publishing your work?

Question

once you've written a novel, how long does it take to find an agent and actually have it published. thanx

Answer 1

Severel mounth. In my experience it takes two to three mounth to read it and give you an answer. Then they need to spellcheck it and print it and give it to bookstore plus a lot off other things. But the first bumb is to get a yes. Its the worst part and many famous writers have been refused over and over again. One of them is the well known children writer Astrid Lindgren. Good luck! Johan

Answer 2

It's always assumed you absolutely must have an agent prior to submitting your manuscript. That couldn't be more wrong. Smaller publishers will take in new authors without an agent. Large, high end publishers won't go near you without one.

You first need to submit a query letter before you ever send in a manuscript though. If you do get asked for a manuscript make sure it is polished and fully edited for errors. Chances are you'll face several letters of rejection or no response at all when you send a query letter. Don't give up though.

Buy The Writer's Market 2007 to find publishers and see where you can submit a letter with or without an agent. Find books that will show you how to write a top-notch query letter and write several drafts before completing it. This is your chance to sell your manuscript. Make it worth it.

It will likely take some time to get published; if you ever do, but it will be worth it. Be proud of your work no matter what happens. And whatever you do, do NOT use self-publishing if you have ambitions of ever becoming a serious, professional author.

Good luck to you.

Answer 3

You start by querying literary agents. This is done with a one page letter describing yourself and your book. Sometimes the agent will request you include the first few pages or chapters, but that is an individual preference.

There are several websites out there that will help you find an agent, my favorite is QueryTracker.net at http://www.querytracker.net/ . It is free and has a list of literary agents and also tools to help you keep track of who you already queried and who you haven't, plus more.

They do a good job of keeping the crooks off their lists, but it is still a good idea to double check at http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.h...

There are a lot of crooks out there. Never pay anyone to read or publish your book. A real agent will never ask for money except as a percentage of your royalties.

Keep in mind that finding an agent and getting published is not an easy process. Some people have to query hundreds of agents before they find one who will accept them (sadly, some never get accepted), but be persistent and keep trying.

You should also visit http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/,... one of the largest forums for writers. They can be very helpful.

Good luck.

Answer 4

The step after writing a novel is to find a Literary Agent that likes the novel and is willing to pitch it to a publishing company. It is not easy to get a Literary Agent or a Publisher.