Fiction Publishing
When it comes to writing and fiction publishing, if you are inclined to attempt it, you probably have that burning need to turn the world of your imagination into a written work that you can share with the world. If that is the case, you might be surprised to find that actually writing the piece of fiction is not the most difficult part of the challenge. Perhaps the most difficult part of the challenge of writing is the often-confusing world of fiction publishing and fiction promotion.
Unless you are actually lucky enough to have a connection in the publishing world, you are going to have to do some research and develop a thick skin to navigate your way to publication successfully. There are a couple of different ways to get your work published. One is to go through a literary agent with a traditional publishing house to get your work of fiction published or to go through what is commonly called a vanity press, or self-publishing organization, but regardless of which way you choose to go, there are some preparatory steps you will want to take to maximize your chances for success.
The first, and one of the most important, will be to format your manuscript to the industry standards. These do vary between publishers (or publications that accept short fictional stories such as magazines) but if you do a little research, you will be able to find out ahead of time, and send your manuscript in the proper format as is required by the publishers in question. To send in an improperly formatted piece is often a one-way trip into the trash bin. It pays to do your homework.
Have a linguistically and grammatically perceptive second party proof your manuscript. In fact, have several people do that. Remember, you don't have to take every suggestion, but it always helps to be able to see your work through the eyes of another.
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Be prepared for an agent to tell you that you need to rewrite certain areas or tweak your manuscript, and be open to the suggestions they make. Don't feel obligated to take suggestions you are diametrically opposed to, but be open to any suggestions made.
Contact agents by email only if they accept email submissions and only send in a query letter when you have instructions to do so.
Do your homework. Don't submit a fictional work to someone who only handles non-fictional works, etc.
Understand that most creative people have problems with the publishing process, and that is why you will need a good agent and a good publisher. Once you get accepted by one, you will have all the help you need, but in the beginning, your best bet is to research. Not all agents are equal, and neither are all publishing houses. The old adage "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is" certainly applies when it comes to agents, publishers, so check, and double check, and if the picture they paint seems too good to be true, get a second opinion.
Be prepared to promote your book. The best work of literature you can imagine can sit on a dusty shelf or remain unsold online, if you fail to promote it. You will probably want to enlist the aid of a professional third party to pre-sell your book to your target audiences. This third party will have all the expertise needed to promote your book and generate a viral surge that will spill over from one reader to the next via a complex system of online activity.
Finally, if you don't know where to even begin when it comes to getting your work in print, haunt bookstores or libraries. Look at the literary magazines and even take out a subscription to the few that you like best. Check the websites, and get the submission guidelines from them. Buy a copy of Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. Look into your favorite authors' backgrounds, and see where they went initially to get help getting started, and literally follow their example.
It takes work, and you have to be ready to let a few rejections bounce off your back, so to speak, but doing your homework is the best way to see your hard work pay off in the end. |
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