How to get published

Livvie

kilrush claire wrote: »

Hi, it's a character novel set in the 1920s

I submitted to ChocLit, who don't require you to have an agent first. They do require a hero pov though, not necessarily throughout the book - we had around half a dozen povs - and they do like a defined hero.

kilrush claire

Thanks for that Livvie, yes the hero is strong alright. Thanks again, K.C.

Livvie

kilrush claire wrote: »

Thanks for that Livvie, yes the hero is strong alright. Thanks again, K.C.

No prob. Look forward to reading your book.

kilrush claire

Wondering...is it just me...or..are Poolbeg / writing.ie really only interested in submissions from Yummy Mummys. I have a reason for asking and its not sour grapes because I have not submitted to Poolbeg or joined writing.ie. But I have noticed that several of Poolbeg's authors are similar in looks and age and are mothers to the 2.2 children and living in suburbia and writing.ie appears to pick up on that. Are they just trying to find chick-lit authors that look like the characters in their books. Is it a beauty contest or can anyone join in?:mad:

EileenG

Anyone can join in. They don't care what the authors look like, it's just that the ones who are most willing to do publicity tend to look alike.

shuffles03

I've just finished writing my book and I have a quick question about submitting exerts. One publisher is looking for 40,000 words. Is it best to submit 40,000 from from one part or choose different chapters throughout the book to make up the required amount?

blue.jester

shuffles03 wrote: »

I've just finished writing my book and I have a quick question about submitting exerts. One publisher is looking for 40,000 words. Is it best to submit 40,000 from from one part or choose different chapters throughout the book to make up the required amount?

Generally it is submit the first three chapters/first block of words up to the total.

A few times I have submitted less than, or slightly more than, the 40K request to have it end on a natural break.

I was told by an agent once to never submit chapters randomly because it comes across as "I really think these bits are awesome, but the first three chapters are not so great so let's not look at them just yet."

Basically it makes them wonder why you didn't use the first words the reader is going to read.

shuffles03

Cheers for the advice. I had originally thought about selecting different chapters throughout the book as it spans different continents so I wanted to give an example from each but I definitely see why doing so would make the reader sketchy.

Cheers.

kev2010

It's hard to get published but find the write publishing house for your genre and keep sending in manuscripts. Edit, edit, edit.

echo beach

kev2010 wrote: »

It's hard to get published but find the write right publishing house for your genre and keep sending in manuscripts. Edit, edit, edit.

I've done a little editing for you.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.:)

Walls

Morning All,

I was having a television interview about my novel last Saturday (it will go out over Halloween) and one of the things they said was that it should be offered as an option for a mini series to Morgan O'Sullivan, the producer of the Tudors. Hands up, though, I know nothing about such things, or even how to arrange representation for such things. As far as I can see, even getting representation would be an uphill battle. Anyone any ideas or tips to arrange something like this?

Easog

Hello

I have known Morgan for a couple of years now and the best time to approach him is when he has been on the sherry. He drinks in the Dargle inn most Friday nights and by about 11 he is pretty sloshed. The best way to get chatting is to tell him you have a rock solid tip for a horse race the following day. Do your research and just pick out a random horse. Tell him the tip came from a jockey in England. Hope this has been helpful.
ps, if you don't know what he looks like try Google images.

Walls

Many thanks, Easog, but I'm not going to approach him in a bar. I've since been told that his company is dealing with the Tudors, Vikings and a third, huge project after that, and to try an agent in London instead. I've sent off a very polite email as a result, we'll see what can be done from that.

Alicep

Any guidelines on e-book publishing. Is self publishing on Amazon a difficult thing to actually do

Livvie

Alicep wrote: »

Any guidelines on e-book publishing. Is self publishing on Amazon a difficult thing to actually do

I don't think so. It's becoming more and more common - and if you buy a magazine on writing, you'll probably find someone advertising to do it for you.. I've seen it for less than £100.

What you would need is to get really involved in social networking to promote yourself...Facebook (an author page), Twitter, have a blog, get yourself a blog tour etc. etc.

pickarooney

Alicep wrote: »

Any guidelines on e-book publishing. Is self publishing on Amazon a difficult thing to actually do

it's a piece of piss to publish. getting anyone to buy it or even know it exists is the difficult bit.

Easog

pickarooney wrote: »

it's a piece of piss to publish. getting anyone to buy it or even know it exists is the difficult bit.

Pickarooney, we don't appreciate that kind of language here. I suggest you find some other threads to express yourself such as motoring or livestock. Thank you.

maccored

pickarooney wrote: »

it's a piece of piss to publish. getting anyone to buy it or even know it exists is the difficult bit.

Totally agree

Dortilolma

Alicep wrote: »

Any guidelines on e-book publishing. Is self publishing on Amazon a difficult thing to actually do

It's very easy - but make sure your manuscript is the best it can be and get an editor to go over it (and not a friend of a friend who is good at that sort of thing but a proper copy-editor and a proofreader).

You can self publish ebooks in multiple stores not just Amazon. However as has already been pointed out once you've published you have to market your ebook which is the ridiculously hard part.

To start off have a look at Kindle Direct Publishing, Kobo's Writing Life and Smashwords.

For editors check out The Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers

If you have questions about marketing feel free to PM me. I worked in marketing in Publishing and currently work in marketing digital products - including ebooks.

Livvie

My co-written book, Beneath an Irish Sky, has now been out in paperback since August, ebook since July, and it's the most nerve-wracking time of my life.

There have been mainly highs, but also some lows which I can't quite define. I've been on edge a lot of time, and even depressed, without really knowing why, but I attribute it to the stress of having my baby out there at the mercy of predators (aka reviewers). Plus the stress of commitment combined with the fear of failure.

Are these feelings normal?

I'd recommend a rhino-hide coat, but have to say I wouldn't change anything. And two great reviews in the Irish Independent made my year.

(It's currently free on Amazon btw. The novel that is, not the Irish Independent ).

pickarooney

How come it's only available in the UK?

Livvie

pickarooney wrote: »

How come it's only available in the UK?

I didn't know it was - it's available on Amazon.com and sells in America. That's interesting and might be something I have to tell the publisher.

Does Ireland use .com or .uk?

alfa beta

Livvie wrote: »

My co-written book, Beneath an Irish Sky, has now been out in paperback since August, ebook since July, and it's the most nerve-wracking time of my life.

There have been mainly highs, but also some lows which I can't quite define. I've been on edge a lot of time, and even depressed, without really knowing why, but I attribute it to the stress of having my baby out there at the mercy of predators (aka reviewers). Plus the stress of commitment combined with the fear of failure.

Are these feelings normal?

I'd recommend a rhino-hide coat, but have to say I wouldn't change anything. And two great reviews in the Irish Independent made my year.

Just read the sample pages on amazon there - reads great - lovely writing style - must buy it - congratulations on publication - from what I read you definitely deserve to have your work out there.

Livvie

alfa beta wrote: »

Just read the sample pages on amazon there - reads great - lovely writing style - must buy it - congratulations on publication - from what I read you definitely deserve to have your work out there.

Thanks so much.

I appreciate that.

Cassandra1

Hallo Eoin

Will it be possible to mee you and discuss the steps for publishing a book?

Cassandra

Eoinp wrote: »

Hello folks,

Hope I can help with your queries.

To give you a sense of where I am coming from I started in publishing in 2005 at Nonsuch Ireland (now the History Press Ireland). I was lucky enough to be one of three graduates hired to set up and run the Irish imprint of a larger UK based publisher. it was very exciting and gave me something of a baptism of fire in publishing. We brought the list from 3 books in the first few months to 32 in the year I left the company, 2007.

I joined Mercier Press in April 2007 and worked with them until August 2009. There I commissioned dozens of books across many many genres, from fiction and children's to business, history and sport.

Now I work for myself as a publishing consultant and a publisher (on a very small scale) in my own right. I run Irish Publishing News a news and features website about Irish publishing.

So, ask away, I hope to check in as often as possible but don't be too worried if it takes a day or so sometimes for a final answer!

Eoin

BlueRibbon

Hi Cassandra1,
This seems to be quite an old thread & I don't know if anybody is following this anymore .... BUT .... being technically minded (& pedantic beyond belief) my friends have tormented me in assisting them in preparing their publications for e-publishing, to the extent that I am now offering this as a service. But more specifically, for the first time/starter author as I think the technology required inhibits a lot of creative people. So I can covert your work for the major online publishing sites if this is what you are looking for.

Jjjjjjjbarry

Hi,
this is an old thread but I'll try avoid starting a new one!

I've just completed a book and it's soon to be illustrated - by a friend.
It's one of those books where the illustrations may be as important in selling (even if the writing is fantastic!)

So I really have two type of queries:

1) I still need to agree terms with the illustrator/friend.
I may pay him for the work and give no cut or a split of cash/cut or all cut and no cash.
What's a a normal cut in? Would 70/30 or even 60/40 in my favour be too much to give away if there was no initial payment involved? I've put a lot of work in and will be the one to do the pushing and business end. However I know the illustrations take a lot of work too and will be what makes someone pick up the book in a shop and like what they see when flicking through.

Any recommendations or advice on this?

2) How hard is it to actually get published? Do I send my finished book out to publishers, hoping someone will come back to me and go "yes, we love it, we'll give you money and a cut of sales and here's a cheque" ?

Or is the self publishing road getting more common, more profitable? Or is that a bigger risk with more money to be paid up front?
Is it lot more stressful, time consuming etc to go self published?

I really don't know anything about this but believe I have a good book on the way and know my target audience and am confident it will go down well. Getting it to them and making money is the problem I face now!

Any advice much appreciated, thanks!

Das Kitty

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

Hi,
this is an old thread but I'll try avoid starting a new one!

I've just completed a book and it's soon to be illustrated - by a friend.
It's one of those books where the illustrations may be as important in selling (even if the writing is fantastic!)

So I really have two type of queries:

1) I still need to agree terms with the illustrator/friend.
I may pay him for the work and give no cut or a split of cash/cut or all cut and no cash.
What's a a normal cut in? Would 70/30 or even 60/40 in my favour be too much to give away if there was no initial payment involved? I've put a lot of work in and will be the one to do the pushing and business end. However I know the illustrations take a lot of work too and will be what makes someone pick up the book in a shop and like what they see when flicking through.

Any recommendations or advice on this?

2) How hard is it to actually get published? Do I send my finished book out to publishers, hoping someone will come back to me and go "yes, we love it, we'll give you money and a cut of sales and here's a cheque" ?

Or is the self publishing road getting more common, more profitable? Or is that a bigger risk with more money to be paid up front?
Is it lot more stressful, time consuming etc to go self published?

I really don't know anything about this but believe I have a good book on the way and know my target audience and am confident it will go down well. Getting it to them and making money is the problem I face now!

Any advice much appreciated, thanks!

Publishers have a stable of illustrators and a stable of writers. They do the matching. So unless you're self publishing, they're not going to want a "whole package" submission.

My advice would be to go into a few book shops, take a look at some books similar to how you invisage yours. Have a look at the publishers and the agents, then look them up online. Most will have submission guidelines to follow.

Self publishing is (IMO) a massive pain in the arse if you want to make money from it.

Alicep

You might want to visit a site which offers free publishing. The link is Visit FeedARead.com. Recently attended a talk by an Irish Author who self published with Kazoo. Her website is karenpowerauthor.com

redser7

Interesting reading and leads ...

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-irish-players-at-the-forefront-of-new-publishing-1.2468803