Getting Published

[Julien]

There are so many great writers here, both published and unpublished, I thought I would start a thread on publishing and trying to get published. Like many of you I am sure you want to share your writing with others and are not sure how to go about it. For myself I am interested in publishing my fiction and non-fiction, but do not feel I am going about it in the correct manner. So this space is for those seeking advice and those who've had their work published and are willing to share their experiences with publishers, agents, and the basics. So I invite all writers published and unpublished to share questions and advice.

[Julien]

Can anyone give advice on the query letter for a non fiction book.

First let me go over my experiences. I have a completed manuscript on the FTM in narrative film, who speaks for the transgendered individual and primarily how the media used the image/persona of Brandon Teena to their own devices. My manuscript was my dissertation and as that it was a finalist in the SUNY Dissertation/First Book Award in Queer Studies. Obviously it was not published, but there was interest in the manuscript. On one hand I was elated at the SUNY interest, but let down by the non publishing of my manuscript. I am in the process of choosing a LGBT publishing house not an academic, because my manuscript was told to me that it does not have the academicese, but reads more like a novel. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but possibly it would guide me to the right publisher.

With all that being said, I think I have found a publisher and am beginning the process anew with the query letter. Any suggestions or advice considering my post. I am sure as I go through the process there will be more questions.

[Sachita]

Amazon has an entire section teaching you how to write publish for them. Both ebooks and print. People pay for information and to be entertained. Having an instant buy is a great choice. I could on and on about self publishing and internet marketing.

[Julien]

Originally Posted by Sachita

Amazon has an entire section teaching you how to write publish for them. Both ebooks and print. People pay for information and to be entertained. Having an instant buy is a great choice. I could on and on about self publishing and internet marketing.

Thank you for your response to my post. I will look into it.

[Lady_Di]

Excellent idea for a thread. Publishing these days is in such a state of flux and is adapting to the many changes that abound today, technology wise. Everyone and their mother is writing these days and there is a LOT of information overload, much of which will never get a wide audience or reach their intended destinations.

Obviously in this day and age of electronic media, much is being 'published' as an e book, or blogged, or whatever.

I recently met and have come to an understanding with a professional editor, who is very excited about not only me, but my mother's books, which she has self published with a little success. I really look forward to her input with my writings because I need the objective eye and her insights. Plus we have so much in common, we speak the same languages because of our unique background.

I think that is not always easy to find these days.


One of her first recommendations for me personally was to get my arse to the monthly meeting of the minds in Santa Fe writing, editing, publishing folks which abound there and up by Taos where I will be shortly. Creative energy is a good thing to surround yourself with, and then surrounding yourself with those that are already successful doing exactly what it is you are interested in, just something I am actively taking more a part of recently.

My major project this last year has been a screenplay which I am deep in the second rewrite of. I am praying that no one steals my idea on this one. I think that of 2 other books that are topical in the mainstream as well. I tend to worry needlessly I am sure, but nonetheless I do.

My second writing professor of consequence flat out stated and meant these words, writers steal. They steal ideas constantly, lol. I remember how aghast I was in my ignorance about such things. The point he was trying to make is that we get our ideas everywhere we go. Plagarism aside, he was simply being honest and making a point. Your own point of view on any subject or story line will end up being your own, was his point. Though I took him deadly serious and would not turn in anything worth stealing at that juncture. I have to laugh at what I ended up turning in. It was awful! Definitely not worth stealing.

I am cautious though, big time. I love my sparks of 'genius' and want full credit for where my mind can wander. Not that there is truly ever anything new on this good old earth, I just like to delude myself to think what I write is original.

A great suggestion is to find your state's Book Association, which can usually be found if you google it. I was requested to join the NM Book Association. NMbook.org. I imagine they are in every state in the union and then some. I suspect that publishers, editors, writers everywhere have found ways to meet monthly and what not. Help encourage each other and foster a feeling of community, which is always a good thing. As most writers do tend to be lone wolves, I have found.

Anyhows, I hope we can all share our experiences, our strengths and our hopes here. With so much change afoot in this arena, it is indeed hard to keep up. But in my opinion, it is a very exciting time for writers everywhere. Everyone has a shot at it.

I could go on and on here as well, like Sachita. I am pretty much on fire with this stuff, adore the marketing side of the internet and getting published.

[Julien]

Lady Di,
Thank you for your post and what a great idea. I will look into that as well. Thank you for your input. I too hope we can get a dialogue going and maybe get some good advice and support for writers.
Have a great weekend.
Julien

[Julien]

I have the query letter written and am waiting for some info from the publisher. I watched _Albert Nobbs_ and will include it with my manuscript. I am now reading the novella of the same name to also add to my chapter. Things are looking brighter along the revision front. I wish I had a good editor to look it over. Oh well.

[SweetJane]

Julien,
Yes you can self-publish, but I'd avoid Amazon and look at a place like Star Publish.

My recommendation, though, is to find a small press and shop your book around. Most will respond in 8-10 weeks. And some places will take multiple submissions, meaning you shop it to more than one publisher at the same time.

You should have the book completed. Most publishers won't even consider a book idea or an incomplete manuscript.

Non-fiction is hard to sell to a publisher but, depending on the book and the publisher, you can often get a contract. Poetry is the hardest to sell.

Though I have all my books at Amazon (through a small independent publishing house), I ALWAYS tell people to go to directly to my publisher's bookstore and avoid Amazon. Authors get a bigger cut of the pie and so does the publishing house than when we go through Amazon. My publisher places books in every conceivable distribution network out there in the US and Canada. But the publisher's bookstore has ALL of the formats you would get at Amazon (for Kindle), Barnes & Nobel (for Nook), and the generic epub format for Sony eReaders and others like it. It also offers a PDF. Some of our books are also available in print.

Amazon isn't very author or publisher friendly. It now has a return policy for ebooks. Why? Makes no friggin' sense. If the file is damaged, then replace it. But they encourage people to abuse the system by offering that.

It's just a word of caution from someone who's been there.

[SweetJane]

Lady Di,

I'm in NM. We should compare notes sometime.

[Julien]

Originally Posted by SweetJane

Julien,
Yes you can self-publish, but I'd avoid Amazon and look at a place like Star Publish.

My recommendation, though, is to find a small press and shop your book around. Most will respond in 8-10 weeks. And some places will take multiple submissions, meaning you shop it to more than one publisher at the same time.

You should have the book completed. Most publishers won't even consider a book idea or an incomplete manuscript.

Non-fiction is hard to sell to a publisher but, depending on the book and the publisher, you can often get a contract. Poetry is the hardest to sell.

Though I have all my books at Amazon (through a small independent publishing house), I ALWAYS tell people to go to directly to my publisher's bookstore and avoid Amazon. Authors get a bigger cut of the pie and so does the publishing house than when we go through Amazon. My publisher places books in every conceivable distribution network out there in the US and Canada. But the publisher's bookstore has ALL of the formats you would get at Amazon (for Kindle), Barnes & Nobel (for Nook), and the generic epub format for Sony eReaders and others like it. It also offers a PDF. Some of our books are also available in print.

Amazon isn't very author or publisher friendly. It now has a return policy for ebooks. Why? Makes no friggin' sense. If the file is damaged, then replace it. But they encourage people to abuse the system by offering that.

It's just a word of caution from someone who's been there.

SweetJane,
Thank you so much for the information about self-publishing and places like Amazon. I do have a completed manuscript, I just have to tweak and revise one chapter to include _Albert Nobbs_ book and film. My conclusions I made in the original chapter still holds true for this film. So my work isn't too difficult to do. I'll be sure to let the thread know how it goes, good or not so good. Thanks again for you information and support.

Julien

[Julien]

Here is the link to the U.S.Copyright Office. There is so much useful information here. The fee for electronic filing is $35, not as much as I thought it would be.

http://www.copyright.gov/

[Julien]

Just an update, sent my query letter to the publisher. Now it is time for the waiting game and hopefully I will get a request for more information at the least or my manuscript at the best. Wish me luck.

[Julien]

Hello to all the writers on the Planet,
Today I wanted to work on my manuscript and hit a brick wall for lack of inspiration to not just write, but as what do say. I did finish working on a chapter of my book so that is good. I will go back and reread it with a clearer head, hopefully, tomorrow. I am trying to write every day good or bad, so I can keep up the momentum. Needless to say that was not the case today and it was very difficult. As writers, do you have any suggestions as to regaining your inspiration to write and be creative? Some days it is so difficult to find the right word, and today was that day.
Thank you for any words of support/suggestions that you might have.
Julien

[Glenn]

Hiya Folks; What do you know? I am almost finished with my first book, an LGBT children's book, and am almost clueless about how to market this. Are there many out there? I know publishing a children's book like this can be scandalous and risky for big-time publishers, but I really believe in this book and would appreciate any leads/info about the marketing and graphic design of an LGBT children's book. I suppose I'll have to start with giving a few private readings of it, and I'll have to draw the pictures myself to see how the kids like it lol, but someone may steal my idea. Please advise.

[Canela]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Hiya Folks; What do you know? I am almost finished with my first book, an LGBT children's book, and am almost clueless about how to market this. Are there many out there? I know publishing a children's book like this can be scandalous and risky for big-time publishers, but I really believe in this book and would appreciate any leads/info about the marketing and graphic design of an LGBT children's book. I suppose I'll have to start with giving a few private readings of it, and I'll have to draw the pictures myself to see how the kids like it lol, but someone may steal my idea. Please advise.

Copyright it before you show it. No matter what art you use, you'll want to protect your creation before all else. Just my.02.....

[Julien]

Originally Posted by Canela

Copyright it before you show it. No matter what art you use, you'll want to protect your creation before all else. Just my.02.....

I completely agree with Canela, I supplied a link in an earlier post about copyright info. Good luck.

[Bleu]

Originally Posted by Julien

Hello to all the writers on the Planet,
Today I wanted to work on my manuscript and hit a brick wall for lack of inspiration to not just write, but as what do say. I did finish working on a chapter of my book so that is good. I will go back and reread it with a clearer head, hopefully, tomorrow. I am trying to write every day good or bad, so I can keep up the momentum. Needless to say that was not the case today and it was very difficult. As writers, do you have any suggestions as to regaining your inspiration to write and be creative? Some days it is so difficult to find the right word, and today was that day.
Thank you for any words of support/suggestions that you might have.
Julien

Julien,
One word often inspires me. I keep a notebook with lists of words that I hear or come across while reading that inspired me at the moment or that I have some sense will inspire me later. Here is a quick sample of my current list:

cropped
frustrate
amber
coney
prudent
metallic
kneel

When I am really stuck I start looking up the words on my list and often go to the second meaning. I often go back and change these words later during an edit. But, the point, even if that word gives too stong an air of melodrama it is, at the time, simply an accelerant for the next phrase, sentence, paragraph. That word just helps keep my fire burning.

Hope this helps a little...

~Bleu

[Julien]

Originally Posted by Bleu

Julien,
One word often inspires me. I keep a notebook with lists of words that I hear or come across while reading that inspired me at the moment or that I have some sense will inspire me later. Here is a quick sample of my current list:

cropped
frustrate
amber
coney
prudent
metallic
kneel

When I am really stuck I start looking up the words on my list and often go to the second meaning. I often go back and change these words later during an edit. But, the point, even if that word gives too stong an air of melodrama it is, at the time, simply an accelerant for the next phrase, sentence, paragraph. That word just helps keep my fire burning.

Hope this helps a little...

~Bleu

Bleu,
That is a great idea. Thank you I will give it a try. I am big in to reading and that will help me I'm sure. I looked up the word sapiosexuality today and learned a new word. It got me thinking about the ways in which we are attracted to one another. Just my own abbreviated version to your idea.

Julien

[Bleu]

Originally Posted by Julien

Bleu,
That is a great idea. Thank you I will give it a try. I am big in to reading and that will help me I'm sure. I looked up the word sapiosexuality today and learned a new word. It got me thinking about the ways in which we are attracted to one another. Just my own abbreviated version to your idea.

Julien

Julien,
BTW, nice to meet you. See for me, were I stuck or blocked while writing a piece and I looked up the word sapiosexuality - I may not actually use that word in my work but I would certainly use the idea of the definition of that word. That would most likely keep me going.

I am SO happy I found this thread! Another writer! Fantabulous!
~Bleu