How to get published in 5 steps.
By far the question I am asked most is, how did you first get published? Or rather, how do I go about getting published?
Obviously you can't get published without an agent—and you can't get an agent without being published—right?
Wrong.
Many are surprised to learn that I sold my first book without an agent, and that it was only having that first book published which gave me the legitimacy to score an agent. After all, agents, like everyone else in the biz want one thing: a known quantity. Sorry to report that in publishing, as in real life, talent doesn't really count for much.
So do this:
1. Write a great book.
2. Go to the bookstore (or wherever one gets books these days) and find books in the same world as yours.
3. Write down the names of the imprints.
NOTE: An imprint is not the same as a publisher. There are only a handful publishers left, but each publisher will have a ton of imprints. For example: Viking, Dial, Dutton, Puffin, Putnam, etc. etc. are all imprints of Penguin. It's important to find the appropriate imprints.
4. Do your homework, (Googling, facebooking, twittering?) whatever it takes to find out the names of the editors at the appropriate imprints*. (A manuscript addressed to no one in particular will go straight to the trash). Find out their submission guidelines, and go.
Don't be discouraged if you are told, "we don't take unsolicited/unrepresented material". Of course they will say this to separate out the weak.
5. Collect your rejection letters and repeat. If you did step 1 correctly, eventually you will find the right editor and you'll be on your way.
* PRO-TIP: Smart authors will thank their editors in their books acknowledgments, so when doing your research, check the acknowledgments of the books you found, for the names of editors you wish to woo.
Obviously you can't get published without an agent—and you can't get an agent without being published—right?
Wrong.
Many are surprised to learn that I sold my first book without an agent, and that it was only having that first book published which gave me the legitimacy to score an agent. After all, agents, like everyone else in the biz want one thing: a known quantity. Sorry to report that in publishing, as in real life, talent doesn't really count for much.
So do this:
1. Write a great book.
2. Go to the bookstore (or wherever one gets books these days) and find books in the same world as yours.
3. Write down the names of the imprints.
NOTE: An imprint is not the same as a publisher. There are only a handful publishers left, but each publisher will have a ton of imprints. For example: Viking, Dial, Dutton, Puffin, Putnam, etc. etc. are all imprints of Penguin. It's important to find the appropriate imprints.
4. Do your homework, (Googling, facebooking, twittering?) whatever it takes to find out the names of the editors at the appropriate imprints*. (A manuscript addressed to no one in particular will go straight to the trash). Find out their submission guidelines, and go.
Don't be discouraged if you are told, "we don't take unsolicited/unrepresented material". Of course they will say this to separate out the weak.
5. Collect your rejection letters and repeat. If you did step 1 correctly, eventually you will find the right editor and you'll be on your way.
* PRO-TIP: Smart authors will thank their editors in their books acknowledgments, so when doing your research, check the acknowledgments of the books you found, for the names of editors you wish to woo.
No comments have been added yet.
