Book Publishing Question?

Question

I have just completed writing a book and am interested in getting it published. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get this done.

Thank you very much

Answer 1

Have you just finished your first draft, or have you editted it several times (at least)? This is really the key first step. If you try to submit a rough manuscript full of errors to an agent, it will most likely end up in the recycling.

There are two types of publishing: Traditional 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, plus they will negotiate your contract for you. You will create a submission package that matches the agents preferences (some, for instance, just want a query letter and synopsis 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!

The publisher and agent you'll use does not have to be located in the same state you live in (in fact, most authors do not live near theirs). So don't let distance be a worry!

You do not need to copyright your book before you query agents. The publisher who prints your story will take care of the official paperwork, but the copyright is already yours the moment you put the words on the page. Don't waste your time or money copyrighting something which you will most likely have to edit and rewrite repeatedly after you get an agent and publisher.

Here are five websites that can help. Read them thoroughly (especially Miss Snark-- love her!) and research, research, research! These can help you determine if the agent is legit or not:
http://misssnark.blogspot.com/
http://www.agentquery.com/
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com
http://www.duotrope.com

And don't think about taking an agent from this list, they are SCAMS:
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.html

Good luck, and happy writing!

Answer 2

Draw yourself up a timeline on how far you're willing to go. Then start submitting a certain amount of queries to agents and publishers per year after that--and keep writing.

Your chances of landing a contract with a reputable publisher (at this time) is 1 in 900,000.

By the time you finish, those odds could stretch into the millions. The reason for this is because the industry is shrinking itself down to only a few main houses, consolidating its operations, and refining its overall submission guidelines with each passing year.

The bookstore chains are being faced with declining book sales and cost overruns.

E-publishing, indie and small-press are big right now. You may want to look into those areas. But do try to stay away from vanity-press! (Vantage-Press, Publish America, Lulu.com...?)

Answer 3

Your local library probably has lots of resources available regarding submitting your work to a publisher for consideration. I've learned a lot by reading back issues of the magazine "Writer's Digest." Not only do they have helpful articles about publishing, but they'll give you a lot of useful information about making your writing as polished as possible. The same company also publishes a TON of books on all aspects of writing and publishing; once you have a list of those, you can search your library's collection for some.

As the other poster suggested, familiarize yourself with Writer's Market... it's the Bible for writers in search of a publisher. Any good reference library will likely have the newest edition of this book.

Good luck to you, and don't forget to keep writing (and reading!) while you search for publishing opportunities.

Answer 4

You have good answers from several others especially Obi San so I'll just mention a book entitled How to be Your Own Literary Agent. Most of us would rather have a separate agent, but this book will tell you how to do it yourself and tell you enough about the publishing industry so that you can avoid some of the pitfalls and scams that really do exist.

The best of luck to you and congratulations.

Answer 5

Many local colleges have writing departments with professors who have a great deal of publishing experience.

For example, Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, actually has a program called the Blue Hills Writers Institute.

The professors are a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

My other suggestion is to research what other publishers have produced similar works of fiction or non-fiction. Then find out which agents represent those authors and write them a query letter.

Answer 6

Congrats on finishing it! That's quite an achievement. I've seen too many questions from people here at Yahoo asking how to publish a book and they haven't even begun to write!!

First you need a current copy of Writer's Market. It's one of the best tools in researching where to send your story. You'll want to consider finding an agent who publishes books similar to yours. You'll want to make sure the agent is legit (no agent charges a fee. They are paid commission based on your royalties.) Use the preditors/editors link below to verify whether your chosen editors/publishers and/or agents are reputable.

And there's a wealth of information here at Yahoo Answers. Go up to the "Search for questions" field above and do a search for "publish writing" or "publish novel." As I mentioned, this question has been asked and answered numerous times and very often excellent information has been provided.

Best of luck to you!
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Answer 7

Yeah, that pretty much covers it.