Getting Published
Feel baffled by the publishing industry?
You're not alone - the industry is hard for an outsider to navigate. Our advice pages help with the basics, but they can’t be comprehensive ... so we decided to write a book as well.
That book is Getting Published, and it covers:
- How to tell if your MS is ready for submission
- Whether to approach agents or publishers
- How to select agents
- How to present your MS
- How to write a synopsis
- The does and don’ts of covering letters
- How to interpret feedback from agents
- What agents do, and how to select the right agent for you
- And very much more
If you're the sort that likes to squeeze the melon before you buy it, then check out the links below to see a number of sample extracts. Or just go ahead and buy it.
| Financial considerations | How much can you expect to sell your book for? A rough guide |
| Are you ready? | Is your manuscript ready to be marketed? No, but really? |
| How to choose an editorial consultant? | You might not need one - but if you do, then which one? |
| Who needs an agent? | You do, most likely, but here's a handy guide. |
| Covering letters: what not to do | There are lots of things not to do in your covering letter, but here's a quick guide to some of them. |
| How many agents should you approach? | An eternal question. |
| What Agents Do | Yes, what do they do? |
| Getting an Offer | You've got an offer! From a publisher! Hooray ... and what to do after getting up off the floor. |
| The Advance | A short guide to a knotty issue |
| Libel | The easy route to bankruptcy. |
| The Author-Publisher Relationship | A very simple matter this. No tricky issues arising whatsoever. Child's play. |
| How to work with your editor's comments | The traditional way is via screaming tantrums, of course. But there are alternatives. |
| Ta-daa! - some thoughts on cover design | The ta-daa! moment and how to navigate it. |
| Writing blurb | Not always your job, but it might be. |
| Self-publishing: snakes and saints | There are good self-publishing companies and not so good ones. You choose. |
| Second novel blues: a cautionary tale | Maybe not something to worry about just yet, but it's nice to know that you won't be running out of anxieties any time soon. |
| We also enlisted a number of outside experts to contribute to the book. You can read some of their contributions below. | |
| Wise thoughts, and well worth a read. | |
| Jenny was the commissioning editor for Getting Published, and what she don't know ain't worth knowing. | |
| Outstanding advice from one of the best pros in the business. | |
| You don't need to read this. Your book will just sell itself. | |
