How to Get Published

Understanding the Different Ways to Publish

Try traditional publishing. When you go the traditional publishing route, the publisher pays you for the right to publish your work. Traditional publishers assume all costs and pay the author an advance and royalties on all sales of the work. To get a traditional publisher, you will need to persuade a publisher to accept your work and offer you a contract. A traditional publisher takes on the financial risk of publishing the work. They can also offer you marketing and publicity expertise. Going the traditional route gives you access to mainstream exposure. But it is competitive in the traditional publishing world. Sometimes successful DIY or self published authors can negotiate better deals without a publisher.

Consider publishing through a partnership. In this option, the author partners with a literary agent, a publisher, or an author collective. The author does not have to pay a fee to the partner, but usually does not get an advance. As well, the partner will need to select the author and be able to offer marketing savvy and industry expertise to the author. A partnership is beneficial because it is less risky than self publishing. The author also gets better royalties in a partnership. It also frees up the author from having to deal with the administrative side of publishing. This then gives the author more time to focus on creative work. Not all partners will offer the same thing to an author, so shop around. Always have a legal representative look over a partnership contract before signing it. Examples of partnership publishers includes: Rogue Reader, Diversion Books, and Cool Gus Publishing.

Understand how to publish through a service provider. This means the author pays upfront for a package of services and the service provider only does the work the author pays for. As well, all work is usually accepted by the service provider, as long as the author can pay for the service. Usually, an author can make more royalties if they go through a service provider. Examples of service providers include: Author Solutions, Infinity Publishing, and Outskirts Publishing. But, you get what you pay for, so you may get a published product that does not have much commercial value. Your book may be available for order through bookstores, but rarely stocked on the shelves in the store. These books are usually considered of lower quality in the publishing world. Most self published success stories do not originate from publishing through these service providers.

Use a distributor. If you publish your work through a distributor, you will have to do the majority of the administrative work on your own. You will need to hire a book designer, find a good copy editor, and do all the administrative work. You would then provide the distributor with the final files of the book and they would proceed with the publication. The distributor may charge an upfront fee and/or take a cut of the sales, but they are responsible for paying the authors. Using a distributor can also save you the headache of managing many retailers (or book sellers). The author is also not bound by a contract to the distributor, so they are not giving up their royalty rights. Use distribution service providers. Such as: Smashwords (e-books), BabyBook (e-books), eBookPartnership.com, and Blurb (full color books).

Weigh the pros and cons of self publishing. Self publishing, or DIY direct, means the author does all the work on their own. They then hire any outside help like a book designer or an editor. Self publishers will also need to provide retailers (book sellers) with finished, ready to go files or books. Keep in mind the retailer will take a cut of the sales, but the author is not exclusive to a publisher. This means the author can deal with each retailer on an individual basis. Self publishing allows the author to maximize their earnings from the sale of the books. This also allows the author to get the highest percentage of sales. The author retains complete freedom over the work so they can adjust or edit it on the fly, and can control the pricing of the book. But, self publishing can become a full time job if the author is aiming for high profit and high quality. As well, Amazon and Apple need you to be exclusive to them if you are going to use their services to self publish.

Using Traditional Publishing

Prepare a polished manuscript if you are writing a novel or a memoir. Before you look for a publisher or an agent, make sure you have a final manuscript to shop around. It is rare for first time authors without a strong publishing track record to sell a novel or memoir based on an idea or proposal. Many writers have great story ideas or a partial manuscript. But it almost never a good idea to pitch your work to a publishing professional when your manuscript is still at an early stage. Seek out a writing critique group or mentor who can offer constructive feedback to help you revise and edit your work. Its important to be confident and happy with the final manuscript before you submit it for publication. So don’t rush into publishing your work until you feel it is at its best state.

Complete a book proposal if you are working on a nonfiction manuscript. This will help to convince a publisher to contract you to write the book. To create a book proposal, research the market for your idea. Build a business case for why your book will sell and why you are the best person to write it. Research other comparable titles or writers who examine the same topic or issue. Make sure your take on the material is unique but doesn’t break all the rules of the genre. Avoid confusing the potential audience for the book.

Research the traditional publishing market. Familiarize yourself with the Big Five publishers, as well as mid-size and small presses. Look up the titles listed on the websites for these publishers to get a sense of the type of writing and content they publish. The Big Five are the major book publishers in the United States. They are: Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. All five publishers have their headquarters in New York City. Mid size publishers like Tin House and Graywolf Press are great smaller publishers. Another great resource is PublishersMarketplace.com, which announces upcoming book deals. This resource can also help you get a sense of what the current landscape of commercial publishing looks like.

Consider the commercial viability of your book. Commercial viability means how valuable your book may be to certain audiences. Some books are “big” books that work well for the Big Five traditional publishers. Other books are “quiet” books that work well for mid-size and small presses. Its important to remember that not every book is a good fit for a New York publisher. To find the right fit for your work, you need to be honest about your work’s potential. The Big Five usually publish genre writing. Such as: romance, mystery/crime, thriller, fiction, fantasy, and young adult. Usually, a New York publisher will only sign a nonfiction book if they expect to sell at least 10,000-20,000 copies. The Big Five may have a harder time selling books like exceed 120,000 words, depending on the genre. They also rarely publish poetry, short stories or essay collections. Unless the author is a known writer or has a solid audience base. The Big Five also might not accept memoirs with common story lines that do not have a unique angle to the story. They also may not be as open to literary and experimental fiction. If your work doesn’t seem like a good candidate for a New York house, don’t despair. There are many mid-size publishers and small presses that might show interest in your work.

Decide if you need a literary agent. In today’s market, literary agents sell about 80 percent of the books acquired by New York publishers. These agents act as experts in the publishing industry and have inside contacts with specific editors. They also know better than writers what an editor or publisher would be most likely to show interest in or buy. If you want to publish with one of the major New York houses, you will likely need an agent. An agent should negotiate the best deal for you and ensure you get paid. They should also be the go between you and the publishers. The best agents are career advisers and managers. Usually, agents only get paid when they sell your work. They receive a 15% commission on your advance and your royalties. When looking for an agent, it's a good idea to make a long list of possible agents. Rank the agents based on the ones you want to work with the most and the ones you would settle for. To find a list of literary agents, look at Writers Market, Publishers Marketplace, and Agent Query. Avoid agents who charge fees. Agents take on clients based on the size of the advance they think the publishers might offer for a book. If you are writing for a niche market (e.g. soccer moms, vintage cars) or have an academic or literary work, you may not need an agent. As well, if your work does not command a sizable advance, at least 5 figures, you may not be worth the agent’s time.

Prepare your submission to the publisher. The most common materials you will need are: A query letter: a 1-page pitch letter that gives a brief description of your work. A novel synopsis: a brief summary, usually no more than 1-2 pages of your story, from beginning to end. If it is a synopsis of a novel, it must reveal the ending. Nonfiction book proposal: usually rather long, complex documents, about 20-30 pages. A novel proposal: this usually refers to your query letter, a synopsis, and perhaps a first chapter. Keep in mind there is not an industry standard definition of a “novel proposal”. The publisher should explain their expectations of a novel proposal. Sample chapters: send sample chapters from the beginning of your novel or memoir. Don’t select a middle chapter, even if you think its your best. For nonfiction, usually any chapter is acceptable.

Work hard on your query letter. The query letter is a time-honored tool for writers seeking publication. It is like a sales letter that tries to persuade an editor or agent to request a full manuscript or proposal. You need to seduce the editor or agent into loving your work through a well written query letter. Make sure your query letter includes: Personalization: customize the letter for the recipient. If you are sending a letter to a big New York publisher, you should be formal and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. What you’re selling: explain the genre/category of your work, give a work count, and the title of the work. A hook: what will keep the editor or agent engaged in the letter, and by extension, your work? Keep the hook 100-200 words long for a novel query. Introduce the protagonist, their conflict and the stakes of the story (or the choices the protagonist has to make). Always include a detail that will get your reader to care about the story enough to request a manuscript. Your bio: this is sometimes optional for uncredited fiction writers. Keep it short and sweet. A thank you and closing statement. The blog Query Shark, run by literary agent Janet Reid, offers feedback and critiques on query letters. It also has an archive of over 200 real query letters. Look at examples to get a sense of query letters that work and letters that miss the mark.

Gauge the responses to your query letters. You will likely get one of three responses back: No response at all: usually means a rejection from the editor or agent. But you can re-send the query letter just to be sure. If you receive no requests from any editors or agents for more pages of your work, you may need to revise your query letter. A request for a partial manuscript and maybe a synopsis. A request for the full manuscript. If you get a rejection once the editor or agent reads more pages, there may be issues in your manuscript or proposal.

Keep querying and don’t give up. Some authors get rejected hundreds of times before they finally get a request for more material or sign on to a publisher. So, if you have put years of time and effort into a project, don’t abandon it after the first rejection. Instead, look at your rejection slips for patterns about what’s not working. Rejections can work as lessons to improve your writing. Getting rejected can also help you reconsider the editors and publishers you are querying. Keep in mind some manuscripts need time to develop. There may not be a market for the story or there may not be a way to revise the work to make it more successful. Most authors don’t sell their first manuscript. But they might sell their second, third, or fourth manuscript. Every manuscript, and every draft you write, can only make you a better writer.

Using Self Publishing

Determine if your genre has a big online audience. E-books are becoming a popular option for writers tired of rejection who still want to see their work published. But e-books are just that: books published on an online platform. So the author will not be able to hold a physical copy of the book in their hands or see a physical copy of the book in a bookstore. Some genres, like thriller, romance, or erotica, have a large online audience of readers. Check if it is common for authors in your genre to release e-books. If digital only publishers exist in your genre, this is a good sign there are online readers for your genre. An author who is successful at self-publishing should have an entrepreneurial spirit, strong following, and relevant online presence. Unlike traditional publishing, self publishing sales will snowball or grow over time. So it’s important to be patient and be willing to promote your work online all the time.

Keep in mind e-publishing retailers and distributors are not publishers. This means e-publishers take no responsibility for the quality of your work, but they also do not own any rights to your work. If a traditional publisher shows interest after you have published as an e-book, you can still sell the rights to your work. This also means you have to find an audience for your work on your own. You are also responsible for all aspects of publishing a book, from editing to design to marketing.

Upload the completed manuscript as a PDF to the distributor’s site. Most distributors will offer easy to use options to customize the look of your book, from font size to cover art. You can also create your own cover art in Photoshop. The self publisher will send you a book proof within a few weeks. Even after you publish the book, you can make changes to the cover and the text by submitting new PDFs to the distributor. Most distributors charge a fee of $25-$50 for uploading a new cover or new interior.

Don’t expect fast or easy money in self-publishing. Though the e-publishing process may take no more than a few days to complete, you likely won't earn a lot of money on sales. There is a continual stream of new self published titles available online every day, many of which are low quality. In fact, the average self published book sells about 100-150 copies.

Promote your work and maintain an active online presence. Now that you’re a published author online, it’s important you promote your work as much as possible. Write posts about your book on forums, on social media, and on your blog. Remember, you will have to act as your own marketing guru. You will need to commit to growing your readership and drawing attention to your work.

Maximizing Your Chances of Success

Be professional and polite to agents, editors, and publishers. Never call an agent or editor to query or ask questions if you are not one of their clients. You need to earn a spot on their radar through a great query letter and quality work. As well, do not visit them at their offices in New York or go knocking on doors. Agents, editors, and publishers could consider this unprofessional or rude. Its important to remember publishing is a business, like Hollywood or Broadway. The publishing industry will support authors and work that will make money and provide a good return on investment. In the current age, this return investment needs to happen fast, usually with one book and in less than one year.

Be aware of the difficulties of publishing a hybrid work. A hybrid work combines several genres or styles of writing like essays, stories, and poetry. But it can be difficult to get a hybrid work published in the traditional way, as it does not fall into a single, salable category. In fact, even novelists and memoirists often get more rejections than acceptances. But it’s important to persevere and not be too discouraged by rejection.

Attend writers conferences. These conferences are a great way to meet editors and agents in a professional setting. You can also determine which publishers might be a good fit for your work. Do some research before attending a conference. Select a conference that allows you to meet with a specific author, editor, or agent that is ideal for your work. Discuss the possibility of a critique session with the chosen editor. Make an appointment with them to discuss your work. Attending writers conferences shows you want to be part of the writing community. It also shows you are not afraid to put yourself out there to promote your work. You’ll be far more attractive to publishers if they believe you’ll be an active marketer and promoter of your book.

Create quality work and keep writing. The quality of your writing matters more than a perfect query letter or the right cover design. Read other authors who relate to your work. Continue to practice your craft through many drafts and redrafts. Your writing can only get better with time. Once you achieve quality in your work, your letter of acceptance from an agent or publisher will likely follow.