Congratulations! You’ve done what 81% of the American public WANTS to do, but only 3% actually accomplish: you’ve written a book!
Give yourself time to celebrate that. You deserve to: writing a book is nowhere near as easy as most people think it is. But, of course, you don’t want to rest on your laurels now. You didn’t spend all that time and go through all that angst writing a book just so it could languish on your hard drive, forgotten except for when you need something to talk about at parties. It’s time to get published!
Here’s the bad news: only 0.6% of people who write a book end up being published. Those are pretty depressing odds, I know. But you’re going to be in that 0.6%, because you’re not going to make the mistakes the 99.4% make. We’re going to help you with that.
Below, I walk you through the steps that lead to success in getting published. If you follow all of these steps, you greatly increase your odds of publication. In fact, I’ve never known someone who followed all of these steps and didn’t end up published.
Everyone’s road to publication is different. Some may linger on certain steps longer; others may seem to rush through; and still more may take one step forward, and two steps back. But, if you keep going, you’ll make it, and one day you’ll hold your published book in your hands. So, now that you’re done celebrating the fact you’ve finished writing your book, it’s time to roll your sleeves up and get back to work.
I know it might seem strange that this is the first step. After all, you’ve just begun the publication process. But Never Give Up is the prime directive of writing. After all, if you’d given up when you were writing your book, you wouldn’t be where you are now.
But the journey isn’t nearly over yet. Keep in mind that writing is a job. It’s the best job in the world, if you ask me, but there are times when it’s just a straight-up slog, draining and heart-rending. There will likely be times when you’re ready to throw in the towel. At those times, remember that what you’re feeling is normal. Even though you may feel like you’re no good at writing and you’ll never get published, it’s not true. Even bestselling authors felt this way on their road to publication… many of them still feel that way sometimes, as their books fly off the shelves. Unfortunately, that self-doubt and hopelessness all just part of the job.
Don’t give up.
Don’t get me wrong: you may be one of those people who lands a publishing contract right out of the gate. It does happen. But extremely rarely.
The moment you finish a book is a proud and exciting moment. You may want to put that book out there immediately. You want the world to see the beautiful thing you’ve created, and you might be worried that someone else has the same idea and they’ll get it out there first. However, you’ll greatly increase your chances of success as an author if you go slowly. People who take time with editing and feeling out the market have a much easier road to publication.
These are people who lay eyes on your manuscript before it’s published, to help you polish it. Critiquers are people who go through portions of your book slowly and give you their thoughts, usually in return for your thoughts on their own books. I recommend joining a critique group, either locally or online. You can find great critique partners in the Authordock pitch room, and connect with others on Twitter, by interacting with writers on the feeds of online writing competitions hashtags like #amwriting and #amediting. (I can walk you through the Twitter universe if you’re unfamiliar. Just ask!)
Beta readers are folks who read your entire manuscript and give you their thoughts as to overall plot and character development, or of things like organization and clarity if you’re writing nonfiction. Friends and family are not always the best beta readers because they often don’t want to tell us the full truth, but usually they are part of the beta reading process. You can also find more neutral beta readers in the same places you find critique partners (critique partners themselves often turn into beta readers, in fact).
Critiquers and beta readers are not editors. They should be your first step in the editing process. If you end up hiring a professional editor later, you’ll get a lot more out of their editing services if you go through the critique and beta reading process first.
Everyone has a different editing process. Some do some initial edits as they write. Some edit during the critique and beta reading process. Some wait, sit on all the critique they’ve gotten, and edit later. I personally do all three of these things.
However you do it, you will likely need more than one pass of editing. And, no matter how you do it, at least one of those passes should be after you have let your manuscript sit for a while without looking at it. This allows you to read it with fresh eyes. It should seem a little like you’re reading someone else’s book, which makes it a lot easier to spot errors, plot holes, flow problems, pacing problems, and interruptions in character and plot arcs.
After this process, you may want to consider hiring an editor to do a developmental critique and perhaps a line edit. Editors are professionals who can spot out all sorts of problems with your book, not only with the big picture (organization, pacing, flow, and plot/character arcs), but with smaller stuff, like overused words, “trash” words, and writing/grammar/spelling mistakes. This service will be more thorough and detailed, as well as more professional, than you’ll get from critiquers and beta readers.
Be careful choosing an editor, if you go this route. Always research, ask for references, and have them do a free sample edit (usually first couple pages of your manuscript) to make sure they are not only qualified, but a good fit for you. Just because an editor is very skilled doesn’t mean they’re the best person for your manuscript. You need someone who understands your genre and style. If you have questions about this process, ask me.
If your goal has always been self-publishing, it’s time to move on to that process after completing this step. But I highly recommend moving on to the next steps. Even if you ultimately decide to self-publish, your manuscript and marketing techniques will be helped immensely by the querying process.
You have made it to this step! It is time for another celebration, because this is an important milestone and the beginning of the next exciting phase of your writing career.
The querying process is tough. It’s gut-wrenching at times. You might have to go back and read step one of this essay a million times. But later, you’ll probably look back on this period with nostalgia.
Remember that when you’re face-down on your computer keyboard, sobbing.
Note: for nonfiction books (self-help, cookbooks, how-to’s), the pitching process is a little bit different, and I’m not an expert on how to sell those sorts of books. We will hopefully have a separate tutorial on that subject soon. However, the process for all genres of fiction AND for narrative nonfiction (memoir, for instance) is as described below.
Before you start pitching, you’ll need a query and a synopsis. Queries and synopses are completely different animals, but many just beginning the pitching process don’t know this. I didn’t.
A query is often compared to the blurb on the back of a book. It’s not quite the same, but there are similarities. Like a book-jacket blurb, a query should be a short teaser that makes the agent or editor need to read the book in order to know about your characters, your world, and how the conflict is resolved.
A query should contain three sections: introduction, short pitch, and bio.
Intro. The introduction gives your reason for pitching that particular editor or agent (for instance, you read one of their interviews online and saw they were interested in speculative fiction with a strong female heroine, which is your book in spades).
The intro should also contain your novel’s title IN ALL CAPS. There are many reasons for this format; I won’t go into them here. Just know that it’s standard, and you should always use it. Choosing your title can be tricky, and I could write another essay just on that subject. The title should be intriguing and give an idea of your book’s genre. But ultimately, if your title isn’t great, it’s really no big deal. Titles often change during the production process.
The introduction to your query should also give your book’s genre and the word count. Word count is important, because there are industry standards which vary by genre. A good rundown of generally-accepted word counts is here. Yes, there are people who get away with word counts that don’t meet these standards, but you’ll have a much easier time if you’re close to standard.
The intro can also contain comparative titles—books somewhat similar to yours. Comp titles are helpful because they allow an editor/agent to picture who your audience will be, but they’re not necessary.
Comp titles can also be, for instance, THIS meets THIS (such as STAR WARS meets THE GILMORE GIRLS…which might be hilarious). This is what we call “high concept”, and can be very effective.
Comp titles should be books/movies/shows that are well-known, but it is inadvisable to use the huge bestsellers (HARRY POTTER, HUNGER GAMES, GAME OF THRONES) as comps, unless it’s in a high concept scenario (for instance HARRY POTTER meets RAISING ARIZONA…another wonderful concept that someone should write immediately).
If your book is the first in a series, you should state “This is a standalone novel with series potential” in your query intro. This lets the agent know that your book contains a complete narrative arc, but has some secondary plot questions/loose threads that will be tied up in future books.
Do not pitch every book in the series at once! You may only pitch one novel with each query, and you can only pitch the first book in a series. The only exception to that latter rule is if it’s a series of true standalones—think Tony Hillerman, Carl Hiaasen, and Terry Pratchett, where the books can be read out of order and you won’t have much trouble at all following the plot. Even in that circumstance, you may only pitch one book at a time.
Then comes your short pitch, which is the “meat” of your query. This is by far the trickiest (and most important) part. It should be, at minimum, 100 words and, at maximum, 250. Both the minimum and the maximum word count are really pushing it, but you can get away with it if your query is excellent, and the circumstances really call for it. Too short, and you won’t give a good idea of what your book is about. Too long, and the agent’s eyes will cross and you’ll go straight to the reject pile.
The goal with the pitch is to hook the reader, so you want to give away little details—give them an introduction to your characters, your world, and the conflict, and idea of how your book is special—but you don’t want to give too much away. Tease them.
Your short pitch should concentrate on three things:
The third section of your query is your bio, which briefly tells the agent who you are and lists your publishing credits, if any.
And that’s it! All you need is those three little things, and your query is set.
Note that your query doesn’t contain an explanation of why you wrote the book. In most cases in fiction, you don’t need this. Nor do you need to tell the editor/agent that your book is the next bestseller—this will be obvious once they read it, so be confident that your writing can speak for itself. And under no circumstances should your query state that your book is much better than so-and-so’s bestselling book. Trashing other authors is a good way to alienate publishing professionals.
So, what does a successful query look like? There are examples on Authordock that you should review. You would also be well advised to read and absorb the wealth of AMAZING information at queryshark.com. I also plan to share and dissect the query for the YA novel I’m currently pitching, which has gotten me four full requests and multiple partials so far. The query is in black, and my notes are in red.
Dear Ms. Mumblemumble [ALWAYS use their name. Never use the generic “Dear Agent” or “To Whom it May Concern”]:
I’m querying you because you indicated on Twitter that you’re seeking YA own voices books [Agents love to hear why you’re querying them specifically. They want you to be particularly interested in working with them, as well]. I am seeking representation for TRUE STORY, a YA contemporary romance, with elements of magical realism [genre], complete at 73,000 words [word count]. It’s an own voices book that deals with mental health issues [if you don’t know what an own voices book is, ask me. If your book is own voices, it’s a huge selling point, but if it’s not, don’t worry].
17-year-old Mike Charley is a girl, named after her grandfather by a bipolar mother who thought Mike was his reincarnation. Now Mike is in the foster system, and constantly in trouble: for running away from sketchy foster parents, for skipping school. The only safe place for her is in the fantasy worlds she writes about [This is an intro to my main character, and hints toward one of her goals: to overcome the things holding her back from happiness (stigma, hurtful past, bullying)].
Then she meets Vaughn, and is drawn against her will to the handsome, talented artist. There’s a connection between them that sets her spine tingling [intro to the secondary character. If it’s a romance, this is always the love interest. Also introduces another goal: get together with the guy she likes ].
When a car accident puts Mike in the hospital and Vaughn in a coma, Mike begins to have visions. Their fates are intertwined, and Vaughn’s life is now in Mike’s hands: she has ten days to complete the book she’s writing, or he’ll never wake up [This introduces the main conflict, and the stakes: “…or he’ll never wake up”].
This belief lands her in an institution, but Mike knows she’s not crazy [more conflict]. Trapped and helpless, not allowed to write, the day fast approaching when Vaughn’s father pulls him off life support, Mike has to find a way to finish her book…or a way to join her boyfriend in death [stakes: do it or die].
[The “meat” of my query is 176 words. That’s a good word count.]
I am an active writer, musician, and freelance editor. I have had five books published by Limitless Publishing: the romantic suspense Love or Money and four books in my magical realism Other Place series. I have two short horror stories set to come out in the 13: Déjà vu and 13: Night Terrors anthologies—an internationally bestselling series of anthologies. I am a neurodivergent person, and a neurodiverse rights activist who speaks at forums and events [My bio is long. It shouldn’t be longer than this, in most fiction queries, but most of this is relevant/interesting stuff. You want to let the agent/editor know that you’ll be a good person to work with, and you have attributes that are marketable—that you’re interesting as a person, and not just a great writer].
Thank you for your consideration.
Elizabeth Roderick
your email
your phone
[Always contain contact info].
This query certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it is working for me, because it briefly introduces my characters, conflict, and stakes, with just enough specifics to help set it apart from other books without giving too much away.
Synopsis
A synopsis is a short rundown of who your major characters are, and of all your major plot points. The synopsis should always give away the ending. It is not a teaser. The synopsis is to help the agent/editor spot plot holes or story problems, and let them know if they already have a similar book on their list. Not all agents/editors ask for a synopsis, but most do.
A synopsis, while sometimes tedious to write, doesn’t usually take long and isn’t rocket science once you get used to it. If you have questions about it, ask me.
Get critique partners and beta readers to read your query and give you pointers before you send it out. Online writing competitions that contain a critique component are also great ways to get objective eyes on your query (and sometimes first page). These contests—such as Query Kombat and Son of a Pitch—occur many times throughout the year and are free. They have the added benefits of being a great way to meet other writers and industry professionals, learn about the industry and market forces, and best of all, to potentially get your manuscript in front of an agent! We have tons of info on these contests on Authordock. The major ones are listed on our calendar with checklists to help you prepare.
There are thousands of agents and editors out there, but not all of them are good, so do your research before pitching. Writer’s Digest is a good place to start—you can usually find their print edition of their resource guide in the library (they put out a new one each year), which has many agents and editors listed, along with the genres the represent and how to pitch them. You can find tons more by searching online and by discussing it with other authors (Twitter is a great place to learn about agents/editors, as is MSWishlist.com—this is where agents and editors put out calls for certain kinds of books).
The biggest red flags with agents and editors is if they charge you a “reading fee”, or want you to pay for any part of the publishing process (this DOES NOT apply to services that assist with self-publishing, as those always charge a fee). But there are other things to consider when researching agents and publishers. Has the agent sold many books? If so, were they to big-name publishers, or are they only to tiny presses? Do the publisher’s books have good covers, good editing, and do they sell well?
Also make sure that the agent/editor accepts the genre you’ve written. Never pitch a romance to someone who doesn’t take romance, or a YA to someone who only takes adult. This will be an immediate reject, and you’ll also torque them off.
It is also extremely important to research the agent’s submission guidelines. This will vary with every agent. Do they want a query, synopsis, and the first chapter? The query and first three chapters? Query only? And do they want the material pasted into the email (this is most common) or as an attachment? If you don’t adhere to their submission guidelines, again, it’s usually an immediate reject and an annoyed agent.
You can bypass researching which agents take your genre by pitching through online competitions and pitch parties (which I will briefly discuss below), because when you pitch that way, the agents and editors come to you. Still be sure to research whether they are a reputable agent or editor, however, and that they seem “right” for you—especially in pitch parties, because these are open to requests from ANY agent or editor.
Congratulations! This is your next milestone and another reason to celebrate!
Send out your queries, again being very certain you’re following each agent/editor’s submission guidelines. You can also pitch through Twitter “pitch parties” such as #pitmad. There will be info about upcoming pitch parties in Authordock, their dates and times are listed on our calendar, and you can ask me about them, as well. These pitch parties involve tweeting your short Twitter pitch along with the hashtag. If agents or editors “like” your tweet, they’re expressing interest and inviting you to pitch them. This prevents having to research what agents take your genre.
After you send out your queries comes the waiting. Every agency is different with regard to response times, and some don’t respond at all unless they’re interested in seeing more material.
It really helps during this step to work on a new manuscript. It keeps you from obsessing too much on responses and rejections and helps you to increase your writing skills. Not only that, but if agents are interested, they’ll ask you what else you’re working on. Answering “nothing” might not be a deal-breaker, but it will definitely make them less interested. The more books you write, the more they’ll be able to sell.
It’s also important to have other authors in the querying stage to commiserate with. This is a tough process. You can find them in the Authordock War Rooms (by genre), Twitter, and critique groups, and you’ll find them much more willing to listen than your long-suffering family who has no idea how hard writing and pitching are.
Don’t lose hope when you get rejections. All authors get them—lots of them. Rejection is part of being an author. It only takes one agent or editor who loves your work, and voila, you’re published!
This needs repeating. Even after you’re published, there’s marketing, reviews, new manuscripts…writing the best job in the world, but it’s a job, and it’s hard sometimes. But your manuscripts need to be out in the world, so keep going.
Never give up, but take the first step and sign up today.