If you have published a fiction book, how difficult was it to get your manuscript read?

Question

I'm half-way through my first novel and am starting to look ahead to querrying. What kind of battle am I up against, having never published before? Any suggestions on getting noticed?

I'm half-way through my first novel and am starting to look ahead to querrying. What kind of battle am I up against, having never published before? Any suggestions on getting noticed?
Also, is it difficult to get an publishing agent? How much of a percentage do they take?

Answer 1

I'm in the same boat you are. To begin with, check out specific publishers, some of them still take unsolicited manuscripts, it depends on the genre of the fiction work.
Second, you MAY want to spend the money on literary/book agent, but don't do that until you've been turned down a few times by publishers.
Third, be VERY aware of print on demand scams and publishers that want YOU to pay up front to get your work published. They are not real publishers. Check out the link below to an author beware site, it lists a lot of current scams going on.
You may also want to join an authors group, they can get you discounts on literary agents and such.

Lastly, be prepare to edit, edit, and then edit some more. There are pay sites that will edit your work, but I'd caution against that initially. Get some friends and family to edit your work, you can also post parts of it onto free website and let other authors edit you as well. There are tons of website available, as well as forums to discuss the publishing process with authors, all for FREE.

It's easy to get taken advantage of when you are first starting out, so be careful and good luck!

Answer 2

It was impossible to get it read, so I went to an on line print on
demand site.

That site is:-

http://www.lulu.com

It works for me.

Answer 3

It's a crap shoot unless you've got a good, high priced agent.