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In order to become a published author, what would be the best platform for me to be on when it comes to submissions?
I want to know where I can give it a try. I have no idea how to go about getting myself noticed.
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Ailynn’s Answer
When you've written your book and revised it, and had a few people look it over, and you feel ready to send it out into the world, there are a few things you can do. You can send it directly to a publisher, but in today's market, there aren't many publishers that are open to direct submissions, unless it's an open call or a contest.
The best way to get published traditionally (meaning, a publisher buys and publishes your book, as opposed to self publishing) is to get an agent.
In order to find the right agent, you'll need to do research. There are sites like QueryTracker (https://querytracker.net/) that can help you narrow down which agents to research. Or you can subscribe to newsletters like the Guide to Literary Agents (http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents) This newsletter introduces their readers to the agents in the market and tells us what they're looking for in terms of genre. Once you've narrowed down your set of ideal agents, you can follow them on Twitter. Then you go to the agencies' websites and read about how they want you to submit your query.
A query is a letter that summarizes what your story is about and gives them a bit of information about you. You might want to get some feedback on your query letter once you've written it, to see if it's clear and to the point. There are some great websites that give guidance on writing good queries. Agents like to see that you've done your research and are querying them because they are a good fit for your book.
You can also find information about what agents are looking for, on the hashtag mswl on Twitter. Another way to get an agent to notice you, is to try the Twitter based PitMad or DVPit (for diverse writers). Here, you get the chance to pitch your novel in 140 characters or less and if an agent is interested in your book, they'll 'like' it, and this opens the door to you submitting to them. Another, and sometimes expensive (but there are often scholarships for students, so look them up) channel to meet agents and editors (those that work for the publishing houses) is through writing conferences. Depending on the genre you write, there are organizations that help writers and put on conferences throughout the year, all over the country. If you write kids' books or Young Adult, for example, you should look up SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) in your city. They're very open to new members and are a great resource.
Once an agent shows interest in your book, she/he may ask to see pages, either part of your book or the whole. Then if you get an offer of representation, that agent will then work for you. You never pay an agent any money. It's their job to sell your book to a publisher. The publisher will then contract to pay you and your agent takes a percentage, usually 15%. You should NEVER pay anyone to read your work (unless you are hiring an editor to clean up your manuscript), not an agent or a publisher.
Once a publisher buys your book, it could take up to two years for a book to finally hit the shelves.
I hope that answers your question. Writing a book is a long but wonderful process. It takes patience and learning and a lot of hard work. But it's so worth it. Good luck.
The best way to get published traditionally (meaning, a publisher buys and publishes your book, as opposed to self publishing) is to get an agent.
In order to find the right agent, you'll need to do research. There are sites like QueryTracker (https://querytracker.net/) that can help you narrow down which agents to research. Or you can subscribe to newsletters like the Guide to Literary Agents (http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents) This newsletter introduces their readers to the agents in the market and tells us what they're looking for in terms of genre. Once you've narrowed down your set of ideal agents, you can follow them on Twitter. Then you go to the agencies' websites and read about how they want you to submit your query.
A query is a letter that summarizes what your story is about and gives them a bit of information about you. You might want to get some feedback on your query letter once you've written it, to see if it's clear and to the point. There are some great websites that give guidance on writing good queries. Agents like to see that you've done your research and are querying them because they are a good fit for your book.
You can also find information about what agents are looking for, on the hashtag mswl on Twitter. Another way to get an agent to notice you, is to try the Twitter based PitMad or DVPit (for diverse writers). Here, you get the chance to pitch your novel in 140 characters or less and if an agent is interested in your book, they'll 'like' it, and this opens the door to you submitting to them. Another, and sometimes expensive (but there are often scholarships for students, so look them up) channel to meet agents and editors (those that work for the publishing houses) is through writing conferences. Depending on the genre you write, there are organizations that help writers and put on conferences throughout the year, all over the country. If you write kids' books or Young Adult, for example, you should look up SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) in your city. They're very open to new members and are a great resource.
Once an agent shows interest in your book, she/he may ask to see pages, either part of your book or the whole. Then if you get an offer of representation, that agent will then work for you. You never pay an agent any money. It's their job to sell your book to a publisher. The publisher will then contract to pay you and your agent takes a percentage, usually 15%. You should NEVER pay anyone to read your work (unless you are hiring an editor to clean up your manuscript), not an agent or a publisher.
Once a publisher buys your book, it could take up to two years for a book to finally hit the shelves.
I hope that answers your question. Writing a book is a long but wonderful process. It takes patience and learning and a lot of hard work. But it's so worth it. Good luck.