There are three options for publishing your manuscript. They all have pros and cons. You have to ask yourself how much work, money and time you’re willing to invest. That will help you to determine which option works best for you.
Traditional Publishing- With Traditional publishing, a manuscript can take years to become a book. After you finish writing and editing your work, you will need to complete a query letter or proposal to submit to a publishing house or literary agent. I highly recommend that you pursue the agent, as many publishing houses will not accept unsolicited manuscripts unless they are referred through a literary agency. This process could take years accompanied by many rejection letters. Once your book is accepted by a publishing house, the actual process of producing your book takes at least another year. You are also giving up some control when you sign on with a publishing house. An overzealous editor could rip your manuscript to shreds leaving it unrecognizable.
That was the negative part of traditional publishing but there are benefits as well. In traditional publishing you are paid in advance, ranging from small sums to seven-digit figures. Also the publishing house does all of the work for you. Your only responsibility is to produce a viable manuscript. They have the experience, knowledge and resources to vigorously promote your work.
Self Publishing -With self publishing you could have a book in your hands in 6 months. If you go with the e-book you could have a book out in weeks. You do have to pay for these options, which raises the issue of money. Also there is significant work involved. Besides being the author, you will have to add to your title: editor, proofreader, typesetter, graphic designer, cover artist, print manager, e-book formatter, legal service manager, distribution manager, delivery boy, salesperson, promotor and PR. I think you get the picture.
Assisted self-publishing – Assisted publishing provides you with the positives of self-publishing without all of the work but it comes with a price. You are in effect hiring a contractor to do the work for you. One of the more reputable businesses that provide this service is Westbow Press. They offer different packages depending on how much work you would like them to do. You can also go to (Author Solutions) Self-Publishing Companies to find other options.
-Jan R
You may be a natural. Maybe you studied Creative Writing or English Composition in College. Don’t use that degree as a crutch or allow it to lull you into a false sense of security.
really enjoy reading Jerry Jenkin’s blog. Some of you may know him and others may not. He has published more novels than any author in history and was the co-author of the Left Behind series. Needless to say, he knows what he is talking about and is more than willing to share that with you, me, or anyone who chooses to visit his site.
If all you want to do is write, go for it. You don’t have to get permission or a license. All you need is a pencil and paper or maybe a computer depending on how serious you take your endeavor. If writing a novel is a future goal then this is one way to hone your skills. Many professionals recommend that you start out small. You could write an article for the local paper or a magazine, and even consider a blog. This not only improves your writing skills, but it also builds up the resume that you will need later when approaching an agent/publisher.
Being a first time Author, I had no idea how complex the editing process was. My idea of editing included spell check, making sure punctuation was used appropriately, and everything was in the right tense(past, present…).
Yes!!!!!! Especially if this is your first book. If you have already written a best seller, your agent and editor may cut you some slack, if not, that book better be pretty close to perfect or nobody is going to look at it. I know you’ve heard this before if you’ve done any type of research, but agents receive hundreds of queries a week. They don’t have time to read everyone. If your manuscript is full of grammatical and structural errors, that’s all the excuse they need to toss it to the side and move on to the next one.
So you’ve spent the last year or so writing your first novel. It may be a great story but it want even make it to first base if it’s poorly written. Great stories with a significant number of structural and grammatical errors get tossed to the side everyday. How’s your dialogue? Does it move your story forward or just sit like a rock slowing things down and encouraging the reader to skip it completely. What about your platform? Do you have one? Great manuscripts of first time authors get pushed to the side everyday because the aspiring author doesn’t have a solid platform.
Writing your first novel-Things you should know 