How to Sell Your Novel

By eHow Arts & Entertainment Editor

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Conventional wisdom holds that you have only a couple minutes to convince an editor that your novel is worth buying. That makes every second critical to presenting your work in the best light. Even Michael Chabon and Barbara Kingsolver started out this way.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Things You’ll Need:

  • Professional editor
  • Agent
  • Cover letter
  • Target audience

Step1
Pay a professional editor to review your book and polish it. Editors can be a big help when it comes to identifying flaws in the plot or stilted dialog.
Step2
Make sure your manuscript is clean, free of mistakes and neatly bound. Although nonfiction books are generally bought based on a sample chapter, outline and proposal, fiction is only purchased after reading the entire manuscript.
Step3
Get an agent. Most publishing houses won't even look at a manuscript unless it comes via an agent. See How to Hire a Literary Agent.
Step4
Choose publishing houses who sell the genre of book you've written. If you think you're the next Danielle Steel, don't pitch your romance novel to a house that deals exclusively in history. Do send your material to as many houses that seem a reasonable fit.
Step5
Write a solid cover letter to accompany your manuscript. This is absolutely critical to getting an editor's attention. Start the letter with a "hook"--something unique or provocative about the book. This makes the editor want to read the novel itself. Also include:
Step6
Why you chose this particular editor. That shows you've done your homework.
Step7
Any information about prior publishing experience you have. If you have none, however, don't let on that you're a beginner.
Step8
A brief summary of the novel--no longer than three paragraphs-- with an estimated word count.
Step9
A description of the audience you think will read your novel, such as suspense fans, sci-fi junkies or teens.
Step10
Mail the manuscript to as many publishers as you think are potential buyers, unless your agent will market your work. Tell the publisher if you are submitting to other publishers or if they are the only one.
Step11
Wait. Depending on the size of the publishing house, it can take several months before you hear anything. Hold off e-mailing or phoning to ask about the status of the book. That's a sure way to turn off an editor.
Step12
Turn over any offers to your agent. He or she is more objective and will work to get you higher advance payments, which in turn means higher percentages for the agent.

What to Look For:

  • An agent
  • Suitable publishing houses
  • Cover letter and summary
  • Patience

Tips & Warnings

  • Check out Writer's Market (writersmarket.com), an excellent source of publishing house names and contacts.
  • Get a personal introduction to publishers. This will help you to stand out from the hordes of author wannabes. Work your network. Even if the connection is personal ("His children and my children go to school together."), if it seems appropriate, use it.
  • Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope in the overall package so that an editor can send back your manuscript.
  • Try not to get discouraged. Many great books have been through the rejection meat grinder before getting published.
  • If you exhaust all the possibilities at traditional houses, look at self-publishing (see How to Self-Publish Your Book).

Comments

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Djenkins said

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on 7/31/2007 It's the way it shatters that matters

http://www.thenextgreatamericannovel.com/

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 If you are concerned with having no previous publishing experience, it can be helpful to join a writers organization of some sort. Agents and editors (and novelists) constantly hear from the average person, "I've got a book I want to write." If you join a writers organization it shows you have more than a passing interest or just one book in you. Agents and editors are not really interested in one-hit wonders.

Most publishers will say flat out on their website that they do not accept unsolicited submissions. Some even mention they will not take submission queries via email. However, none of them specify that a writer must have an agent to send them a snail-mail one-page query letter.

Many authors are now turning to self-publishing on the Internet, with some degree of success when they get the marketing strategy down. Many "brick and mortar" publishers are watching the e-book and the self-published-on-the-net authors and have no problem acquiring authors from that market.

Electronic publishing houses have given good results for many of my colleagues. Not only do they get an Amazon ranking, but many of them end up in print as well as in e-books. The royalties are quite high, being in the vicinity of 50%. When an e-book is printed by the same e-publisher, the royalties for the print version is less, at about 35%, to cover the cost of paper and ink. However, that is still well over 25% higher than an author typically gets with a traditional print publication deal.

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eHow Article:  How to Sell Your Novel

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