Publishing A Book?

Question

Where can I have a book copyrighted and published by a reputable book company and receive a great deal? I need lots of good options. Serious responses ONLY!

Answer 1

All of the publisher's listed in Writer's Market 2007 or 2008 are legit companies that you can publish a book through. It lists hundreds upon hundreds of publishers. You can also shoot for getting an agent as well - to perk up the deal you get. But sometimes the deal that is offered depends on how much the publisher buys into your story. Rowling (after having been rejected several times) received an incredible first offer that very few children authors ever get.

Hope I've helped.

Answer 2

A serious response? Get serious about your profession. Really, if it was so easy to publish that the information was readily available by asking total strangers at YA, everyone would be a published author. As it stands, we have no idea of your genre, your topic, or even if you have any talent. How are we suppose to answer your question?

The reality check:

The average first time writer, IF you manage to find a publisher, can expect an advance of less than $5,000. That might sound like a lot, but considering that it takes years to write a quality book, you can't live on that kind of money. Your royalties are between 10-15% of the net sales. Net sales means books sold to consumers and not returned. You won't even see a royalty check for the first 6-9 months, because the publisher will have to hold royalties against returns. 40% off all books sold to bookstores are returned unsold.

You act like publishers are going to be competing over you. You need "lots of good options?" Get over yourself. You have to prove to THEM that YOU are a good option. Not the other way around. And that means doing your homework. Get subscriptions to Writer's Digest, The Writer, and other industry magazines to learn about the business. Visit sites like Preditors & Editors and Writer's Beware to get a feel for who is who in the industry. Get involved in your local writing community. PROVE you have talent by getting some short stories or articles published in legitimate publications. THEN a publisher may give you the time of day.

As far as copyright, all work is automatically protected by copyright from the moment it is set in fixed form. It is not something done by the publisher. Go to copyright.gov and learn more about copyright law.