I am writing a book, what is the best way to get it published?

Question

and how do I keep the plot safe from being copied?

Answer 1

You could send a copy to a publisher who publishes the genre you wrote in. Publishing houses have readers who go through all unsolicited material and they chose which manuscripts are sent on to an editor or rejected.

You can copywrite your book with the Library of Congress but I'm in agreement with the author of an article ran in the 'Writer's Digest' about 10 or so years ago - there are 10 plot lines and all book are variations on one of them. This is not to say your work is not original but you may see similarities that are not stolen.

You can self publish, distribute and sell you own books.

Check out the book Writer's Market that is published yearly for where to send your manuscript.

Answer 2

First of all, if you are still in the writing process, why are you worrying about how to get it published? Too many people focus on what to do with their books when they finish yet they don't focus so much on actually FINISHING their manuscript and polishing it.

Once you DO finish it, a current edition of Writer's Market, available in any book store and your public library, is an excellent starting point.

Don't worry about it being copied. Every story, every plot, every theme has already been done many many many times. What makes it unique and original is your voice, your writing style. Trust me, very few people copy stories from other writers. Those who do are simply not very talented to begin with.

Just keep all your original records, first drafts, etc. Don't worry about things like that. Just write.

Answer 3

Short answer, you don't. You can't copyright an idea. Only the presentation of the idea. In reality, all plots eventually boil down to the same common themes. It is in how you present the plot that the real story lives.

As to getting published, if you want to go with a large publisher, you will need an agent. An agent will work with you and promote your manuscript to publishers. Agents only get paid if they actually place your manuscript with a publisher, so if you come across one asking for money or offering add-on services for a fee, they are a scam.

Most small presses will accept unagented manuscripts. You should query them first and request their submission guidelines. The very worse thing you can do is just haphazardly start sending copies of your book to publishers who did not request them. 99% of them will throw it in the trash unread. Always query first and ask then for the guidelines. And then FOLLOW the guidelines!

Self-publishing is not a good option for fiction. We just started a new article series in our newsletter discussing self-publishing. We started this month with discussing the reasons why you should NOT self-publish:

Bad Reason #1: Publisher don’t publish new writers!
Think the logic through for a moment. Every writer, by default, was once an unpublished writer. Pick up an issue of Writer’s Digest, The Writer, Poets & Writers, or any one of the dozens of writer magazines on the market and you will find hundreds of markets for new writers. Publishers and agents are always looking for new talent. This is particularly true of small presses, which are generally more interested in literary or niche markets than mainstream ones. This reason is a self-defeating one, as this myth is clearly meant to discourage you from even trying.

Bad Reason #2: Publishers are only interested in bestsellers
Publishers are publishers…not psychics. They don’t have a magic ball that tells them which book is the next Harry Potter. In fact, most books never hit the millions of sales imagined by all would-be authors. The typical print run for a small press in 1,000-10,000 copies. Major publishers normally hope for 200,000 or more sales. Everything else is a bonus. If publishers only wanted guaranteed bestsellers, they would only published three or four books a year and put all their effort into those books. But publishers publish hundreds of books each, making their money on overall volume, not just one title.

Bad Reason #3: Publishers don’t appreciate my creativity! I want to break the rules!
Publishers love creativity. What they don’t like is someone who claims they are “breaking the rules” when they don’t even know what the rules are! No matter what type of book you are writing, things like spelling, grammar, character development, pacing, and tone count. You can’t do all of that poorly and expect a publisher to still appreciate your story, because without those elements there is no story!

And to clarify, if your reason for self-publishing is that you don’t want someone telling you to correct your grammar, you will be sorely disappointed. Readers care about the same things publishers care about (which is why publishers in turn care in the first place).

Bad Reason #4: If I self-publish, I get to keep all the money!
A typical book publishing contract for a new writer normally includes a small advance (up to $5,000), and 10-15% royalties on net sales. So why let the publisher keep that other 85-90%, right? Because the publisher is assuming all the risks for the book. There is more to publishing a book than uploading a document. Proofreaders and copyeditors have to go over the book with a fine tooth comb to catch any errors. A design department will create a book cover that will attract a reader’s attention, then others will typeset the document and ready it for the press. Then there is the cost of printing in and of itself. Not to mention advertising, comp copies to reviewers, advance publicity, distribution, returns, accounting…and on and on. All of these costs are assumed by the publisher.

If you self-publish, remember that it will be you responsible for all of these things. No writer is so talented that they can edit their own work. Just because you can write a terrific story doesn’t mean you know how to write a press release. And just because you doodle a bit doesn’t mean you can design a book cover. All of these things go into book production.

There are of course reasons why you should self-publish, but I don't think they are important to the discussion at this point.

Answer 4

The second part of your question tells me your level of experience. You need to buy WRITERS MARKET to see what publishers are accepting what kinds of books.

You should also be connecting with writers groups to learn from more experienced writers. There's a couple of really good ones at http://www.burryman.com.

Do not worry about your plot being copied. If you want to protect it, just mail a copy of your manuscript back to yourself via registered mail and don't open it. Write the title on the envelope and throw it in your file cabinet. That is sufficient proof as to when your manuscript was done in a court of law.

The truth is legitimate publishers do not steal plots or even manuscripts. If it's good enough to steal, it's good enough to publish. Now you DO need to beware of people posing as agents. If they are not listed in the agents guide, be careful. Some of these folks (maybe one in a thousand) are stupid enough to steal a completed manuscript.

Answer 5

Don't tell anyone what the plot is and no-one can copy it!
What you should do is write maybe a chapter and send it to publishers to see what they think. If they think it's any good they'll want you to write it for them, if not they won't. Be prepared for rejection though, it could take ages to get your book accepted by a publisher. Or maybe publish it on the Internet yourself? Not that I know how to do that.

Answer 6

self publish

Answer 7

make sure it's a good book

Answer 8

write and send it to discoverabook.com