I Need Advice! Please Warriors!

Hey Emily,

Is your novel fiction or non-fiction?

A little about publishing. . . It takes a while and you need to make connections. A lot of people are turning to online publishing because in some realms there isn't the same review process as if you were to go through a publishing house (editors, agents, etc). This probably isn't the best route for a first time novellist, though.

Are you going to be writing more than one book? If not it probably won't be possible to get into a publishing house unless the book is phenomenally good which I'm sure it is! The reason for this, though, is because publishers LOSE money on publishing your first book.

You can e-publish if you want. What it means is you see all of the profit come back to you. Be warned, though, that there is a huge network and team of people that are involved in putting a book into print. These are valuable connections that will help you and probably do a better job at distribution than your average fiction newbie. Again that doesn't mean others haven't done it, but you're working against yourself by doing so.

My advice would be to do as much research as you can. There is a seminar a friend of mine (who has been networking and building his connections for years and will be ready to publish before the age of 23) is attending and has convinced me to attend next year.

superstarswritingseminars(dot)com is the website. The entire thing isn't about how to write a book, it's about the business and economics of publishing and being a writer. If you look at the list of presenters, they're all NYT best selling millionaires. Watch the vids and then youtube these authors to see what stuff is leaked online and learn from them. If you can't afford the attendance fees you can always just grab the DVDs. If I'm busy those days, it looks like that might have to be my option.

Emily, you should check out createspace on Amazon.

Rose

It is a non fiction book. I get that you need connections. I of course do not have any. I appreciate the advice, and I will check out the website. Thanks so much!

Thank you Rose, I will check it out.

You can use lulu.com and publish it yourself.
And use amazon and kindle to distribute it.

good luck

You can publish it your self.
To be tangible book, all you need is a printer.
For the full rights, just register it for Patten.

Try letting some people read it and then maybe get some conections and people who believe in the book. Good luck!

I think it's easier to market a non-fiction piece online than a fiction one, so that's good news! Of course it does depend on your niche and what it's for. There's a possibility that if it becomes very successful you can leverage a print deal? I'd look into it.

Best of luck to you!

Im not into publishing at all, so this is just thinking out loud...

but would it not be possible to do both?

Why not launch it online as an eBook - this part we can all help with - then you will at least see some cash come your way...and better yet some numbers to throw at the publishing houses! I mean they are businesses after all, an it would just be my thinking that your chances are better to get a publishing deal if you can go to them and say...

"...this is my product, it sold so many copies in electronic form...here is what my readers had to say...help me take my PROVEN product to print..."

Anyway...as i said i have no idea about the physical publishing business and this is just an idea...

What is your novel about? What is the plot? Who are the characters? Is it entertaining? What can be learned from this kind of endeavor?

Publish it on Amazon's create space. (Make sure to get an ISBN #)

Get a nice cover from some place like Fiverr or use the one on create space with your own pictures.

Since it's a novel, use the characters to sell the book. get a host and a domain name (maybe the title of your book.) then create blogs for the main characters, the hero, the heroine, the villain, maybe a few minor players.

Then create fictional journal entries for each one. They should each tell part of the story through their eyes without giving away the whole story. Under no circumstances should any of them discuss the ending. These Journal entries need to be interesting enough to hold people's interest. If it's interesting enough, people will buy the book because they've come to care about these characters and they want to see how they end up.

Announce your new blog on all your social media outlets, but just don't come out and say 'I wrote a book'. Talk about the plot, the characters; basically it's the sales blurb you used to see on the back of book covers.

Also send out press releases online with the same information.

Approach local book stores about the books and offer to do a book signing. Small bookstores like events because it brings them business and doesn’t cost anything. You can get the books from create space itself for the local bookstores.

Donate one of these signed books to the libraries in your area. If it's a good book people will buy their own copy. Also, libraries have glass cases with a rotating display every month or so. Offer to be in the case one month. (There's a waiting list usually, go with it.) Put in your book and things that go with your book. For example, if it's about history, add some 'historical' items to go with it like baskets, models or pictures of things in the book. You might even able to dress up some dolls to look like your characters. Add some 'diary pages' from your blog. Print them out in a handwriting font on vellum paper and put them in the case too.

If your book is suitable for children, offer to do a reading at the library. Once you start to have success locally, the rest will fall into place if you work hard enough.This is Marketing and this is fun.


Good luck and congrats.

Emily, if you don't want to self publish what I'd do is pickup a copy of Writers Market or subscribe to the Writers Market database. Find some agents in there who are compatible with the type of writing you do and then send them a query letter (you might want to Google something to the effect of "nonfiction query letter"). Mail query letters out in batches of at least 10+ unless the agent doesn't accept simultaneous submissions. You might have to work at sending out queries for a long time, but if you're book has a market you will find at least one agent wanting to see more of your work. Your agent will then be the one submitting to all the publishing houses. It is extremely rare these days for publishing houses to accept anything not submitted by an agent. Years ago occasionally someone would make it out of the slush pile (the unsolicited submission pile) but now most publishing houses will just throw your submission out or send it back if you don't have an agent.

Good luck!

I appreciate the advice, and I will check out the website. Thanks so much!