Archive for Get Book Published
Another ” Publishing A Book ” Saga
Posted by: | Comments‘Hmm…I have a brilliant idea!’ Wouldn’t it be great if I wrote a book about this family that moved in next door who I suspect are really aliens? I could get it published, and maybe it would become a movie. I’d get rich just publishing a book!” Thoughts like this enter the minds of aspiring authors everyday. One only needs to go to any book store, new or used, go to the aisle labeled ‘Alien Families’, and find hundreds of titles ranging from the cheesy fifties pulp editions to the more recently released glossy paperback editions by the famous and the not-so-famous. It has all been done before. The last thing any tight-fisted publisher wants is another alien family saga.
So how does this future Ray Bradbury or Harlan Ellison go about realizing their dream of seeing their magnificent tale on the Barnes and Noble and Borders bookshelves? It may be a gripping tale or a light-hearted fantasy. It may be the most brilliant piece of work ever penned, but it will never reach the public until it is PUBLISHED! Then, of course, there is the marketing of the work. But let us take it one step at a time.
Any aspiring author must first accept that before they receive any royalties, there are others who must first recoup their costs. That is assuming that a publishing house has agreed to purchase their manuscript and invest in its production and promotion. For the self-publishing author, this could be just another horror story. Publishing a book can be complicated.
Securing a literary agent to pitch one’s masterpiece is widely recommended, but even literary agents must eat. If one happens to have an Uncle Jake who has connections, one may have a chance of a glimpse into their work. Otherwise, the tedious process of finding an agent who is willing to take the time to shop an unknown author’s work can be very time consuming and the chances of finding a reputable one are relatively slim.
If by chance the work is finally accepted, the author will discover that the publisher usually retains the rights, and the author has very little, if any, control over the design, the content, and promotional strategies. There is not even any guarantee that the book will even see the light of day. The enthusiasm fades along with the dream of literary notoriety.
While many young or new authors may be brilliant storytellers, many are not English majors. Even works by some of the greatest authors must be proofread and edited. Experts must be employed and sufficiently compensated for their skills to correct spelling and grammatical errors, redundancies, examine structure and flow, and other elements that make the book readable, and more importantly, credible.
The internet is probably the most widely used form of media today. Newspapers, once the primary media used for the dissemination of information, are being reduced to vehicles to distribute store coupons and to promote holiday sales. Most people are now getting their news online. The vinyl LP was replaced by the CD, and now one does not need to own such cumbersome items. They can simply download their favorite music from online sources such as Limewire and ITunes. Books may be facing the same fate.
Consequently, major publishers are rejecting increasing numbers of potentially brilliant authors in favor of the more established authors. Thankfully, the internet has come to the rescue. For the artisan who is not concerned with the financial reward of a bestselling title, blogging is an option. One can write whatever and as much as one wishes on sites like MySpace and Blogger.com. For the aspiring author who wishes to see their work in print, bound, and in a bookstore window, the options are too numerous to comprehend in one online session. It is overwhelming.
There are many ‘Uncle Jakes’ online who promise publishing for every budget. Many genuinely serve the author’s needs and make it possible for them to retain the rights to their work and receive the lion’s share of the royalties. Very few actually ‘deliver the goods’. The frauds are as abundant as the legitimate companies are, and filtering through each of them can be as time-consuming as pursuing the elusive literary agent.
This should not stop the budding author from documenting their observations of the alien family next door and selling the story. Careful research, reputable referrals, and good judgment can spare the next Bradbury years of rejection and frustration. Shop wisely and keep writing. And by all means get published.
A Friend’s Thoughts on How to Get Published
Posted by: | CommentsAt first glance, this article may not seem like it is about “how to get published “. Soon you will realize that it is about being published, although probably more about life. I was the kid who sat in the back of the room, right next to the exit door, my textbook propped up in front of me in an attempt to hide what I was doing. I was always doing something other than the assignment. I was working on my latest masterpiece – a poem, a song, a play, or a short story. One day I will write symphonies, movies, novels, and yes, publish a book! Sometimes I would be caught by the teacher who would confiscate my masterpiece, crumple it up, throw it in the garbage, and send a note to my parents who would then punish me by making me stay in my room. That was fine with me since I always had plenty to do in there. I had comics, books, a radio, a record player, a little TV, paper, pencils, toys and a very active imagination.
Although I have never published a book, I have been published in my college’s newspaper and literary magazines. I won two awards – one for a humor column and one for a crummy poem that I had put virtually no effort into. My psychology, philosophy, and creative writing classes in particular had required me to write in the first person. My observations, opinions, and memoirs earned me high marks on my assignments, and I had become quite adept at applying a humorous tone to even the most tragic of my life’s experiences. I had found my inner writer, and when I began working as an english tutor and writing coach at the college, I became passionate about trying to help other students to find theirs.
When my academic career came to an abrupt end, I feared that I would never write another word. I had no deadlines and no grade that I was trying to earn. I asked myself, ‘What is the point?’ However, I had become addicted to writing, and I missed the routine of sitting in front of the computer for an actual purpose other than deleting my spam and checking to see if I had any interesting new friends on any of my seventeen MySpace pages. More on social networks later. I gathered all of my essays and assignments from my Gordon Rule classes and all of my work that had been published in the school’s publications, gathered them into a folder on my flash drive, and named it “Material for My Book.” I now had plenty of time on my hands for personal creative projects, so I began to set about trying to finish some neglected musical projects and possibly assembling this collection by this inspired unknown writer into a book.
There are perhaps many schools of thought regarding the process of beginning the production of a book from its conception to its development, revision, final editing, submission, publication, and marketing. There is a method to every kind of madness. I am not a subscriber to any ‘school of thought.’ I am simply one who writes. I save everything, and there is certainly a method to my own madness.
In any industry, there are certain protocols that one must follow if one wishes to succeed. There are those who write as a profession. There are also those who write simply for the passion and the sheer artistry of it. The latter, which is the category into which many others and I are most appropriately and most unfortunately positioned, is known as the tortured soul/starving artist.
In an article entitled “So You Wanna Publish a Book”, the first area of focus is not on the writing of the book, but on the writing of a proposal followed by the process of acquiring an agent. This article provides a brief overview of the standard procedure toward becoming if not a best-selling author, at least one whose work is recognized and published.
My idealism hinders me from realizing the logic of such a method. In my idealist mind, this may be more suited to an established author, perhaps a professor, or an expert in a particular field or genre. The realist in me regards this information as a valuable device, which when applied, can possibly aid in the transcendence from the state of tortured soul/starving artist to published author. Maybe researching what others have done to get published is the best first step.
3 Ways to Get a Book Published
Posted by: | CommentsSome kids dream of growing up to be firemen, some dream of becoming nurses and doctors, while others dream of being authors. However, becoming a published author can take time and patience. It can be a challenge for a new author to break into print with a reputable commercial publisher. Don’t get discouraged and remember that to get a book published can take time. Keep in mind that there are three main ways to get a book published.
The first way, and recommended way to get a book published is to keep sending manuscripts to agents and publishers. Send them one after the other, none stop. Don’t harass the agents and publishers with phone calls, this will push them away. Rather be patient and while mailing manuscripts, work on writing another book. Remember that the manuscript must be written well, be original, have a logical plot and believable characters. If it is missing one of these essential elements, join a writers group to help improve. Research the publisher before sending manuscripts. If the publishing company publishes mostly romance and the manuscript is science fiction, the chances of getting published by that company are slim to none.
When a manuscript is received by the publisher, it going into a big pile along with other submitted manuscripts. If in fact the publisher does accept unsolicited manuscripts, it is the job of a junior editor to scan the first page of the pile of submissions. If the writing isn’t up to par, it’s sent back. If the writing copies characters from a TV show or movie, it’s sent back. The first pages of the manuscript must influence the junior editor to move the manuscript to the small pile ment for the higher ups to read. For every hundred manuscripts sent to a publisher, usually only about two or three reach the small pile.
There are really no shortcuts when it comes to getting published. However, a second way to get published is to become famous. Another way to get published, is to self-publish. This way the author has to pay out of their own money to have the book published. Before self-publishing, spend the extra money to pay an editor to evaluate the manuscript. If all else fails, be patient and keep writing!
And in my opinion, there really is another way, which is what I am using, is learn from someone who knows and who inspires you. We can never get published if we don’t stay with it and for me, I don’t stay with anything, unless I am inspired and motivated.
