15.
Getting Published
These days there are two major routes for getting your book into the hands of your
readers: traditional publishing and self-publishing.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each...
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Traditional publishing V Self Publishing
Traditional publishing Self Publishing
Pros – validation by industry Pros – full control over product,
professionals, industry guidance lower barrier to entry, keep higher
and support, editing and proportion of earnings.
marketing costs covered,
marketing expertise and resources, Cons – professional expertise must
access to markets, credibility. be paid for, significant marketing
costs and efforts, limited access to
Cons – high barrier to entry, profits market.
split with agent and publisher, loss
of creative control, slow process.
When deciding whether to go the traditional or self-publishing route with your
book (and there’s no law saying you can’t go different routes for different books),
you should think about what your ultimate goal is.
If critical acclaim, literary prizes and seeing your book on the shelves of
Waterstones and Barnes and Noble is what you dream of, then traditional
publishing is probably the way for you.
If you want to get your work into the hands of readers quickly, and retain creative
control, then self-publishing will most likely work better.
Whichever you decide, below we give guidance on each of the routes.
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Traditional Publishing
In this section we will focus on getting an agent, rather than all the way to getting
published, because once you’ve landed an agent, they will be the one to personally
guide you through the rest of the publishing process.
Finding the Right Agent
We will cover:
Finding the right agent
Preparing your submission
Dealing with rejections
Not that long ago, the way to get an agent
was to buy the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook,
open it at the literary agent section and go
down the list, highlighting the agents that
represented the right genres for you..
Then you would print out your manuscript,
slide it lovingly into an envelope and send it
on its way via the post.
These days (thank goodness) things have become a little more high tech. There are
online databases where you can browse active agents and also get quite a lot of
supporting information to help select the best agent for you. And of course, most
agents prefer submissions via email.
One of the best-known agent databases is Query Tracker, where the core
features are free.
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Step One – Create A Longlist
Using a database, you can search for agents in your country, who represent your
genres, to get an instant longlist.
You could also add agents to your longlist because you’ve met them in person at
events, made contact with them via social media, or because they represent your
favourite authors.
(There is some evidence to suggest that if you are able to go to writing events and
introduce yourself to agents face to face, you increase your odds of getting
representation from them. A high profile example is Jim Butcher, who explains that
when he submitted his work to his preferred agent, it was rejected, but after he met
her at a convention, she offered him representation. Read his full publication journey
at his website.)
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Step Two – Create A Shortlist
Once you have the list of all of the generally suitable agents, you can start to whittle
them down to ones who you feel a stronger connection with.
Here are a few ways you can do that:
Read their official bio – this can usually be found on their agency website and is a
basic first port of call. Does their bio appeal to you? What sub-genres do they
mention, do they list any specific types of books they’re after? Do they say they love
any books that you also love?
See what other authors they represent – Obviously, it’s not possible to read the books
of every client of every agent, but if you browse through their list of authors, you may
find some of your favourites, which is a great hook. And if you do have time to read
some of the work by their authors (and if you love it), that will give you an even better
insight, as well as something to personalise your submission.
Read their Twitter feed – this is a great way to get a sense of who they are and what’s
important to them. If they have you in stitches and you find yourself agreeing with
what they’re saying and sharing, that’s a good sign. If it leaves you cold, then they
may not be someone you will click with so easily.
Check what their response / feedback record is like - On QueryTracker, you can view
data on how good agents are at replying to submissions (even if it’s a no) and even
where some of them give feedback.
A fast response, not to mention feedback, is incredibly valuable during the process of
submitting. Feedback can be invaluable in helping you reach success, and a fast
response means you’re not waiting around for months on end.
So, it makes sense to prioritise agents that make the effort to reply to all submissions,
and especially those that reply fast.
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Preparing Your Submission
Agents generally ask for:
The extract (the beginning of the novel, usually around three chapters)
A cover letter
A single page synopsis
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The Extract
The extract is by far the most important part of your submission.
These pages are what most agents read first, and they are what you are ultimately
trying to sell. This means that they have to be as perfect as you can make them.
Here are some of the things agents will be looking for in the first few chapters:
Basic competence – if the agent finds spelling errors, typos or poor grammar in the
first few pages, it’s unlikely they’re going to read on. Knowing basic spelling and
grammar is a fundamental building block of being a writer, so if the pages fail this
test, the agent knows they’re not dealing with someone with a professional attitude.
A killer first line – writing an exceptional first line is exceptionally difficult. However,
the first sentence is your first impression. If you make a good one, the following pages
will be read more warmly. If you make a mediocre one, they will probably read on,
but with less excitement. If your first line is terrible, the following sentences will
probably not even be seen.
Characters – you want to quickly create characters that the agent is excited about
spending a lot of time with. There are many ways to do this, but some rules of thumb
are:
Are they interesting? Do they have something unusual and exciting about them?
Do you feel empathy for them? This can often be achieved by putting the character
in jeopardy or undeserved misfortune.
A Hook – can you pique the agent’s curiosity and leave them with a question I their
mind that they just HAVE to know the answer to? If so, you’re on to a winner.
Breath-taking prose – most people who work in the publishing business are in love
with words. That means that an elegant sentence can have them swooning. If you can
demonstrate your mastery of language in a way that sweeps them off their feet in the
first few pages, they will be putty in your hands.
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The Synopsis
The synopsis is the bit that most writers hate with a passion.
And it is difficult to boil down a whole novel into a single page.
The good news is that many agents report that they don’t even read the synopsis,
and they certainly don’t read it first. The bad news is that you still have to write it.
Again, there is a far more detailed article on how to write the perfect synopsis here.
Understanding the purpose of a synopsis can help you write a more effective one.
One reason an agent will read a synopsis is to check the ending isn’t going to be a
complete disaster. They want to be sure that if they read the entire manuscript it’s
not going to end with ‘and then they woke up and it was all a dream’ or that a
dreamy romance isn’t going to end with an alien invasion.
Another is to check that the structure of the novel is sound. The synopsis can
demonstrate if the writer is aware of story structure theory and whether they have
used it to good effect.
And a final important element is that they want you to prove that you can do ‘what’s
asked of you’. Being a writer isn’t all about hiding away in your turret banging out
words. You may have to do reviews, summaries, pitches and interviews. The agent
wants to know that you’re able to rise to these different challenges, and that they
aren’t going to have to deal with a turbulent artiste who refuses to work within set
parameters.
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The Query / Cover Letter
The cover letter usually includes a very short overview of the novel and some
information about you as an author.
Note - Typically the overview of the novel is expected to be around two or three
paragraphs in a US query, but only a few sentences in a UK query.
Several sources have stated that the main purpose of the cover letter is to prove that
the author isn’t a lunatic.
Or to put it less dramatically, that they’re somebody with a professional attitude and
realistic expectations, who the agent will be able to work with long term.
Here are a few pet peeves that have agents groaning:
1
Misspelling agent name Several sources
Addressing it to ‘agent’ instead of a specific name
The cover letter being clearly generic to be blanket sent
have stated
Arrogant or demanding attitude
that the main
Multiple typos or grammatical errors
Statements about positive feedback from friends / family purpose of the
members
Comparing the novel to Harry Potter cover letter is to
Read more about what has agents rolling their eyes here. prove that the
author isn’t a
lunatic.
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Your cover letter should include:
The title of your novel
The word count to the nearest thousand words
A summary of your novel – usually a few sentences for the UK, a few paragraphs
for the US
Relevant background you have – i.e. if the novel is from the point of view of a
surgeon, and you’re a surgeon, put that in.
Relevant writing experience – have you been published before? Have you won any
competitions? Do you hold writing qualifications? Definitely include that.
Reason for submitting to that particular agent - having seen them in person
somewhere is ideal, or it could be that they represent your favourite author, or that
some of the books they’ve launched recently sit in a similar space to yours.
Your cover letter could include:
Reason for writing the novel – if it’s important and relevant
Comparative titles – these are published books that compare with yours, and help
give a flavour of what yours is like. Here are a few pointers for choosing ‘comps’:
They should have been published within the last few years – the agent wants to
know that there is a market for your book now.
Runaway successes are actually not a good idea to use as comps. Things that
go ‘viral’ are impossible to consistently replicate, so they are less of a useful
barometer than solid, well-performing novels that met expectations.
Focus more on style and feel than content. It’s better to choose a title that is
similar to yours in the way it’s written, rather than one that uses a completely
different style but tells the same sort of story.
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3
Dealing with Rejections
The one thing that’s (almost) guaranteed about submitting your work, is rejection.
Here are some statistics on what efforts writers put in before getting published.
You’re submitting because you believe the book you’ve lovingly crafted is ready to
delight the world.
So for most of us, receiving rejections or simply being ignored can feel like a very
personal slap in the face. You can end up doubting yourself, and wondering whether
you really are cut out to be a writer.
Try to remember that the vast majority of writers have had to endure the same thing –
it is a rite of passage. Here are a few examples to remind you that many of the most
successful books out there had a long and painful road before they achieved
publication:
”.
Kathryn Stockett’s ‘The Help’ was rejected 60 times by agents over three
and a half years. It has now sold ten million copies and been made into a
major Hollywood movie.
Agatha Christie endured five years of continual rejection. Her book sales
are now in excess of $2 billion.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was rejected so many times that Beatrix Potter
decided to self-publish 250 copies(before self-publishing was a thing). It
has now sold over 45 million.
After three years of rejections, Meg Cabbot could not lift the bag under
her bed she kept the rejection slips in. The Princess Diaries has now sold 15
million copies.
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100 agents and publishers rejected Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace,
which went on to win the Costa Children’s Book Award.
24 agencies turned down The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. It sold to
Time Warner for $1 million.
Alex Haley received 200 consecutive rejections. His novel, Roots, went on
to sell over 8 million copies.
Kate DiCamillo received 473 rejections before anyone agreed to publish
her. She is now worth $10 million.
And finally:
“To prove how hard it is for new writers to break in, Jerzy Kosinski used a
pen name to submit his bestseller Steps
to 13 literary agents and 14 publishers. All of them rejected it, including
Random House, who had published it
Sources:
http://www.litrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/
https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/overcome-rejection-200-literary-
agents-still-land-book-deal
https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/kate-dicamillo-how-she-became-
a-bestseller-after-473-rejection-letters-20170310-guv3e7.html
These are just a handful of examples of the most famous books. You can be sure that
there are thousands more stories out there from authors who stuck it out through
dozens, if not hundreds, of rejections then went on to achieve their dream of
publication.
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Self-Publishing
There are many ways to successfully self-publish (and even more ways to
unsuccessfully do it).
Here is just a brief overview of some of the steps you’ll need to take to give yourself
the best chance of achieving your goals.
We’ve split the info into three sections:
Preparing Your Book
Publishing Your Book
Marketing Your Book
Preparing Your Book
Format Your Book Correctly
In order to upload to self-publishing platforms, you need to have a file of your novel in
the correct format (filetype), with the correct formatting (how it looks). If your novel is
formatted poorly, with strange fonts, uneven margins or random breaks, then your
readers might lose faith and stop reading, or not buy in the first place.
You can use dedicated software to format your book, or hire a professional to do it for
you.
Cover Design
People always judge books by their covers, there’s just no getting around it. If you
can afford a reputable, professional cover designer, then that’s highly
recommended. If not, you can use an app such as canva.com to create your own.
Blurb
You will need a compelling summary of your book to hook potential readers. You can
use your premise and short synopsis as bases for writing this.
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Publishing Your Book
Research and Choose Categories and Keywords
Ebook platforms use categories to help readers find the books they like. The more
specific you can be with your sub-category, the more likely you are to find the right
readers.
Decide of Ebook or Print or Both
You can choose to publish your book as an eBook, which means it is available
electronically, for people to read on devices such as Kindle, NOOK or Kobo.
If you want your book in print, then you can do print on demand, where a copy of your
book is printed only when someone orders it. Or, you could decide to pre-print a batch
of books, but this involves high up-front costs, so unless you’re confident you’re going
to be able to sell them, this is a risky option.
Choose your Publishing Platforms
The largest self-publishing platforms are:
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Barnes and Noble Press
Kobo
Apple Books
You can choose to publish on one, some or all of the platforms. Some of the
platforms may offer preferential deals for exclusivity, but you may prefer to
maximise your reach. Bear in mind that the more platforms you publish to, the
higher the overhead of getting and keeping all the formats correct, and meeting
each platforms’ unique requirements.
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Aggregators
As well as the ‘big four’ there are numerous smaller self-publishing platforms out
there, so to make the process of uploading to them less arduous, it’s possible to use
an Aggregator, a service which submits your work on your behalf. This can save a lot
of time and energy, but it will have some impact on control and income.
Popular eBook aggregators are:
Draft2Digital
Smashwords
StreetLib
PublishDrive
Pricing
It’s difficult to know how to price your book – you don’t want to undervalue it, but you
need to be competitive. In order to decide on the most appropriate price for your
book, check out where the competition has placed theirs.
It’s common for self-published authors to offer one book for free, in order to get
readers hooked on the rest of the catalogue.
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Marketing Your Book
Launch
A good launch can make or break your book’s chances of success. This will involve
identifying your niche, perfecting the design, mastering categories and keywords on
the sales platforms, networking and promotions. Read more about a detailed book
launch plan here.
Marketing
After launch, you’ll still need to work hard to market your book. This could involve
building up a personal following on social media, building a mailing list via your
website (yes, you’ll need a website), working out your USP, giveaways, promotions,
social media or print adverts, attending events and conferences, and getting glowing
reviews and testimonials.
Further Reading
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/successfulselfpublishing/
https://writingcooperative.com/24-things-i-learned-publishing-3-books-in-only-6-
months-1b8f743e9e86
https://kindlepreneur.com/book-marketing-101/
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