Young Writers Society

I know there are two types of publishing. Traditional and Self-publishing. I want to be traditionally published, and I know that's hard, and I'll be rejected maybe even hundreds of times for this novel.

But that's as far as I know. I don't know where to go, who to talk to, what's safe. How do I do this? I have about 20,000 words written for my novel. I plan to have somewhere around 50,000 or less. Can anyone help me understand this?

50,000 words or less is shorter than most traditional publishers will look at, if this is fiction aimed at teens or adults. However, there are some publishers such as Barrington Stoke which accept much shorter manuscripts, as they're specifically designed for reluctant or dyslexic young readers.

Often writers go through a literary agent before getting published. If you look at a current edition of the Writer's and Artist's Yearbook, you should hopefully find reputable publishers / agencies in there.

As for self-publishing, it's possible to self-publish at a pretty low cost. If you ever decide to try and go down that route, there are places such as Createspace which are pretty good. Feel free to chat to me if you want any advice on that.

Best of luck!

I'm writing a western novel that is intended for adults. What do most traditional publishers look for?
I guess I'll have to look at literary agents.

I have to admit that I don't know a lot about western novels. However, I had a quick look through some websites for you, and this is something I found.

How long is a Western book? Westerns tend to be on the shorter side, anywhere from 45,000 to 75,000 words (loosely).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2545501

I also found the same information on writersrelief.com.

So your book, assuming it's at least 45,000 words in length, should hopefully meet the criteria such publishers are looking for.

Having had friends who've been involved (albeit unsuccessfully) in the publishing process, I would advise that an agent is probably the best method, rather than sending it directly to a publisher. I definitely advise you take a look at a publication such as The Writer's and Artist's Yearbook - they should hopefully be able to provide you with more information.

If you're serious about traditional publishing, Duotrope (https://duotrope.com/) is invaluable for finding markets without an agent and keeping track of submissions.

If you don't want to spend $5/mo on a subscription, most libraries carry copies of Writers Market which lists markets and criteria, in addition to compiling references on how to write query letters, format manuscripts, etc. You'll want the most recent edition available, though they also have a website that is kept current, which is primarily subscription-based: http://www.writersmarket.com/

The main advantage of Writers Market over Duotrope is that the former also has a searchable database of agents.

Writer's Digest (which is also responsible for Writers Market) is more focused on tips and advice, and this is probably the best place for you to start when it comes to learning about the publishing process in general. Again, most libraries carry copies, though there is a site as well: http://www.writersdigest.com/

I summon @Rosendorn to cover more resources about agents since I've never bothered with agents.

Wow! I'm very grateful for all the help. I will be looking at the websites, and I might even get a subscription to writers market. I checked them out, and already saw a few helpful articles. Thanks. I see myself finishing around January ideally. So as of now, I'm glad I don't really have to worry about it. It's a headache for later. With the links you both gave me though, and I'll be learning as much as I can to improve my chances.
—Ronald

Another hugely important resource: writer beware. This covers scams in the publishing industry and should be a go to piece. It outlines what is safe and what to look out for when you're evaluating publishing opportunities— and agents.

*Now properly answers summons*

Agents are basically pre-screening for your novel. They know many editors and can submit places you can't. Every time you see a publishing agency say "only accepts solicited manuscripts", you know you have to deal with an agent in order to get in there. An author representing themselves can only submit to places that accept unsolicited manuscripts.

Getting an agent is about as hard as getting a novel published, and they do take a cut from your royalties. However, they are far more well versed in the legal and audience nuances of publishing than the average author. They often request edits before the novel is even submitted to editors (who'll give you more edits), giving you a better chance of publication.

They'll also likely negotiate higher rates and better deals than you ever could, in part because they know the market, and in part because they know the editors. They have more negotiating power because they are authorities in what makes a good book. Not to mention, better deals for you means better deals for them, because they get a cut of it.

Writers Market also puts out a guide to agents every year, which is incredibly useful for finding one. It's honestly a case of following their submission guidelines, what they like and don't (find them on twitter or their blog— they often talk about the industry there). If somebody says "I represent science fiction and fantasy", don't send them a western. If they say they represent Young Adult, don't send them an adult novel.

Also, always have a lawyer look over the contracts before you sign them. Always always always. It'll be some money up front, but it's well worth it to avoid the heartbreak of finding out you gave up more rights than you wanted (some people have even lost the rights to their world and characters from bad clauses in contracts).

These two articles go more into publishing.

Regardless, you should only look at publishers when you have a finished manuscript. Most agents will not look at unfinished stories from new authors. You need to finish the story, revise it, revise it, rewrite it, revise it again, and generally get it as good as you possibly can before you go off submitting it.

So while all this is important to keep in mind for the future, focus on writing and editing before you go off and submit work. A first draft does not get published.

On a side note, if you buy a physical copy of Writers Market, it comes with complementary access to exclusive website content. The Deluxe edition comes with a majorly-discounted one-year subscription to the databases in addition to the complementary content.

If you choose to go the agent route, a couple more side notes - most literary agents (and agencies) only give you one chance per novel. This is why you are not doing yourself any favors if you don't submit your absolute best work. If an agent rejects you (and you will get a lot of rejections. it's part of the process :p) that is usually a no from the entire agency because agents will share manuscripts with one another. Even if you do another edit of your novel, unless it's extremely different, they will not want to see it again. (However, you can always try a different novel). So when you're researching agents, look at the entire agency and make sure you're sending your work to the agent you think will like it the most.

This website is great for finding literary agents in the age group and genre you write. What I usually do when I'm researching agents is make a list of people that represent my age group and genre, and then go to their agency websites, blogs, twitters, etc. and learn as much as I can about them.

When you submit to agents, they are going to want a query letter. Query letters are extremely important because most agents will not read any pages from your novel without reading a query letter first. The query letter gets you through the door. There are tons of resources out there for how to write a query and tips for query writing. This site is a social media site for the publishing industry. You can get help with your pitch, your query, synopsis, parts of your novel, fact checking, and ask any and all questions about publishing. Members range from complete newbies all the way up published novelists.

I also recommend following agents, editors (freelance and/or with publishing houses), and authors on Twitter. I can give you a list of people I follow that give amazing writing and publishing advice if you're interested.

I am interested. It would be a great help if you could, Carlito.
Thank you!

@Ronald559
Most of the people I follow are in the YA world (especially contemporary/romance) because that's what I write, but their advice can transcend across genres.

Authors.
Alexandra Alessandri - @apalessandri
Dannie Morin - @Dannie_Morin (also does freelance editing)
Marty Mayberry - @marty_mayberry
Brenda Drake - @brendadrake (does lots of awesome contests!)
Naomi Hughes - @NaomiLHughes (also does freelance editing and is AMAZING)

Editors.
Lara Edits - @LaraEdits
Gem Blackthorn - @GemBlackthorn
Katie McCoach - @katiemccoach
Lisa Hogue - @Lisa_the_Editor
Elizabeth Buege - @ekbuege
Rebecca Faith - @RFaithEditorial
Query Shark - @QueryShark

Agents.
Carly Watters - @carlywatters
Julia A Weber - @jawlitagent (also a freelance editor)
Kristin Nelson - @agentkristinNLA (She also has an EXCELLENT blog)
Lauren MacLeod - @Lauren_MacLeod
Amy Boggs - @notjustanyboggs
Carlie Webber - @carliebeth
Saba Sulaiman - @agentsaba
Patricia Nelson - @patricianels
Michelle Witte - @michellewitte
Rachel Brooks - @RachMBrooks
Daphne Unfeasible (Kate Testerman) - @DaphneUn
Sara Megibow - @SaraMegibow

Good hastags.
#querytip
#pubtip
#mswl (agents describe what types of manuscripts they'd love to see)

And the more you hunt the more you'll find!

Have you been published Carlito?

I have not, but I've been through the query process for a couple of novels and am working on getting a newer project query ready