how do I go about getting a book published?

Answer 1

There are two types of publishing: Tradition and Self-Publishing. You will first need to decide which of these methods you want to pursue. Each has advantages and disadvantages that need to be researched. For instance, traditional publishing can be a very long road, littered with MANY rejections. Self-publishing will guarantee you a printed copy of your book, however you will not see it in a brick-and-mortar bookstore.

http://www.lulu.com is, in my opinion, the best self-publisher around. You can set up your book on their website, for free, and they will print copies as they are purchased. They do not edit your book, so you will need to take care of that on your own. This will also NOT get your book in a traditional bookstore, although you can purchase a very affordable package that would allow sale of your book through online bookstores like Amazon.

"Writer's Market", along with "The Guide to Literary Agents" are my two suggestions for diving into the traditional publishing market. I suggest looking for an agent first because they are the best step through the publishing door. You will create a submission package that matches the agents preferences (some, for instance, just want a query letter and summary in your first contact with them while others want more). Once you find an agent that is willing to represent you, they will market your book to publishers. Remember, in traditional publishing you should not be paying for anything! They get paid when you get paid!

Answer 2

1) Finish your manuscript and have it edited by somebody you trust, or at least finish the first few chapters.

2) Figure out how to describe the plot or contents of your book in one sentence, in one paragraph, and in one page. Write out these three summaries, and memorize them. Be concise.

3) Find a literary agent. They are in the yellow pages in most major cities. Use the one sentence book summary to grab their attention over the phone. Choose an agent who has represented authors that you actually respect and admire, or that are written in a style similar to your own. Do your research.

4) Contact the agent. Do not waste the agent's time, get right to the point and give them the one-sentence description of your book. If they seem warm to the idea, give them the one-paragraph description. Now e-mail or fax them the one-page description. The manuscript itself is the last thing they will read, and they will only read it if they think the book can turn a profit for all involved.

5) Once you have found an agent who will represent you, they will use your short descriptions to sell your book idea to a publishing house. This is their area of expertise. Now you pray that you picked the right agent, and you wait.

6) If more than three agents tell you independantly that your manuscript is badly written, swallow your pride and listen to them. Their input doesn't mean that you are necessarily a bad writer, but simply that they won't be able to sell your manuscript to the publishing houses.

7) Be very, very patient, and be prepared for a lot of rejection and harsh criticism. If you have not heard anything from your agent in more than 6 months, chances are that they have forgotten about you or couldn't sell your book easily, so you should just change agents.

8) Avoid all the "become a published author" advertisements, they are misleading, playing on people's vanity to exploit their strong desire to be published. These are principally short-run printing companies who have no interest whatsoever in selling or supporting your book, all they want to do is find creative ways to overcharge you for the press time and book binding. What they do is not illegal, but it certainly isn't very moral, in my humble opinion.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

first you need to have it edited. this can be tricky. a lot of main stream editors won't edit something for you, unless you've got an agent, and agents usually won't represent you unless you've been published before. tricky, huh? well, to get it edited, take it to a techer at your local high school or college. (note, getting a bok edited is EXTREMEMLY expensive...$20 an hour!!) if they can't edit it for you, they will usually know someone who can/will. try taking a publishing class either at the college or through your local BOCES/vocational school. after you get it edited and revise it (you will usually have to edit and revise it about 5 times..annoying i know, but it's true) you can starte sending it out to publishers. look up addresses on the web, and make sure you send it to a publisher with the right genre. don't send a non fiction book to a fantasy publisher!! they'll send it back without even looking at it!!! not only do you need to send your manuscript (at least the first chapter or three) you also need to send a query letter and a ten page summary of your novel. a query letter has 3 paragraphs...one a sumary, two is your marketing ideas, three is your credentials as a writer. start looking for copyright information as well, and make sure your title ideas aren't already in use.