So, you've written a novel. It's clean and original and ready to go. Now what? Really, you've done the easy part. You've completed your manuscript. Now comes the hard part. Now you have to get it ready for publishing.
We live in the digital age. As a result writers are no longer limited to printing out several large chunks of a completed manuscript and submitting it to publishing houses using snail mail. Some publishers are accepting email submissions. Some are only asking for a query letter and a synopsis. Others are only asking for the completed manuscript.
Easy, right?
Not really. The worst part of using the traditional channels of submitting to a publishing house is the waiting. Most publishing houses say that they will get back to you in six to eight weeks. During that time you are not allowed, under punishment of death (okay, not really), to submit to any other publishers. Eight weeks is a long time to sit on your hands and fret.
That is, IF your work is even looked at. More often than not, people submit their work again and again. Sadly, very few of those excellent pieces of work are actually looked at and published. It can be hard to get your foot in the door when you're virtually unknown as an author.
As a result, authors are opting out for self publishing using Kindle and Nook. It's relatively easy to format a manuscript, create a cover using their software and hitting the "publish" button. The thrill and hype of being able to say that you are a "published author" can be intoxicating...but, short lived.
No matter how brilliant our books are, if no one is reading them no one KNOWS that your books are awesome.
Don't freak out. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you're looking to publish your original work no matter what channel you plan on taking.
1. Clean up your manuscript - you may think that your manuscript is ready to be sent off into the world, but in most cases it isn't. Read over your manuscript at least once to insure that you are submitting as clean a copy as possible.
2. Share your manuscript with trusted friends - ask some of your trusted friends and family members to read your book. Ask them for overall clarity of the writing, clear plot and character development and if there are any mistakes like dropped plot lines or blank pages in the middle of the document.
3. TAKE THE CRITICISM - if you are aspiring to be a published author you might as well get used to the criticism now. Listen seriously and carefully to what your beta readers say. They are the readers. That's who you wrote your book for.
4. Write a clean query letter - the query letter can prove difficult when you don't have any accomplishments in the writing world. The best thing to do then is be truthful and brief about yourself and get right to the meat of it. Your book. Query letters are the first thing most publishers and literary agents see so make sure it's as clean as humanly possible.
5. Write a clean synopsis - probably the most annoying part of the process of getting ready for publishing. After you've written this amazing book you are now forced to cram it into a one page, single spaced document. It must be clean and concise. Give it to your beta readers before you send it off. If it makes their head spin, you'll have to revise it.
No matter what channel you are planning on pursuing in order to release your beautiful work into the world, you will probably need at least these five things: a clean manuscript, beta readers, revisions, query letter and synopsis. After all, you've created this wonderful work of art. Why not making the best it can possibly be?
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