How to publish a book?

Question

I have been writing a story for months now. I want to submit my idea to publishing companies. How do I go about doing this. I really want to get this book out there. Any ideas? Has anyone been published? Any information on this would be very helpful. Thanks

Answer 1

Writing your first book for months? It ain't ready yet. The spelling and grammar must be perfect. You need to bounce it off several knowledgeable people to make sure of this. Also you need to rewrite it than rewrite it again. There are so many rules to the craft of writing. Get a few books on how to write. A good first one is "The First Five Pages" by Noah Lukeman. He shows you what editors look for to trash your book submission. A few things.

Perfect grammar and spelling.

Minimal use of passive verbs like is, are, was, etc. Use active verbs instead. It makes for briefer sentences that read smoother and are shorter.

Cut all the fat.

Describe only what is necessary for the plot unless it is a period piece.

Cut the adverbs, words that usually end in -ly. Replace adverb-weak verb pairs with a stronger, more descriptive verbs. IE quickly running to sprinted.

Then you need a nice one or two page summary of your book. You send this and a cover letter to carefully selected agents that handle books like yours. If they like it they will ask for a chapter or even the whole book. NEVER pay an agent anything other than postage and minimal copying costs. Anything more and he is a scam artist. Then you can send your cover letter to carefully selected smaller publishers who will deal with you directly.

Please get a book on this subject. It must be done precisely to increase your chances.
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Answer 2

B From L is correct. If you've only just finished a first draft, the book will not be ready to send to a publisher.

Let the manuscript sit for a couple of months, then go through it again looking for typos, grammar problems, consistency issues, plot issues, lack of info, too much info, etc.

Meanwhile, be looking at the publisher sites you are interested in and check out their guidelines. Publishers can be very particular in how you submit to them, so it is best to check them out in advance.

Places like www.sfwa.org have a lot of good information for writers and do's and don't. Also check out Predators and Editors on places to avoid and other general information

Gloria Oliver
Unveiling the Fantastic
www.gloriaoliver.com

Answer 3

I would recommend self-publishing. I self-published a book of poetry through http://www.lulu.com/ (you don’t need an agent for self-publishing)
Lulu is completely free and very easy to use. You can then buy a global distribution, or ISBN, which will put your book on Barnes and noble, borders, Amazon.... I really like lulu, I think they are great. They also offer a great customer service if you get stuck. Once published with them, you automatically get the copyright, and you keep all rights to it. You can have books printed in b/w or colour, hardback or soft back, and in a variety of sizes.
If you think they are too good to be true (which was my original opinion) you can view my book at http://www.lulu.com/dchooper
Hope this helps. Good luck with your writing.
For any more information about Lulu you can contact me at [e-mail] (if you do contact me, put Lulu in the subject line, or I might report as Spam)
Cheers, Deanna.

Answer 4

fist of all don't send just the book. send a copy but enclose a short version that's to the point and gets their attention right away. chances are they will read shorter one and if its good they will then read whole draft. mainly you have to keep hammering them not one or two at a time. cover it. enter contest win then you can get foot in door and show the work you really want published. never give up!!! writing is good for the soul and don't forget to write short articles. list your achievements so they know someone out there likes your stuff.

Answer 5

I don't know much about the subject but I am also trying to start.

I hope the lulu thing is right, because I'd rather try that.