How hard or easy is it to publish a book? Does it cost any money?

Question

I have a few book ideas that I'm going to write. I'm already in the middle of writing one of them, but I'd like to know how hard or easy it is to publish it?

Answer 1

In theory is not that hard, the hard part is to sell after being published.

You can send a copy of you writing to publishing companies and if they like it then you are on the good track.

You can also pay to get ti printed yourself but then you needs someone to know about book design and all that little stuff that makes a book stand from others ant the book store shelves. And there is still the problem of getting advertisement the book sold.

There are many books and magazienes that can give you ideas on where to go and waht to do to get it done. Many sites too. So do some research and and ask other writters how they got teir books published.

Just remember is not as easy as some people thinks, it can takes months or years to get a book published, it's a matter of talent, good luck and timing.

Answer 2

To be honest, very hard. The world of legitimate publishing is very hard to get into as the supply of manuscripts far outweighs the demand of what is published every year, and that is less than 1% of the thousands submitted. Generally, you need an agent because publishers do not look at unsolicited work and just return it unread. An agent is also hard to obtain especially for a novice such as you apparently are. They don't take too many chances on unproven writers, so unless you are writing the next best seller, you will have a difficult time convincing an agent that he or she should take you on as a client. Yes, it costs money if you go the vanity route (it's what all the kids do here on line - those cheesy vanity sites that publish where everyone work - or they go to a vanity publisher who has been around for years, pay to have copies of their book printed, and then they are generally stuck with them. This is not real publishing anyway. It's printing, but not publishing. There is a big difference). The real publishing world is a tough one, full of a lot of work, disappointment, and utter frustration. Most people never make it in that field, and that is why all the vanity publishers have proliferated (where you pay and where they take everyone work). The vanity publishers know that the chances of you being legitimately published are very slim, and so they bank on the fact you may be so desperate to see your name in print you will pay for the privilege. Bad idea. Writing a book is not really for someone who has no other writing experience. Also, you need to learn about outlines, query letters, and a synopsis. Again, a book is a huge project - doing it right, that is - if you have never done any other writing (serious writing). Good luck!