6 WAYS TO GUARANTEE THAT YOUR FIRST BOOK IS PUBLISHED

You have struggled for weeks or months and spent sleepless nights trying to write a good story. You’ve had it edited a couple of times and you rewrote it over and over, but after all that effort, you find yourself stuck with your manuscript. You’re unaware about what to do with it and how to put it out there for millions of readers to enjoy a splendid story. The drawers won’t complain for as long as you keep it in their but trust me, there is no feeling that is better than seeing your efforts paying off.  I remember a year ago, I was in the same situation but I didn’t give up. I knew what I wanted and had to strive for it. There are good author friends that will give you the first encouragement and advice, for my case, it was Jenifer Brown, author of IN JENS WORDS.  Others will just tell you how they would have helped you if they had any way of helping but can’t. Well, you don’t have to take a year to have your first book published like it was the case for me. Here are six ways that will guarantee that your first book is published:

1.      LOCAL PUBLISHING HOUSES:

When you’re a writer, you have to know that the saying “Charity begins at home” is most applicable to you. Never underestimate the relevance of local publishing houses because they are familiar with the setting of your story. However, this has a disadvantage of high costs for publications and limited readership for African publishing houses. In case you wrote your book in a foreign setting for example you staged the story in Glasgow in England, and you’re targeting a big audience of readers, read further for other options.

2.      LITERARY AGENTS:

These are people who dedicate their time in looking for stories that will compete favorably in the growing book market so that they forward them to publishing houses that take only solicited manuscripts. Take some time to look for an agent that will do all the donkey work for your manuscript but have it in mind that every literary agent has a specific genre they are interested in. If you’re a fiction writer, you have to look for an agent that represents fiction books because if you query a non-fiction literary agent, your book will be rejected without question. For help regarding agents, you can subscribe to the Writer’s digest newsletter which has a column called Guide to literary agents, where you will receive monthly updates of new agents seeking books to represent. If you receive many rejections telling you that your book cannot be represented by the agencies, it’s not because your story is bad, but a couple of other factors that we shall discuss in the next issue. 

3.      PRO PAYING MARKETS:

Another option you can opt for is selling your story for cash. There are many publishing houses and e-zines that will want to buy your book if they find it suitable for their readers and pay up to twenty cents per word (20c per printed word). Some will buy the copyrights while others will be kind to help you retain them so you have to first read their terms thoroughly. In case you want to monetize your writing quickly this is the best option for you. Check out Lee Masterson’s Science fiction marketing list, for pro, semipro, and low paying markets.

4.      VANITY PRESSES:

This is the best option if money is not your problem because you won’t suffer any rejections. Vanity publishing houses will help you publish your book with a personal touch. They will provide everything from editing to the last step of publishing. Bottom line is, everything will be done for you, but at a cost. An example of such houses is Dorrance publishing house.  

5.      SELF PUBLISHING HOUSES:

It is undoubted that self publishing has helped numerous writers put their work out to the public and pay them loyalties depending on the house the writer chooses. This is the best option if you are budget tight and don’t plan on spending on having your manuscript published. They guide you through the self publishing process and the outcome is a published eBook by the author themselves. However, the disadvantage with this option is that most publishing houses will not allow you to sell you book anywhere other than their store, so you will have to put in a big effort in marketing your book. For self publishing services, you can visit www.amazon.com , www.smashwords.com and others.

6.      FREE PUBLISHING HOUSES:

There are houses that edit, publish, market and distribute your book to numerous stores worldwide at absolutely no cost.  Yes, for free. An example of such a house is Publish America (www.publishamerica.com) and others that we will update you later with.

Don’t let your manuscript sleep in the drawers and piles of old papers that no one will ever touch. Put it out there and never know, you might be the next best selling author in your genre of writing. Wish you all the luck in your endeavors.