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Getting Your Book Published For Dummies
There’s never been a better time to be an author!
Books like the Harry Potter series create a media phenomenon, with people lining up and camping outside bookstores to purchase newly released titles. Yet book sales overall – not just those of mega-sellers – are on the rise, as more and more people seek knowledge and entertainment through reading. The Library of Congress currently registers about 60,000 new titles for copyright each year. 60,000 books by 60,000 authors. Imagine yourself as one. Getting Your Book Published For Dummies is your complete guide to realizing whatever gem of an idea you’ve been carrying with you. If you’ve ever thought, “this would make a really good book,” be it the next great American novel or a guide to naming babies, here’s your chance to put pen to paper and find out! Written from both sides of the editor’s desk – by a widely published writer and a HarperCollins veteran publisher – this guide puts in your hand the advice you need Full of examples, proposals, query letters, and war stories drawn from the authors’ extensive experience, Getting Your Book Published For Dummies shows you how to clear all the hurdles faced by today’s writers – freeing up precious time for you to refine your manuscript. You’ll get the inside scoop Getting Your Book Published For Dummies is the clear, A-Z handbook that makes the entire process plain and practicable. You don’t need to be a celebrity. You don’t need to be some kind of publishing insider. All you need to do is write.
Books like the Harry Potter series create a media phenomenon, with people lining up and camping outside bookstores to purchase newly released titles. Yet book sales overall – not just those of mega-sellers – are on the rise, as more and more people seek knowledge and entertainment through reading. The Library of Congress currently registers about 60,000 new titles for copyright each year. 60,000 books by 60,000 authors. Imagine yourself as one. Getting Your Book Published For Dummies is your complete guide to realizing whatever gem of an idea you’ve been carrying with you. If you’ve ever thought, “this would make a really good book,” be it the next great American novel or a guide to naming babies, here’s your chance to put pen to paper and find out! Written from both sides of the editor’s desk – by a widely published writer and a HarperCollins veteran publisher – this guide puts in your hand the advice you need Full of examples, proposals, query letters, and war stories drawn from the authors’ extensive experience, Getting Your Book Published For Dummies shows you how to clear all the hurdles faced by today’s writers – freeing up precious time for you to refine your manuscript. You’ll get the inside scoop Getting Your Book Published For Dummies is the clear, A-Z handbook that makes the entire process plain and practicable. You don’t need to be a celebrity. You don’t need to be some kind of publishing insider. All you need to do is write.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2000
5 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 6, 2020
Great read for a first-time writer. Helps to explain the publishing process and also what goes on inside of a publishing house. Good advice on how to self-publish or take the more traditional route via an Agent and Publisher.
September 25, 2018
It’s a good book to read but I still think it’s who you know when you’re trying to get a book published. One may be better off reading books on self publishing.
March 4, 2011
I got my copy from the books left by a musician-composer good friend (born and raised in the Midwest) who committed suicide. I didn't really have any initial interest in reading this book and wondered why my friend would have a copy in his collection (he might have thought of writing or publishing a book or two). I was prodded to finally read it, after having kept it for over a year, when I thought there is nothing to lose from reading this. It's really a quick and easy book to read especially for writers like myself (I mainly write non fiction articles for the web).
I now understand why someone I knew (he died already) would prefer to publish his first book of poems by himself - the book got noticed by a major critic/writer/publisher in San Francisco (I forgot his name). He was, I found out later, a non-native English speaker/writer (his first language was German). Then he eventually wrote at least 6 more books which basically were published by small publishers & I wonder if he ever made a fortune or even earned from writing and publishing books. This realization was helped after reading the couple Zackheim's book. It's really a good, helpful introduction on what really goes on when one decides to write a book and to have it published - [s]he would like to be paid by publishers to get the book published (as it's very costly to get a book published).
I just wonder if the same would actually happen to writers who write in English but are not native English speakers (just like that other friend of mine). A lot of tips would not be as applicable as publishers and editors would rather not deal with the time-consuming trouble of correcting grammar lapses, mis-used words, difficult to tone to understand, inconsistencies, their own biases against these writers, etc - I can just imagine a lot of these publishers and editors do not have the patience to deal with non-native English speakers who write in English.
But on second thought, I think they're missing a lot on opportunities, the cumulative revenue potentials of the huge English reading market outside of the traditional ones (US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ, South Africa, Ireland) - if only they would find out and understand how to cater to this untapped market, perhaps they'll find a mine field of treasure (from emerging markets) to explore and pioneer on. There's a huge but not-so-understood market made up of non-native English speakers who usually have strong reasons and the means to buy and read English books (as books are expensive commodities outside of those markets labeled as 'first world countries'). From my experience, they have special unmet needs and do not necessarily follow the tastes dictated by traditional markets.
I love the advise, tips and narratives shared in this book. I also love the 'Moving On' tips somewhere on page 322. We writers have to make it our business to understand first the business of publishing before ever dreaming of having our books published. This is a very tough and risky business to get into, and that's why the players are very selective. It may have a glamorous veneer to it, as reading and writing books are very snobbish, elitist endeavors (who would find time to read them, when your main concern is to fill up basic human needs?). But praise God, there's nowadays the option of self-publishing & the publishing industry itself has been working hard (but still light years of doing so successfully, perhaps?) to make the internet phenomena work to its advantage. On a personal note, this maybe the route I'll pursue when I get to finally re-write the memoir I wrote (and have to update). Based on what I got from the Zackheims' book, I got a lot of homework to do.
I now understand why someone I knew (he died already) would prefer to publish his first book of poems by himself - the book got noticed by a major critic/writer/publisher in San Francisco (I forgot his name). He was, I found out later, a non-native English speaker/writer (his first language was German). Then he eventually wrote at least 6 more books which basically were published by small publishers & I wonder if he ever made a fortune or even earned from writing and publishing books. This realization was helped after reading the couple Zackheim's book. It's really a good, helpful introduction on what really goes on when one decides to write a book and to have it published - [s]he would like to be paid by publishers to get the book published (as it's very costly to get a book published).
I just wonder if the same would actually happen to writers who write in English but are not native English speakers (just like that other friend of mine). A lot of tips would not be as applicable as publishers and editors would rather not deal with the time-consuming trouble of correcting grammar lapses, mis-used words, difficult to tone to understand, inconsistencies, their own biases against these writers, etc - I can just imagine a lot of these publishers and editors do not have the patience to deal with non-native English speakers who write in English.
But on second thought, I think they're missing a lot on opportunities, the cumulative revenue potentials of the huge English reading market outside of the traditional ones (US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ, South Africa, Ireland) - if only they would find out and understand how to cater to this untapped market, perhaps they'll find a mine field of treasure (from emerging markets) to explore and pioneer on. There's a huge but not-so-understood market made up of non-native English speakers who usually have strong reasons and the means to buy and read English books (as books are expensive commodities outside of those markets labeled as 'first world countries'). From my experience, they have special unmet needs and do not necessarily follow the tastes dictated by traditional markets.
I love the advise, tips and narratives shared in this book. I also love the 'Moving On' tips somewhere on page 322. We writers have to make it our business to understand first the business of publishing before ever dreaming of having our books published. This is a very tough and risky business to get into, and that's why the players are very selective. It may have a glamorous veneer to it, as reading and writing books are very snobbish, elitist endeavors (who would find time to read them, when your main concern is to fill up basic human needs?). But praise God, there's nowadays the option of self-publishing & the publishing industry itself has been working hard (but still light years of doing so successfully, perhaps?) to make the internet phenomena work to its advantage. On a personal note, this maybe the route I'll pursue when I get to finally re-write the memoir I wrote (and have to update). Based on what I got from the Zackheims' book, I got a lot of homework to do.
May 7, 2016
Some of the other books in my "Resources for Writers" shelf (The Art of War for Writers and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read) also contain information on publishing and marketing your book, but this one gets special props because it introduced me to the conept of the "Reversion of Rights Clause".
If a publisher lets your book go out of print, the printing and distribution rights revert back to you PROVIDED your contract with them contains the aforementioned clause. That way, the fate of your book ultimately remains in your control. If your book didn't do well under a certain publisher, rather than having to give up, you'd be free to take it to another company or even to try distributing it yourself.
I'm not sure if every writer would want this clause (although I can't imagine why they wouldn't), but anyone considering becoming a professional writer should at least be aware that this exists (and of what they stand to lose by not including it in their contract). You want to be as armed as possible by the time you enter into negotiations.
If a publisher lets your book go out of print, the printing and distribution rights revert back to you PROVIDED your contract with them contains the aforementioned clause. That way, the fate of your book ultimately remains in your control. If your book didn't do well under a certain publisher, rather than having to give up, you'd be free to take it to another company or even to try distributing it yourself.
I'm not sure if every writer would want this clause (although I can't imagine why they wouldn't), but anyone considering becoming a professional writer should at least be aware that this exists (and of what they stand to lose by not including it in their contract). You want to be as armed as possible by the time you enter into negotiations.
April 21, 2009
Getting your Book Published for Dummies is an easy to use reference that will guide you through the publishing industry, introducing you to the key roles and breaking down the various stages of a books development from idea to published product.
Sarah Parsons Zackheim worked in book publishing for nearly a decade before becoming a widely published freelance writer. Adrian Zackheim is Associate Publisher of the General Books Group at HarperCollins Publishers and has also worked as an editor of fiction and non fiction. Their combined experience makes them more than qualified to write this comprehensive guide.
The book is broken down into easy to digest chapters covering; getting started, knocking on the publishers door, preparing the package: Book proposals and query letters that sell, taking it public: A strategic approach to placing your book, Home at last! Negotiation and contract, After the deal is done and the part of tens.
Each section has a humorous cartoon illustrated by Rich Tennant.
Well written and easy to use, Getting your Book Published for Dummies is a reference guide all aspiring authors should have.
Sarah Parsons Zackheim worked in book publishing for nearly a decade before becoming a widely published freelance writer. Adrian Zackheim is Associate Publisher of the General Books Group at HarperCollins Publishers and has also worked as an editor of fiction and non fiction. Their combined experience makes them more than qualified to write this comprehensive guide.
The book is broken down into easy to digest chapters covering; getting started, knocking on the publishers door, preparing the package: Book proposals and query letters that sell, taking it public: A strategic approach to placing your book, Home at last! Negotiation and contract, After the deal is done and the part of tens.
Each section has a humorous cartoon illustrated by Rich Tennant.
Well written and easy to use, Getting your Book Published for Dummies is a reference guide all aspiring authors should have.
April 25, 2016
Nice and comprehensive (as the title suggests, for dummies), there was a great deal of helpful information regarding publishing. Some of it is outdated (especially with the ease of internet publishing) but I found it interesting nonetheless.
June 12, 2009
Some very good information.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews