The road to publication can take several paths. The important thing to remember is that the finished product--the book--is more important than the method of publication. The  final arbiters of the quality of any book are its readers. 

Of course, it's great if you can get a mainstream publisher--preferably a big one with a huge advertising budget--to take on your book. Occasionally this does indeed happen, but there are certain rules that you will need to follow to even have a chance.

Once you have finished your manuscript--really, really finished it--you have to go through the steps of creating a killer query letter, targeting appropriate agents or publishers of your genre, and following up with persistence and politeness. It's easy to convince yourself that there are shortcuts, that you will be the exception to the process that everyone else follows. But even if your manuscript is golden, you still really need to color inside the lines on this. There are expectations regarding submissions, inquiries, formatting, and a host of other details.

So how do you know what they want?

There are various sources for finding publishers and agents, but one of the best is Writers Market--a writer's reference available in most bookstores. Writers Market lists publishers and agents, as well as requirements regarding submissions, genres represented, contacts, and so forth. Research these to determine where to send your materials, and what materials to send.

Do you need an agent? Probably, but getting one can be as difficult as finding a publisher. This is because many publishers will only deal with agents these days, so now agents are deluged with submissions. Tread carefully here. There are many unscrupulous agents who only want your money. The fact is that reputable, legitimate agents will not ask for money from you. They get paid if and when your book is sold to a publisher. If you find yourself writing a check to an agent, STOP!

While there is a combination of luck and skill involved in attracting the attention of a publisher or agent, you can give luck a boost. Be sure that your query letter, synopsis, or other required items are up to snuff. These are your ambassadors. They must be polished and professional if you expect anyone to ask to see your manuscript. Target the appropriate publishers or agents. Research your prospective market, and present this information in your query letter. Show why your work would sell.

If the publisher wants to see three sample chapters, don't include chapter seven because you think it's your best one. If you feel that chapter seven is that much better than chapter one, then you need to work on chapter one.

You can submit to multiple agents or publishers at the same time--known as simultaneous submissions--but you should let them know that you are doing this. Some specifically state that they do not consider simultaneous submissions, though this usually refers to actual manuscript submissions, not query letters. Because of the high rate of rejection you should cast a wide net, but avoid sending queries to agents or publishers that do not handle your type of work--it's a waste of everyone's time.

Always send an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) with your submission material. You would think that good news would come over the phone, with a personal call, but requests for your manuscript may also come by mail.

Rejections almost always come by mail, but every now and then even these will contain a piece of advice or a critique. Treasure and learn from these; they represent feedback from the very industry you are trying to impress.

What is a query letter?

A query letter is basically an introduction to you and your manuscript. It should be brief--one page--and needs to grab the publisher/agent's attention and sell them on your idea. This is as important as your manuscript itself. Generally, you should include a brief description of the work you are offering, your qualifications as an author, and who the target audience is.

Make no mistake--the query letter is a sales pitch. It must be professional, interesting, and attractive. You are trying to attract someone's attention. A marketable, well-written manuscript is what publishers want. The query letter is your bait. Give it serious attention. Avoid the tendency to be impatient. With your manuscript complete, it's natural to want to 'get it out there' as quickly as possible. But realize that your query letter is what gets your manuscript in the door. Do it right.

A good query letter will not guarantee that your manuscript will be requested, but a bad one pretty much guarantees that it won't. There are many good articles specifically about query letters. See my Writing Links page for some of these.

What about rejection? 

Does rejection mean you are unworthy of publication?  Maybe, and maybe not. While it is true that well over 90% of submissions are rejected, the reasons are varied. Many worthy manuscripts are rejected. The bottom line is that publishers are in business to make a profit. If they believe your manuscript is commercially viable, both from a marketing and quality perspective, then you've got a shot. If they don't believe there is a market, it won't matter how well your manuscript is written. This aspect of rejection has nothing to do with your skill. Your skill will get you an A in English. It won't create a market where none exists.

But even rejection can be a great teacher. The lessons to be learned include patience and humility. The creation and submission of your materials is a learning process. Survive and move on. Perhaps you were rejected yesterday. Today is a new day.

There may come a time when you lose patience. Not in a book-tossing, foot-stomping way, but in a quietly determined fashion.

This often leads to self publishing.

What about self publishing?

The landscape of the publishing industry is changing in many ways. One aspect of this is the consolidation of many smaller publishers into fewer, larger conglomerates. Another is the confluence of two technologies--print on demand publishing and the Internet.

Print on demand technology makes it possible to print and bind a book in less than a minute. The cost is reasonable, and since the book is stored only as a digital file until printed, there is no overhead for warehousing. The Internet makes good distribution available through vendors such as Amazon.com. EBooks make reading your book as simple as downloading a file.

When self publishing, you are doing it yourself. You are responsible for all content, good or bad. If you misspell a "werd", it will look really bad. You are responsible for editing, marketing, and virtually all other aspects of your book.

It's invigorating. And a little scary.

There are companies that will help with much of this, for a fee. They will help with file conversion, securing an ISBN, finding a printer, submitting content to Amazon, designing a cover, and so forth. If this is your first book, it may be a good idea to use such a service. The fees range from a little over a hundred dollars, to over a thousand. A reasonable expectation for a reputable company would be in the three hundred dollar range. If self publishing, make sure you retain all rights to your book. Even if you self publish, you may later want to sell your rights to a mainstream publisher.

Self publishing has leveled the playing field for new authors. It allows an author to print a book and make it available to a wide audience at a reasonable cost. Whether or not the book has merit is up to the readers.

Which is as it should be.

What does "print on demand" mean?

"Print on demand" is a technology. It means that when a book is ordered, it is printed. There are machines that can print and bind an entire book in less than a minute, which means there is no need for a huge inventory. The turnaround is quite fast, the quality is good, and the book is available. An elegant solution.

As with many things, there are drawbacks. The retail price for a print on demand trade paperback (5.5" x 8.5") is somewhat higher than for mainstream counterparts. At 352 pages, Palm Sunday retails for $19.95. I offer a signed copy on my website for $17, which includes shipping in the continental U.S. I also offer an eBook version for $5.00. See: Order Info

A comparable length book may go for a couple dollars less through a mainstream publisher.

A further drawback is that mainstream bookstores may be reluctant to stock print on demand books. This is because they are generally not returnable to the publisher. But that's why they are called "print on demand" --they aren't printed unless there's an actual demand. Some stores will stock these books (mine is currently available in the Erie Bookstore, the Edinboro University Bookstore, and the Erie Barnes and Noble). You will generally fare better with independent bookstores, though larger retailers are often very accommodating for local talent.

Marketing a print on demand title, you will find, requires its own set of skills. When promoting your book, especially if self published, you need to be innovative and persistent. But really, this is no different than with mainstream publishing. It's all about getting the story out there.

Should you self publish?

Only you can answer this. I would suggest that before taking the plunge you first make an effort to engage a mainstream publisher. The experience is invaluable, and you will learn much by going through the process. And who knows--your book may get picked up and become a bestseller!