This is a very quick and nasty guide to publication for those who are completely clueless about the publishing process. We’ll look at short stories, novels and non fiction respectively, then I’ll clarify some terms for those who are now vastly confused. Even if you are only interested in something specific, I suggest you read this entire article, as it’s written to be read as a whole.

It’s important to remember publishing in any area is a business. For whatever reason that you want to be published, they want to make money selling great books (or magazines). Proper grammar and spelling are vital when trying to sell all stories, novels, books etc as it costs publishers, agents, magazines, whoever money to have them edited – and they’re not going to buy anything if you are costing them more than you’re making them.

SHORT STORIES:

To sell short stories you need to first complete and edit the story fully. Then it’s a reasonably simple process of seeking out magazines who publish short stories in your genre and checking their submission guidelines. They may want you to sent a query letter, they may want you to send a partial or they may simply want the full story with a cover letter. I’ll explain queries, partials and cover letters at the end.

NOVELS:

Novels are much the same as short stories. First you must write the entire book and edit it completely until it is AS PERFECT as you can make it. Then, it is advisable you seek an agent. Querying agents is much like querying magazines. You look them up, see what genres they handle and what their submission guidelines are. Typically they will ask for a query first. If they like the query, they request a partial and if they like the partial, they request the whole novel. If they like THAT they offer you representation.

Good agents never charge you any kind of fee. They make their money when they SELL the novel to a publishing house and take a percentage of your earnings. Typically around 15%. They will also charge you a housekeeping fee for the money they spent on paper, phone calls and stamps on your behalf – this also comes out of your earnings. This would typically not be any more expensive than $300.

Agents sell your work to acquisition editors working at a publishing house and do all the work regarding your contract with said publishing house. They may also hold an auction with several editors at several publishing houses to get more money – after all, the more you get, the more they get.

NON FICTION:

Publishing non fiction (cooking books, self help books, etc) follows much the same path; however you do not have to write the whole book first. You do need to write several chapters and completely plan out the book, so that when you sent the partial the agent can see exactly what they book will look like. In non fiction, your focus of your sales pitch is not the plot of the story, but how YOU will be able to promote the book. Are you a world famous chef selling a cooking book? Generally being world famous in something helps if you’re trying to sell non fiction and it’s honestly not my area.

QUERY LETTERS:

Query letters are deceptively simple in their layout, for they are exceptionally hard to write and one of the most important parts of the publishing process for a writer. They are the first thing an agent or editor sees and they are the easiest part for them to say no to. They have to be perfect and brilliant and near divine. So they give most writers, myself included, the complete horrors.

When writing a query letter, the process is as follows:

Follow proper businesslike letter format.

Get the agent or editors name right.

The first paragraph is an introduction. You say you are seeking representation for your novel or story. You give the title of the novel, the genre, the word count and it’s wise to state that it is complete.

The second paragraph is a blurb, much like those on the back cover of novels, which summarizes the plot.

The third paragraph introduces you. You list any previous publications you’ve had and say something relevant about yourself in relation to the novel. Do not talk about pets, children, husbands or your job – unless you wrote about a police officer who marries a billionaire and you ARE a police officer who married a billionaire.

Then you list your contact details. That’s it. Three paragraphs – and they all need to fit on ONE page. Two pages are too long for a query letter. Painful, huh?

The only exception to these rules is if your last novel was a best seller. Then you open with that, instead of information about the new novel. Also note you can not lie about ANYTHING in a query letter. The agent will find out then even if they accepted you, they will ditch you. Agents do not love liars.

PARTIALS:

Partials, after the horror of query letters, are positively dreamy. They are, quite simply, a cover letter stating what you are sending (name, word count, genre) and why (they asked for a partial on DATE), a two page synopsis of the novel and yes you have to give away the ending and three chapters of the book. If it is fiction, it is the first three chapters, if it is non fiction; it is any three chapters you like.

And that is the quick and nasty guide to publication. Questions?

 

Copyright Talitha Mitchell. 2007.