3 Ways to Publish Your Book

Publishing a book takes a lot of hard work and much more rejection for the average writer. It would of course be easier if you had the funds.
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To publish your book, you have to make sure it's in the best possible shape before you take it to agents or publishers. Publishing your book will take a lot of research, perseverance, and patience, but it will be worth it to see your work in print. If you want to know how to publish your book, just follow these easy steps. Why might you want to seek out an agent instead of going directly to the publishing house? Agents do review your book. It's how they determine whether or not to represent you. Still, if your book is in need of major edits or revisions, consider sending it to an editor before trying to find an agent.

Click on another answer to find the right one If you know your book is going to be a series, you'll want to let a prospective agent know. Still, the agent works more with representing your work than the creative process. If you want feedback on the manuscript or a potential series, consider an editor, writing group, or mentor. If you're writing fiction, you're almost always going to need a completed manuscript.

Non-fiction works a little differently, but agents won't help you to skip the writing step, at least not until you are more established. It's much more challenging to approach a publishing house on your own than it is with representation. Publishing houses trust agents to screen authors before representing them, so you have a better shot at getting signed with an agent than on your own. Read on for another quiz question. If an agent asks to read the whole manuscript, that's a good sign! Of course, trust your instinct and do your research, but don't shy away from this positive news!

The only time an agent makes money off of you is when your royalties start to come in. If an agent ever asks for a reading fee, they're trying to scam you. Do your research, ask other writers and check out sites like 'Preditors and Editors' to protect yourself and your work. It's important to trust your gut. Even if you're really excited to sign, if something doesn't feel right, hold off. This might mean you think your prospective agent isn't enthusiastic enough -- go with your instinct! Still, this doesn't have to be a dealbreaker.

Once you have signed with your agent, revising your book is one of the next steps! You will work together to bring the best manuscript possible to the publishing houses. Be prepared to listen to your agent's ideas, but stand firm on what you believe the book needs. After all, it's your book! If you're interested in approaching a publishing house directly, you should seek out one that:.

If a publishing house is charging a reading fee, you're right in skipping it! Publishing houses will take part of your royalties if they sign your book, but the reputable ones won't charge a reading fee. In today's day and age, you don't necessarily need to be physically close to your publisher to work with them.

You'll find that most publishing houses have standard royalty offers, so look around and see if they're being fair to the industry. You could have the greatest romance novel ever written, but if you pitch it to a science fiction press, you'll get turned down. Make certain that the house is open to queries from unagented authors and that they're looking for the type of book you've written. Then go ahead and submit! It's important to do your research before signing with a publishing team.

Ask other authors to see if anyone has worked with the house before, how they liked their editor and what kind of marketing and promotional support they got. Still, there are certain requirements a publishing house will need for you to get this far. If you have self-published a book, you should wait to tell your friends and family until it sells well.

Self-publishing used to have a bad reputation, but online programs, like those offered through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, have given self-published authors many new opportunities! Marketing is very important if you self-publish, so tell everyone you know! You completed a book and you should share it with the world! Over the last few years, the reputation of self-publishing has changed, so you don't need to feel 'less-than' for taking a different path. Self-published books do require a lot of marketing and promotion, so tell everyone!

If you want to publish a fiction book, you will need to prepare a full-length, completed manuscript. You may find better success if you choose a literary agent to help market your book to publishers, but you can contact publishers directly if they are accepting unsolicited submissions. You can find this out by researching different publishing houses online. Once you find a publisher, write a query letter containing information about yourself and your book, as well as a brief synopsis.

If they are interested, they will ask you to send them your manuscript. Sample Letter Asking for Writing Guidelines. Sample Letter About Revised Manuscript. Know whether you should prepare a manuscript or a proposal. Fiction writers should prepare a full-length manuscript, while non-fiction writers will have to write a solid book proposal instead.

Knowing what you need to have written will save you time and will make you look more professional when you send your work out into the world. Many fiction writers try to publish their books before they have completed a manuscript — to no avail. If you're writing non-fiction, then you need to have a completed book proposal first. If you are writing a fitness book or a cookbook, then you should focus on the proposal.

Self-publish your book in 3 Easy Steps!

If you're working on more literary non-fiction, then you should work on more sample chapters or even a completed manuscript, in some cases. If you have determined that you only need a proposal for the type of nonfiction you are writing, then skip to step 6 and decide whether you want to hire a literary agent or go directly to the publishing house. If you are writing an academic textbook, then skip to the last section and learn how to publish your book by contacting a publisher directly.

Revising your book can be even trickier than finishing it. Once you've written a solid draft of your book, whether it's a historical novel or a thriller, you'll need to revise it so it's in the best shape possible before you take it to an agent or publishing house. Here are some things to do as you revise your book: Make sure your book is as engaging as possible.

Though not every book is a spy novel or a page turner, make sure your readers are hooked from the beginning, and that they always have a reason to keep turning those pages. Get rid of any wordiness or excess. Many agents say that they rarely accept a debut novelist's book if it's over , words. Make sure you get your point across. Whether you're writing a romance novel or science fiction, you should have reached your objective and communicated your message by the end of the book. Make sure your thoughts are as clear as possible.

Your ideas may be crystal clear to you, but would they confuse your average reader? Of course, your book may be targeted toward a certain audience, but members of that audience such as college students or nurses should be able to clearly follow your thoughts. Get feedback on your book. Once you think you're really done, it's important to get some feedback on your book to know if it's ready for publication. You may feel that it's absolutely perfect, but there is almost always room for improvement. It's better to get feedback from a fellow writer or trusted professional than to get rejected by an agent or publisher.

If you ask for feedback too early in the drafting process, you may feel stifled, so make sure your book feels really ready before you ask for help. Here are some ways to get feedback on your book: Ask a fellow writer. A friend who knows how to write will have some insight into what works and what does not work in a book. Ask a voracious reader. Someone who reads a lot will be able to tell you if your book was a page turner, or if they were asleep after the first chapter.

Ask someone who knows your subject. If you're writing non-fiction about something in a field such as business, science, or cooking, ask someone who is an expert in this field to see if you really know your stuff. Submit your stuff to a writing workshop. Whether you have an informal writer's workshop with friends in your area or you're attending a writing conference, submitting a chapter of your work to a workshop can give you insight into a variety of perspectives at once. If you're in an M. Find a reputable editor and ask for a manuscript evaluation. This can be very expensive, but asking the right person can help you see if your book is ready.

Remember to take your feedback with a grain of salt. Not everyone will fall in love with your book, and that's okay. It's important to get constructive feedback from people you trust, but recognize that you won't benefit from every opinion.

1. Choose a topic.

Getting good feedback means knowing who to ask. Revise your book further if it's necessary. Revise your book based on the feedback you received. You won't regret it. Take some time to absorb the feedback you received, and then get to work. Though your revision should take you in the right direction, you should ask for more feedback to make sure you made the draft stronger. When you've revised your manuscript again, put it away for a few weeks or even a month. Then take it out and read it with fresh eyes to see if it's in the best possible shape.

How to Publish a Book in 2018: Self-Publishing Tips From a Bestseller

Last, copy edit your book. Once all of the larger points are taken care of, make sure your manuscript is free of grammatical and punctuation errors. These errors will make your work look unprofessional and will keep your readers from appreciating your hard work. Once you feel that your manuscript is completely ready, you'll have to format it so it meets the requirements of the agents or publishers you are seeking.

There are a few rules of thumb you can follow, but you should also check the websites of the publishers or the agents' guidelines to ensure that your manuscript meets their standards. Here are a few things you can do: Always double-space your manuscript. Have one-inch margins on the left and right-hand sides of the manuscript. Times New Roman is the best font to use.

4 ways to publish (or self-publish) a book — and how to choose

Courier, or the font that looks like a typewriter, used to be more prominent, but TNR will do just fine. Number the pages of your manuscript on the top right-hand side, along with your last name and title before the page number. The cover page should include the following: Your name, email address, phone number, and address should appear on the left-hand side of the page.

The title of your novel should be capitalized and centered on the page, along with your last name. Your word count should be centered on the bottom of the page. You can round to the nearest 5, words. You can write, "about 75," words. Decide whether you want to enlist the help of a literary agent or to go straight to the publisher. Though signing with a literary agent is incredibly challenging, contacting a publishing house directly to try to publish your book is even tougher.

The benefit of working directly with a publisher is that you don't have to use or pay an agent as a middleman. The drawback is that the publishing houses trust the agents to screen the submissions, so if you don't have an agent, they will be less likely to consider you. You can also try literary agents first and go to the publisher if it doesn't work out. However, if your work is rejected by many literary agents, it's even more likely to be rejected by the publishers. Method 1 Quiz Why might you want to seek out an agent instead of going directly to the publishing house?

Agents will edit your work. Agents will help you complete a series. Agents will help you pitch without a completed manuscript. Agents will help screen you for publishing houses. Once you're ready to take your book to agents, you need to research the market to find your niche. Find books in your field or genre to see where you fit in, and see how well these books are selling and who are big names in your field.

If your book doesn't neatly fit in one genre, research multiple types of books that your book may be like. Once you've researched the market, you should be able to find a way to neatly describe your book. Is it science fiction, literary, or historical? Is it a science fiction and a historical novel? Is it literary, or more of a young adult novel? Knowing what kind of book you have will help you contact the right agent. Now that you know what type of agent you're working with, it's time for you to find the perfect agent to represent you.

The ideal agent will connect with your material, will be enthusiastic about your work, and will work with you to revise your book and sell it to a publisher. Make sure your agent sells books in your genre, or contacting that agent will be a waste of time. Here is how to find a good agent for you: Read a reputable guide to Literary Agents. Check out Publisher's Marketplace. This site will help you see which agents respond to queries quickly, and which rarely respond or take months to respond.

How to Publish a Book in Self-Publishing Tips From a Bestseller

The statistics on this site are reported by other writers, so the data set isn't complete, but it can give you a good indication of how receptive some agents can be. The site can also tell you which agents specialize in what genres. When you find an agent who sounds like a good fit, check out his or her website to get more information about submission policies and what genres and clients they represent. Make sure the agent is accepting unsolicited submissions. Unless you have a connection, you'll have to submit to the agent this way.


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Watch out for con-artists posting as agents. No reputable agent will ever ask for a reading fee to see your manuscript. The agent will only make money if he can sell your book. Write a query letter. Once you've found your dream agent — or better yet, a handful of dream agents — it's time to prepare your query letter. Your query letter is your chance to introduce yourself to the agent, to get the agent hooked on your book, and to provide a very brief synopsis of the book. Increase your writing time or word count over time.

If you want to get more done, set increasingly bigger goals for yourself. For example, you might have a goal to write words a day. You could finish a 30, word non-fiction book in a month or two. For reference, I've written almost words to this point in my post. We strongly recommend you get an editor to go through your book before you publish. Even if you're the most amazing writer in the world, you still need an editor.

You need someone to polish your work, make sure it flows, and catch any mistakes. Please don't skip this step. Of course you'll want to edit your own book several times before you send it to an editor. Go through it with a fine-tooth comb and re-write and edit carefully. You might even ask someone who's your ideal reader to look at your manuscript before you send it to an editor.

For example, if you're writing a book on parenting teenagers, find someone you know who is the parent of a teenager and ask them to read your draft. Ask for honest feedback so you can make sure the book appeals to the audience you're trying to reach. Try to have a thick skin when getting this feedback and see it as an opportunity to make your book the best it can be. Once you feel the book is ready for the editor's finishing touches, start looking for a good editor. You can find them at places like Upwork, ArchangelInk , and Elance. Interview a few people and look at some of the books they've edited, particularly in your niche.

Many editors can also format your book for publishing on Kindle and for print. There's a real art and science to choosing a good title for your book. You want a title that has a "hook" -- something short and pithy that really grabs the reader's attention. The subtitle can be longer with more explanation about how the book benefits the reader. Go on Amazon and look at some of the bestsellers in your niche. Examine the titles and pay attention to those that really jump out at you.

You'll also want to consider some of the SEO keywords in your niche that could be included in your title or subtitle to help readers find your book. I like to write several title ideas and then run them by my blog readers and social media followers. If you don't have a blog or social media following, you can use a service like Pick FU to have a sampling of people weigh in on your titles. Try to get a lot of feedback from potential readers to see what resonates with them before you settle on a title that you like. We talk more about how to select your book title in our free video series.

This is another area of self-publishing where you should hire a pro. Find someone who regularly designs book covers and pay to have your cover well-designed. I promise this step will pay off in the long run, as more people will be inclined to buy a book with an eye-catching, great looking cover. You can also find cover designers at ArchangelInk, Elance, and Upwork, so go through the same vetting process you used to hire your editor. Look at their past work, ask about deadlines, and find out how many revisions are included in the price estimate.

You will need to write copy for the back cover of a print version of your book. This copy should focus on the benefits of your book for the reader. Give them a compelling reason why they must have your book. You only have a little space on the back cover, so be concise and use language that invites the reader to learn more. You can also include a very brief bio and photo of yourself, as well as a testimonial or review praising your book if you want.

I hire someone to format my books for me. Formatting for both Kindle and CreateSpace Amazon's print on demand service for print books is time-consuming and tedious. So unless you just love detail work, try to find an editor who will also handle formatting your book for you.

Another reason to hire someone is that you want to be sure it's done correctly. You don't want to go to all of the trouble to write your book, only to have it look like a mess when someone opens it to read it. Find someone who does this for a living and knows all of the rules and requirements of proper formatting. Once your book is edited and formatted, and you have the cover designed, you can upload your book on the Kindle store. You'll need to create an account with Kindle Direct Publishing KDP , where you'll find all the instructions for uploading your book, creating an author page, setting pricing for your book, and writing copy for your sales page.

All of these steps are really important when it comes to getting your book noticed and selling a lot of copies. The copy for your author page and your book sales page should focus primarily on how your book benefits the reader. You don't need to sell people on the features of the book or what a great author you are. You need to let them know how you can answer their questions, offer solutions to their problems, and help them overcome their challenges related to your topic.

Self-Publishing 3.0

Once you've uploaded the book and completed the author page and sales page, it's time to hit the publish button. It generally takes Amazon a few days to review your book and make it live, but once they do, you are officially a published author! I use CreateSpace, Amazon's print on-demand service, to create the print version of my books, although there are many other places to print your book.

If you've hired someone to format your book for you, be sure you ask them to format for both Kindle and CreateSpace or whatever printing service you use. Once your book is formatted for print, and your cover designs front, back and spine are completed, you can upload all of the files on CreateSpace by following their set-up instructions. CreateSpace has a help center and comprehensive book services formatting, editing, and design if you run into any problems.

Once you have everything properly uploaded, you can send your book to Amazon for publishing at the click of a button. So now that your book is published, you'll be waiting for the cash to start rolling in, right? Well, don't rely on Amazon alone to promote your book. You will need to spread the word and do everything you can to market and promote your book. If you have a blog, be sure to write about your book and how it will help your readers. If you have an email list, be sure you send out an email announcing your new book.

Use social media as well to spread the word. You might also consider writing guest posts on relevant blogs about your topic with a link to your author page in the bio of the guest post.


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You can offer your books through various other publishing channels, like Nook and Kobo, if you don't want to just rely on Amazon. The best way to become a better writer and to sell more books is by writing more books.