You have written a book and the time has come to publish it; Apparently this step may seem even more complicated than the first.
Before proceeding with the publication of the book, you must be very sure that it is perfect and then present it to the editors or representatives.
The publication phase of the book requires a lot of patience, research and above all perseverance, all this will be rewarded when you see it printed, here are some tips on how to publish a book.
Get ready
Depending on your type of book, you will need to submit a proposal or a manuscript. If your book is fiction, it is most likely that you will have to write a complete manuscript and if your book is not fiction, you will have to make a solid proposal. Knowing what you have to write will show that you are more professional when you turn in your work, and it will also save you some time. It is common to find that several fiction writers try to publish their book without finishing the manuscript, which generally does not give results, this is only done by writers who are already experts and work with a literary agent, but in the In the case of people who are just starting out in this world, they must have their book 100% finished before proceeding with the publication efforts.
If your book is not fiction, it is important that you first make your book proposal; As an example, if you are writing a sports book you should focus a lot on the proposal and if it is non-fiction, you will have to do several sample chapters and sometimes even a complete manuscript. If you decide on a proposal and want to hire a literary agent directly, skip the steps that we will express below and go directly to “if you want a literary agent or go directly to the publisher”.
Book review
Doing a good book review can be even more difficult than finishing it; Once you’ve finished your draft, proofread it very well so that it’s fairly perfect before you submit it to an editor or agent. You should ensure that the book is quite attractive; it is important that a reader is hooked from the beginning and wants to continue reading it. You must not include words in excess, generally books with more than 100,000 words are not accepted; you must verify that the message will be understood very well; analyze that it is not only clear to you, but to the average reader, although of course, the book can perfectly be written for a specific type of audience.
Seek an opinion
When you finish the book it is very good that you seek an additional opinion to be more sure that it will be ready for publication; You may think that it is already very good, but in general something can be improved; so look for a professional or colleague who is trustworthy to give you the opinion that the book generates, this may help you to avoid being rejected. Do not ask for early opinions, they could lower your spirits, so do it when you think your book is perfect.
New review
After you receive feedback and constructive criticism, review your book again; After making the respective corrections, ask again for an opinion so that in this way you can ensure that you have effectively improved your draft; put your book aside for a period of a month, then pick it up and reread it with another look and see if it actually improved; it corrects its style well, possible punctuation, spelling and grammar errors.
Manuscript preparation
Once you think that your manuscript is ready, you must give it the format that meets the requirements requested by the editors or agents; You can get me to the website to find out what the standards are required. In general, they must be double-spaced, with a 2.5 cm margin both on the right and on the left; use a typeface leaving aside the decorative ones, it can be courir; on the upper right side you must number the pages along with the title of the book and your last name, you must add a cover that contains your email, your phone number, your address (all this towards the left side), then on the half, centered and in sustained capital letter the name of the book and below put your name, written by… and centered at the bottom put the number of words, you can put approximately… to round off.
Decide if you are going to go directly to a publisher or if you are going to ask a literary agent to help you.
Yes, it’s challenging to hire an agent, but it’s even more difficult to go directly to the publisher. Going direct has the benefit of not having to pay an agent, but publishers rely on agents to screen pitches, so it’s a good idea to find an agent.
The help of a literary agent
Market research
Once you have your book ready, start researching the market to find your niche and thus know which area it really corresponds to, then see how to write your book clearly.
Find the agent
You will already know what types of agent you are going to need, now set yourself the task of finding the right one for you, it will be the one who has worked with your material and is enthusiastic about it; so then they must work together to review the book and then sell it to a publisher. You must be sure that this agent has already sold books of the same literary genre.
Write editorial proposal
When you have found your agent, you must make your editorial proposal, it is the best way to introduce yourself to the agent and make him connect with your book, you must give him a short summary. Receiving the news from someone can be delayed, if they allow simultaneous presentations, do it, you just have to wait.
Get the agent
If an agent contacts you, you must sign a contract if they reach an agreement. If the agent liked your work, they will ask you for some chapters as a sample or even all the material; If the agent definitely finds that there is value in the book, he will make you the offer to represent you. Before going to sign the contract you should be very sure that it is the agent you are looking for.
Book review
If the agent likes your work, they will surely have to review the book several times before proceeding to launch it, they may ask you to cut the number of words, change something in the narration, among others; he will be able to ask you some questions.
Book launch
When the agent has already been totally satisfied and you have already prepared a good package, he is the one who will be in charge of taking it to the publishers who are trusted in various companies; this point is no longer within your reach, you just need to hope for luck to be able to sign.
Contract signing
This will include you, the publisher and of course your agent.
Work with the publisher
Once the book is sold, you must sign a contract with the publishing house and continue to review it with the editor until the desired wording is achieved. It will also be decided when and how the book will be launched; You can also discuss the cover.
Book marketing
Once it is clear that your book will be published, work on marketing it, make a website, publish in a magazine, use social networks, literature forums, word of mouth, among others. Everything in your power to make the book known and to increase its sales once it is released will be welcome. You should advertise your book always, not just at the beginning.
Publication of the book directly with the publisher
1. Find the publishers
You will have to enter the different web pages of the publishers and verify if they accept to receive direct proposals or if they only do so through agents, many only receive the works with the last option. Apart from seeing that they accept proposals without a representation, see that they are specialized in your type of literature.
2. The proposal
This does not vary in relation to the proposal that is presented to an agent, you must introduce yourself, your book and submit a summary of your work, if the publisher likes what you have done, they will contact you with you to send all the material.
3. Contract
If the publisher finds that your work is excellent, they will proceed to make you an offer; read the contract carefully and sign it if you agree with the requirements described therein.
4. Revision
You should jointly review the book with your editor, until it is ready to be published.
5. Book marketing
Before its launch you will have to promote it, tell everyone about it, use social networks, forums, etc., create an expectation, once launched you will have to continue marketing.
Important
In the market there are several literary agents that are not reliable, so you should investigate very well before doing any business, and beware, you should not sign a contract with someone who charges you just for reading the work you have done.