Getting Published
The Secrets to Getting Published
Author: Tonya Shirelle
Many authors would like to know the secrets to getting their books published. The first secret we are going to share with you might seem a little silly but it could easily be the determining factor in whether or not a publisher will review your manuscript. There are many obvious things a publisher looks for when deciding to review a submitted manuscript such as the writer’s ability to tell their story, grammatical and sentence structures, plot outlines… However the first thing a publisher looks for is the ability of the author to follow instructions. Ha! Sounds simple doesn’t it? Trying to gain a competitive edge by giving more than what is asked might hurt you more than help you. Publishers develop submission guidelines to help them in their procedures of providing a systematic, fair process of receiving and reviewing manuscripts. When this process is not followed per the specifications nine times out of ten it means you have eliminated your chances of having your manuscript reviewed.
Imagine all the time you have spent on writing and proofreading your manuscript to find that it was not read because of your failure to follow the submission guidelines. Before submitting your manuscript research the publisher and find out what their specifications are. Some publishers only accept manuscripts submitted through an agent. They have established this rule for a reason. Publishers receive tons of manuscripts and by choosing to only review manuscripts submitted by an agent helps in narrowing down the submissions they receive. An agent will take the time to review the manuscript and will only submit manuscripts to publishers who are looking for the type of material you have written. Agents also understand the importance of following the submission guidelines and do so accordingly. Therefore when a publisher receives a manuscript from an agent they are confident that the submission is worth reviewing.
Not all publishers require agents but all publishers require that submissions follow their guidelines. If a publisher only asks for the first three chapters of your manuscript, along with an outline it is your best interest to follow that procedure. A publisher might indicate that it is acceptable to send the entire manuscript with the first three chapters but only send it if it is acceptable to do so.
There is stiff competition when trying to get published. Publishers receive a plethora of submissions and only publish a certain number of books per year. In order to ensure your manuscript gets a fair chance start by following instructions.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/publishing-articles/the-secrets-to-getting-published-595387.html
About the Author
Tonya Shirelle is author and CEO of Infinite Xpression Publishing. For more information on publishing boot camps visit www.publishingbootcamps.synthasite.com
Tagged with: how to get published • how to publish • publishing • publishing writing boot camps • writing
Filed under: Uncategorized
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Christian book publishers are not that easy to come across. I am in Australia, but it doesn’t really matter all that much. If you know Philip Yancey, try his publisher, or any others in a Christian bookshop.
I have some tips for novels which may apply:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-and-Publish-a-Book
… which I wrote. Please disregard the other additional “authors” of it, because it was only edited in format for the site, so you don’t worry. Contact me there (Disaron) or here.
Oh, and I would love to read this. If you would like me to edit it, feel free and send it to me.
We need to know more about the book. Is it fiction of nonfiction? If fiction, is it a “genre” story — romance, western, science fiction, horror, etc. Or is it a “literary” story — i.e. it’s a personal expression, not one of the genre categories.
Now for the bad news: it’s nearly impossible for a beginning writer to get a work published by a big time NY publishing house. In fact, it’s difficult to even get it read by them. Get a copy of Writer’s Market and shoot for a smaller publisher.
I encourage you to obtain a copy of the “2007 Writer’s Market”, that is created for Non-fiction and Fiction writers. It contains all the information, instruction and resources you need to get your work published, and it has over 4,000 listings. I make “Writer’s Market” my first investment in my writing every year. You can order “Writer’s Market”, and a great variety of books on writing, at Writer’s Digest Book Club. Go to http://www.WritersDigestBookClub.com. Go for it! Debbie
First,
Edit your book many times to make it the best 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 edit it some more.
Type it in proper manuscript form (details can be found at http://www.writersdigest.com ).
Consider joining a local writer’s group to get feedback from other hopeful writers. This is when you need to develop a thick skin when it comes to accepting criticism from others.
Get it proofread by someone who knows what they are doing (don’t rely only on spellcheck).
There are very few publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts (those that don’t go through a literary agent), so it’s a good idea to get an agent.
Visit http://www.agentquery.com or, at the library or bookstore, look for Guide to Literary Agents (published by Writer’s Digest), Bwoker’s Literary Marketplace or Writer’s Market 2009. Look for agents that handle your genre, and are looking for new clients. Read, and follow, their submission guidelines.
In those books will be something about writing a query letter, which is what you send to the agent, first. It’s part synopsis of your book, and part explanation as to why your book should be published. You have just that one-page letter to get the agent’s attention, so take the time to make it a good one.
Expect the whole process to take lots of time, and expect many rejections. When you are accepted by an agent, they will send your book to publishers, not you.
The whole process of getting an agent is FREE, except for postage, until your book is bought by a publisher. That is when the agent gets their cut, usually 15%, of the money that goes to you. Run away from any agent who asks for money upfront.
Good luck!
Publishing a book is never easy and writing is just part of the big picture. Which is why you need to make sure that your book is polished to perfection. After all, your aim is to publish a book that not only sells, but will make people want to remember.
You will need to edit it, rewrite it and improve it. You want to make sure that your work is truly book-worthy. This way, you won’t have too much a problem getting your book published.
For more information on publishing a book:
http://selfpublishingjourney.wordpress.com/
First you have to finish the manuscript and edit it to the best of your ability. No agent or publisher will consider unfinished work from an unproven author. You are entering into a business world full of contracts and responsibilities, and you should know as much about the industry as possible.
Were you looking to self-publish, or go the traditional route? If you want to self-publish then I would second the recommendation to check out http://www.lulu.com but keep in mind that this road has many limitations.
As far as novels go, different publishers specialize in different things, and fiction is a broad word. If you try to sell a fantasy novel to a publisher that only works with romance, you are going to get a rejection no matter how good your writing is. There are some smaller presses that will look at unagented material, but none of the bigger ones will.
So do your homework. Take a look at the most recent “Writer’s Market”… or even better, try the “Guide to Literary Agents”.
I absolutely suggest getting an agent instead of approaching publishers directly. I’m assuming you are not a contract attorney, so you will need someone to look over any offers and to guide you through the publishing world.
Also, you will not be seding your manuscript to agents unsolicited! Send them a query letter and see if they ask to see a partial, then a full. If you send the whole thing, it will just get you a form rejection letter. Research each agent’s specific submission guidelines and follow their rules!
No publisher or agent should charge you any money up front! That is the sign of a scam! They make money by selling your book. Agents work on a commission (generally 15% of the amount of money the publishers pay you).
Here are some websites that can help. Read them thoroughly (especially Miss Snark– love her!) and research, research, research!
http://misssnark.blogspot.com/
http://www.agentquery.com/
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com
http://www.absolutewrite.com/
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://www.duotrope.com
And be warned of the people on this list:
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.html
You will face a lot of rejection, but if you really want this then keep at it! Work hard, and good luck!
Less than 1% of books which are started are ever finished.
Less than 1% of books which are finished are ever published.
So…about 0.01%.
That said, SOMEBODY has to be that 0.01%. If your book is the best one on offer, it’ll be the one that gets published.
Yes, it would definitely help you out in gaining admission to any college, although you still need the grades, test scores, etc. to get into an Ivy League school. Good luck.
You should get a copy of the book “2008 Writer’s Market” by Robert Brewer.
It’s a great guide on how to get published, how to put together a book proposal, a list of agents and publishers, and information on what those agents and publishers are interested in seeing.
1: You need an agent before you do anything else. No publisher will take a peek at an unsolicited manuscript, especially if you deliver it yourself. This will go in the middle of the pile with thousands of other wannabe writers who have handed in unsolicited manuscripts. The publisher doesn’t have time to hear why you think you deserve to be published. He wants an agent to communicate on the writers behalf.
2: Write every single day of your life. 95% of people who think they can be good writers, or can write a book, never ever do it. Just persist and be determined. You can only get better with practice. Writers are not born, they are made. Writing is a craft that can only be made through hard work.
3: The majority of writers don’t make money simply by writing. This is an illusion by young writers who think that by sitting in their home office in their loft apartment writing paragraphs will churn out money. Many writers have secondary jobs to supplement their income, as well as their lifestyle. Also it depends on what you write. If you write fiction, this will apply much more to you than say, an article writer for a lifestyle magazine. Newspaper writers and Journalists have a more stable income than novelists. However, that being said, online writing as a freelance career is very very achievable. Some websites pay their writers anywhere between $10-25 dollars per article. Say it’s $20, If you write four articles a day, this is $80 dollars. Do this five days a week and you have got $400 dollars. You just have to be realistic. It is a lot harder to write four articles a day than it seems. Serious writers websites have editors that muse over an article as soon as it is submitted to make sure that the piece is of sufficient quality, that it cannot be found anywhere else online and is an original piece written by you. There are strict rules and guidelines to follow but it is worth it.
Note: Agents can be found by searching online or through the phone book.
Writers websites that I use include: Hub-pages and Suite 101. Hub-pages pays it’s writers through advertising percentages, while Suite 101 pays its writers a percentage directly through Pay-pal.
Please don’t ever give up. If you are serious keep pushing and attend college. Study Journalism and media or something that will actually get you a job. You need stability and job security to live while you write. If you get writers block, at least you still have money coming in because you have a job.
Also, reading is the paramount here. Reading all types of genres and authors will make you a well-rounded writer. A great writer has to be a great reader. If You don’t read many books, I suggest you get cracking!
Hope I helped!
getting published?
I moon-light as an author and I decided I was going to try something different. Normally, I write short stories, novellas and poetry. I have never written a steamy romance, but i drafted a couple ideas, some bordering on erotica, and according to most of my friends, they are quite well done. I was wondering if anyone knew where I could submit them for publishing in Ontario, Canada. I am told that I should keep writing them, apparently I have a hidden talent I was unaware of! Please help me. I am looking for anthologies, collections od short stories, contests, etc.
How can you go about getting a book published in New York?
Also, are there different procedures for publishing different genres of books? I’ve written a great deal, I just have no idea where to start in terms of getting my work published, so I’ll take all the advice I can get. Thank you!
Getting Published?
I’m a writer (non-fiction/Christian) and I am currently writing a piece that I hope to get published soon after it is completed. Does anyone have any tips/pointers about how to get published, preferably through a respectable publishing house?
Getting published?
I just finished writing a book.
I’m still going through it adding and taking things out.
It’s 16,000 words at a font 12.
but i don’t know who or where to go to, to get published.
if you have experience, or any references.
it would be a lot of help
I’m not exactly done, its more of a story of my life. not a biography, but it is things that i have happened in my life.
it is non fiction everything in it is true.
How do I go about getting it published, copyrighted and sold on the market?
I’m writing a book, I need information about how to get it published, copyrighted, and sold? I might even have to get a business license as well in order to sell the book on my own without getting in trouble with the law. Anyway, give me some advice and help me out.
What is the probability of a book actually getting published?
My friend and I are writing a book. I wont go into detail but we expect it to be sitting at about 30 chapters. We personally think it’s our best work and we are going to send it into a publishing company. I was wondering what the probability of actually getting it published was?
How to go about getting stuff published?
I write a lot & I have written a book. I would like to get it published, but I have no idea how to go about doing that. Does anybody know anything about how to do so? How do I go about getting my work published? Any advice/answers/help would be greatly appreciated.
Would having a published book increase my chances of getting into an Ivy League university?
I’m a British citizen. I write a lot and I’m thinking about trying to get published. Would having a published book increase my chances of getting into a US Ivy League university?
How do you go about getting a book published?
Im in the process of writing a book (fictional) and i was wondering how you would go about getting it published. Its the first book i’ve written and i dont have an agent or anything like that. Its called ‘mixing with humans’ and is about a young vampire girl.
How would i get it published and would it cost?
How does one go about getting a book published?
I haven’t had an interest in writing since I sixteen. After taking a writing class I’ve found myself addicted and the left me with some questions.
1) How does one get to the point of getting published?
2) How can one work to better their writing?
3) How might one make a living writing?