I've recently been toying with the idea of seriously trying to publish a story. I don't know if I will or not (at least for now), but I was wondering you all had any information/ideas/resources for a girl who has very little to absolutely no idea as to what goes into publishing.

I'll be watching this thread. I'm interested to hear what will be said.

*is also clueless about publishing*

Are you looking into traditional publishing or self-publishing? I have information on the latter but not the former.

If you want to have the story published in a magazine, here's an article I wrote about submitting to magazines that might help: http://jonathangarner.blogspot.com/2011 ... ering.html

Aubrey- Both. I'm open to any path of publishing.

Jonathan- I shall look into that. Thanks!

Most of my publishing links are stuck on my old computer, but here is one I know has tons of publishing information, both traditional and self publishing. I don't look at it nearly as much as I should.
http://michaelhyatt.com/category/publishing

If you have any specific questions about self-publishing, you can PM me. I've been publishing my books for 5 years, and that experience includes lots of trial and error.

One thing I can say, if you decide to self-publish, I wouldn't recommend going with any self-publishing company that has publishing packages (editing, cover design, etc.) that you pay for. In my experience, it just isn't worth the money. Learning how to do it yourself is definitely the best course of action.

Now, to go with traditional publishing, I'd recommend trying to get an agent. It's not likely you'll get picked up by any large publishing house without one. Here is a blog post of mine with links on where you can find Christian literary agents to contact.
http://mollyevangeline.blogspot.com/2010/12/literary-agents-for-christian-fiction.html
Here also is another of my posts with links to sites about writing query letters (bleh ), which is how you would have to approach an agent.
http://mollyevangeline.blogspot.com/2010/12/helpful-links-for-writing-query-letter.html

Ah, where to start? I'll second Makilien's offer - if you have any specific questions, post 'em or PM me. Obviously I'm not as experienced as she is, but whatever I've learned I'm happy to share.

For the moment I'll just summarize my impression about self-publishing. The key word in self-publishing is "self." You, the author. When you self-publish, everything depends on you.

You do the planning. You pay the expenses. You make it happen. It's extra work, and it will cost you (though it doesn't have to cost much! You can self-publish on a budget). But you control everything, and you don't have to wait for anyone but yourself.

Traditional publishing comes with benefits because the publisher takes a lot of burden from you in terms of production. (Though I've heard you still have to do a lot of your own promotion.) However, that means you are waiting on a publisher. You have to convince them to take you on, and then you're waiting on their schedule.

Whether or not self-publishing is right for you depends on your goals for writing and your personality. If you have gumption to succeed all on your own, go for self-publishing! If you want to go the slower but more official route of traditional publishing, stick it out. Either way, you can do it.

Here's an article where I detailed my reasons for self-publishing, and why it was right for me and the type of book I had: http://coffeeshopdaily.wordpress.com/20 ... -yourself/

Thanks for the information, all!

'Price'-wise, which do you all think costs less?

With traditional publishing, the publishing house covers the price. Apparently that's part of the reason they keep so much of the royalty since they're the ones taking the risk and covering the cost. The advantage of this is that professional editing and book design are all covered.

Self-publishing can be expensive, but like Aubrey said, you can self-publish on a budget. Each one of my books cost me no more than about $50 to publish. But that's with doing everything myself and recruiting the help of friends. The price can get much higher if you hire someone to do formatting, cover design, etc. That's why I don't recommend an actual self-publishing company. They are extremely pricey and aren't worth it in the end.

I think you'll end up putting out money for marketing either way. But, like self-publishing, that's another thing you can do on a budget.

I don't know much about self-publishing, but I know some great resources for teen writers with magazines and websites. Also if you are looking to publilsh the traditional way "The Christian Writer's Market Guide" would be a great way to find out about how to publish novels, poems, short stories, etc.

I've learned quite a bit about the process of publishing a novel, and if you have any questions about it, feel free to PM me. I like PMs.

This may be slightly off topic, but I've been watching this thread and wondering about it. Have any of you heard of Snowfall Press? I've wondered about it, not like I'm anywhere near publishing, but it seems like a good place. Just wondering if anyone else has heard of it.

I see. So, what kind of costs are included (that I would have to pay), if any, with traditional publishing?

How do self-publishing companies work?

While there are tons of "extras" that you can pay for when you self-publish, in my personal experience the essentials are - cover design, copyrighting, and printing costs (if you choose to offer print editions). I don't have a good sense of design, so I hired another HWer to do my cover, so that cost. I did my own interior formatting, and my illustrator worked for free, so neither of those cost. I chose to file the copyright of my book for security and professionalism, which cost $35, but that is also optional. Lastly, if you choose to offer print editions, you'll need to pay at least for proofs, plus the cost of ordering copies if you choose to sell copies by hand.

Thanks, Aubrey!

What are some of the aspects of traditional publishing that I will be able to choose? (Like the cover, for example)

That would depend on your contract with the publisher, I would guess. Some times the author doesn't have rights to choose things like that; the publisher decides. However, having not gone through traditional publishing, I wouldn't know what was standard.

I've never been published, traditionally or on my own, so I don't know the answers to all your questions... but this blog has a lot of great advice on publishing, especially when it comes to getting an agent: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

The guy who owns the blog is a published children's author, and a former literary agent.

Aubrey- I see. I'll have to keep that in mind.

Raven- *Loves blogs* Cool, thanks!

So when the book is completely written (and maybe edited once or twice, depending on how far you want to go) what's the whole process, for traditional and on my own? Just the general outline?

And are booksignings/tours required, or just an optional thing?

With self-publishing, the first step is to get the text completely ready for publishing. Send it to some test-readers, revise, line-edit, whatever it needs. When it's completely ready to go, you publish! If you want to register the book for copyright, I would recommend doing it before you publish. It's cheaper and easier to copyright an unpublished work because you can file electronically for only $35.

For publishing an ebook, you'll want to...

a) pick an ebook distribution site
b) read up on the site's process
c) format the ebook file and cover file to the site's specifications
d) upload the ebook with the cover to the site
e) wait for the file to be approved, and viola!

For publishing a print book, you'll want to...

a) pick a print on demand service
b) read up on the site's process
c) format the book file and the cover file to the site's specifications
d) upload the book and the cover to the site
e) order a proof, check it, and tweak the formatting as necessary
f) when your proof looks good, approve the book and list it, then order copies if desired.

It varies a little depending on what site you use, but that's the basic process. After that, pretty much all that's left is promoting! You have to get word out about your book so it can sell. You can do that any way you want. Tours and book signings are only one possibility.

Cool. Is publishing as an e-Book easier than print? If I were (was?) going to publish, I would want to publish in print, so people (relatives especially) who don't use a reader can purchase a copy.

Ebooks are easier to format and upload than a print book. You don't have to format each page, and you don't have to create a full cover (front and back). You also don't have to order a proof copy for ebooks.

I always do both versions. I sell the most of ebooks because I have them listed much cheaper than the print books, but as you mentioned, some people don't have e-readers and others just like reading print books (like me).

I like print books too. Which is why I'm ordering a print copy of Red Rain even though I have already read the ebook. Favorite books deserve a place on my bookshelf.

*smiles at Azlyn*

Formatting print books takes more effort, and there is the added cost of proofs and back cover/spine design. However, it is not excessive.

CreateSpace seems to be a good self publishing option. There are no set up fees, the step by step process is easy to follow, and there is the option to have it listed on Amazon for no extra cost. Publishing a paper-back book with 78 pages cost me about $5.25, which is the cost of a proof copy. (No, I'm not published yet, but I will be very soon.) If you have any questions about Createspace, feel free to PM me.

~ZA

I use CreateSpace too. Highly recommend it. I wouldn't use anything else, except for Lightning Source, but I'm not up for putting out the money for that yet. (Set up and making changes is a lot more expensive.)

Seconding CreateSpace. I've only been able to use them once, but it was a pleasant experience and the quality of their paperbacks is very good.

I'll have to look into Createspace, then. If you all think it's good, I'm sure it's worth exploring.

What traditional publishing houses would you all recomend? I think I'm getting a little closer to figuring out which way to go (then it's on to figuring out what exactly to publish )

Well, there are the big ones: Harvest House, Bethany House, Zondervan, Barbour, Abingdon, etc. Just about anyone would love to get into one of them. The problem is, most if not all won't take a look at your manuscript unless it is represented by an agent. Now, there is AMG Publishers. They publish Christian fantasy (they've published Bryan Davis and Wayne Thomas Batson) and do accept query letters from unrepresented authors. This was where I was thinking of going before I made the definite decision I wanted to be an indie publisher. Here is their guidelines PDF: http://www.amgpublishers.com/main/pdf/Prospective_Author_Guidelines.pdf Definitely worth a look.

Besides that, there is an unbelievable amount of small presses. These can be either good or bad (like self-publishing companies), so a lot of research is needed. I recommend http://www.oaktara.com/. That is another avenue I was seriously considering at one point. The only thing I have to say against them is their books are priced way too high. That doesn't help sales.

Having done extensive research on this, I would like to recommend looking into a Literary Agent, Aris, if you plan on traditionally publishing. Feel free to pm me and I can give you some info, if you would like.

Makilien- Thanks. I think I've only heard of one of those. I'll have to delve deeper.

Airianna- Thanks. Does a literary agents find a publishing house for you, or do you request (once he/she has agreed to help you) a publishing house for him/her to go to?

Another question about agents: (This may sound a little silly) The agent more or less works as a representative for me, so I would, for instance, have him/her tell the house what I'd like to see in, say, the cover, or would he tell them, then run it through me afterward?

An Agent will know, much better than the author, who will want you book. It is their job to know people in the publishing industry. So you could certainly suggest houses you'd like for he/she to look into, after all, this is a partnership, but the reality is that they will know best how to place your type of story.

Cover design is entirely dependent upon who you publish with. Some publishing houses have it in their contract that authors basically have no say in their cover. It is up to their marketing team. Other publishing houses encourage the author's input. How active you are in this process depends upon the understanding you and your agent have.

Another question: What publishing house would be best for a first-time author?

Whichever one accepts unsolicited manuscripts similar to your book.

Do your research. First you need to find publishing houses that publish the kind of book you wrote. I've heard that one thing agents and publishing companies find really annoying is an author that submits a manuscript that obviously doesn't fit with their focus. Look up what kind of books they publish; request their catalog of recent publications if you can; read the submission guidelines. Find a house that really fits with the genre and target audience of your book.

Then weed out the houses that don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. (Unless you're getting an agent, which is a different process.) A lot of houses won't take a manuscript sent from an unrepresented author, so you can skip those.

Anything that remains after you've done all your research and weeded out all the houses that don't fit is probably worth a shot, IMO!

Cool. (I don't know why, but that sounds fun )

So, when I submit my manuscript, to either an agent or a publishing house, do I send them one at a time? Or do I multiple to different places?

That is your choice. Both are acceptable methods. However, if you decide to submit to multiple people at once, check the guidelines of the people you are submitting to - some houses and agents don't like to receive "simultaneous submissions," I think it's called. Some people also mention in the query letter that they've sent the submission to multiple places at once, although I don't know if that's standard.

*hopes someone who has extensively researched traditional publishing can give a more conclusive answer*

You are expected, as a general rule, not to put all your eggs in one basket. It is assumed that you will send your manuscript or queries to multiple people (10-12 is typical). However, there are places that specifically ask you not to, that way if they like it, they don't have competition.

You have to look at what the individual houses want, but as a general rule, yes, you send to multiple people. If it's not specified then that means they don't care.

OK. So, what happens if a company over that way accepts the manuscript, but then the company over yonder accepts it too?

I've heard for that reason it's best to just send it to one at a time.

Then you, as the author, make the best decision for the manuscript.

This is a business, guys. You have to be professional and you have to remember that you are the author. You are not working for the publishing company, they are working for you.

Publishing companies have incentive to get back to you as soon as possible, due to the fact that you could end up choosing someone else.

This is why I am not as interested in small house publishers who want you to exclusively send your manuscript to them for them to take up to 6 months before they say "No, we don't want it". They have much less incentive to work for you in a timely fashion.

Remember, this is about your book, not them.

I was perusing QueryShark the other day, and I came across the advice to not submit to publishers and agents at the same time. This inhibits your agent once you find one, because then if your manuscript has been denied, they can't really go back and say, "I know you refused this, but maybe if you want to take another look...." If you want to get an agent, submit to those exclusively until you get one, and then the agent that you make a contract with can submit it to publishing houses for you.

Haha, so I should send them one at a time to people who don't care if I send it to multiple, then they would think I've sent it to others, and get back to me quickly!

Airi- That is a very good point. Thank you for that.

I went through some links on Go Teen Writers and Rachel Coker's blog to dig up some stuff I had read about query letters and book proposals and things that you guys might find informative. Some might already know this, but I found it helpful; so I thought I would post it anyway.

Basic things to make sure you are ready to send out queries.

8 Tips for Query Letters.

Five things NOT to do with query letters.

'Do's and 'don't's of query letters.

*Gobbles up links*

How much would travel be connected to publishing? (Book tours, etc.) Or as that an optional thing? Or not even up to me?

If you self-publish, it's all up to you. Not sure how it works in traditional publishing.

As far as I can tell, publishing houses are leaving more and more of the marketing to the authors, unless you're a J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins. One book I read said they aren't likely to invest in a book tour unless they're sure you can draw a crowd.

But don't quote me on that... I've only looked into it a little bit.

This is an excellent point.

You are welcome, Aris.

Marketing is very important, whether you self publish or traditionally publish. The more you are in the public eye and "mingle amidst the people", the more fans you will create. It is key to success. So travel is a wise consideration, whichever way you publish.

For a first go-around, should I find an agent? Or go off without one, then for following books (if any) should I snag one?

For self-publishing, where do you obtain print-versions of your book, if you're not using a self-publishing company/house? And how easy is it to obtain them to send them to readers?

An agent is very useful if you are going to go down the journey of traditionally publish. They are sort of like the guide with the map. They understand contracting, they understand the ins and outs of negotiation; what's reasonable, what isn't (remember, they only get paid when you do, and their pay is higher if they get you the best deal, so they really are working for you, because working for you works for them). They know publishers who would be interested in your work, so you waste less time because you are not sending manuscripts to publishers who aren't interested in your type of story. Plus, publishing houses put agents at the front of the line because if an agent is bring them a book, it means, in their mind, the manuscript is more likely to be good than the 200 pile stack of individually solicited manuscripts on their desk (this is not always true, cause some rotten books do get published, but in theory it makes sense).

Obviously if you understand the process and are confident in your knowledge and ability to negotiate your way through this tricky industry then you don’t need an agent. However, I think many writers make much better writers than they do agents. After all, their job is to write the story. The Agent’s job is to make sure the story gets where it needs to get for the world to read.

Depends on what you are looking for, though.

Another reason an agent is really nice to have is that they will actually pitch your book to different publishing houses. They'll bring your work to the forefront, instead of it being buried in a never-ending slush pile.

Ah, OK. I think I'll find an agent. *Is very sure she has neither the knowledge nor the ability to maneuver through publishing* And if the agent has the map, going alone...