Biography Publishing
If you have ever had someone tell you that you should put your life story down in print, you are likely to have at least thought of biography publishing. Out of the billions of people who think about writing a biography, and the millions who actually get to the point of putting their life story down in print, only a fraction of that number get past the point of putting it down in written words, and actually even try to get their work published. If you have decided that you are one of the few who wants to put their life story in front of a paying target audience, read on!
When it is time to think about getting your biography published, there are some steps to take.
- Decide if you want to go with Self Publishing or with a more traditional agent and publisher.
- Format your manuscript to industry standards or specific publisher regulations.
- Have someone who is relatively competent read your manuscript.
- Be willing to rewrite, tweak, or polish your manuscript if you a publisher asks.
- Contact agents or publishers by mail or email when accepted, and send an appropriate query letter if they ask you to do so.
- Be sure the agents and publishers you approach accept submissions and you are following the guidelines they have in place for submissions. Otherwise, your submission usually has a one way ticket to the trash bin.
- Enlist the aid of a third party promotional organization. Professional promoters know the ins and outs of the internet and how to use the system to increase exposure exponentially, by implementing a complex network of peer referrals and recommendations as well as increasing hits on your website.
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If all this sounds confusing to you, consider going to a bookstore, and looking at the different literary magazines available. Even subscribe to a few that you like. Read the magazines and research the procedure online, and then you can make an informed decision on the route you want to take in getting your biography published. They will give you an idea of whether to go the self-publishing route or the more traditional route to seeing your work in print. Whatever you might have heard, self-publishing can be a perfectly legitimate way to get your work out there for others to see. Particularly for new authors getting started, it can be very advantageous to have someone who receives reimbursement for their expertise in your corner helping you find your way.
Keep a careful record anytime you are making simultaneous submissions just to help you keep track of where and when you have sent submissions.
Finally, realize that nobody starts out on top. Writing is a skill, and though you are bound to get rejections, if you can look at this as a learning process where you can actually refine your skills according to the feedback you receive, you will have a much easier time dealing with it and using it to your advantage. |
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