Things You'll Need:
- A completed fictional novel, a lot of patience and persistence
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Step 1
You have written a masterpiece. Your heart and soul have poured directly from your fingertips through the keyboard onto the screen of your computer. You are a literary creative genius and now it is your wish, nay, your duty to share your vision, this project on the cusp of becoming a novel, with the world. If that much is true, if you have just created pure paper genius, than the hard part is over! So now what? How does it happen that an idea or even a completed literary work goes from being just that, to being published? There are several ways to go about the process of having your book published, some more prudent and effective than others. First, the most conventional way of publishing your book is through a publishing house, however this is not as simple as it may sound, and there are two ways to go about doing so. There are also unconventional methods such as self publication, print on demand (POD) publishing, e-publishing (these last two are just variations of self publication) and independent press.
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Step 2
We will begin with the unconventional publishing processes, as they are not as successful or as profitable as the “conventional” methods. Self-publication is pretty much just what it sounds like. The author pays completely and out of pocket for any and ALL publishing costs, including editing, production, storage, marketing and distribution. Sound expensive? It is, and hardly ever makes the author a cent of profit after costs. One is lucky to break even. Self published authors retain all rights to their projects, and keep all profit but “The odds are stacked against a book that’s self published. It’s hard enough for a general trade publisher to sell books into stores, and it’s a thousand times harder for a self published book to find publication” (Evanovich, 162). Variations of self publication are POD publishers or vanity publishers who charge authors a fee to publish their book. Some of these publishers allow the author to retain all the rights to the book, others do not. The benefit of POD publishing is that the technology enables just one book to be printed at a time, it is however very expensive. Print on Demand can be an excellent options for those who have a decidedly small amount of books to print; such as a family genealogical record, church cook book or other limited printing. ( Fearlessbooks.com) POD publishers sell packages, which increase in price with the more services they offer, such as editing, formatting, marketing, cover art, etc. These are services which the publisher would normally cover in a conventional printing. Electronic publishing or e-publishing refers to the digital or online publication of books and articles. This can be in the simple form of a data download to your multimedia device, or as data on a zip drive or SD card. It can also be as simple as “publishing” your writing to a blog on the internet. Getting the word out and marketing your writing is your responsibility. The essential difference between these alternative methods and the conventional is one thing, the money. POD, vanity, and e publishers will all charge you to publish your book, often more than once, whereas a traditional publishing house will pay you to publish your book. Sure they will take their cut, but you will pay nothing up front. If you are going to be a writer, than writing is your job. Shouldn’t you be paid to do your job, not vice versa?
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Step 3
On to the traditional way of getting published; you can go about this one of two ways, by seeking representation of a literary agent first, or by simply submitting to editors of publishing houses. For established authors such as Jay Upchurch, author of “Tales from the Sooner Sidelines”, a third option exists, being commissioned and approached by the publisher for a book they would like you to write. Jay worked in sports journalism and editing in Oklahoma for over 20 years, and is an OU alumni, so in 2002 when Sports Publishing LLC, out of Champaign, Illinois was looking for someone to write about OU Sooner football, Jay was a natural pick. As he puts it, “They were looking for a local writer who had a vast knowledge of OU sports and called me because I was editor of a magazine at the time called Sooner Illustrated out of Tulsa. They asked if I would be interested in writing a book on OU football and I was crazy enough to say yes.” Again, this third option is reserved usually in fiction for well established authors or in non-fiction professionals or experts on the topic in question, so for our new authors who don’t know how to get published, lets focus on the first two options.
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Step 4
The initial process for these two options is very much the same. Depending on who you are submitting to you may require more, but usually you start here. You submit a brief one page letter introducing yourself, succinctly summarizing your book to intrigue the reader to want to read more, the proposed length of the book, and the author’s credentials or experience. This is called a query letter, and with it you should include a self addressed, stamped postcard or envelope. Address the query letter to a specific agent or editor; this is where research on agents comes in handy, and we’ll go over that next. It is important to keep the query short, ensure it is free of any grammatical or spelling errors and close by asking if the individual would be interested in seeing the entire manuscript. (Evanovich pg. 151) The query letter is your foot in the door. “Editors and agents say they look to the query not only for the idea but also for a sense of how a writer uses words," (Feiertag, Cupito pg 188) As you can see, if the query letter ends up in the slush pile, your would be novel is dead in the water. The query letter must be profession yet intriguing, it must be succinct yet entertaining and it must stand out with out being off the wall. A good idea can speak for itself, but you have to give it a voice. After any submission there will be a waiting period. Usually if the recipient was not interested you will receive a rejection letter. If your query letter sparks interest with the agent or editor they will respond requesting one or more of the following: a synopsis (which is an overview of your story), sample chapters or the entire manuscript. Stephenie Meyer, author of the best-selling novel “Twilight” received her big break when her current agent’s assistant responded to her query by asking to see the first three chapters. The assistant enjoyed the chapters and then requested the entire manuscript (Stepheniemeyer.com). What is requested will depend on the publisher or agent.
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Step 5
A literary agent is just like any other talent agent, they market you, their client, for a percentage of your profit, bottom line, if you get paid, they get paid, so helping you get the best contract, retaining rights, higher royalties, etc is in their best interest. Using an agent to sell your book is the norm, “Four out of five books sold to publishers are sold through agents” (Feiertag, Cupito pg 246). Agents also act as an intermediary between the author and the publisher, negotiating the terms of your book deal, making sure you get paid, protecting your rights. Before even submitting query letters to agents, you, the author must do a little research. Agents tend to represent authors who write what they themselves like to read. They may have an area of expertise, or a genre they prefer not to work in altogether. The best bet is to research who represents your favorite authors, or authors of books similar to your own. You also want to be sure the agent is a reputable one. The Association of Authors Representatives (AAR) mandates that its members abide by a professional code of ethics and do not charge a reading fee (a fee for simply reading your manuscript)(Bykofsky, Bayse-Sander pg.130). A good agent can play the role of salesman, business consultant and even editor. The contract between author and agent should outline not only the monetary obligation or cut the agent will receive but also the agent’s responsibilities and roles he will play.
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Step 6
process of submitting can also be completed without the expertise of a literary agent; in this case you skip submitting your query letters to agents and submit directly to the editors of publishing companies. There are two types of editors, acquisition editors whose job is to read and acquire new books (this is who you will be submitting to) and copy editors who actually inspect and examine and edit your novel in the context normally associated with the word editing. (Evanovich pg. 138) This will reduce the companies you can market to, as some simply do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, query letters, etc, and as such they will be thrown out post haste. However, it is entirely possible to be published without a literary agent, many authors have done it. Upchurch is one of those writers. When asked if he had worked with a literary agent on his book he said, “I had an editor and a publishing assistant when I wrote my book for Sports Publishing LLC, out of Champaign, Illinois. They helped with my project to some degree, especially setting up book signings and personal appearances to promote the book.” Smaller publishing companies more commonly work with the author directly. You can research editors in the same way you would agents, either through books published by the same publishing house, online resources such as Writer’s Market or Writer’s Digest. If you receive a response from an editor you must now work as your own agent to negotiate your contract, this would usually be where your agent really goes to work for you, but again can be done alone. Before writing his book, Jay Upchurch was presented with a standard contract; “I earned 12 percent on each sale of the first 10,000 sold and 15 percent on all sales beyond that. The book is still on the shelves and at last count, we had sold close to 20,000 copies since 2004. Not bad, but not quite a bestseller.” Jay even contracted to write a second book with Sports Publishing, and all without the aid of a literary agent. However if you decide you need an agent to negotiate for you after you have been sent an offer from the publishing company, you should have no trouble finding representation, you have done a lot of the work already. If you are uncomfortable negotiating your own terms the publisher may even refer you to an agent (Bykofsky, Bayse-Sander pg159).
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Step 7
You have received a response requesting more; either a synopsis, sample chapters or your manuscript! This is an exciting and scary stage for new authors as many worry that their ideas will be stolen, and are skeptical as to who to trust. Copyrighting your book is not necessary however as many authors will point out, because it is in fact “truly effortless. The way the law is structured today copyright is assumed the moment your words hit the paper or the computer screen” (Feiertag, Cupito pg 248). Editors and agents are in the business of selling books, and will not bother with plagiarism. “They (novel ideas) are the nitrogen of the idea world---plentiful, everywhere, and only useful if you know what to do with them” (Lisle). So rest assured, read through your manuscript, synopsis or requested chapters for the millionth time and make sure they are free of spelling and grammatical errors. Fix what needs to be fixed, this is the real thing and you want it to be perfect. Again you will send the requested work with a self addressed stamped envelope for the author or editors reply, write on the cover or letter external envelope “Requested manuscript” so that the recipient is aware that this is not just another unsolicited submission, and do not expect for your manuscript to be returned.
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Step 8
If the agent likes your book then he or she will offer to represent you. Now you must ask for references, ask questions such as who they have represented in the past, what books they have sold and to which publishers and what their commission is. You may also be asked to sign a contract, which is normal on a per book basis. (Evanovich pg. 133) If you feel that the agent is a good fit for you then you accept representation and move on to selling your book. The agent will work with you on any changes he feels needs to be made to the book. Once everything has been fine tuned your agent will decide which editors at which publishers to send your book to, and sends out your manuscript. These submissions are different from you submitting them on your own. They are not considered “unsolicited” and a submission by a literary agent have a much higher chance at being read. The reason for this is much of the agents job is cultivating contacts with editors and publishers, a good agent will know most or all of the acquisitions editors at the major publishing houses and will know what types of books those editors like and what they don’t (Bykofsky, Bayse-Sander pg 120).
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Step 9
Now is another waiting period. You will probably receive more rejection letters. But once an editor likes your manuscript and decides to buy your book for their publishing company they will contact your agent to negotiate the sale. If several editors are interested in purchasing your book then your agent will set up an auction for the highest bidder (Evanovich.com). Once your agent has negotiated the contract to both parties satisfaction, you will sign the contract. At the signing of the contract you will receive any advance that was negotiated, usually paid in several parts. The first payment is when you sign the contract; the second is usually on the completion of the final manuscript. An advance is an advance on the monies your book is expected to make, although if it does not reach is projected potential repayment is not commonly required. (Bykofsky, Bayse-Sander pg 180) All your rights, the royalties (what percentage of each book sold makes it’s way back to your pocket) and other details are outlined in your contract. This is where your agent will prove to be invaluable. The publishing company will now handle the final editing, art layouts, formatting, and actual production, marketing and sales to bookstores. You will be involved, but minimally in these processes. Upchurch states the art layout for his book’s cover was the most frustrating part of the entire publishing process for him, since the art director ( clearly not from Oklahoma) used an orange-red rather than OU crimson red, and it was not changed until the second printing. Hursles will be overcome with the help of your agent and open lines of communication with your editor. Regardless of all the naysayers, you did it! You have written a book, you have a got an agent, or acceptance form a publisher, you have signed a contract, you can actually see that end in site and you will be a published author, the most rewarding part as Upchurch said is “Just seeing the final product. You put so much blood, sweat and tears into that sort of project -- to actually see it published and sitting on a Barnes and Noble shelf is pretty darn cool.”
