Publishers for First Time Authors
Getting reliable publishers for first time authors is usually a daunting task for many authors. The fact that there are many scam agents out there waiting to reap on your desperation makes it more an even more scarier task. For new authors, with a tough spirit coupled with knowledge tips should make your path to publication a worthy ride. To begin with, it is important to note that most genuine publishers do not charge any fees to read, edit, or evaluate your book. Also, they will not just approve anything that comes their way, but rather they usually charge a certain proportion or percentage of what they will earn for you (mostly 15 percent). As such, any agent who asks for big sums of your money at the introduction is not worth your time and may be out to milk cash from you.
Research widely on publishers for first time authors and a good source is from blogs, some of which provide extremely supportive advice and open talk on identifying the right publisher for you and the do’s and the don’ts. Identifying a good agent is essential since most of the well established publishers almost work exclusively with agents. Convincing most of the well known publishers is most of the time a difficult task since the majority of them prefer dealing with what in their opinion feel will be successful in the market or already known authors.
Owing to the above reasons, the right publishers for first time authors will be the smaller and more independent publishers, since they will have lesser requirements and will be a simpler approach. Chances are that if you are well armored with a good query letter that identifies you with your book and a well written proposal, you will most certainly have your book published.
The best way is to get an agent to represent you. If you just send sample chapters to random editors, your submission will get put in what’s known as a “slush pile.” That’s the deluge of unsolicited manuscripts people send in. No telling if or when it will be read. If you get an agent, he or she will get it into the hands of editors who typically publish that type of book, and hopefully they will want to buy it. An agent does collect a fee for his or her services, but it is well worth it to get your manuscript sold!
Pick up a current copy of the Writer’s Market (available at most book stores). In it, you will find agents who specialize in your genre of writing, and their contact information. Contact several agents, to compare fees and terms.
Unless you are a huge blockbuster writer making millions, you don’t really make that much. $5000 to $7000 is an average advance for the first time writer, which your agent gets part of (deservedly since you probably won’t land a large NY publisher without her) and that advance has to be paid back out of the royalties before you will start getting any royalties, which depends on how well your book sales and for out long. If your book keeps getting reprinted, you can make serious money, but spread out for many years. When it generally takes a year to write a book, another one to two years to go through the editing and publishing before it’s even out there, a writer’s income off of one book is below poverty level.
Most writers write for the love of it, writing in their spare time because they have other careers that pay the bills. Either that, or they write non-stop, pumping out book after book.
Unless, of course, you are Stephen King or Stephenie Meyers.
In answer to when you get the money, you’ll get the advance in 3 installments. When you sign the contract, deliver the promised edited book and it is accepted, and on the publication date. Then you wait until the book has made enough that the advance is covered in royalties before you start receiving royalties at the publishers established pay periods (usually quarterly).
1. Finish Novel
2. Have it Professionally Edited
3. Writer Query Letter and synopsis (Google for help)
4. Send letter, synopsis and first two chapters to a Literary Agent (Make sure the Agent works in your genre, is accepting submissions at the moment, check their guidelines, etc)
5. Agent will then contact publisher if they agree to help you will your work then it will be published if the publisher wants it. If not, then on to the next one.
It’s based on word count not pages – http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/length.shtml
Not every legitimate sale requires an agent. Many small publishers still deal directly with the author. Once you have a completed, polished manuscript, you can figure out if you should seek a big “name brand” publisher, in which case you need an agent, or if a small publisher will do just fine.
You can find publishers in the most recent edition of Writer’s Market (US) or Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook (UK). Each listing will indicate “agented submissions only” or not.
Remember, reputable agents charge the author NOTHING up-front. Some agents may deduct the costs of doing business (copies, mail, phone) from your first check, but nobody legitimate needs that in order to get started.
You can determine whether an agent is reputable at sites like Preditors and Editors (http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/) and the AAR (http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do). Besides being a real agent and not a scammer preying on writers’ dreams, you also want to research an agent’s recent sales of books in your genre before sending a query letter.
Researching whether a publisher is the real deal is easier. Go to a bookstore. See any of their books? Good. No? If it’s a small press, it might still be legitimate. The biggie is that no publisher needs money from the author. None at all. Any publisher who does is cause to run the other way.
Don’t sent agents or publishers your manuscript. Send only a one page query letter and a self-addressed stamped envelope for their reply. If the letter is good, they’ll ask to see all or part of your manuscript.
Hi there. If you’re serious about getting a book published, you can make it happen but it takes time, patience and a lot of luck. As for profit–here’s a note of reality. Of all the fiction books published in a given year, only about 13% ever sell more than 1,000 copies. Most (75%) sell fewer than 500. For nonfiction, cut those numbers in half. Contrary to popular belief, most authors don’t get rich.
Jon Baxley, author, editor, proofreader and ghostwriter
THE SCYTHIAN STONE (a medieval fantasy eBook)
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY (a medieval fantasy epic in hard cover from Thomson Gale)
You could try Self-Publishing if you want?
Lulu.com
ATTENTION ALL TWILIGHTERS. PLEASE ANSWER:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AprZ5R.h0LYN_iyLt1VUF2nsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080729142458AADGeom
Now considering that there are so many publishers already always place in mind that your book is your work and that no one should be telling you what to do with – it should be up to your discretion how it should be published, printed and marketed.
Most publishers would rather want you to not place a lot of formatting on it such as page breaks, fancy font styling and inconsistent font sizes because they will still turn everything formal for layouting purposes. After they layout it, that’s the part where formatting comes in.
I’d suggest you stay on the average – font size, 10, Times New Roman, rich text format such as Microsoft Word – and you can never go wrong.
It’s fun that you get to see your book published with the same expertise and professionalism as the regular books that you see in bookstores.
I hope I’ve helped. And oh, you should start writing NOW.
Best of luck!
The truth is, it is extremely unlikely. Don’t even bother sending unsolicited manuscripts or proposals to a publishing house. They won’t get read; they are considered “slush,” and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a form rejection letter.
You can try to get an agent, but they don’t take just anything, either.
And, please don’t take this the wrong way, but most people don’t write nearly as well as they think they do.
A long time ago I was an editorial assistant at a major publishing house. The assistants, among their other jobs, would also take turns dealing with the “slush pile.” I had very little time to take more than a brief glance before sending it back with a rejection. I never saw anything in there that I thought was worth passing along to an editor.
My husband worked in the publishing field for over 30 years. There was never a good profit margin in that business, but in these tough times, things are much worse. A publisher can’t take a chance on an unknown author’s book that might not make a dime. Look at the best-seller list. Check how many first-time authors you see on there.
Edit: Whortleberry, it’s so good to run into someone who understands.
What gets me (well, a lot of things get me) about these kids who want to be published is, real writers want to write. Producing good work is the goal of a writer, not getting published. My husband, who’d been downsized twice from major publishing houses, hadhis small business fail three years ago. We see people who have more than 20 years in at a publisher get told to take early retirement, or just told to leave.
First, write your book (obvious, I know).
Type it in proper manuscript form.
8-1/2×11 plain white paper printed on one side
1 inch margin on all sides
12 point Courier or Times New Roman font
Double spaced between lines
Your name and address on the first page
Your last name, title and page number on all other pages
Approximate word count on the first page (to the nearest 1000 words)
More details on manuscripts is at http://www.neverend.com/msformat.htm
Edit your book many, many times to make it as good as it can be. Put it in a drawer, and don’t even think about it, for a month or two, then take it out and do more editing.
Get it proofread by someone who knows what they are doing (do not rely just on spellcheck).
There are a tiny number of publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts (those that don’t go through a literary agent), so getting an agent is a really good idea.
When your book is finished and edited, come back here and ask about how to get an agent. You can also use the search-bar at the top of this page and ask. It’s a popular question.
How profitable is getting your book published?
My mother wrote a book that has to do with Catholisam and is kinda controversial to some withen that crowd but is not done in a mean way. More in a helping way rather.
Steps to getting your book published?
Can someone please explain to me what the process is in order to get your book published once you’ve finished it, as I am slighly confused? I’m 15 years old and I’ve completed and edited my first novel. It’s taken me six months to complete it and I’m extremely happy with the outcome. It’s genre is crime/thriller. Is it possible to send off your manuscript to a top publishing company without an agent? If not, how do you find top agents in your area?
All answers much appreciated. Thanks!
How do you go about getting your book published?
I have no idea where to start or how to go about it!
Thank you for your help in advance! x
What are the steps to getting your book published?
I’ve started my novel today. I’ve gotten about 20 pages on Microsoft word so far. When i finish, what are the steps to going about getting it published and hopefully selling it in stores?
Also if im looking at a novel around 100 pages, how many pages should i have on Microsoft Word? Thanks. if it matters im 19 out of school.
What are the steps of getting your book published after it is written.?
I wanna write a book, and I wanna get it published. I know that it is very difficult to do, but I need to know of all the steps to take. Also ways so that no one or no company can steal it from me. Does it cost money to get your book published? Thanks
What is the process/ steps to getting your book published nationwide? 10 pts?
I would like to write a book; but I do not know how to start the process.
How much money do you get from getting your book published?
When I finish my novel (or some people call it a ”manuscript”) I’m going to go through the long process of TRYING to get it published. When and if the publisher says they’re willing to publish my book, when will I get the money? AND how much will I get? If i makes a difference my book is a Fiction/Fantasy/Thriller(kinda) and romance. It’s mostly Fiction/Fantasy.
What are the rules to getting your book published?
i asked this:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An8cAPI71mExQ8skMSqO.X3sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100408054528AAtNU8P
now im just wondering what other rules there are to publishing a book?
*double-spaced
*wide margin
*?
What is the likelyhood of getting your book published if you’re a first time author?
I wanted to know, I’ve been told a few different things so I just want a good, straight answer.
What is the process of getting your book published?
oviously the first step is writing the book. please list steps and incude lots of detail. and please explain like your talking to somebody that has no previous knowledge of book writing or anything like that. thanks! just wondering!