So I finished writing my manuscript, I even took enough time off and got back to it with a fresh set of eyes and rewrote the whole thing. Now what?
I was very proud of what I had written, I loved the story, it was inspired by many struggles I crossed in life. I wanted to share my passion, I wanted to share my manuscript with the world. That’s when I started researching publishing. Before sending my manuscript to anyone, I wanted to protect my work. So to keep my mind at ease, I registered the manuscript at the US library of congress, it cost me around 60$
There are two routes to get your book published:
Traditional publishing:
That’s when you go through a publishing house. Most, if not all publishing houses only accept solicitations from agents. So your first order of business is to look for an agent who’d represent you and send out queries. You want an agent you connect with. Someone who understands your work and passion, someone honest who holds your interest at heart. So you have to do a lot of research and put together a list of agents whose work resonate with you. Be sure that the genre of your work aligns with what the agent is looking for. Querying several agents at once is frowned upon, so you have to query the names on your list one after the other. Only after an agent turns your manuscript down can you send to another, unless the agent is unresponsive. Waiting time differs based on the agent you’re querying. Agents tend to get a lot of queries so they have a lot of manuscripts to go though before getting to yours. I will not go into the details of the querying process, but usually agents put out instructions on what they’d like to receive from you.
You found agent and signed an agreement! Someone who likes your work, has good work ethics and is excited to get your manuscript out there. The agent will send your manuscript to publishing houses and you’ll have to wait until someone finds interest. When they do, and you also sign an agreement with a publisher, they might rip your manuscript to pieces through their editors. They could change character names, change things with the plot, anything they find fit to turn your manuscript into something commercially viable. At the end of the day, a publisher needs to be making money off your book, and they have extensive market studies to know what stories sell most and how.
The process I described in 300 words can take 3 years to materialize. It could take you a year to find an agent, another year for him to find you a publisher, and then, when you’re done working with the editors to finalize the book, it might take 2 years to see it published depending on the publisher’s books waiting list and market strategy. Your book could also be shelved and never see the light of day.
The traditional publishing route is one that is lined with rejections, requires a strong stomach and much patience. But you get to be in rather safe hands. A publisher has experience with the market, his marketing tools and strategies will be at your hands and he will incur all the costs and risks.
Self-Publishing:
With the rise of the internet, ease of access, and online publishing platforms, many writers choose to self-publish their work. If you think self-publishing is the easy road, that you can avoid rejections and waiting, you are in for a surprise.
When you go down the self-publishing road, you assume the responsibilities of a writer and a publisher. You assume all the costs and risks entailed in the business. Sure you can just publish your first manuscript with a click of a button, but that will most probably result in failure. All the hours you’ve put in to write, will be gone to waist. Your book is competing with millions of others out there, how will it stand out?
You need to make sure your book is up to standard. You want to bring value to readers, transcend their experience. And it all starts with the manuscript.
Look for editors. Like the search for an agent, you need to find an editor you can connect with. Someone who understands your work, and has experience in your genre. There are several stages in editing: developmental edit, structural edit, copyedit and proofreading. I will not go through them in detail, but you need all stages (maybe not developmental edit depending on how strong your plot is and how early in the writing process you are). Hiring the right editors is crucial, for they can help you transform your manuscript and really make it shine. Make a list of editors you’d be interested in working with and send out queries. Here you can send several queries simultaneously and see who’d be the best match. I sent out one query, maybe for more dramatic effect, and I was lucky enough to land on my first pick, the amazing Susan Forest.
Working with an editor needs a lot of guts. You have to swallow your pride when you receive a manuscript lined with red, open your heart and mind for criticism, learn from the process and evolve. There may be times when you’d think you suck, but please don’t give in, don’t give up. If you are passionate enough about writing, it doesn’t matter. When you get past the initial feeling of dread, you’ll find yourself craving for more criticism. Every red mark would be an opportunity to grow your craft. Along with a strong stomach, you’ll need patience. The editing stages can take well over a year to complete, and it’s brutal to dissect your work. You’ll see costs rising with no promise of return.
You finished the editing process, you have a solid manuscript, the words are well crafted, your plot is exciting, and you are eager to publish. But you’re not there yet. There are more to books than just the written words. First you need to set up the layout. You could do it yourself with the tools available today, or you can hire a professional. I like to hire professionals. Their years of experience translate well on the page and they can deliver a superior custom product that will help enhance your readers’ experience.
Next you want to design your book cover. You want a design that fits with the industry and the readers’ expectations, represents your content, and stands out in a book lineup. There are many artists who would be willing to design your cover, finding the right one can be tricky. Keep in mind that almost no one is going to have the patience to read your entire book to figure out what to illustrate, and definitely no one will understand the work better than you. So you have to set the proper guidelines for their work.
At last after having spent so much, you have a book fit to print and distribute or publish as e-book (maybe even turn to audiobook, why not expand your target audience, and it’s exciting working with narrators). But who will buy it? Why would anyone spend their hard earned money to buy your book when there are so many others out there? How will you be visible among giants in the industry?
You need to reach out to readers. Put yourself out there, and get them to know you. You have to build and develop your writer identity. Selling you book is not about making money or becoming rich. It’s about sharing your passion, getting to wake up every morning excited for the day to unfold. It’s about chasing the next story, the next chapter, the next word and sharing it with the world. It’s about connecting and creating experiences. It’s about building communities. It’s about enjoying the process, and loving the journey.
For more info and tools on how to self-publish check out ingramspark.com I found their free workshops and tools quite helpful.