How do you publish a book?

Question

im 16 and want to publish im just wondering how and can do this really???

Answer 1

First, write the book.

Then, edit the book.

Then, edit the book.

Then, put the book away for 2 months and don't look at it.

then, EDIT the book.

Then, you need to get a writer's market, find an agent, and query that agent.

Type this same question into the search bar, and you'll find many questions and answers that can help you. You can also go to fictionfactor.com, which I have found to be helpful in the past.

Answer 2

First off, you need to write and rewrite the book a plethora of times. Publishing has gotten a lot tighter nowadays, so a lot of people are vying for the very position you want.

Look on my profile. I recommend plenty of books on writing for aspiring authors that you should take a look at.

Once you got all that jazz out of the way, it's wise to find a literary agent because they will help you negotiate contracts, get more money, and get with better publishing companies. You have to write a query letter to them, however, which is the pitch for your book, so you need to study those. I recommend absolutewrite.com and writersdigest.com for that kind of stuff. Also, you need to learn how to write a decent synopsis. Again, those two sites are your ticket. And writing a cover letter wouldn't hurt either.

Now, for agents. There are a plethora of advantages to searching for a literary agent. More and more publishing companies are requiring them because more and mor people are submitting slush for publishing. Publishers are getting so overloaded with garbage now that they'll only accept something that has been looked at before by professional eyes, which is exactly what a literary agent does. Now, getting one isn't necessarily easy. Remember, your query letter has to be able to hook the agent within the first sentence because they get about 400 query letters a month and may only accept one out of the entire thing depending on how busy they are.

And once you get an agent, don't assume it will be easier from there. There have been plenty of people rejected through literary agents before. You just have to keep strong with them. And just because you get an agent does not meant that that agent is right for you. You may have to go through several agents before you find the right one. Get yourself a copy of Agent's Market. It contains a list of reputable publishers. Also, use Preditors and Editors. There are literary agents out there who will rip you off. If they ask for money of any sorts, do not accept them. They are frauds. Trying to get published should not cost any money unless you self-publishing, and I recommend self-publishing as a last resort.

Now, onto self-publishing. Although it should be a last resort, several books have been successfully sold, and actually published. The Celestine Prophecy is one such book, but the author had to go around on a tour selling it, and he had to sell 100,000 of those puppies before a publishing company took him on.

Now, if you can't find an agent or get one, you can put your foot in the door and send your novel to a company that accepts unsolicted, but the rate of publishing for unsolicited is smaller for those companies that if you had a literary agent. Get yourself a copy of Writer's Market, too. It contains a list of irreputable publishers.

Get accounts on absolutewrite.com and writersdigest.com.