Since my first book was published, it seems like everywhere I turn I get asked about the "ins and outs" of getting published.   So I thought I'd put up this little page about my personal experiences in getting published, as well as all the other little details that most writers aren't prepared for when they start seeking out publishers.  Now, I am in no way an expert, and in fact I'm still learning a lot as I go along, but I'm happy to share what I know.  

First things first...have you written a book?  This may be a silly question, but there are authors who have written a few chapters and think they're ready to start writing to publishers.  Most publishers want to know that the manuscript is finished and ready to go if you've contacted them.  If they're interested, they won't want to wait for you to finish it.  Publishing is already a long enough process as it is.  

If your manuscript is already to go, proofread several times to have the minimal amount of mistakes, then you're ready to find a publisher!  In my experience, it paid off to be picky.  By this I mean I didn't look for a list of publishers and sent off ten copies of my manuscript.  To me, this seemed like throwing money into a well.  Knowing that more than 95% of authors get rejected, I felt like there would have to be a better and more cost effective way of getting published.  So I waited, which I felt I could afford to do since I was not yet an adult.  For me, waiting turned out to be the best thing I could've done.  For several years I waited without even an attempt to find a publisher.  I focused on writing, figuring I'd have a lot of manuscripts to gamble with when I could afford to send them to publishers.  By some stroke of luck, one day I was just online and I did a search for publishers, just to pass the time.  The first several sites were vanity publishers (self-publishing). In my opinion, self-publishing should always be a last resort and there are several reasons for this which I'm not going to get into.  From my standpoint, self-publishing was nowhere near my price range anyway, so it didn't matter if I wanted to go that direction or not.  As usual I was feeling discouraged, when I found a site called PublishAmerica.  I figured it would be just another vanity press or self-publishing company.  I read every last stitch of information on their website, including several posts at their Authors Messageboard.  It sounded promising, but I was still skeptical, so I sent them an email with several questions.  No matter what career you're in or beginning or whatever, you should always ask questions.  You should never assume anything or accept anything blindly.  You need to have a clear view of what you're getting into.  I will honestly say that the publishing part was very clear to me, yet I was naive in another aspect, which I will get to in a moment.

Without this turning into an advertisement for my publishing company, I just want to say what made my final decision was how quickly they responded to my email (I was not expecting a response at all, frankly) and how courteous and professional that response was.  Not only that, they felt right for my needs, which included the fact that almost the entire publishing experience is done online, meaning no cost of mailing manuscripts, being able to reach them easily by email, and them walking their authors through the entire process.  I sent in my query letter, followed by my manuscript when they requested it.  Within a couple of weeks, I heard back on their decision to publish my book.  I was ecstatic to say the least!  This is where the real fun began.  There were many pleasant surprises with this publisher, one of them being that in a questionnaire they have all their authors fill out, the author gets an incredible amount of say in how their book will look and be like in its final form.  I don't know if this is standard practice for all publishers, but I know I was pleased by it regardless.  I loved that I had a say in what my cover would look like, without having to get a cover designer of my own (though you have that option too).  In my opinion, the cover of your book is a very important step, and the author should have the right to speak their mind as to how it will look.  In fact, it's my favorite part of the entire experience!  You don't want to hand your manuscript off to a publisher, and leave everything up to them.  At least I certainly wouldn't.  So this is something you have to take into careful consideration when a publisher accepts your work.  So I strongly encourage everyone to ask several questions about the process, because publishers are different. 

Now when my book was accepted and being published, I knew there was going to be some promotional things I would have to do, but I was nowhere near prepared for the extent of what an author does once they have their book in hand.   There is a false assumption that a lot of authors have, that the publisher is responsible for marketing and promoting their authors.  Well, again, publishers are different, but promotion is always left up to the author in some way.  Promotion is basically trying to get noticed.  Ways to promote would include sending media kits or letters to newspapers, radio shows, tv shows, etc., doing book signings and readings, and anything else you can think of.  I will be honest, and say this is the most difficult part for me as it is for a lot of authors.  I knew this stuff would be my responsibility, but I was naive in thinking it would be easy.  Nothing worth doing is easy, and I'm trying to get that into my head.  If you are an author who is introverted, not good in social situations or speaking engagements, and overall are better keeping to yourself, then you will be in the same boat I am in.  For people like us, the internet is our greatest asset, though it doesn't always give you the results you want.   My advice is to try and get your name out there several months before your book is actually out, in whatever way you can, because it's time consuming and frustrating at times.  Promotion takes creativity and determination, but this is in no way trying to discourage anyone from trying to get their work published. Because no matter how hard it is to sell your book to anyone and everyone, it's still well worth it and it's one heck of a ride.  

Click above to go HOME