that's agency submission for you. You might hear back within a week or within months. Be sure to check if the agency/house accepts simultaneous submission. And the thing is, keep trying. You'll be rejected a lot but it's sometimes just a case of the right agent and the right house. But more on this to follow... Independent publishing on the other hand is a process mainly up to you. Still try to keep your manuscript properly formatted (it's there to ease readers in), edit the living crap out of it (would you give a customer cake batter when he asked for cake? That's what I thought), but now what you do with it is up to you. The thing with independent publishing is, it depends on how much work you put into it and where you go. You'll need to hire your own editor (if desired), hire a cover artist, set your prices, and find a venue to sell it at. Amazon and Createspace are some of the biggest places to sell independent works (typically electronic books) but Lulu and other such venues are worth a look. Research research research. Look at royalty cuts, shipping rates, prices. Decide if you want to produce a physical book or publish electronically (a popular option). More to follow. Avoid vanity presses like the plague by the way. Any publisher that has you pay hundreds of dollars to publish your novel is probably a scam. No visibility. No advertising or editing (though they'll claim they do). Places like PublishAmerica aren't worth your time. Now if you independently publish, yes you'll have some costs and yes you'll have to advertise on your own (even if you traditionally publish, you will if you're a new author) but you're not tied down to a scam.
Thanks for starting this thread JStevens! I'm actually working on a couple of novels myself, obviously they need a lot of work, but it's great to have some info beforehand about the publishing process. Good luck with your works! Also, thanks drwinchester for your post.
Drwinchester's advice is fantastic. I just wanted to add a few things (I'm not published yet, but I have quite a few friends who are - both traditionally and self-published). Don't ever send out a first draft. Revise, revise, revise. Send it to people you trust to give honest opinions and who have experience in that genre. Revise more. That doesn't necessarily mean changing your book based on every bit of their advice, but read all comments with an open mind and only change what feels right for your vision of the idea. There's a lot of information available on the Internet. Writing forums that are willing to help. Agency and publisher blogs. Give them a look. When you're ready for submissions, background check everything. If an agent/publisher is asking for money, they're probably a scam. Unless we're talking self-publishing but that's a different ballgame. Submissions to agents require something called a "query letter." It's basically one-page that gives the agent a taste of your book and invites them to read more. Think of the short summary on the back of books. If the agent is interested in the query, they'll make a request to see more. If they're not, then they either send a rejection (usually a form letter) or they don't respond at all. Rejections always suck but they're part of the game.
You've got some pretty good info here. Just be aware that traditional publishing is a lot like the lottery in that the odds aren't really in your favor. Think about all the hundreds and thousands of submissions and query letters agents and editors have land on their desk. And that's not including the manuscripts they have requested, ones they haven't, and weeding through submissions that aren't too their guidelines. It's time-consuming work, and unless you're one of the very, very few unknowns they take on in any given year, they don't make a lot of fans. I'm a freelance writer and have been working on my first novel for the past four years. I met an author I read pretty faithfully and became pretty good friends with him. He's become my unofficial guide to the publishing world. One of the best pieces of advice he has given me is to network. Go to any nearby conventions and rub elbows with people in the industry. Don't solicit, just meet people and make good impressions. It will be helpful if you can say in you're query letter that you've met the person you're addressing, or mentioning a published writer who endorses your work would also make your submission stand out. Good luck! Hope this helps a little.
Self publish on kindle is the most accessible and usually the best way for new authors. My dad sells one book and about a dozen essays on there.
