I have books that I have writen, how do I get them published. Where do I start?

Question

Ok so I have been writing books since I was about 15 years old. I am now 25 and thus far, I have written a Horror/Mystery Trilogy and a series of childrens' books. They are all in notebooks at the moment and I just keep adding to the stories. Where do I go? Who do I talk to? How can I get my books published and on store shelves?

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!

Also keep in mind that this can be a long process. You will probably not get a lot of positive responses right away, and the rejection can be disheartening. But keep it up and you will find a home for your story (once it's finished, that is!)

Personally, I would suggest starting by looking for an agent and publisher. If you want them on store shelves, that is the only way to go. After exhausting your efforts in that, if you still can't find any takers, then you might look to Lulu. Self-publishing is nice if you want a few copies for friends and family, but it is incredibly difficult to market and few self-published books ever sell many copies.

Last piece of advice: check out the website Preditors and Editors. They will help you avoid any scams which will make the road that much smoother:
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

Answer 2

I'd say a good bet for you would be avoiding the traditional publishing market. The problem with these publishers (such as Penguin, Doubleday, Harper Collins...) is that they are looking for either an established writer, or a probable best seller. They also require you to have the heavy expense of a literary agent.

I'd look for a self-publishing or POD (Print of Demand) publisher. You have to make an initial investment, and many times the marketing is left up to you, but all in all, it's probably worth it. I know it was in my case.

Check out www.iuniverse.com

Answer 3

Lulu is great, but only if you are making copies for yourself and friends. They do no marketing or anything to help you sell your book.

To do it professionally, go to your public library, and ask them for the latest copy of The Writer's Market that they own. it is a book that lists all publishers and agents that you will have to write in order to PROFESSIONALLY publish your book legitimately.

They also give you pointers on all steps from finding the right agents to writing appropriate and relevant query letters, which is the most important part of the process.

Good luck!

Answer 4

HI
Publish them yourself through Lulu.com they have an editor there called integrative ink that can edit for you but it is so easy and they even sell copy rights and you get your Bar CODE FOR YOUR BOOK in the library of congress number. They sale a simple copy right and then the plus in which you get list in Barnes and noble and amazon and retailers like that it is the best and guess what? Its free! It is a simple process of making your book a PDF file and then loading it into their site but you have to do margins or it will run your words and pics into the gutter.
Lammy