What should I do with my book?

Question

I've written a book for kids. Feels great to have finished it! What should I do now? Does anyone publish new writers any more?

Answer 1

As an experienced writer and published fantasy author, I suggest you find a good editor to clean up your manuscript and get it ready for submission to various agents. You'll have to research those, as there are no right answers when it comes to agents EXCEPT that you need one if you're a new author. Most major publishers these days won't even open unsolicited manuscripts unless you have previously published something OR you have a super strong query letter or an agent submitting for you. Publisher slush piles are in the thousands, so don't waste your time, postage or printing costs submitting direct.

Once you have a finished, polished manuscript and an agent to handle it, you should be able to find a publisher sooner or later. Agents know the game and they know what the publishing houses are looking for. Trying it on your own is a long, tedious and often disappointing road to oblivion.

That's my advice. Good luck with your book.

Jon F. Baxley (Author, Editor, Ghostwriter and Proofreader)

THE SCYTHIAN STONE (eBook only)
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY (eBook and hard cover)
THE REGENTS OF RHUM (coming fall '07)

(For a FREE copy of The Scythian Stone or a full color, four chapter illustrated demo of The Blackgloom Bounty, email me at [e-mail]).

My author blog: http://the-blackgloom-bounty.blogspot.com/

Answer 2

My best advice is to go to a writers conference where you can pitch it to an actual publisher. Unfortunately, getting published is less and less about talent and more and more about who you know. Unless you have an "in" with a publisher, the odds are very much against you that your manuscript will ever see more than the slush pile.

If you have not done so, buy the current edition (no, do not get old copies of it!) of "Writer's Market". Read the tips in it and then use it to study the market, study the market, study the market until you find a publisher that fits your manuscript.

Answer 3

Yes they do. But you have to do the research. Go to the library or the bookstore and look at Writer's Market for the current year. Go to bookstores and see who is writing something sort of like what you are writing. Look up that publisher.

You can also find some about the publishers on the Internet. Look up something like "children's book + publishers." You can also look up manuscript format--which you will need to know in order to submit your work in a professional manner.

Some houses take submissions from authors without agents. They will have submission guidelines you can get either by sending an SASE or looking it up online. Read the guidelines and follow them exactly.

It's hard to break in, but possible. Good luck with your writing.

Answer 4

Study the #1 Children's publishing resource: Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. You may find a recent copy in your library, or you can sign up for WritersMarket.com to keep abreast of who is buying what. It IS difficult for new writer's to get published unless your book is way better than anything out there. Read the books in your library that are similar to your work. Check out who their publishers are. Go to your market source and see if they accept submissions or if you have to query first. Your query letter must be as sharp as your written work you hope to submit. There are helps all over the internet. Good luck.

Answer 5

Now the hard part----writing the book is only half the battle. But go the following site. They do good work with first time authors.--but you will have to subsidize your book with your own funds and promote it yourself. You could also try to find a literary agent that can try to get you a contract with a major publisher. You can Yahoo or Google for a list of literary agents in your area.

Answer 6

historic Fiction: the two aspects of Time sequence- Caroline B. Cooney (additionally romance) Bloody Jack sequence-L. A. Meyer (additionally adventure) If I might desire to Die earlier I Wake- Han Nolan the great and poor splendor sequence- Libba Bray (additionally fantasyish fiction) the different Boleyn lady- Philippa Gregory The Queen’s fool- Philippa Gregory The consistent Princess- Philippa Gregory The Bolelyn Inheritance- Philippa Gregory The e book Thief- Markus Zusak Fantasyish Fiction Twilight sequence- Stephenie Meyer (additionally romance) The Mediator sequence- Meg Cabot (additionally romance) Avalon severe- Meg Cabot (sorta) Uglies sequence-Scott Westerfeld Midnighters sequence- Scott Westerfeld Fiction: All American lady- Meg Cabot Airhead- Meg Cabot The Earth, My Butt, and different vast around issues - Carolyn Mackler Fly on the Wall- E. Lockhart Megan Meade’s handbook to the McGowan Boys- Kate Brian fortunate T- Kate Brian The 5 people You Meet in Heaven- Mitch Albom My Sister’s Keeper- Jodi Picoult substitute of heart- Jodi Picoult The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown Romance: The Angels Trilogy- Lurlene Mcdaniel The %.- Jodi Picoult The laptop- Nicholas Sparks secret: Stranger With My Face- Lois Duncan Down a dismal corridor- Lois Duncan Locked in Time-Lois Duncan Any e book via R.L Stine Non- Fiction a infant pronounced as It- Dave Pelzer Who Killed My Daughter- Louis Duncan Diary of a youthful lady- Anne Frank

Answer 7

Make a copy and send it to yourself (leave the envelope sealed in case you need the manuscript later). Send it to agents. Once you get an agent, they can market the book - and they'll have connections that you'd never be able to get on your own. Good luck.

Answer 8

Congratulations on getting it finished. Go to http://www.copyright.gov/ for copyright information or to register your book.

Answer 9

go ahead and send it to the nearest publisher in your town

Answer 10

yes