How to get my book published and on bookshelves?
I’ve recently self published a book with xlibris publishing, but i want to know how to go about finding a publisher and getting my book in stores instead of just available online.
here is my books website by xlibris:
http://www.achristiansoldiersjourney.com
Obey YOG’S LAW: "Money flows TOWARD the writer."
This means NEVER pay to get published or to enter contests or pay a fee-charging agent. NEVER. Obey Yog’s Law and you won’t get ripped off.
Go to a bookstore. Find books like yours. Look inside the front pages to get the publishers’ websites. Follow their submission guidelines to the letter.
Look up websites of writers with work similar to your own. See if they mention who reps for them. A short polite mail asking if they can recommend an agent is not out of place. Do not tell them about your book, that’s seen as poor manners.
Go to the 808 section of your library which has all the books on writing. They will help you steer clear of the rips.
Writer’s Market 2010 will be in the reference section. It lists all the commercial publishers and what they’re looking for.
This site is a SAFE writer’s board run by pros. It is free and they can help you stay clear of the sharks in the publishing pool.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
You don’t start shopping your book around until you’ve gotten solid feedback on it first. AW has a Share Your Work forum where other writers can give constructive crits.
Feedback, beta readers, polished, and re-polished, a book has to be the best you can make it before you send it out. I thought my first was ready, but two years of rejections and rewrites taught me better.
(It did sell, I landed a multi-book contract.)
But you can’t be in a hurry, or assume you’ll get paid a fortune. The Brenda Hiatt link below will give you a general idea about book advances. Always assume you will get the lowest number. You’ll be the newbie on the block. It takes time to work up to getting the real money.
STAY AWAY FROM PUBLISHAMERICA. They are the BIGGEST ripoff site of them all. They say they’re free and don’t want your money, but that is a LIE. You end up buying overpriced copies of your own book!
They will not put your book into a store–but lie and say that you are supposed to do that. Most writers submit their book, and whether it is good or horrible, it’s quickly "accepted," (they take everything!) and then you never hear from the poor writer again. Your rights are tied up for seven years!
Just google "publish America" + "scam" and find all the writers who got ripped off by them. They are what is called a "print mill." you don’t want anything to do with them. They ruin lives and careers.
If any publisher or agent advertises on Google, it will only lead to a scammer or a vanity house. A real publisher or agent doesn’t advertise!
Get Strunk and White’s ELEMENTS OF STYLE. All writers have that book and use it.
Again–the 808 books at the library will help you on all this!
Helpful sites for writers:
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubwarn.htm
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/
http://www.sfwa.org/category/craft-of-writing/
http://www.sfwa.org/category/business-of-writing/
http://www.vampwriter.com/FAQ-WRITING.htm
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://howpublishingreallyworks.blogspot.com/
http://www.brendahiatt.com/id2.html
And just because you’ve finished a book doesn’t mean it’s commercially viable. Pro writers finish a book and start writing another. It keeps your head from exploding while you’re waiting to hear back from agents and editors!
See you on Absolute Write! ;>)
find an agent. They’ll find your publisher for you and market your book.
that’s what i plan on doing =D
and congrats on finishing your book =D
References :
my 2nd personality
Most publishers won’t read self-published material. One of the reasons is due to the fact that the rights aren’t easily available for sale any longer. Many self-publishers have certain rights to the materials they publisher and a publisher may have to pay the self-publisher for those rights automatically costing them more to purchase your work than they might be willing to offer. One of the benefits for a publishing house is the right to distribute your work in order for them to make a profit.
In many cases the work isn’t well edited so that would be more money they have to invest in preparing the manuscript for re-distribution. Another problem is that your work is already available to the public. Why distribute something under their name that can already be purchased somewhere else?
- Is the book selling well? If so that is a point for you. You can at least prove to a publisher that there is a market for you work.
Write up a synopsis and query letter and send it out the publishers of your genre. If they are interested in your work they will let you know. Make sure you include the self-publishing information, this will make a difference to them.
References :
You have to sell it. No one will do it for you unless you’re already a successful author or a celeb. Plus most people only read a book that’s been recommended, so you have to get at least a thousand people who read your book, liked it, and are now recommending it. Sorry for the wake up call. Have you heard the stories of people selling books from their car trunk etc before they made it big? It’s that way for a reason. The competition is intense so you have to do everything you can think of to make sales.
By the way, I noticed your website and story and also have a character by the same name in my second novel, Jim’s Life. It’s a totally different perspective kind of story, but the character is also Christian Soldier. Maybe you should target areas of people with similar interests. Like church reading groups.
Good luck to you and keep going. Writing the book deserves congratulations, but selling it is just as much work until others start selling for you.
References :
This might help.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuTEEi53OqoT6Ot0k.lY_5Psy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090801051545AAdJjOu&show=7#profile-info-78169af28e2c441f6d1f1a141d493c3faa
References :
Self-published books hardly ever get noticed by bookstores because of its non-returnable element. That is a common problem self-published authors face. However, you can opt for a bookstore returnability program. This way, you can be sure your book gets some space in bookshelves at the same time assure booksellers that your book is returnable.
To learn more about bookstore returnability, check out this article:
http://marketyourbook.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/tap-your-books-market-potential-with-bookstore-returnability/
For more information on how to successfully market your self-published book:
http://marketyourbook.wordpress.com/
References :
Obey YOG’S LAW: "Money flows TOWARD the writer."
This means NEVER pay to get published or to enter contests or pay a fee-charging agent. NEVER. Obey Yog’s Law and you won’t get ripped off.
Go to a bookstore. Find books like yours. Look inside the front pages to get the publishers’ websites. Follow their submission guidelines to the letter.
Look up websites of writers with work similar to your own. See if they mention who reps for them. A short polite mail asking if they can recommend an agent is not out of place. Do not tell them about your book, that’s seen as poor manners.
Go to the 808 section of your library which has all the books on writing. They will help you steer clear of the rips.
Writer’s Market 2010 will be in the reference section. It lists all the commercial publishers and what they’re looking for.
This site is a SAFE writer’s board run by pros. It is free and they can help you stay clear of the sharks in the publishing pool.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
You don’t start shopping your book around until you’ve gotten solid feedback on it first. AW has a Share Your Work forum where other writers can give constructive crits.
Feedback, beta readers, polished, and re-polished, a book has to be the best you can make it before you send it out. I thought my first was ready, but two years of rejections and rewrites taught me better.
(It did sell, I landed a multi-book contract.)
But you can’t be in a hurry, or assume you’ll get paid a fortune. The Brenda Hiatt link below will give you a general idea about book advances. Always assume you will get the lowest number. You’ll be the newbie on the block. It takes time to work up to getting the real money.
STAY AWAY FROM PUBLISHAMERICA. They are the BIGGEST ripoff site of them all. They say they’re free and don’t want your money, but that is a LIE. You end up buying overpriced copies of your own book!
They will not put your book into a store–but lie and say that you are supposed to do that. Most writers submit their book, and whether it is good or horrible, it’s quickly "accepted," (they take everything!) and then you never hear from the poor writer again. Your rights are tied up for seven years!
Just google "publish America" + "scam" and find all the writers who got ripped off by them. They are what is called a "print mill." you don’t want anything to do with them. They ruin lives and careers.
If any publisher or agent advertises on Google, it will only lead to a scammer or a vanity house. A real publisher or agent doesn’t advertise!
Get Strunk and White’s ELEMENTS OF STYLE. All writers have that book and use it.
Again–the 808 books at the library will help you on all this!
Helpful sites for writers:
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubwarn.htm
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/
http://www.sfwa.org/category/craft-of-writing/
http://www.sfwa.org/category/business-of-writing/
http://www.vampwriter.com/FAQ-WRITING.htm
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://howpublishingreallyworks.blogspot.com/
http://www.brendahiatt.com/id2.html
And just because you’ve finished a book doesn’t mean it’s commercially viable. Pro writers finish a book and start writing another. It keeps your head from exploding while you’re waiting to hear back from agents and editors!
See you on Absolute Write! ;>)
References :