Anyone here ever publish a book?

[POed_Ex_Repub]

And if so, how did you go about it?

[Hawkeye-X]

1. You might want to PM plan9_pub

he's publishing Bev's book.

Hawkeye-X

[POed_Ex_Repub]

2. Sounds cool

I'll give it a go, thanks!

[La_Serpiente]

3. you also might want to PM Will Pitt

he's written a couple of books.

[gmoney]

4. On the cheap, try iuniverse.com

They print books "on demand" with minimal up-front cost (under $500). Just give them a formatted file (like a PDF) and they let 'em rip, do the barcode stuff, and I think they make your book available on Amazon.

Printed a hardback vanity book for a corporate client a couple years ago. Printing alone for about 2000 hardbacks was over $15000... it had full-color photos throughout, about 100 pages.

[eileen from OH]

5. Either buy or check out the library for

Writer's Market. First step is getting a reputable agent (and if they ask for a fee, chances are they aren't reputable.)

I'm self-published (though it's scripts not books). Had the chance to be published by a major house but did the math and was better off on my own - since I rely more on royalties than script sales. It means I have to do a lot of the marketing, etc., but in my case it was much more profitable.

www.mysteriesbymoushey.com

eileen from OH (writing whore)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. Wow! What a great site and it looks like a lot of fun as well!

:toast:

[eileen from OH]

7. Oh, for the most part, yeah

But live theatre is a bitch, lemme tell you!

eileen from OH

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

8. I've done Little Theater... It's a lot of work.

[neebob]

9. I've been trying off and on for three years

to publish a work of narrative non-fiction. I've had dozens of bites and a few crushing disappointments and am about to try again. It's a long process that requires a lot of research, patience, and persistence. Lots of people will tell you exactly how to go about it, and yes, there are a few general rules, but I've learned they're not as hard and fast as some people would have you believe. Here's the procedure, based on my experience:

1. Finish (read: perfect) your manuscript, preferably with help from other experienced writers and at least one ruthless editor.

2. Research the agents and/or publishers you want to approach. I've had luck with both. You can use the internet, but it's helpful to invest in a guide to literary agents and publishers.

3. Write a really good query letter - 500 words for email submissions, one page for hard copy. Put as much thought and effort into it as you did your first chapter.

4. Follow each agent's or publisher's submission guidelines.

5. Send out a few at a time. Don't send mass queries. The shotgun approach is not effective - you might get some hits, but might also shoot yourself in the foot with some prospects.

6. Be prepared to send whatever they ask for - sample chapters, an outline, a synopsis, a full proposal, or any combination thereof - fiction or non-fiction, it doesn't matter. Once you create something, save it and expect to have to change it to suit another agent or editor.

7. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on postage, and don't forget the S.A.S.E.!

8. Keep track of what you send to whom.

9. Wait anywhere from a few days to a few months for your replies.

10. Seriously consider any feedback you get, and don't be offended.

If you're serious, there's plenty of information on the net to get you started. Here are a couple of sources I like:

http://www.writersmarket.com (worth the subscription, in my opinion)
http://www.writers.net (good discussion forums)