Please give me advice for editing my book,etc.NO SPAM PLEASE?

Question

Please give me tips for:

writing the actual manuscript
editing my finished draft
how to find a good publisher(any publishers you've used 1st time round)
how you got on the market
how publishing works(do I pay?)

i AM only 13, how do i go about getting these agents to take me seriously?

do i pay publishers or agents at all;my dad says no, that they trust the book will make them money and no money is handed over, they just take the bulk of the sale

Answer 1

First of all, you need a completed manuscript.

Your book must also be edited. For that you need to hire a professional editor to take your manuscript and hone it so it is in marketable shape. That means far more than just checking your punctuation and spell checking. It means making margin notes with regards to things like the pacing of your story, the style, description, character study etc. Unfortunately most of the novice writers who come to this forum feel they have no need for editors. They think they can spell check themselves and that they write well enough to forego a professional edit. That is a HUGE mistake. There has only been one author in history who wrote without the use of an editor and that was O Henry. So unless you are turning out work the quality of The Gift of the Magi (and I assure you none of us are!) you NEED an editor. Confidence in your abilities is good - overconfidence is professional suicide. Those who choose to skip over the editor part will learn that lesson the hard way -- when the rejection letters start rolling in and just don't stop. Their loss. Have your work edited.

Then, you can either use Writers Market (which you can buy for 30 dollars) or Literary Marketplace (use it at the library's reference section - it costs 300 a year.) and seek out agents or small publishers who are seeking works in your genre. Note - You cannot get through to large A List Publishers directly. Only A List agents can. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. You only pay for a publisher if you are self -publishing which totally sucks and should be avoided. An agent receives 15 % of your royalties. They may charge you for things like printing copies, mailing, long distance calls etc. but basically they work for you.

When you have found a couple that interest you - research them! Google the hell out of the name. Start with Preditors and Editors site and Absolute Write Water Cooler Bewares and Background Checks forum for any information on the publisher/agent. There are a lot of fakes, frauds and companies on the brink of bankruptcy out there. When writers have been hassled by a publisher/agent, we write about it! You will find information in these forums involving other writers issues with the publisher/agent. If so, find others and steer yourself away from problems.

What you send first is a query letter and synopsis. Each agent and publisher has their own set of submission guidelines and they must be followed to the letter. You will get rejected if you do not submit properly.

You have to learn to have a hide as tough as a herd of elephants because you will get rejections. It's the nature of the beast. Gone with the Wind got 50. Just send out another letter to another agent or publisher and try again.

Eventually when you get a "bite", they will ask to see either a full or partial manuscript and a book proposal. That is a very specific document. You can get books on how to write one.

This is one of the ways using a professional editor comes in handy. They will also be able to work with you on your book proposal. That is the document your agent will use to sell your book to a publisher. An editor knows how to prepare and sell a book. They know what sells. They cost money, but it costs money to make money. But it's extremely worth it. It will take a good book and turn it into a GREAT book. Very few of the overconfident wanna-be authors here even know what a book proposal even looks like let alone how to write one.

Then you wait again. There is a lot of waiting involved. While you wait, you keep writing and working on a new book. If you wind up not getting any bites on your first novel, try another one. Very often, an author has one or two books they never sold. Consider them practice novels.

You can also go to Resolved Questions and search keywords publisher and publishing. There are a lot of answers here - some good some not so good. But they are good to print out and study. You have to learn to advocate for yourself. The more you learn, the better off you are.

Good luck. Pax - C

Answer 2

Your Dad is correct.

Since you have not yet written your story, I suggest it is a good time to see what is already out on the bookshop shelves and what is selling. If you plan on writing a story type that is not popular now, or soon will be, a publisher won't buy it. They are businesses who make money selling goods.

Most books sold are not novels. They are non-fiction. With the obvious exceptions of HP, most sellers are biographies, How To ..., histories, cookbooks, DIY, fitness, diets etc etc. Novels are a small fraction of those sold but a huge fraction of the manuscripts doing the rounds of agents and publishers ... and being rejected.

Your reputation as a writer is everything. If you have already published a book on "How a 13 year-old writer got her first book published", for example, a publisher is much more likely to look at your second book, the novel.

Just a thought ...

Answer 3

To write the actual manuscript I'd suggest going to writer;s websites that specialize in your genre.

After you've finished the whole book, put it away for a few weeks, then go back to it. It will be fresh and you can objectively edit what you may have missed when you were writing it.

You do not need to pay anyone to edit your book. I know several authors and none of them have ever paid someone to edit their work. Join a critique group. They're invaluable for honest feedback and criticism.

I wouldn't worry too much about finding a publisher just yet since they will not accept anything less than a finished manuscript.

One word of advice. NEVER pay to have someone publisher your work (with the exception of self publishing) Do not pay an editor who was recommended by a publisher. They're scam artists. And never pay an agent to read your work or to represent you. Your book will pay them once it sells.

Focus on writing your book and then polishing it until it's the best it can be. Worry about the other stuff later.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Excellent advice from previous contributor.

Wonder why you are so interested in marketing before you have completed the draft. Really would advise you to put marketing out of your mind and focus all your energies into the writing of your book. Once you have written a draft which satisfies you and which represents something you believe to be excellent - only then look for an editor, agent, publisher.

And no, you don't pay! You never pay unless you decide to start your own publishing concern - and, since you're only 13, I don't think that's an appropriate route for you to consider.

If you are in Britain, Writers and Artists Year Book (available from lending library and book shops) gives invaluable advice on every aspect.

Answer 5

Hi.
Here has some important instructions for editing books.
1.Find something to edit
To edit a book, first you need to either write the book or get a book you want to edit.
2.Read the writing through from page one to the end.
3.Make a copy of the piece of writing.
4.Read it again, this time out loud, to make sure you haven't missed anything.
5.Retype the writing with the edited book.
6.Admire your work, and give it out to friends and family members.
There has also online editing book service which can help you.
Thanks

Answer 6

Leave out every third word