How to Sell Fiction

Pitch your book idea to a publishing company.

Writers who want to sell their fiction novel or short stories have a difficult road ahead of them. Regardless of how great a writer may think his own work is, it takes more than assumed talent to catch the eye of a book publisher. Traditionally, a writer only has a few short seconds to grab the attention of whoever reads his manuscript. It's highly important to showcase your writing in the best light possible in order to score that book deal.

Things You'll Need

• Cover letter
• Manuscript

Instructions

1. Hire an editor to read over the fiction book thoroughly for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. An editor will also help to finalize the book by recommending areas that need clarification or sections that you should trim down. Editors may also point out large problems, like plot inconsistencies or issues with character development, so a writer should be prepared to do a large rewrite after submitting the work for the first time.

2. Find an agent to up the chances of having the book looked at. Some publishing companies won't even consider taking a peek at a manuscript unless it's submitted by an agent.

3. Research publishing companies that specialize in the particular type of fiction work that's being submitted. Publishing houses often stick with the same genre. You shouldn't submit a romance novel, for example, to a publisher who only handles memoirs. Instead submit the work to as many publishing companies as possible, as long as they fall into the same category of work.

4. Include a cover letter with the manuscript. The cover letter is the first -- and sometimes only -- part of the submission that will grab the publisher's attention. The letter can make or break a book's acceptance. The cover letter should begin with a hook that explains something unique and interesting about the book, without going into too much detail. Including a short description of the book and the intended audience, the cover letter shouldn't exceed one page.

5. Submit a mistake-free, professionally-bound manuscript to a publisher for review. Unlike nonfiction, which is accepted after review of a proposal or query letter, works of fiction are only accepted after the manuscript is finished and once the publisher reads the entire book.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have prior publishing experience or have been accepted by another publisher in the past for another piece of work, include this information in the cover letter. However, if you have never had a book published in the past, don't mention that you're a beginner.

References

• Write and Publish Fiction: Sell a Book Using Several Promotional Ideas Geared Toward Marketing Your Fiction
• UP Authors: Selling Fiction Like Non-fiction
• SFWA: How to Sell Your Novel
• Time: Publishing, How to Sell a Novel