Writing Mastery

I am writing a book and curious as to how you get a book published?

First you need to finish the book and edit it (repeatedly). I recommend that, once you finish, you put it away for a month without looking at it. Then go back and reread it, and begin to edit and rewrite. That extra time will give you more perspective and a fresh look on what you wrote.

There are two types of publishing: Tradition and Self-Publishing. You will first need to decide which of these methods you want to pursue. Each has advantages and disadvantages that need to be researched. For instance, traditional publishing can be a very long road, littered with MANY rejections. Self-publishing will guarantee you a printed copy of your book, however you will not see it in a brick-and-mortar bookstore.

http://www.lulu.com is, in my opinion, the best self-publisher around. You can set up your book on their website, for free, and they will print copies as they are purchased. They do not edit your book, so you will need to take care of that on your own. This will also NOT get your book in a traditional bookstore, although you can purchase a very affordable package that would allow sale of your book through online bookstores like Amazon.

"Writer’s Market", along with "The Guide to Literary Agents" are my two suggestions for diving into the traditional publishing market. I suggest looking for an agent first because they are the best step through the publishing door. You will create a submission package that matches the agents preferences (some, for instance, just want a query letter and synopsis in your first contact with them while others want more). Once you find an agent that is willing to represent you, they will market your book to publishers. Remember, in traditional publishing you should not be paying for anything! They get paid when you get paid!

Also keep in mind that this can be a long process. You will probably not get a lot of positive responses right away, and the rejection can be disheartening. But keep it up and you will find a home for your story!

The publisher you’ll use does not have to be located in the same state you live in (in fact, most authors do not live near theirs). So don’t let distance be a worry!

You do not need to copyright your book before you query agents. The publisher who prints your story will take care of the official paperwork, but the copyright is already yours the moment you put the words on the page. Don’t waste your time or money copyrighting something which you will most likely have to edit and rewrite repeatedly after you get an agent and publisher.

Here are four websites that can help. Read them thoroughly (especially Miss Snark– love her!) and research, research, research! These can help you determine if the agent is legit or not:

http://misssnark.blogspot.com/

http://www.agentquery.com/

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

http://www.publishersmarketplace.com

And don’t think about taking an agent from this list, they are SCAMS:

http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.html

Good luck, and happy writing!

Tags: how to get a book published by admin
5 Comments »

How do I find out the guidelines and/or laws which need to be followed when writing a book which contains the thoughts and opinions of others? For example. Someone who writes a book called "100 Keys To Happiness" and gets thoughts from 100 different people. Do they all need to sign release forms if they just give a simple answer like "Sally from NY Loves to Swim twice a week" ? Thanks

I know of no laws or guidelines, but I’ve been asked this question a lot lately. If it makes you feel better, get each person to sign a consent form to allow you to use their statements. Writers don’t usually obtain such documents when they interview someone for an article.

If you sell the book to a publisher, you might be asked to identify the people quoted for fact verification, so keep good records.

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I am going to attempt to write my first novel (historical fiction). Are there any really, really good books to help out with this besides the one by Strunk and White?

I have a pretty good idea of what the novel should be like, storywise and all, but should I do the historical research first (not really a problem because I have a bachelor’s degree in history) or do the outline first? How long does it take to work on an outline for a novel?

Thanks for any help and suggestions.

There is such an ambiguity among authors on what writing "should be", but of all the books written on the "how-to" of writing, Stephen King knew EXACTLY what he was talking about. He knows of the "bullshit" (as he puts it) surrounding these books that try to tell you how to write. He exposes the crap which authors try to sell in their "how to write" books. He is very upfront and personal, and it is an excellent read.

The title is "ON WRITING." It is the only book I found to be in the least bit helpful when I began to write.

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I want to become a future journalist, and I was looking at a few schools. If you could include a link to the school website, it would be helpful as well

If you are interested in a career as a journalist you need both good writing and good research skills. I wouldn’t look at just writing programs but a social science discipline that interests you a good school will teach you both good writing and good research. Think about a degree in Political Science for instance. When I got my undergrad degree, in Sociology, many of the classes I took required a 20 page research paper. I learned writing and research.

You can also write for the school newspaper when you are in school so you can put together a portfolio of your clippings. This will help you land a job after you graduate.

As for schools consider any of the members of the American Association of Universities http://aau.edu/ these are the tops schools in the country.

Here is one list of "best" college newspapers

http://www.campusgrotto.com/best-college-news-sites.html

I think the Princeton Review also ranks college newspapers.

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also if this is something I really like doing is there a real carreer in that area? what do I major in when I am in college?

Choose a topic that is interesting to you. If your heart isn’t in the subject, you may have a difficult time researching for your book and (if writing fiction) your characters won’t be as realistic as they would be if you aren’t excited about the topic. For example, if you are interested in surfing and want to write a book about a group of surfers who want to be in the olympics, this would be good because you have a vested interest in the topic.

Often it is difficult to be a full-time free-lance author straight out of college. Many successful writers have day jobs in publishing, teaching and other industries that all them to pay bills while working on their novels and actively seeking agents and publishers on the side.

Major in whatever interests you. You could minor in creative writing or at least take a few classes in that subject, just to practice your craft.

Hope this helps.

Tags: how to write a book by admin
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What are the details and steps towards getting a book published?
What are some good small publishers to go through?
What about getting a story copy written?

First, buy a copy of "Writer’s Market" to learn about the publishing process as well as to discover which publishing companies might be interested in the genre of your proposed book. You will find the small publishers listed there, too. You are advised not to register your manuscript with the Library of Congress as future confusion may result if it is accepted for publication; what you write is automatically copyrighted as you write it. You will most probably require a literary agent to represent your manuscript in the attempt to sell it to a publisher as most will only work through agents rather than with the author; names of literary agents and the genres which they represent will also be available in "Writer’s Market". Be aware, though, that, unless you self-publish at your own expense (which results are scorned by the legitimate publishing community), it may be very very difficult for you to find a publisher willing to pay you for your manuscript if you are unknown and previously unpublished. Those companies are in business to make money so are reluctant to invest in an unknown quantity; far too often the fate of a the first-time writer is rejection. However, you may be truly talented and have written a unique and compelling manuscript, so do make the attempt to find a publisher. Good luck!

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