Get Your Book Published!!
Have you finished writing your dream book and are hoping to get it published? Right here is all the help you may
need in the process. To be able to experience the transition from being a writer to an author, one must respond to a complete knowledge regarding the world of publishing as a fundamental requirement. While good writing and a unique take to literature are extremely valuable qualities, an understanding of the logistical technicalities of publishing is an essential part of the author’s journey. One must always keep in mind that just like the process of building a book is gradual, finding that book its most suitable path to an audience is also a steady one. Options available to authors in the publishing world are now more than ever, however, it is imperative for one to always do their background research and find what suits their book’s needs best. In this guide, you’ll find the information you need to locate exactly where to start your individual and unique journey to become the published author you have always hoped to be.
1. Edit and Re-edit
One must always keep in mind that fresh eyes are the greatest gift to a manuscript, whether those of someone else or one’s own. While a book may seem seamless to the writer, they are bound to find discontinuities and errors, 2 weeks later. For a good edit, therefore, you must put your writing aside for 2-3 weeks before picking it up again to be able to find newer perspectives and the mistakes that were once lost in incessant reading and re-reading. Editing is never a one time process and needs to be done atleast 2-3 times by the author themselves before handing themanuscript over to an agency or publishing house. Now, you must be wondering as to where one must start these edits. Always begin your process with the big-picture elements, such as your characters, plot and larger themes. Make sure the visuals of your writing are cohesive and well-rounded; fill up any loop-holes you may find. From there, move to line edits where you can focus on the technicalities of grammar along with individual scenes. Always make sure to ask for feedback from the people who surround you and can resonate with your writing atleast as much as you do and proofread your manuscript at the end for any discrepancies that were missed. You might be shocked at how much the human eye can miss!
2. Which Publishing Style
Suits Your Book Best? Irrespective of the kind of book you may be writing, any and all options of publishing are available to you. Whether you want for it to be self-published, traditional or in a hybrid format, the choice is all yours. The only thing you need to keep in mind is to have the complete knowledge regarding the world you are stepping into. Here, we will be providing you with an overview of traditional, self, and hybrid publishing that will help you decide upon the final building blocks to you becoming a published author.
Traditional book publishing entails the publisher providing the author with a contract and further printing, publishing and selling the book through booksellers as well a other retailers. That is, the publisher in it’s essene, buys the book and the author receives royalties from the sales. On the other hand, self-publishing is a process wherein the authors invest their own money to produce, market, distribute, and warehouse the book with complete autonomy along with all rights to their book, receive 100 per cent of the profits. While it may be a mammoth time and monetary commitment, it can also potentially reap excellent benefits. Lastly, hybrid publishing is a newer model that stands between traditional and self styles of publishing wherein the author receives help from publishing houses somewhat similar to traditional publishing, with greater royalties and autonomy over the book
3. How Much Help Is Too Much Help?
After spending months and often, even years working on a manuscript so closely, criticism and involvement of anyone other than yourself may always be scary. However, one must remember that any and all help is not just welcome but necessary for a well-rounded book. While most may think that close friends and family, and publishing houses may be the end of where an author can receive help, there is a lot more to the process. Literary agents represent agencies and, therefore, writers and their works to various publishers, theatrical producers, film produers, and film studios and further assist in sales and deal negotiation. They mostly work with and represent novelists, screenwriters, amd non-fiction writers. Numerous publishing houses often specifically depend on agents for their cohesive and selected collection of manuscripts for a filtered set. This process ensures manuscripts to reach their preferred kind of publishing house, which works for both parties. Agents further are able to provide informed feedback and hence, help improve the manuscript. They may also help in the editing and proof-reading process in affiliation with the author themselves. With a quality understanding and knowledge of the market and what a ‘quality book’ must look like, agents are able to legitimize manuscripts according to the same. Therefore, essentially literary agents work hand in hand with the author and help reduce the overwhelming stress that accompanies most first-time authors. Most literary agents accept commissions before or after the book reaches a publisher. Many authors struggle with how one must even approach an agent in the first place. Publishing houses often list agencies that they work with and thus, if you know who you hope to work with, you automatically know which agent to contact. There are also numerous independent literary agents you can contact just through a simple Google search. Remember to always contact a potential agent with a proposal as well as a synopsis of the book along with a few sample chapters. Add a brief biography about yourself and your marketing plan. Remember to check out the kind of books the agency or agent have gotten published in the past as well as the publishers that they are working with. Do all that you can for a complete background check and take one step at a time!