book publishing? can you help please?!?

Question

Well to begin with, I am working very hard on my poems so in the summer I can find someone to publish a book for me. I would greatly appreciate it if you would help me by finding someone or a company to publish it for me. Also, I would like some infomation on the company. Your help would be great! Thanks to all and God Bless you!

[e-mail] >> If you find some infomation.

Answer 1

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! No legitimate agent charges anything up front.

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

It sounds like you want an agent and an editor all in one.

First off, most agents charge 10% of your advance and profits (if it's in the contract, it could be as high as 15% depending on the agency and agent).

As for a publisher, if you want to self publish, go with lulu.com. Their products look professional and they only charge you when you buy a copy of your work, or you opt for a package deal, like amazon.com distribution, etc.

As for traditional publishing, you'd have to query an agent and essentially sell them on you as a poet and your work before it would been seen by an editor at a major publishing firm.

Best of fortune.

Answer 3

If you're looking for self-publishing, the best route for you to go is to use LuLu.com. It's totally free. Their website is easy to navigate plus they have a live chat help line that you can use to answer whatever questions you have that are not answered in the FAQ.

If you're thinking about traditional publishing, then I suggest you visit the website Preditors and Editors. You'll find a comprehensive list of agents and publishers that you can check out for their submissions guidelines.

Best of luck on your career as a poet! :o)

Answer 4

Find a book called "The Writer's handbook" to find potential publishers.

Let me give you one for free to check out

www.poetrymagazine.org