I am fourteen years old, and I am inquiring on what exactly needs to take place to get my manuscript published. Yes I have done research, but I am hoping to be able to understand it a little better here. I understand there is rejection involved, and I am up to it.
What steps must I take to be able to be published? What people/services will be involved?
Thanks so much in advance for all people who answer this! Revise your manuscript. Most authors do three or four revisions before taking the next step. The author James A. Michener once said "I'm not a great writer, but I'm a great rewriter."
Then you need to hire a professional independent editor that specializes in *your* genre. Not only will they give you invaluable information to make your manuscript better, but they will be able to give you great insight about the publishing world. An editor is an investment. They will cost you around $5 per 250 words. They are totally worth it in the long run. Friends and family members are not substitute for a /real/ editor. Remember, editors don't just fix your grammar, they help you improve the overall story. Many people believe that they don't need an editor because they or somebody they know are great at editing. There are, however, many ways of writing that are technically/mechanically correct, but NOT okay when it comes to writing a novel. Using the passive voice or "telling" instead of "showing" will /greatly/ increase your chances of being rejected. Agents and publishers consider these, and many other rules of writing, elementary. Editors know what agents and publishers are looking for and they know how to help you in a way that will increase your chances of landing a good agent - which is the next step.
Once you have a revised and edited manuscript ready to go you will begin to query agents. A copy of "Writers Market" is a must at this stage. It contains information on publishing in general and lists agents and publishers across the country. Locate agents or publishers that specialize in /your/ genre. If you send a fantasy manuscript to somebody that doesn't deal with fantasy they're just going toss your manuscript and you might not even realize that they passed on you until weeks or months later.
Keep in mind that the top tier publishing houses /only/ work with agents. Some smaller publishing companies will work directly with an author, however you are better off with an agent. They know the details that can make all the difference in the world. Here's a link for the "Writers Market:"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582974...
Do /not/ query agents or publishers based on geographic location. There's mail, email, fax and phone at your service whenever you need it. It's hard enough landing an agent or publisher without narrowing your search to your hometown or home state. You won't need to meet the agent or publisher in person because you are going to make sure that they are legit /before/ you send them /anything/. I'll explain more about that in a minute.
After you've sought out and researched the legitimacy of potential agents, you are going to find out what their submission guidelines are and then you are going to send them a query letter and possibly a synopsis, depending on their guidelines.
A query letter is your lead-in to a synopsis. In the query letter you are selling yourself as a writer. The synopsis is where you sell the story by giving a brief yet detailed summary.
Every agent/publisher has submission guidelines that they expect you to follow EXACTLY when it comes to format and length. They might say that they want a one page query and a one page synopsis. Remember that you should not hold anything back in the synopsis - they want to know the twists and ending. Some agents may only want a query and no synopsis. Their submission guidelines will be clear about what they want. NEVER give them any more or less than they ask for.
The query "phase" is their opportunity to weed out the lemons, whether it be for bad ideas or for not following their submission guidelines. They figure that if you can't submit a proper query letter then you probably can't write a decent, sell-able book. Remember, they receive thousands of submissions per year. They don't have time to deal with so-so queries and manuscripts. They are looking for as close to perfect as possible. That's why it is important to hire an editor /first/.
If an agent or publisher is interested they will request part or all of your manuscript. Again, they have VERY specific guidelines about manuscript submissions as well. You will make the appropriate format modifications and will then send it to them by mail or email or whatever they request. If the submission guidelines are unclear or unknown use the industry standard. You can see the very basic specifics at this link: http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2007...
When sending manuscripts through the mail do not use fancy packaging, custom stationary, use overnight certified mail or anything like that. Doing these things will brand you as an amateur. Just use snail mail, regular packaging, regular paper and regular postage. If they like your manuscript then they like it. There's nothing that you can do aside from your query, synopsis or manuscript to stand out in their eyes. Here's a couple of links to help you write a query letter:
http://nicholassparks.com/WritersCorner/...
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/query.htm
http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2006...
http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2007...
http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/sear...
Also, do NOT copyright - or place a little (c) on - your work before you send it to any agents or publishers. Some people are nervous about doing this but the truth is that *legitimate* agents and publishers have no interest in stealing your work. It actually annoys them and, again, brands you as an amateur. I like how Maryn Bittner (another Books & Authors Yahooer) once put it: "[If you copyright your manuscript] apply chip directly to shoulder of agent/publisher, move manuscript toward the reject pile." It's sad, but true.
Don't worry about publishing credits. They are always helpful, but not necessary. Good writing trumps all. Literary Agent Nathan Bransford talks about it here: http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2008... Your age isn't an issue either. Minors should always be up front about their age. Your writing is all that matters.
It is EXTREMELY important to research any editor, agent or publisher that you work with. There are a ton of shady and unprofessional people in the publishing business. Always check them out at:
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
Also, be sure to find out what books they have edited, sold or published /before/ you get involved with them. If they have never sold anything of significance before there is no reason to believe that you will be their first success.
These two links (above) will help you learn of the legitimacy/reputation of editors, agents and publishers. Remember as a rule of thumb that you should NEVER pay agents or publishers (with the exception of some administrative costs such as copies, stamps, long distance phone calls, etc.). They get paid from the profits of the book. The editor that you hire before you query agents will cost you money, but it is an investment. Only pay editors that you contracted /yourself/. Do NOT pay "editors" that work for the agent. They're just trying to get money out of you. And don't buy into agents reasonings behind "reading fees." Paying an agent to read your work when you don't even know if it is going to be published is a /waste/ of money - especially when you may have to try several different agents. The reading fees would be in the thousands in no time. DON'T do it. Read #8 of the Canon of Ethics of The Association of Authors' Representatives: http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do?sit...
Some of the best advice I can give you is to STAY AWAY from self-publishing. Self-published authors have the worst sales of /all/ authors. Some self-publishers pay $1 (yes, one dollar) royalties so that they can claim to be a traditional publisher. If anybody tells you otherwise it is because they are a self-publisher or a self-published author. ALWAYS check the legitimacy of ANYBODY you work with at Preditors & Editors and Absolute Write Water Cooler (links given above).
I HIGHLY recommend purchasing "On Writing" by Stephen King. There is a wealth of valuable information in there. I also recommend "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk & E.B. White for the mechanical side of writing. I also HIGHLY recommend reading professional literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog. He gives tons of insight about the publishing world and he manages to do it with humor. Go to his blog page and scroll down and select the earliest blog from the right hand column under "blog archive" and work your way to the present: http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/ You can also go to Absolute Write and scroll down to "Ask the Agent" or "Ask the Editor" to read about all kinds of great answers from professionals: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
Follow this advice and you will increase your chances of being published. Try to take a shortcut and you will /seriously/ decrease your chances. /Becoming/ a traditionally published author is an art in itself. Don't short change yourself and your manuscript by rushing things.
Haste makes waste. If you act in haste your manuscript will end up in the waste.
EDIT: In response to the poster below me: if an editor from a publishing house is considering your work then you have already surpassed many obstacles that most writers don't surpass. The whole point of hiring an independent professional editor is SO THAT YOUR MANUSCRIPT WILL BE ACCEPTED BY AN AGENT IN THE FIRST PLACE. |
