How to Get a Book Published in 2019 The Master Guide for Success

How to Get a Book Published in 2019 The Master Guide for Success How to Get a Book Published: Your Guide to Getting Published in 2019 If you’re a first-time author, we'd completely understand you not knowing how to get a book published. After all, there are more publishing options now in 2019 than ever! Traditional publishing, for example, requires an agent and actual publisher - which may take a long time to acquire, but can be a big advantage in terms of industry connections. On the other hand, you can self-publish and have your book up on Amazon tomorrow (with higher royalties!), but you might struggle to market it yourself.Every author has to decide for themselves how to publish, taking into account the relative benefits and what they really want from of the experience - fame and fortune, literary repute, or simply being able to say they've done it. But how can authors make this decision without trying both firsthand?Answer: by reading this post - for which we’ve consulted knowledgeable veterans of the publishing world, with the aim of explaining your publishing options in an easy-to-digest way . We’ll also offer frank advice to set you on the best possible path to publishing your book, whatever that may be. Ready to get started? Guide: how to get a book published in 2019 ðŸ“â€" Three ways to get publishedThere are countless ways to skin a literary cat, but all of them fit into one of these categories:Traditional Publishing, in which a company "buys," edits, and produces your book, before selling it to bookstores, online retailers, supermarkets, and anywhere else you can expect to buy a book.Self-Publishing, in which the author takes on the responsibilities of the publisher, including financing and marketing the book.Vanity Publishing, which is where the author pays a company to handle all of the above. We won't discuss vanity presses in this article, for reasons explained here.The bulk of our post here will focus on the traditional route (self-publishing is another matter entirely), which is what most writers will think of when they talk about "getting published." Your approach to getting a book deal will largely depend on whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, so let’s tackle traditional publishing in that order. (Skip ahead if youâ⠂¬â„¢re a non-fiction author). How do you get your book published? Check out this new guide for 2019! How to Get a Book Published (Novel)Warning: not all agents have nice white offices like this.At this point, your manuscript is looking sharp, and you have a keen understanding of whom it’s aimed at. With that in your back pocket, it’s time to get yourself an agent.Do you need an agent?While some small and medium-sized presses accept â€Å"unagented submissions,† you’ll find that your best bet to scoring a traditional publishing deal will be to first secure an agent. Not only do they have the right connections at publishing companies, but they will also know how best to sell it to acquiring editors.What are you looking for in an agent?First of all, you are not just looking for any agent who’s willing take you on. You want one that’s right for you and your manuscript. They should be passionate about your book, as they’ll be the one responsible for selling it! For that reason, you need to do your research and draw up a shortlist of suitab le candidates who represent books and authors within your specific genre.Additional resource: How to Find and Research Literary Agents (guide)What do agents look for in an author?If we return to our first principles, we’ll remember that everyone’s goal in this business is to make money. Agents work purely on commission, so they’re looking for books that they have a high chance of selling to a Big 5 publisher (Big 6, if you're including the Amazon Publishing imprint) - and that will go on to sell enough copies to justify their investment of time.Agents are also looking for long-term working relationships. This means they'll put more stock in writers who not only have the potential to write lots of great books, but who also seem like nice people to work with. No matter how awesome your manuscript, if you come across like a delusional nightmare, people will think twice about signing you. Do you need an agent to get published in 2019? 🠤” Step 4: Prepare your submission and send out queriesWith your proposal (and pitch) in hand, you're ready to sell your book. As a rule, if you’re writing general non-fiction (think history books and biographies) or if you want to pitch to a major publisher, then you will probably need an agent. For educational books, and with small- and medium-sized presses, you might be able to get away without one.If you do choose to submit your proposal directly, take a lead from our tips about querying agents when you research your publishers. Ask:Does this publisher have a history and interest in my topic?Does my book complement what’s already on their backlist?Do they accept unsolicited manuscripts?Additional resource: How to Submit a Book Proposal (guide)Hopefully you’ll get a response from an interested party and - before you know it - you’ll write your book and await its release date!Self-Publishing  Your BookFor a long time, self-publishing was seen as an alte rnative for authors who struggled to publish traditionally. To some extent, that’s still the case - but it’s not always down to quality. Some authors might find that their book is too niche for HarperCollins, but that they can easily find a devoted audience as an independent author.If you’re willing to put in the hours and teach yourself how to do a bit of basic online marketing, you might find that self-publishing is the perfect fit for you. The royalties are much higher, you get complete creative control, and you don’t have to wait years to see your book on shelves.To learn what it takes to self-publish, start with this in-depth guide.While self-publishing has plenty of benefits, the biggest downside is that you’ll be responsible for financing production (editing services and cover design) and marketing. The good news, though, is that it might not be as expensive as you’d think.Additional resource: How Much Does it Cost to Self-Publish a Book?  (guide)Frequently Asked Questions: Getting PublishedDo you need publishing experience or personal connections to land an agent?Another common misconception is that unsolicited queries are almost never successful. This, however, is largely untrue. Former agent Rachel Stout polled over twenty New York-based agents from a range of backgrounds and found that almost all of them are open to unsolicited queries (or â€Å"slush,† as they call it).â€Å"I know that authors don't think that most agents read their queries. Almost everybody reads them,† Stout suggests. â€Å"35% of the agents I asked - some with two decades of experience and others with two years - said that more than half of their current list comes directly from the slush pile.If I can submit directly to publishers, why do I need an agent?Pitching your book is just one of the many tasks that falls to an agent. They are also advisors and editors, who will give you objective advice on your manuscript a nd act as a buffer between you and the publisher. They’ll handle a lot of the business side of things, leaving you free to write. Most importantly, they are deeply familiar with the industry and should know how to negotiate the best price for your book (and avoid potential scams). For that reason alone, they are probably worth their commission.Can you query/submit a book that you’ve already self-published?There are some cases, like with Andy Weir’s The Martian and 50 Shades of Grey, where a publisher has reissued a self-published book. But these cases are pretty rare. Most of the time, if your book has already been on the market, industry folks will wonder if it's already exhausted its market. After all, the 10,000 people who bought your self-pub book usually won’t buy it again just because Simon Schuster has it now.However, if you’ve self-published a book that has sold very well, you can bet that agents will be lining up to request your next manu script.Should you go to writers conferences?Not all authors are lucky enough to live near cities with writers conferences. But if you can afford to attend one, then you definitely should. It’s a great way to watch panels by published authors and industry insiders (editor and agents). In most cases, there will even be a chance to network directly with those people at the conference’s social events.It’s also pretty common for there to be sessions where you can practice your pitch and get one-on-one feedback from attending agents or editors and (if you really, really hit it off) you might find that they’ll refer you to suitable agents.An inexpensive alternative to writing conferences are online writing communities, where you can get great advice, feedback, and case studies from people who have written and published books. Though you're unlikely to find any former Big 5 acquisition editors casually trolling the forums, these communities are a great place to s tart for first-time authors, and may even lead to you becoming a lifelong member.If you’ve made it this far, you hopefully have a better idea of how to get published! With both traditional and self-publishing routes now clearly before you, you should know what you have to do. Remember: if you have a great idea for a book, and you're willing to work harder and smarter than most, you can almost guarantee that you’ll be able to get it in front of your adoring fans  - wherever they are.If you have any thoughts or questions about getting published, leave us a message in the comments below.