Writing Mastery

4 Responses to “I wrote a book and i want to get it published. I don’t want to do it on lulu and have no agent. Any help?”

1. Steve // Oct 29, 2009 at 2:14 am

   Get an agent. It’s next to impossible to get a deal with a major publisher if you don’t have one. Run away from any agent who tries to charge you money up-front, regardless of how they try to sugar-coat it. Reputable agents earn their money by taking a percentage of your income from writing as a commission, so if they don’t sell your book to a publisher, they don’t earn anything from you. This means they won’t take you on as a client unless they’re confident that they can sell your book.

   Actually, before you think about getting an agent, make sure your book is as good as you can make it. Agents expect high standards from new writers, and will reject any book that’s below par. The best thing to do is to join a critique group. It may take you a few attempts to find one that’s a good match. Look for one with at least one member who’s a better writer than you, so you can learn from them.

   EDIT: Compare my answer with cathrl69’s, and you see a perfect example of how a critique group will help you improve your book If my answer is like the first draft, hers is what that first draft would become after your critique group persuaded you to do several rounds of editing.
   References :

2. cathrl69 // Oct 29, 2009 at 2:33 am

   Join a critique site, get it critiqued, rewrite it, edit it, proofread it and then look for an agent.
   References :

3. miese_99 // Oct 29, 2009 at 2:57 am

   You dont necessarily need an agent, although they can help pull some strings with your book. You can send your book to a publisher and WAIT. If you really prefer getting an agent but find yourself having a hard time, you might want to self-publish.

   For more information on publishing a book:
   http://selfpublishingjourney.wordpress.com/
   References :
   Your FREE book publishing guide:
   http://www2.xlibris.com/requestkit/index.asp?src=aop&key=qag

4. Gianna // Oct 29, 2009 at 3:08 am

   Miese is right. Traditional publishers just don’t know a good thing when they see one. Not all traditional publishers actually made the BEST decision when it comes to choosing books. Do you know that several best selling authors have been turned down by publishers? Stephen King, author of Gone with The Wind and Chicken Soup have been rejected by publishers and were not even given the second glance.

   Perhaps if you collected all those information before you get to decide, it might help.
   References :