Whats the best way for me to get my book published and marketed?

Answer 1

I am in the same boat as you are, I finished my first novel a few weeks ago and I am in the editing phase of it now. I did a little research on the subject and I personally think that a literary agent is the best bet. They know which publishing companies are looking for your type of book. They can also help you make it marketable. Trying to go strait to the publisher is usually very difficult, time consuming and rarely gets results. Many publishers will send your manuscript back as unsolicited mail. And they trust the agents to weed through the good and the bad, or the ones that they would not be interested in. But don't get frustrated or discouraged by the time it will take. Writing the story is difficult in itself, but getting it published is many times harder than the writing. I am also choosing to go the route of a literary agent because I work full time, so I don't feel I have the extra needed time to devote to trying to market my book by myself. I have the time to assist a publisher who would be working with me, but I can't see being successful marketing on my own. Look on the internet for Literary Agents, there is a vast group to choose from. And good luck!!! I hope you have success in publishing your book... By the way, is Clay Basket your pen name, because London Hatchet is mine.

Answer 2

I'm going to cut and paste this from an answer I gave someone else, as this seems to be a popular question!

I operate a small press and use a POD (print-in-demand) service to process books.

Traditional Publishing:
1. The author pays nothing to produce the book.
2. The publisher handles all editing, marketing, and distribution
3. Author normally receives an advance and royalties
4. However, traditional publishers demand excellence. While some people claim publishers don't publish first-time authors, that is not true. Every author ever published started as a "first-time" author! They do, however, demand a certain level of professionalism.
5. The wait is long. It can take months to get a response, and a year could go by before the book is actually released.

Self-Publishing:
1. The author is responsible for all aspects of the book. You will have to handle editing, design, proofreading, marketing, and distribution.
2. POD sites like Lulu allow you to "publish" immediately. This is good if you have a niche or time-sensitive book you want to release. However, it also allows for sloppiness as people rush to print without insure the work is marketable.
3. Free to experiment. If you have something new or experimental you want to try, self-publishing allows you to do that. For example, we published an anthology (Dead Men (and Women) Walking) that was all about zombies. The only reason we did it was because my little sister loves zombies, and I can't tell her "no". Since we handled everything in house, I didn't have to get another person's OK to run with the project.

If you are interested in going through a traditional publisher, most of the big publishing houses will only deal with an agent. Note: An agent does NOT get paid until they place your work! Any agent that asks for money or tries to get you to but add-on services is a scam. Yout agent will help you tweek your book and submit it to publishers for you. Many small presses do not require an agent. In which case, make sure you request ANF FOLLOW their submission guidelines.

If you self-publish, I would recommend Lulu, as you can upload and create your books without any upfront costs. They offer you a free storefront and will process the sales for you. However, you will have to handle all marketing and production yourself. If you do not have a good grasp of things like layout and design, or if you aren't marketing savvy, you will need to hire folks to do these things for you. These costs can add up.

Answer 3

Clay Basket:
I see you have read "Centenial" A great book and TV serie's past.I wrote and self published two books and wound up self publishing them. Check the web for publishers and agents. They will tell you what they are interested in publishing and how to send your manuscript. If excepted, they will look after the marketing. As a new writer you will get around 15%of books sold and an upfront $$ amount. Best selling authors can demand up to 80 - 90 %.
Anyhow it is not easy and this is why I self published. Be sure to check (Warnings and Cautions for Writers.) There are bad guys out there trying to take your $$. Should you go the Self Publish route, give me a shout I can help and charge nothing. [e-mail]
Wayne Russell, The Vagabond Writer.

Answer 4

Three options I know are:

- Get yourself a literary agent. You should be able to find them on the internet or perhaps through the Yellow Pages

- Try to get publishers interetsed on your own. I'd stick with smaller publishing houses if it's your first time. Make sure they publish similar genres to yours

- Self-publish. Outlay your own money to have the book printed, then run your own marketing campaign. Contact local media outlets, such as newspaper, TV and radio stations and try to get interviews. Try to get it into libraries. Start some word of mouth. This may seem hard, and it is, but there have been some noteable success stories, such as writer Matthew Riley, who was turned down by every mahor publsiher in Australia, self-published and is now an internationally best-selling author (and he even can't write!)

Also, grow a very thick skin, cos getting published is HARD and you'll get masses of rejection (Both Stephen King and JK Rowling were rejected by huge numbers of publishers before finally striking it lucky)

Answer 5

Go to your local bookstore and get "The Writer's Guide." It's a paperback book that guides professional and would-be writer's in the right direction. It cautions the writer to be prepared for many rejections slips from publishers in the beginning times of submitting manuscripts--it's part of Writer World. Good luck to ya from one writing poet.

Answer 6

check at your local library. ours has a book on how to get published. good luck!