help with publishing a book?

Question

could somebody just give me basic information here 'cause I'm totally inexperienced

1. can I publish a novel in US even though I am not an American citizen (I live in Europe)

2. what's the deal with a literary agent? do you really need one? what if I can't afford it?

3. can you send your work to various companies at the same time

4. how much money goes to you and you only. let's play a little. if you sell app. 100 000 copies and the book's worth like 6 bucks.

thanks so much

Answer 1

1, Yes, there are no restrictions, BUT you need to be able to help your publisher market the book.

2. Yes, you need an agent. Most traditional publishers don't look at unsolicited manuscripts. Agents charge a commission on the advances and royalties they get you. That is usually 15%. You should not pay an agent anything up front.

3. Your agent will submit your work.

4. That depends upon the type of book, the format in which it is published, and many other factors. It is very, VERY rare for a first book to sell 100,000 copies. 5,000 is more realistic, if you can get the book published at all. (See Pat Walsh's book, _78 Reasons Why . . ._ for a good intro to the realities of publishing.)

Let's assume fiction, mass market paperback, and your pricepoint and sales numbers just for the heck of it. Your royalty rate might be 8% of list, or $.48 per copy sold. The publisher would send your agent $48,000. (Actually, they would already have paid a good part of that to the agent/you as an advance, but we're simplifying.)

Your agent would take 15%, leaving $40,800. Upon that you will pay tax.

Oh, and subsidy publishing isn't the best solution to the difficulties of getting published. Most subsidy published books sell between 50 and 100 copies. Ever. Or so you can compute from the figures the publishers themselves release.

Publishing is a lousy way to make money, for all involved. Do it because you love it, if you do it at all.

Answer 2

This does not belong in psychology, first of all.

See Dan Poynters website regarding publishing. In this day and age, you just don't write a book and hand it to a publisher and get in in book stores. Only established writers usually get published and they have agents. Few publishers consider first timers.

Have you taken writing classes, workshops and belong to a writing group? Have you researched on the internet anything having to do with writing? If not, you need to start there first.

Also, don't pay anyone to publish your book for you. That is a scam. You can publish on your own if you have a computer.

Answer 3

brokers won't touch something that's already printed (if that's a gorgeous corporation) niether will they submit issues that have been placed on the internet. Synopsis's is super yet once you upload chapters then no. additionally with self-publishing you have doomed your self. Your e book isn't getting everywhere so which you write something else and attitude an Agent. they like to renowned despite the fact that in case you have any matrerial printed, then they like to renowned despite the fact that if it offered. Yours has no longer, they ask your self why and wont settle to your artwork. you may desire to ask why your artwork hasn't offered. Self-Publishing could make or injury you and extremely in lots of cases it breaks you, now you will conflict to submit something which includes your background. i can't urge people adequate to verify each angel of Publishing and in my basic opinion sidestep Self-publishing. Sorry to supply you basically undesirable information, despite the fact that if it extremely is not your e book that wont be familiar yet you to boot. i can't even inform you what to do and you will no longer get out of it i'm afraid. i'm no longer an author myself I artwork for the 'dark area', people should not be so petrified of brokers we don't chew that complicated.

Answer 4

Get a book called "Writers Market". They put out a new updated one every year. They have genre specific ones, or just the general ones. They all answer your above questions, & they come in handy. They basicly give you information on how to contact who you need to. They also have alot of good tips & exersises. The genereal one costs $25 ~ $35 american. It depends one what edition you get (normal or delux) But I highly recomend it for any writer who wants to be published.

Answer 5

http://www.lulu.com