Self Help Publishing Tips

Getting Your Book Published: What You Need to Know About Literary Agents

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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If you are an author who is shopping around for a publisher, you may find the phrase “agented submission only.” What does this mean? This means that the publisher in question will not even look at manuscripts that are sent in directly by the author. Instead, the approach must be made by a professional literary agent.

Since many large, well-known publishers only accept book manuscripts that are sent in by a professional literary agent, you may decide to use the services of one. If so, that will likely be a good choice on your part, but there are some important points that you will first want to take into consideration. Please continue reading on for information that you and all other authors should know about literary agents.

It is first important to know exactly what a literary agent should do for you. A literary agent will essentially submit your book to a publishing company for you. The whole process is just like what you would do at home, but it is different because new doors are opened for you. A professional literary agent is able to submit your book to publishers that wouldn’t even look at it if you submitted it on your own.

As for the benefits of using the services of a professional literary agent, they are experienced in the field. A successful literary agent has spent years, months, or at least weeks researching publishers. They should know what publishers look for, in terms of themes, and they know what publishers don’t want to see. This research allows many professional literary agents to know what publishing houses are likely to accept your book, often within a few minutes of reading it.

If you do decide to use the services of a professional literary agent, it is important to know that you may be screened. This means that a publisher may examine your book and then decide not to represent you. This often occurs for two different reasons. The first being that the publisher tends to specialize in a specific genre, such as children’s books. The second being that your book isn’t good enough. Having a well-known publisher stand behind your book isn’t enough to get it published; therefore, many well-known agents are picky with the clients that they choose to work with.

Speaking of being picky, you should also be careful with the literary agent or agency that you choose to work for. Many experts in the field of book publishing state that having a bad literary agent is actually worse than having no agent at all. This is because many well-known publishers are well aware of literary agents that have poor track records. In fact, some publishers may completely overlook manuscripts that are sent in by a bad agent and you do not want yours to be one of them. That is why you need to carefully find and choose a literary agent, should you wish to use the services of one.

When examining literary agents, examine specialties, success rates, reputation, and so forth. If you truly want to become a successful and well-known author, you should spend just as much time searching for a literary, as you would searching for a publisher. With that said, it is important to remember that there are publishers who will read your manuscripts even if you choose not to use a literary agent.

Getting a Book Published: The Easiest Ways to Find Publishers

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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Are you interested in publishing a book that you just wrote? If you are, one of the next steps you will need to take involves finding publishers to approach. For many new authors, this is the most overwhelming part of the whole process. The good news is that there are multiple ways that you can find publishers to send your book to, but which way is the best?

Before focusing on what ways are the best ways to find publishers, it is important to get a clear cut definition of the word best. In terms of finding publishers, you will want an approach that is easy, time saving, as well as an approach that will produce the best results.

When it comes to doing any sort of research, even research on book publishers, the internet is one of the easiest approaches to take. For that reason, you may be interested in using the interenet to help you find book publishers. When doing so, you will find that you have a number of different options. If you already known of a publisher or two in your genre, consider performing a standard internet search with that publisher’s name. This should lead you to their online website.

Another approach that you can take, when using the internet, is to perform a standard internet search with a generalized phrase. This phrase can include “science fiction publishers,” or whatever your genre is. Your standard internet search will likely lead you to online websites that act as directories for authors seeking information on publishers. These websites are nice, but be cautious of the information that is provided to you. Still visit the online website of a publisher to get as much accurate information as possible.

Speaking of visiting the online website of a book publisher, this is the best way to find the publisher that is the perfect fit for you and your book. Most book publishers have detailed information for authors, including writer’s guidelines and other rules and restrictions. Many publishers also have detailed information on their current books, including pictures and short descriptions. Reviewing this information first can help you determine whether or not your book is what the publisher in question is looking for.

A number of printed resources are also available to help you find information on publishers. One of those resources is the Writer’s Market books. They are developed for a number of different genres, including children’s books. These books outline publishers that accept manuscripts from both agents and authors without agents. Information on guidelines and what is in need is also outlined.

In keeping with printed resources guides, to help you find publishers, you will find that they are very affordable. In fact, the popular Most Writer’s Market books can be purchased for around $20 or less. Although these books are available in most public libraries, purchasing your own copy allows you to write your own notes in the book and highlight important information. The ability to write your own notes and create your own categories helps to simplify the process of finding publishers.

Another easy way that you can go about finding publishers is by using the services of an literary agent. For the standpoint of ease, this is the easiest approach. A literary agent will help you find the perfect publishers for your book and do a large percentage of the research for you. As nice as it is to rely on the professional knowledge, experience, and expertise of a literary agent, their fee may be a turn off. If you intended to submit your own book to publishers, which would only cost you postage, this unexpected fee may be too much.

As you can see, there are a number of easy ways that you can go about finding publishers to help you publish a book. As for which approach is the best for you, it will depend on your own personal preferences. If you feel more comfortable using a computer, the internet is advised and so forth.

Getting a Book Published: How to Find a Literary Agent

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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Are you an author who has a book that you would like to see published? If so, you may want to use the services of a literary agent. Also, if you are an author who has been shopping your book around without success, an agent may be worth examining. Unfortunately, many new authors are unsure as to how they can find and choose literary agents. If you are one of those individuals, you will want to continue reading on.

Before highlighting a few of the many ways that you can go about finding an agent to help you publish a book, it is important to examine the pros and cons of using a literary agent. For starters, if you choose an agent that is well-known or one who has a proven track record, your chances of getting your book published tend to increase. This is because professional literary agents and agencies know where to look. As for the cons or downsides to using a literary agent, their cost is the biggest.

When it comes to finding a literary agent, you will find that you have a number of different options. One of your options is to turn to printed resources. There are a number of books that are available for sale or books that may be found in local libraries that can help you. These books are often how-to guides with information on how to find, approach, and research literary agents. Books that are updated on a yearly basis are likely to include the names, information, and contact numbers of literary agents that accept new clients.

As previously stated, there are a number of guides that you can purchase. One of those guides is the Guide to Literary Agents. This guide is similar to the ever so popular Writer’s Market books. These Guide to Literary Agent books are just a few of the many available for sale; however, they come highly rated and recommended. When buying a literary agent guide, be sure to examine contents. The best guide is one that not only provides you with helpful tips, but also one that gives you the contact information of literary agents that may be able to help you publish a book.

In addition to using a printed guide to help you find a literary agent, you can also use the internet. When using the internet to find a literary agent to help you publish a book, there are a number of different approaches that you can take. For starters, perform a standard internet search. Your search should at least include the phrase “literary agents.” Your standard internet search for literary agents should produce a number of different results. These results should include websites that act as literary agent directories, where multiple literary agents and their contact information is listed. When using this approach, be sure to check for dates, as you will want to make sure that you have updated information.

Another way that you can use the internet to find literary agents involves using business directories. Many of these directories, such as the ones for Yahoo, also work in conjunction with standard internet searches. What you will want to do is choose a location, such as a local location or a well-known location like New York. Then, for the business enter in literary agent. This will likely provide you with the name of individual literary agents or literary agencies, as well as their locations, websites, and telephone numbers.

As highlighted above, there are a number of different ways that you can go about finding literary agents. As easy as it can be to find a literary agent to work with, it is important that you don’t just choose anyone. You need to remember that literary agents have all different experiences and success levels. Be sure to examine rates, quality of work, success rate, and feedback from past and current clients. This will not only help to increase your chances of getting your book published, but it will also prevent you from losing money.

Getting a Book Published: Do You Need an Agent?

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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Are you a writer who would like to get a book published? If you are, you may have heard that you should hire the services of a professional literary agent. Yes, there are a number of benefits to using a professional agent, but is one really needed? You are about to find out.

As for whether or not you use should use the services of a literary agent, there are a number of important factors that you will first want to take into consideration. One of those being your book. Have you already written your book? If you haven’t, you may be at an advantage. For example, you can take the time to first research publishers and what they are looking for. When you are able to tailor what you write to exactly what most publishers are looking for, you are more likely to see success, even without the help of a professional agent.

If you have already written your book, you may still be able to get it published without using the services of a professional agent. What you will want to do, however, is find the publisher or publishers that are the perfect fit for you and your book. This will involve a little bit of research on your part, but it is often a lot cheaper than using a professional literary agent. As for how you should proceed, if you are a science fiction writer, only send your book manuscript to publishing houses that are looking for science fiction books, as opposed to those who are requesting romance novels and so forth.

Although it is possible to get a book published without having a literary agent by your side, there are times where a literary agent is needed. For example, many of the larger, well-known publishing houses do not accept manuscripts from authors who are not working with an agent. If you have your heart set on seeing your book published by a larger, well-known publisher, as opposed to a lesser known, smaller publisher, an agent may be in your best interest. If you do decide not to use a literary agent, just be sure not to send your book to publishers who request that their authors have agents, as this can create a bad image of yourself.

If you do decide to hire the services of a professional literary agent, you will want to proceed with caution. For starters, just about anyone can call themselves a professional, but that doesn’t mean that they are. For your best interest, it is worthwhile to research and examine a number of literary agents before making your decision. Compare costs, quality, and success rates. If you are targeting a specific genre, such the children’s market, try to find publishers that specialize in the field of children’s books.

For the ultimate level of protecting your best interest, examine literary agents who only get paid when your book gets published. In all honesty, these types of literary agents and agencies are few and far in between and many only extend this offer to a limited number of authors, but you do not have to worry about losing money.

As a recap, there is no rule stating that a literary agent is required to get a book published. That doesn’t mean, however, that you cannot benefit from using the services of one.

Getting a Book Published: Common Mistakes You Want to Avoid

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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Do you have a book that you would like to see published? If so, you may be interested in getting started right away. As soon as an author finishes their book, they want to start approaching publishers as soon as possible. While it is more than possible to take this approach, you also want to proceed with caution. There are many common mistakes that new authors make when looking to get a book published. These are not mistakes that you will not want to make.

One mistake that many authors, especially new authors, make is assuming that others will like their book, no matter what. It is important to remember that just because you think that your book will be a bestseller, it doesn’t mean that others will. You do not want to be negative, but it is important not to be overly positive as well. In fact, that is a good reason why you should consider using the services of both an editor and a literary agent. At the very least, consider asking a few close friends or family members for their input. This can serve as a mini focus group for yourself.

Another common mistake that many new authors make, when looking to get a book published, is by assuming that it is easy to do. The reality is that it is quite difficult to get a book published, especially if you are an unpublished author. If you wish to see success, there is a lot of time that must go into your work. Simply writing a book isn’t enough. You need to do the proper amount of editing, proofreading, and so forth. Although it can be very time consuming to get a book published, the reward is more than worth it.

Giving up after the first, second, third, or even forth rejection is another common mistake that many new authors make. It is no secret that rejection hurts. The last thing that any author wants is someone to state that their book isn’t good enough. With that said, a rejection is what you will likely receive. Did you know that many of the most well-known authors today were first greeted with rejection letters? As previously stated, it isn’t easy to get a book published, but do not give up.

One of the biggest mistakes made by authors looking to get their books published is with publishers. Here is where you want to proceed with caution, as your chances of making a costly mistake are very high. Never submit your manuscript to a publisher without first doing the proper amount of research.

Many publishers, especially those that are well-known or large in size, want to do business with authors who have literary agents. With that said, you do not need to have a literary agent to see your book published. However, if you do not use an agent, do not send your manuscript to publishers that do not accept unsolicited manuscripts or those without agents. This will likely result in your work not being looked at and you may also not even receive a reply back.

Speaking of knowing what book publishers want, one mistake that many hopeful authors make is not doing the proper amount of research. Invest in the $20 that it takes to purchase the Writer’s Market guides or other similar resources. They give you detailed information on what publishers accept and from whom. For example, you may already know that Harlequin specializes in romance novels, but you may not know the specialty of other smaller publishers. You do not want to send a romance novel to a publisher that is only seeking science fiction books and so forth.

Another little factor that you will want to take into consideration is something that will not have an impact on a large percentage of writers, but it is still an important point to make. Do you smoke? If you do and in your office, your papers may end up smelling like cigarette smoke. Many publishers have noted this as being a major inconvenience and turnoff.

eBooks: A Great Alterative to Print Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

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Are you a writer who has tried and tried and tried again to get your book published? If you have and if you have only been met with rejection letter after rejection letter, your first impulse may be to give up. The decision to do so is yours to make, but if you do believe that you have a good book on your hands, you may want to consider transforming your book into an eBook instead.

A nice as it is to hear that you can take your book, transform it into an eBook, and sell it, you may be curious as to why you should do so, as well as how. The good news is that creating an eBook is a lot easier than many imagine. In fact, the hardest part of about creating an eBook is writing one and you should already have this step accomplished.

As for the benefits of creating an eBook, it is first important to know what they are. eBooks are defined as electronic or digital books. The materials and stories covered in eBooks are just like printed books; however, the overall format is different.

As for who reads eBooks and how they are read, you will find that it all depends. There are a number of small handheld machines that are used to read eBooks. These components upload an eBook, often through a small connecting cable that is connected through the computer. As popular as this approach is, many eBook reading machines can be costly; therefore, many readers choose to simply just read eBooks from their computer or print them. The most avid readers of eBooks are those who are internet and computer savvy.

The main benefit of transforming your book into an eBook is that the process is easy. In fact, many first time authors are surprised just how easy it is to create an eBook. Although you do have a number of different formatting options, many choose the popular PDF format, as most computers already have free reader programs installed. This means that your buyers will be able to read your eBook right away.

Since all publishers require book manuscripts to be in printed, computer format. There is a good chance that your book is already saved on your computer. What you will want to do is use a program, like Adobe Create a PDF Online. Simply follow the directions and your book will automatically be transformed into a PDF file. As for creating an eBook, this is really the only step that you need to take.

As easy as it is to create an eBook, selling it can be more difficult. The good news, however, is that you do have a number of different options. One of those options to sell your eBook on a third party website. These are websites where a large collection of eBooks are listed for sale and written by different authors. The only downside to this approach is the fact that most third party websites take a small percentage of each sale or they charge a monthly fee.

In keeping with selling an eBook, you also have the option of creating your own website. What you will want to do is create a webpage that offers detailed information about your eBook, such as its title, the basis of your storyline, or what readers will learn if your eBook is a how-to book. This approach is the most cost effective; however, it is important to remember that internet users will not just be able to find your website; you also need to market it as well.

As for accepting payment, many eBook authors use programs like PayPal. If you do choose to create your own website, you can also purchase your own shopping cart software. This should allow you to not only accept payments from PayPal members, but major credit card holders as well.

As a recap, transforming your book into an eBook and selling it online is a nice alternative to print publishing and self-publishing. If you are unable to get your eBook published by a well-known publisher, it is an approach that you will want to examine.

Approaching Book Publishers: The Importance of Creating a System

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:10:00 +0000

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Are you an author who has just completed writing a book? After your book has been written and edited, you may be ready to start approaching publishers. If you are like most authors, there is a good chance that you will send your book manuscript to a number of publishing companies. After all, the more publishers you approach, the better your chance of getting a book published are.

Although sending your book manuscript to a number of publishers is likely to increase your chances of getting your book published, it also increases the chances of confusion and error on your part. If you do not create a system for you to use and record your findings, you may end up making a number of costly and embarrassing mistakes. That is why it is important to know what publishers you have sent your book to, which publishers have responded, what their response was, and so forth.

As it was previously stated, not being organized, when trying to get a book published, can have a number of consequences. One of those consequences is that you could mistakenly send your documents to the same publisher twice. This has the potential to be very embarrassing and you may also, unintentionally, create a bad name for yourself. If a book publisher sends you a rejection letter, you do not want to resend them your book, especially if you didn’t make any changes.

Since it is important for you to create a book publishing system, you may be curious as to how you can go about doing so. The good news is that you do have a number of different options. For starters, it is important to first know what information you should include on your documents. You need to know what publishers you have submitted your manuscript to. You should also include the date that your information was sent out. Next, be sure to have a spot for responses from those publishers. Did you receive a rejection letter, a request for a meeting or more information? Also, record the date of this information.

As for how your information can be arranged, you will find that it all depends on your preference. If you are computer savvy, you can use your computer. You can create a spreadsheet. Be sure to include the information outlined above, including the publisher’s name, the date the information was sent out, the response, as well as the date that response that was received. What is nice about using the computer is that you can easily add information right away. This allows you to keep a continued list going.

As nice as it is to use the computer, some individuals feel more comfortable keeping important information in print. The same approach can and should be taken though. Create a chart for you to use. Be sure to keep it in a well-known place so that you do not accidentally lose your important information. Also, be sure to remember to update every time that you decide to send your book to new publisher or if you receive a response letter.

As you can see, creating a system for yourself that allows you to track publishers that you have sent or intend to send your book to is a lot easier than it originally sounds. As a reminder, there are a number of benefits to staying organized and up-to-date with your information.

Publishing Sites for Self-Publishers

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:36:00 +0000

By: Jay Pascual

As promised, here is a partial list of online on-demand book publishers that service self-publishers like you.

If you are really serious about self-publishing, then you will certainly need the services of on-demand publishing sites. Or, you may already have finished the manuscript of your book. So all you have to do is to submit it to one or several on-demand publishing sites.

I just made a quick random list for you to use. There is no particular order of importance in this list and I'm not promoting the services of the following on-demand publishing sites.

You may try their services or not, it is all up to you. So here they are:

1. AMAZON.COM

Amazon is probably the largest books store on the Internet today. It carries all book genres as well as ebooks. Amazon provides a great channel for self-publishers to sell books and ebooks.

Competition is very high on Amazon simply becasue of the sheer number of books and ebooks available on the site. You will need to promote aggressively if you want your book to sell.

Website: www.amazon.com

2. AWE-STRUCK PUBLISHING

Awe-Struck Publishing has a very impressive website, neat layout, and beautifully designed.

Awe-Struck publishes novels of all genres. So if you have a sci-fi, romance, or adventure novel, then you may want to publish your book at Awe-Struck.

Website: www.awe-struck.net

3. BARNES AND NOBLE

Barnes and Noble is a highly respected publisher. It belongs to the old school of publishing. However, this online bookstore also keeps up with new technology that is why on-demand publishing has become a part of its business.

Website: www.barnesandnoble.com

4. BOOKLOCKER.COM

Book Locker is a long-time online bookstore and on-demand publishing service. It publishes all types of books in PDF format. This is a very straightforward publishing site.

Website: www.booklocker.com

5. LULU.COM

You can publish anything on Lulu. Whether you have a novel, a book of poetry, a photo portfolio, Lulu will publish it for you.

You can even create a commercial calendar on Lulu designed with your own graphics or pictures.

I have a personal experience publishing a book on Lulu. Its publishing wizard and cover creator are very easy to use. Your book will be print ready in less than 15 minutes.

The best thing is, there are no set-up fees at Lulu. You have the option to order your own published book or simply promote it online to get some sales.

Website: www.lulu.com

6. UNIBOOK

Unibook redefined its business approach. In the past, this publishing site charged set up fees for authors.

The new Unibook.Com is now completely free. You can set-up and publish your book here at no cost. Your book will also be included in the Unibook bookstore. This site is perfect for authors with no budget.

Website: www.unibook.com

Personally, I like Lulu and Unibook because there are no costs involved in setting up your book there.

So I hope this list will help in your efforts to self-publish.

Watch out for the next posts, because I will provide free lessons on self-publishing, from brainstorming stage to step by step desktop publishing, cover designing, and other important aspects of self-publishing.

Independent Publishing: Is It Difficult to Self-Publish?

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:16:00 +0000

By: Jay Pascual

Independent publishing is easy as long as you have the right tools for self-publishing.

Most importantly, you need to motivate yourself because as a self-publisher, you will always be tempted to slack-off.

If you used your desktop to publish a flyer, brochure, or a short newsletter before, then you already experienced self-publishing.

However, your aim in serious independent publishing is to produce books, either fiction or non-fiction, and let the world read your works.

So you have to prepare yourself for some real hard work if you want to become a successful independent book publisher.

The minimum requirements you need for independent publishing are the following:

Word Processor
Graphics software
PDF creator
Internet connection

If you have these tools then you can easily start writing your own book.

Of course, you need to look for on demand print and publishing services. You can easily sign up for a self-publishing service and publish your book there.

We will discuss on demand print services on the next posts but for now, the important thing that you should do is to start writing your own book.

To recap, do not be intimidated by self publishing. Just start writing on topics that you love and you are on your way to become an independent publisher.

Watch out for the next topic. We will explore the steps in choosing on demand print and publishing services.

Independent Publishing: What It Means for You

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:26:00 +0000

By: Jay Pascual

Independent publishing is more commonly known as self-publishing. Through independent publishing, you will have the power to publish your own book without relying on third party publishers.

Independent publishing has always been in existence but it became so popular only over the past decade. Thanks to internet technology, you can now take advantage of on demand print and publishing services.

So, even if you are a novice writer, your work can be published without hassles and you can market it independently.

Independent publishing can also be used as a form of self promotion. If your work is really splendid, then you can publish your own book so that big publishers may take notice. If you are lucky, you can get a publishing offer which is really good news for you.

Aside from acting as your doorway to mainstream publishing, independent publishing can be very useful if you want:

to get greater returns from your book sales
to reach only a small number of readers on a very tight market niche
to publish a book for special groups only
to retain full editorial control of your book
to publish a book that is too controversial that no publisher will touch.

Independent publishing is also very cost effective. In fact, you can start to publish your own book at no cost to you. This is a very good deal if you are not yet established and still struggling in the world of book publishing.

Independent publishing therefore can offer lots of benefits for you. Watch out for my next post because I will walk you through the entire process of self publishing.

You can bookmark this site or you can subscribe to my updates so I can give you specific tips and tricks about independent publishing.

To Your Success!

Self Help Publishing Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Pascual) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Welcome to Self Help Publishing Tips. This site will try to answer all your questions about self publishing with theend view that you can become a successful book author and publisher at the same time.

Watch out for our tips in the next posts. To your success!