Publishing Your Story?

Are you thinking of trying to have your work published? Like, the way Twilight is? ;D If so, awesome! This here is a sort of guide that may prove very helpful to you. And I did nothing but put this together, but I may add something in the future once I have experiencenced the publishing process myself, whether by failure or success.

• Figure out which companies publish books similar to yours, in the same genre. Narrow it down to 5-15 of them. You can do this by reading “The Literary Marketplace” or by writing the companies that published similar books.
  
• Get writers’ guidelines for the companies.
  
• Send the whole story for manuscripts, a summary/description for queries.
  
• Create a proposal. It includes a cover letter, your manuscript/query, market research, and a SASE. The cover letter is only one page, and must be interesting. Summarize in it your story in two-three sentences. It should also include information on you: any writing awards or contests you’ve won, work for your school paper or literary magazine, your story’s inspiration, and maybe your hobbies or why you want to be a writer. Your manuscript must be 100% following the writing guidelines, have a title page with your name, address, phone, and e-mail in the right corner, a word and page count in the left, and the title with your name beneath in the center; all in a basic, readable font on 8 1/2 x 11” paper with 1” margins. Have your name, the story title, and the page number on every page. Double-spaced. Market research should be a page titled just that, describing who the audience is, any books that are similar and why yours is better, and include places besides stores that your book could be sold at. his whole part is optional, but very good. SASEs are envelopes with postage and your address for your story to be sent back to you, in case of a rejection. It should be weighed with the manuscript inside to get the correct postage.
  
• For each proposal sent, save a record of what was sent, to whom, when it was sent, the cost to send, the responsive time limit, and the date of response w/any comments. (I’d also keep publisher guidelines and LMP listing with each.)
  
• Don’t call or mail the publishers until the minimum waiting time is over.

Checklist for proposals:

• Cover letter
  
• Market Research
  
• SASE

Manuscript has:

• Title page including my name, address, and phone number
  
• Double-spaced pages, 1” margins, and plain paper and fonts
  
• Been checked for spelling and grammar mistakes.
  
• My name and the manuscript title on each page.

If you get a rejection, don’t be discouraged - that just means that it wasn’t the right story for the publishers. Keep trying!

Nice Shadow! And I'm sure your experience will be a sucsess. You'll already have like 50 people waiting at Barnes&Nobles when it comes out because of WI and TWG! XD

XD Lol, that'd be so awesome to have success . . . *pictures the beautiful picture*

Haha. Btw, I'll be one of the crazy people pitching a tent outside Barnes&Nobles when it comes in! You better be there for me if I ever do. Jk. xD

Awesome. Well, you just make sure you come to the right state. XD Maybe I'll be there. But I'm so gonna try to get myself book signings!

Awesome. Lol, as I keep telling people, I'm going to be the first author that's a hit before they're ever published. XD

Great resources Shadow! One idea- List a few places to send manuscripts too.

Awesomeness, Shad!

Even though none of my stories are finished or even publishing-worthy, I'll save this page.

Yeah, I will once I actually find some myself. XD (I obviously haven't researched this a whole ton.)

Yah. xD

My older cousin, who's 23 and wiked awesome ( plus the only one who knows I want to be an author other than you guys and my mom ) got me a book last year about being an author. There was a section on getting published. It was very confusing.

All I got out of it was that you need to double space. Lol.

Augh. XD I hate double spacing.

Me too.

Drives me nuts.

Why?

It's annoying, I guess. XD

What is the book's name?

Whose book? XD

Kat's book. xD

Oh, okay. XD

Um... no idea. It was actually like, from the 80's. I can try and find it later today, if you want.

That's OK. xD You don't have to.

KK.

Lol, I haven't seen it in months. I lose things alot in my room. One time I couldn't find my guitar case. And trust me, that thing's huge.

I t was in the back of my closet. xD

LOL! xD Yeah, I lose stuff too.

Good! I'm not alone! xD

Yeah. xD Once I lost my story. Thankfully I found it. Whew!