3 answers
Zoe
Student
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How hard is it to get a story published?
#writing
If I was to try to publish a fantasy novel, how hard would it be?
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3 answers
Tina Winograd
Editor writer
9
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Tina’s Answer
Angie's respond is great. I suggest you follow her suggestions. To be published by one of the big publishing house is very hard. Nearly impossible, it will seem. Most people are self-publishing which is much more acceptable than it used to be, but the same problems exit when it come to quality. You don't have the gatekeepers making sure the story is well written and edited professionally.
But saying that, there are thousands of great books that have been self-pubbed. The true issue is discovery and getting others to spend their hard-earned money on it. With so many authors in the market, it is very hard to be found and read. How can you get your story to stand out from the other thousands of stories? That is the question you have to ask yourself.
But at your stage, you can self publish and order some copies for yourself and give them to friends, relatives, and the school library. Get feedback from them and write your next story.
Good luck!
But saying that, there are thousands of great books that have been self-pubbed. The true issue is discovery and getting others to spend their hard-earned money on it. With so many authors in the market, it is very hard to be found and read. How can you get your story to stand out from the other thousands of stories? That is the question you have to ask yourself.
But at your stage, you can self publish and order some copies for yourself and give them to friends, relatives, and the school library. Get feedback from them and write your next story.
Good luck!
angie azur
Writer | Artist | Death Doula | Yoga | Meditation | Psychology | Philosophy
78
Answers
Weaverville, NC
Updated
angie’s Answer
Hello, Zoe!
So, how hard is it to get a fantasy novel published? Well, that depends on you. It takes time to become a great writer. If you are looking to get published traditionally - via an agent and a publishing house, then it takes years. You must work on your craft, be sure you know how to write, what the rules are and so forth. I worked for a literary agency and we got over 1000 submissions per month and those were unsolicited - meaning we weren’t asking for them. And in the 3 years I worked there, my agent chose 1 from that slush pile.
If you are serious about writing novels, you must read, take classes, practice, and go to conferences to meet agents and publishers. If you are writing MG (middle grade) or YA (young adult) then I suggest you check out SCBWI.org - this is the society of children’s books writer’s and illustrators. They are in every state and you can take classes, meet agents, and go to fun and great conferences.
You should also know what the word counts are for your genre. What is trending in the fantasy world so you don’t write a vampire book when there are 100 vampire books to compete against right now….etc… If you are writing fantasy, read all the top fantasy books. Use them to find your voice and to see how to set up the world.
There are some great writing books out there, too. I love SAVE THE CAT - by Blake Snyder - it’s for screenwriters, but it’s amazing for all types of writing.
Hope this helps!!
Get involved in your local writing chapters and you will have good help!
Angie
So, how hard is it to get a fantasy novel published? Well, that depends on you. It takes time to become a great writer. If you are looking to get published traditionally - via an agent and a publishing house, then it takes years. You must work on your craft, be sure you know how to write, what the rules are and so forth. I worked for a literary agency and we got over 1000 submissions per month and those were unsolicited - meaning we weren’t asking for them. And in the 3 years I worked there, my agent chose 1 from that slush pile.
If you are serious about writing novels, you must read, take classes, practice, and go to conferences to meet agents and publishers. If you are writing MG (middle grade) or YA (young adult) then I suggest you check out SCBWI.org - this is the society of children’s books writer’s and illustrators. They are in every state and you can take classes, meet agents, and go to fun and great conferences.
You should also know what the word counts are for your genre. What is trending in the fantasy world so you don’t write a vampire book when there are 100 vampire books to compete against right now….etc… If you are writing fantasy, read all the top fantasy books. Use them to find your voice and to see how to set up the world.
There are some great writing books out there, too. I love SAVE THE CAT - by Blake Snyder - it’s for screenwriters, but it’s amazing for all types of writing.
Hope this helps!!
Get involved in your local writing chapters and you will have good help!
Angie
Hassan Al
Product Management Professional
398
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Hassan’s Answer
I'm not in the field, but these days it seems to be easy to get published online. https://www.servicescape.com/blog/fantasy-publishers-who-want-your-manuscript-no-agent-required and https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/ list some ways to do so.
In my opinion, the more challenging part will be to earn money from publication. Like other easy to enter professions, only the top authors will likely earn a good living.
In my opinion, the more challenging part will be to earn money from publication. Like other easy to enter professions, only the top authors will likely earn a good living.