Question:
it is my dream to publish a book! help?
?
2009-10-08 22:22:59 UTC
I've been writing it for 2 and 1/2 to almost three years. I'm almost done with it and almost ready to write a query letter and a synopsis. However, I only know some facts about the publishing business, not step-by-step. Here are my questions:

What exactly are agents looking for when you write to them? I think I wrote a catchy enough letter, but is there anything else I really need to add? How do I write an attractive synopsis, and should there be somewhere that says I need to include a synopsis? Do all agents require synopsises, and how many pages do I need to write?

I am not really familiar at how to use the Writer's Market. Who do I talk to about what exactly to send to an agent of particular genre?

Please give me all the advice you can about the publishing business. Thanks!
Seven answers:
Joss
2009-10-09 03:54:32 UTC
Firstly, congrats on finishing your novel. Is it your first novel, or have you completed others before this? It's kind of funny because I completed the first draft of my novel in 3 1/2 months, but I also spent hours in my room writing it and doing nothing else - literally! I haven't started editing it, yet, because I can't stand to read another word of it, lol. Maybe in a few weeks I'll be able to approach it with fresh ideas. I'm already thinking of things that can be added and changed as far as characters and plot development. But, enough about me and mine.



I wholeheartedly agree with the poster who said you need to do your own research beyond Y!A. I've done in-depth research on the publishing industry, and I know for a fact that all the information you need to know before you jump in cannot be told to you in a single post; researching this field takes hours upon hours of research and reading and seeking out reliable sources (agent and publisher blogs, and legitimate publishing articles, as well as talking to authors). Also, the reason why you shouldn't get your information from the people here (including myself) is that we're not always right. I've literally seen people constantly recommend scam literary agents and publishers. One of the publishers I see often recommend is a vanity press (better to be unpublished than published badly), and the other is owned by a person who's being sued by the State of Florida for *fraud against aspiring writers!* Yes, some people on Y!A have been recommending a scam artist to aspiring authors like yourself. If you don't know this then you'll fall for it and will be out of a lot of money and a book that no one ever reads. The only reason I know this company (actually companies) is a scam is because of the in-depth research I've done on publishing. Once you do your research then you'll know what to look for in a scam and will avoid it. There's nothing more demoralizing than knowing that you've been scammed. Some people stop writing altogether because of it.



My advice isn't regarding publishing, because you'll have to do your own research like I did, and learn for yourself that the publishing industry is wrought with scammers who are looking to take your money and that well over 90% of the people who try to get published will be rejected. Many of the unscrupulous publishers and agents advertise and can be found by doing a google search. My advice is to stay away from search engines while you're looking for agents and publishers and ignore those who have to advertise their services. Just remember that you should never pay to be legitimately published and you should never have to buy your own (overpriced) books - a sign of a vanity publisher. Also, if you find that an agent or publisher recommends an editor to whom you have to pay to edit your work that it could be just another way to get your money - the agent/publisher is getting a kickback for everyone they recommend, or, worse, they own the editing service and don't tell you. Unfortunately, I've seen people have their dreams crushed by being scammed. Many have lost the first publishing rights to their book and have to start a new one and get that legitimately published.



Okay, it sounds like you have edited your book as best you could. Great start! Now, you need to find beta readers. Beta readers are those people who will read your book and give you feedback. If something doesn't make sense then they'll let you know. They'll give you suggestions on how to make it better. Some will read for grammatical errors (you can be rejected for too many grammar mistakes). There are many things beta readers do. You can also let your family and friends to read you novel as regular readers (if they like the genre in which you've written), and to give you feedback on things that were out of place, let you know if they lost interest, or if things didn't make sense to them. You should also let other writers critique your work, because they are more in-tune with how publishable books should be written, whereas your family/friends don't. After you get feedback, you'll then start on another draft and make changes you deem necessary. It might be hard to take criticism, but think about it this way: they are here to help you make your book the best it can be so that it can be published. You don't want to here people say "it's good, you should publish it," because sugar coating things doesn't make your novel publishable. Getting feedback from independent people (who are not family/friends) will help make your book better, especially if you've never been published and don't know what to expect.



Most agents require a query letter, and some might require a synopsis, you'll have to read their guidelines because it differs per literary agency. Get feedback on your query letter, too. Your query is the deal maker. Agents and publishers will make a decision on whether or not to request you rmanuscript based on your query, and, again, once they reject you, you cannot requery for the same work. It's really that serious.



Visit the agent's website and look under their Submissions guidelines and they'll have directions on how to send your manuscript and how to format it. Some agents will allow the first few pages of your work along with the query. Do you know why? Because you have to catch the readers' attention within the first few pages. That means you have to have some kind of conflict happen that will keep the reader reading in the very beginning. I've seen agents request the first 7-10 pages, so let the number of pages they request (if any) be your guide.



Just keep in mind that if you are one of the lucky few to find an agent or publisher to publish your work then it will take a while before your book is released - it can be upto 2 years after you sign the contract. Also, querying can be a lengthy process. Some agents send out rejections or request partials within days, while others can take months. One more thing, query only a few agents at a time. This will allow you to make changes to your query letter or manuscript if you begin getting too many rejections, and then you can send out a revised version to other agents. Just remember that just because you've written a book does not mean it's publishable. Unfortunately, most people's books are not publishable. Good luck!
Stacey T
2009-10-08 22:57:05 UTC
Do your research. And i mean more than asking random people on yahoo (Who you have no idea if they know what they are talking about or not).



I suggest the book "the complete idiots guide to writing a novel."

I know you have already written your novel but it is still very good and very helpful. The author gets very into detail about the publishing world.



But if you dont want to go that route than use google! There are sites that will help you find some good agents and publushing companies (although they send you to a lot of self publishing sites so be careful and decide what is best for you). You can find some near you and/or travel to NYC where some of the best are located.



Id also suggest finding a writers conference and going to it. I really really want to go to one but wont til next year probably. But anyway they are a good chance to better understand not only the writing industry but the art of writing and networking. Many new writers find agents at those types of events





There is way too much information to give to you on here. I could write a book. But like i said do research. google query letters, there are videos and articles galore on how best to write a query letter.



And whoever you send the letter to make sure you research them as well. The more you know about them the better off you will be.
miese_99
2009-10-09 00:15:56 UTC
You can send your manuscript to an agent or choose to self-publish. Keep in mind that when you send your work to a traditional publisher, it can take you a long time for your work to be recognized. More often than not, your work gets rejected. If you don't have the patience, you may end up getting frustrated.



When you self-publish, you pay to get your book out. This can be a tradeoff, but the gains may be more than you expect. Many authors nowadays turn to self-publishing for many good reasons.



Self-publishing is also a smarter option especially that you are planning to publish a book on a specific niche, because you can actually cater to your target readers. You also get to control the number of books you want to have printed. Usually, your POD publisher only prints your book depending on demand. This way, you wont end up with a garage full of unsold books.



Whatever publishing route you choose, make sure that you understand how publishing really works. Publishing is never easy. When you're sure of what you want, you will not have any regrets in the end.



Check out this article on the pros and cons of book publishing:

http://selfpublishingjourney.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/pros-and-cons-of-book-publishing/
Eric
2009-10-08 22:36:35 UTC
I am in the same boat as you. I have learned that MOST agents (worth your time) require synopsis', what most of them look for is an original script, plus an original style of writing (if you want to be an author) as for the amount of pages goes I would say AT LEAST 12. If you need help on finding a publisher/agent/author. try http://www.shoptalkwriters.com, or do a search for major companies and send it to their agents....There are a lot of freelance agents out there looking for new talent.......ESPECIALLY in Seattle
Meredith Greene
2009-10-08 22:46:13 UTC
Knowing the mind of an agent is one of the great mysterious of humanity.



There exists no step by step manual, guiding young writers to the pillared, ethereal realm of Publishing.



The most used system are those of the Hit-and-Miss variety, often knit together with dogged determination and the stubborn will to succeed. If these fail to get you noticed, then try self-publishing; you'll get a far better royalty percentage and the entire system is environmentally friendly, and catching on. EPUBS are preferred over PDF format these days; one can download a free program called Calibre to convert Word html files into EPUBs, complete with chapter headings and pictures, if desired.



If eBooks alone are not appealing to you, then you may want to give lulu.com or authorcrossing.com a try; bear in mind that on-demand self-publishing is pricey; each of your books could cost far more than folks would be willing to pay for them.



Before all this you must test your market; post a few free chapters on sites like fictionpress.com or writerscafe.org, to see if you book is good enough to publish. It is free and the reviews generated are quite helpful. free beta-readers can also be found at these places to help edit mistakes your word processing spell-checker cannot detect.



Once you've established that your book is indeed marketable and of a desirable plot/tone/theme then you can begin marketing yourself; you can upload a finished book for free to The Kindle Store, for download to Kindle reading devices; your book will be buried on page 756 of the store, but if folks go looking for it they'll find it easily and give you bona-fide Amazon reviews.



Cheers.
overall
2016-09-22 02:21:54 UTC
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Kirrraaaa!!!!
2009-10-08 22:34:10 UTC
sorry, you got me there :) but you could always try emailing or sending a letter to a publisher and ask them what they require to publish a book


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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