I am currently writing a book, and I am interested in submitting it to a publisher to be reviewed to see if it is worthy of being published. What are the usual steps in trying to have the best chance. I just have the amateur edited edition... what are the steps? Should I get it professionally edited first etc>>

Any inpput, prior experiences would be helpful... I am not interested in vanity publishing, I feel if the experts do not think my book should be mass printed and sold I am not interested in the expense etc...

Thank you

You have to get an agent. Serious publishers won't accept direct submissions. Barnes and Nobles has a magazine that is directed towards aspiring writers and there was information that included agent contacts, etc.

I'm sure there are websites for new writers as well. My sister is published and is on her 3rd agent. Some are better than others. Good Luck!

Hi, slc258!

How you would publish it would depend on what sort of scale of publication that you would want to do, large amounts of books or small amounts of books.

If you would like to publish it in large amounts, then I would recommend getting an agent, as has already been mentioned, who would then present your books, in professional ways, to publishers. Publishers won't be as likely to even look at your work unless you are represented by an agent because they get so many works submitted to them.

If you would like to self-publish, then you might want to have a look at what can be done by using Lulu and CreateSpace. It's my understanding that they will also have some resources for you concerning marketing and other things.

I wish you the best!

Thanks!

And I was listening to the radio over the holidays it was telling how some of the more famous books we know were turned down 8 or 9 times before someone would publish them

Yes, you might have to persevere in your publishing attempts. But, don't give up!

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slc258 agrees: great.. thanks for response... I will look into agents... Has your sister told you how expensive they are?

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A reputable agent won't cost you anything up front. They take their fees from contracts made. Generally 15 to 20%. Don't sign a long term contract. Stick with 6 months or a year to start to make sure you are a good match and that they are working in your best interest. Good Luck!

It depends on the book. I'm assuming you are writing a book in a genre you are familiar with, so you will know the publishers that work in that area. Many are reluctant to take on fiction from an unknown, unless you have a lot of experience in other areas (journalism, for instance) but non-fiction makes up 70% of the publishing market and is easier to sell.

Edit and polish and repolish your work. Make sure it is properly punctuated, all the spelling is correct, the research is right and the presentation is what the editor expects. Ring and ask if you don't know. By all means, get feedback from friends and writing groups etc, but in the end, you should do the work of editing and polishing.