Things to consider before having your book published
As with many in creative fields, we are only really equipped with the process of writing our manuscripts. Yet, in order to get our books on the shelves, a certain level of publishing and marketing knowledge is required. Here are a few tips for getting your book published (once it’s finally complete).
Ensure that your book feels complete to you. Have you thoroughly and efficiently edited and checked your manuscript until you’re blue in the face? And if not, have you hired a sub-editor or proof-reader to do this for you? Your book needs to be the best you can possibly make it before you even consider sending it to the publishers. Most writers feel hesitant about sending their book into the world for everyone to read. You’ve taken on this private journey of characters and plots and now you need to share these intimate moments with agents, publishers and readers alike. Use this hesitancy to fuel the vigorous editing of your book. And only send it off once you’re completely satisfied with the final manuscript.
It is highly likely that your book will not be accepted by the first publisher you send it to. And so it is important that you accept multiple rejections of your book as just a part of the process of one day being a published author. Expect this, but do not let it hinder your progress and derail your dreams. If your book is good enough, someone somewhere will be willing to publish it. What you’ll need to have is a high level of patience and faith in your work. You may also want to take notes from each rejection so as to promptly make improvements to your book as you go along. This allows the process not to be just a line of set-backs, but an opportunity to learn and better your manuscript.
Traditional Publishing
In traditional publishing, the publisher handles all aspects of publishing the book – the printing, distribution, marketing and promotion, etc. This means that there will be no expense to you, the author, although the publisher does profit on a percentage of the money your book makes. Essentially, the publisher buys the right to publish your book, and many view this as an honour for the author, especially when a huge publisher such as Penguin Books believes in your work. If you’re planning on publishing your book traditionally, you’ll want to find an agent. For non-fiction books, you will need to submit a book proposal that consists of three sample chapters as well as a synopsis of each of the other chapters. If your book is a fiction book, your manuscript needs to be 100 percent complete.
Query letter
Once your book proposals or manuscripts are complete, you now need to write a query letter – and this will be the factor which attracts agents. Query letters are usually one page long, and they are essentially what sells your book to agents and publishers. It’s a means of introducing yourself and your work, and if you want to be noticed, you’ll need to write an excellent query letter that stands out from the mass of submissions that agents and publishers already receive. To write a query letter, it’s important that you do your homework – address your letter specifically instead of using a generic opening.
Next, you’ll need to include the most important aspect of your query letter. For non-fiction books, this would be the subject matter. For fiction books, this would be the characters and the plot. Focus on your characters – the protagonist and the antagonist mainly – but do not give away the ending. Your query letter should tease the taste buds of the agent and make them desperate to know how the story evolves. Also include a small biography of yourself as well as your expertise and experience in the writing world.
Self-publishing
When it comes to self-publishing, the majority of marketing and selling your book lies with you, the author. This may be a lot to take on, and you will have to pay for all the necessary expenses; however all profits go directly to you and you hold all the rights of the book and make all decisions concerning it. In order to self-publish a book, a platform or provider is necessary to move forward. These platforms can provide you with publishing packages to choose from – you can select the package that best suits your needs and the nature of your book. These packages will include the editing, marketing and design of your final book, although you will still need to pay for these expenses yourself.
A very important aspect of self-publishing is the marketing of your book – and this you will have to do all by yourself since you’ve not been signed by a publishing company who is willing to do it for you. It’s all good and well to have written a fabulous book with a wonderful design, but be sure that people know about the book you have written. Place it strategically in retail and book stores – be it online or physical – and market you book well with social media and any other platforms you have access to.
As you can see, there is a considerable amount of options for how you’d like to publish your book. If you’re just planning on publishing a memoir or family novel, it would make sense for you to print each book individually through a printing company as you won’t have a large audience. Writers with an already substantial following and platform to market their books may opt for the traditional means of publishing. And if you consider yourself a hobbyist whose dream is just to be titled as a published author, self-publishing would be your best bet. Of course, you will ultimately need to pick the one that makes the best financial and common sense to you.
As with many in creative fields, we are only really equipped with the process of writing our manuscripts. Yet, in order to get our books on the shelves, a certain level of publishing and marketing knowledge is required. Here are a few tips for getting your book published (once it’s finally complete).
Ensure that your book feels complete to you. Have you thoroughly and efficiently edited and checked your manuscript until you’re blue in the face? And if not, have you hired a sub-editor or proof-reader to do this for you? Your book needs to be the best you can possibly make it before you even consider sending it to the publishers. Most writers feel hesitant about sending their book into the world for everyone to read. You’ve taken on this private journey of characters and plots and now you need to share these intimate moments with agents, publishers and readers alike. Use this hesitancy to fuel the vigorous editing of your book. And only send it off once you’re completely satisfied with the final manuscript.
It is highly likely that your book will not be accepted by the first publisher you send it to. And so it is important that you accept multiple rejections of your book as just a part of the process of one day being a published author. Expect this, but do not let it hinder your progress and derail your dreams. If your book is good enough, someone somewhere will be willing to publish it. What you’ll need to have is a high level of patience and faith in your work. You may also want to take notes from each rejection so as to promptly make improvements to your book as you go along. This allows the process not to be just a line of set-backs, but an opportunity to learn and better your manuscript.
Traditional Publishing
In traditional publishing, the publisher handles all aspects of publishing the book – the printing, distribution, marketing and promotion, etc. This means that there will be no expense to you, the author, although the publisher does profit on a percentage of the money your book makes. Essentially, the publisher buys the right to publish your book, and many view this as an honour for the author, especially when a huge publisher such as Penguin Books believes in your work. If you’re planning on publishing your book traditionally, you’ll want to find an agent. For non-fiction books, you will need to submit a book proposal that consists of three sample chapters as well as a synopsis of each of the other chapters. If your book is a fiction book, your manuscript needs to be 100 percent complete.
Query letter
Once your book proposals or manuscripts are complete, you now need to write a query letter – and this will be the factor which attracts agents. Query letters are usually one page long, and they are essentially what sells your book to agents and publishers. It’s a means of introducing yourself and your work, and if you want to be noticed, you’ll need to write an excellent query letter that stands out from the mass of submissions that agents and publishers already receive. To write a query letter, it’s important that you do your homework – address your letter specifically instead of using a generic opening.
Next, you’ll need to include the most important aspect of your query letter. For non-fiction books, this would be the subject matter. For fiction books, this would be the characters and the plot. Focus on your characters – the protagonist and the antagonist mainly – but do not give away the ending. Your query letter should tease the taste buds of the agent and make them desperate to know how the story evolves. Also include a small biography of yourself as well as your expertise and experience in the writing world.
Self-publishing
When it comes to self-publishing, the majority of marketing and selling your book lies with you, the author. This may be a lot to take on, and you will have to pay for all the necessary expenses; however all profits go directly to you and you hold all the rights of the book and make all decisions concerning it. In order to self-publish a book, a platform or provider is necessary to move forward. These platforms can provide you with publishing packages to choose from – you can select the package that best suits your needs and the nature of your book. These packages will include the editing, marketing and design of your final book, although you will still need to pay for these expenses yourself.
A very important aspect of self-publishing is the marketing of your book – and this you will have to do all by yourself since you’ve not been signed by a publishing company who is willing to do it for you. It’s all good and well to have written a fabulous book with a wonderful design, but be sure that people know about the book you have written. Place it strategically in retail and book stores – be it online or physical – and market you book well with social media and any other platforms you have access to.
As you can see, there is a considerable amount of options for how you’d like to publish your book. If you’re just planning on publishing a memoir or family novel, it would make sense for you to print each book individually through a printing company as you won’t have a large audience. Writers with an already substantial following and platform to market their books may opt for the traditional means of publishing. And if you consider yourself a hobbyist whose dream is just to be titled as a published author, self-publishing would be your best bet. Of course, you will ultimately need to pick the one that makes the best financial and common sense to you.