Publishing a book...any experience?

Question

Does anyone have some data on how to publish a book?

Thanks.

Answer 1

You didn't ask specifically about self-publishing so I will assume you want to know how to find an agent or a publisher. The best investment you can make at this point is buy a new copy of Writer's Market and study it like you're going to be tested on it. It has all the information you need to get yourself educated about the industry,how to write query letters,cover letters and has lists of all book and magazine publishers and who to contact at each establishment, how to submit,etc. Don't fall for the vanity press lures. Unless you have a professional to do your editing or are well experienced in this yourself, a self-edited book shows, and may even cause a blemish on your reputation.

Answer 2

Well, that was an impressively self-promotional post in favor of self-publishing by M.A.! If I were him I wouldn't have mentioned Beatrix Potter and Mark Twain, since the publishing industry HAS changed since then....

It is tough to get published, but self-publishing is not necessarily the answer. If you self-publish, you have to do all the things that a publisher does yourself. What are those things? Here's a list from an article I wrote:

acquisition
planning
editing
designing
art directing
copyediting
production managing
distributing
selling
marketing/promoting

Full article at: http://www.underdown.org/publisher-expertise.htm

Finding a traditional publisher indeed is NOT easy, but it can be done. I'd suggest starting by getting a book like "Writer's Market" and reading up on the basics. There is more to the basics than I can write here, so get a book. If not that book, then one of the others you'll find by browsing the Writing section in a bookstore--choose the book that you feel comfortable with.

Answer 3

In today’s fast-paced publishing world, many writers are DITCHING regular publishing houses for the SELF-PUBLISHING route.

With self-publishing, you no longer have to desperately search for an agent. You have COMPLETE control over your book. You don’t have an editor attacking your manuscript. And best of all, you get to keep as much as 100% of the publishing profits!

Take Vicki Lansky for example.

She was rejected by over 40 publishers before she self-published “Feed Me I’m Yours”. The book has since sold over 2 million copies!

Or how about James Redfield, the man behind “The Celestine Prophecy”. He self-published the book - and later sold the rights to Warner Books for over $800,000. And it’s since been made into a movie!

Or consider H. Jackson Brown who self-published “Life’s Little Instruction Book”, which stayed at the top of the New York Times best-seller list for MONTHS – and sold over 5 million copies!

And there are THOUSANDS of other self-publishing success stories – including John Grisham, Deepak Chopra, Mark Twain, Richard Nixon and Beatrix Potter!

... BUT there are BIG PITFALLS you need to BEWARE of!

For example, do you know the three things you absolutely MUST check for in your contract?

Get these wrong and you might as well THROW AWAY your manuscript RIGHT NOW!

Also, do you know the RIGHT companies to use when self-publishing?

Some self-publishing companies have NO respect in the industry – use them, and and book reviewers WON'T EVEN TOUCH YOUR BOOK. Others have CLOSE links with ALL the online bookstores and will ship your book anywhere in the country within 24 hours.

WHICH companies offer the best rates?

And WHICH are simply there to CASH IN on your naivety?

You need a helping hand. And it comes in the form of a brand new book – from an author that REALLY KNOWS what's going on in the self-publishing industry...