If you're looking for a publisher, start by searching for people who publish books in the field which you write. Think about the books you read- who publishes those? Would your book fit in with that publisher?
You really have to do research into the publishers before making a decision. Maybe they publish a variety of stories, but are only looking for a certain type at the moment. There are a lot of obstacles in the searching process.
I would reccomend getting an agent who would know a bit more about the business and who would help you find the perfect publishing match. Agent hunting is another long task though.
-Kristen
So I just try, fail and try, and try again- and someday I swear I'm gonna get it. 'Cause I'm convinced, giving in is the worst thing there is.--Straylight Run
xtenx wrote:I would reccomend getting an agent who would know a bit more about the business and who would help you find the perfect publishing match. Agent hunting is another long task though.
Hello!
This is probably a stupid question, but how important is an agent? Does an agent greatly improve your chances of getting the story published? To me it seems like a big waste of money, because they can probably tell you the same thing that you can find through research:
This publisher publishes this type of book, so don't send them your manuscript.
This publisher publishes this type of novel, so you might have a chance. And etcetera.
"One voice can be stronger than a thousand voices, " Captain Kathryn Janeway
Agents can really lighten the load. It's not nearly as stressing or time consuming to look for an agent as it is to look for a publisher. A lot of publishers sometimes won't look at people without agents, especially the big ones, or, not as much that as they will only look at the first 50 pages of your book, and will only accept a full manuscript from an agent. I'm definitely going for an agent, it just seems like a lot of work to go right to publishers, and I feel like an agent would do a better job. It's a matter of opinion, I suppose.
The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.
~ Robert Cormier
Real literary agents don't charge you anything but a royalty if and only if your novel is published, and usually that's only like 15-20% of the profit. Not a huge fiscal drain.
Best,
Brad
"If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders." -Hal Abelson
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