How To Get Your Book Published
- December 11, 2007
- 558 Views
CGI
J Pilarski
Have you written the next great American novel? Well, then, whatcha waiting for? You need a publisher!
You Will Need
- A manuscript
- A synopsis of your manuscript
- And a brief cover letter
Step 1: Proofread
Proofread your manuscript to make sure there are no misspellings, typos, or mistakes.
Step 2: Write a synopsis
Write a synopsis of your manuscript. This should be no more than a couple of pages long, with a paragraph detailing the major events or information in each chapter.
Step 3: Identify your genre
Identify your book’s genre. Chick lit? Mystery? Romance?
Step 4: Go to your bookstore
Go to your local bookstore, find books similar to yours, and jot down the names of their publishers.
Step 5: Find submission policies
Look up the publishers’ submission policies on their websites. Do they accept unsolicited manuscripts? If so, do they want a full manuscript, a sample and a synopsis, or just a sample?
Step 6: Prepare a submission
For those publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts, prepare a package according to that publisher’s requirements. Include a brief cover letter.
Your cover letter should highlight why you’re qualified to write the book and what you’d add to the genre.
Step 7: Find lists of agents
Once you’ve sent your manuscript out to publishers who accept unsolicited submissions, it’s time to get an agent. Go to the library or your local bookstore and consult a guide to publishers, editors, and literary agents.
Step 8: Note appropriate agents
Make note of the agents who represent authors in your field.
Step 9: Contact agents
Create a submission package for each agent. It should include a one-page cover letter; a one-paragraph biographical statement that focuses on your publishing history; a self-addressed, stamped envelope; and no more than 25 pages of sample text.
Consider independent publishers. These are smaller publishers that probably will not pay an advance, but will pay slightly higher royalties.
Step 10: Wait patiently
Wait patiently for a response—six months or more is not unheard of, so don’t send a follow-up until enough time has passed.
Step 11: Explore self-publishing
As a last resort, you can explore self-publishing through various POD, or Print on Demand, options available online. Just keep in mind that it is extremely difficult to sell books this way successfully.
In the U.S., there are six major publishing houses, all in New York; 300 to 400 medium-size publishers; and more than 86,000 small or self-publishers.
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Comments (0)
this is way too simplified. it really is not that easy, which is why people end up doing vanity publishing.
over 4 years ago by hambergrrr
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