How to Write and Publish a Book

Simple step-by-step instructions on how to go about publishing a book.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A good book idea
• Lots of patience and time
• Research on literary agents and publishers

1. Write a detailed outline for your book idea. Not only will this help you in writing the book, but you will also use it later on when you are ready to publish. It should contain main points, as well as sub-points. A thesis statement can also be of value, or even an opening paragraph to get you started.

2. Write write write! Sometimes book ideas are accepted by literary agents and publishers with only an outline, and without a completed manuscript, however I would suggest getting to work on the whole manuscript, because it can only benefit you in the long run.

3. Once you feel you are ready to jump into publishing, put the manuscript away for a while. Maybe a week, maybe a month. Long enough so that when you come back to it, you can have a fresh perspective on your work.

4. Then I would have someone help you read through it, and edit it. Reading the work out-loud helps you to sort out things that maybe don't make sense, or don't fit into your manuscript. Spelling and grammar errors should be addressed at this time. If a literary agent or publisher asks to see your manuscript, or a part of your manuscript you don't want them to throw it out because you spelled a bunch of words wrong and used the incorrect form of there (their, they're).

5. Now you are ready to seek a publisher or literary agent! Literary agents are kind of new to the scene, and are becoming a necessity because more and more publishers are not accepting unsolicited work. Your first step here is to research which literary agents and publishers would be interested in your book, and how to contact them. For example, a publisher that publishes books on home decorating more than likely isn't going to be interested in a book about your childhood. There are resources available to find literary agents and publishers. One would be www.writersmarket.com

6. After you have found which agents could be interested in your book it's time to write again. The first step is to write up a book proposal. This contains a Title Page, Tagline (where your thesis statement might come in handy) Synopsis of your book, Author Biography, Book Audience, Similar Successful Books, Promotion Ideas for your book, your Manuscript Status, Book To Film ideas, Outline, and Sample of your manuscript. This proposal should be 20 to 30 pages in length. There is a great example of a book proposal in "Book Report" by author Mark Shaw.

7. Next you will want to write a query letter. A query letter is a 1 page "pitch" of your book. It contains a Hook (tagline), Handle (theme), Mini-synopsis, Your Credentials and Credits, Book Audience, and a Closing. Be catchy and confident without being cocky. It should be about 4 paragraphs long. Again, there's an example in "Book Report" by Mark Shaw.

8. Now, send out whatever the literary agents request. Some will only want a query letter, some a book proposal, some both. If you get a rejection letter, save it in a box, and move on! Send out some more! If a literary agent requests something more (maybe a part of your manuscript) comply! Most importantly, be patient, and don't give up. Some of the best writers have a dozen rejection letters in a drawer at home. You may get just as many, but it only takes one acceptance letter to publish your book.

[kfilipow]

on 10/4/2009 Thanks dude. I've been thinkin about writing one since I have free time in college.

[trvlarrngr]

on 7/30/2009 Great tips on writing and publishing a book. Thanks. 5 stars