How Do You Get Your Book Published?

Greetings, ATS!

I know we have a lot of published and unpublished authors on our site, and I’m sure quite a few frequent the short story section from time to time. Therefore, I would like to pick ATS’s collective brain on publishing children’s books.

I have no interest in vanity publishing. I do have completed manuscripts, but in my search for a publisher most companies do not accept unsolicited materials. Has anyone successfully circumvented this roadblock, and if so, would you mind sharing some tips with a rookie?

Looking forward to any and all advice! Much appreciated!

smylee

reply to post by smyleegrl


Try these:

Publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts

My sister told me Boyd-Mills was interested in a children's book she wrote. I haven't heard anything from her lately--but apparently they do respond....

Plenty accept material from nobody's. But you need to have a decent query letter and expect it to end up on slush pile with 50 other manuscripts.

You can instead find an agent who will be as useful as hitting your face into the wall. The best thing if you are serious about it, is to start making query letters and search out publishers that are openly accepting materials for review. (Also like hitting your face into the wall.)

There are plenty of writing magazines that will point you in the right direction.

As well as online sites dedicated to writers and their goals.

Cheers.

reply to post by smyleegrl


I'd go with the agent. A good agent acts as a good go-between, but be prepared for about a million no's and to be crushed by the industry, it is that cut throat.

The other thing I did was join up with writing groups. Many of the people know of or have published works and ways in the door not considered. But it is very tough to break in. Start small, opinion pieces and short story submissions. You get noticed as you get into it more, and with a lot of luck you'll eventually get in the door.

Same way you get a job. Know somebody.

I worked at a publishing house. Very few manuscripts were ever read.

Start a website/blog. Build a following.

reply to post by smyleegrl
I have an agent.

U2U me the details and I can introduce you.

It is a great deal harder to get published than it used to be.

Back before the nineties, it was difficult to write a book. You needed a typewriter, a dictionary, a thesaurus and constant trips to your public library for research. You probably hand wrote your drafts! Then you had to type them with minimal mistakes with as many carbon copies as you could get away with. It was hard work!

Publishers could deal with the influx of manuscripts, it was manageable.

Now of course we have the computer age. Spell check, grammar check, on line information on any subject and it is easy as to continually edit and track changes. Everybody is a critic and everybody thinks it is easy. Write a book, finish it in a couple of weeks and send it off!

Publishers cannot possibly keep up with the influx and the best stories, the future best sellers are buried in a sea of literacy garbage.

The Industry is changing but it has not yet met the new challenge. I am not sure it ever can. If you are on some of the writing forums you will quickly get a handle on the problems.

It helps to either know someone or to get an introduction. The hardest part is to get someone to actually take the time to read your work.

P

Do not get disheartened.


The Harry Potter series was rejected about a dozen times before a publisher stepped up to the plate.

It was a similar story with the Beatles all those years ago.

Keep trying! Never give up.

P

If you wanna set your book out on a template and create a cover to see how it looks in the flesh and have it printed, then try Lulu.com. You can also get your book done as an ebook on both Barnes and Noble and Amazon and it didn't cost me anything. It's worth doing to make a bit of money from your book while waiting for a proper publisher to come along...........

www.lulu.com...~sem_ggl_lulu_brand_uk&s_kwcid=TC|1027418|lulu||S|e|12650611341&gclid=CN2G2dDvmLECFRIjfAodsDMLeQ

Here is my book....

www.lulu.com...;jsessionid=305D3DCC3AB42FAA7E74A1D40A6E525C

I recently did a writing course and it was explained that a good way to go was to use Amazon, get the story onto the web, get download figures then go find a publisher.

The download figures give a publisher some guide to possible sales.

The course leader had used this method, and he was very happy with the results so far. The small income being an incentive for further work.

Seems a sound plan, I just need to get beyond chapter 4 of 10! The research being more interesting than the actual authorship.

Good luck and keep at it, judging by the 2 for 7 pounds offer I saw (in a local supermarket) for the latest big seller, "40 shades of grey", e publishing has to be the way to go.