Getting Published ~ Part I Options

Hi everyone,

My first post of the year that isn’t one of the regular weekly posts (Poetry Corner, What Can YOU Write in 6 Sentences or an Author Interview) is going to be a two-part post about “Getting Published”.

In today’s publishing world, there are so many options to choose from in order to get your work out to the masses and I’m going to cover them all very briefly in this post and then provide a bit more in-depth information in part II.

PUBLISHING OPTIONS

Agent:

The traditional route, for some, is still the most desired route and you can certainly submit your work to an agent in the hope that you will find representation by a major publisher.  You can find a fairly decent list of literary agents online at AuthorAdvance, or you can search the database of the Association of Authors’ Representatives. Another alternative is to check at your local library as they may have a comprehensive listing of book publishers, agents or other resources available.

Independent Press:

A growing field, the independent press, enables you to find a publisher who may not give you any money up front for your work but who is more likely to be loyal to your work over the long run. You won’t find many agents that work with the smaller publishers because their advances are small or nonexistent, and agents live on commission.

Co-op or “POD” Publishing:

Until I had begun research for this post, I had never heard of this option – a recent development in alternative publishing! This group comprises of co-op publishers, who charge authors a fee for the production and publication of their work. A great alternative and a step above the self-publishing route where the author bears the full cost of publication for a very small number of conventionally printed books.

A word of caution: some Co-op Publishers let you retain your rights as the publisher while others do not.

Electronic Publishing:

A publishing option that is rapidly gaining public acceptance and is becoming a significant economic force in the publishing world!! Some e-publishers produce POD books and some don’t. Also, some may be here today and gone tomorrow so you want to make sure you have up-to-date information on the field before committing your work to any particular firm.

Self-Publishing:

If you have determination and some money to invest, you can be your own publisher and Mystery Writers Unite has already done numerous posts on the subject! Check out some of the information by clicking here: Self-Publishing

Make sure to check out Part II of “Getting Published” on Thursday!

Becky