Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Tuesday Talkback: How do you get published?

Usually I answer your questions about writing, but today, I'm hoping that some of my readers are savvier than I am when it comes to knowing how to get published. I'm pretty well-versed in the screenwriting resources on the internet, but when it comes to book publishing, I know rather little.

So is anyone able to point me in the right direction to find out the best ways to approach non-fiction publishers? This includes what said publishers are looking for - a completed manuscript? A proposal and chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the book? Market research showing there is a market for a book in the proposed field.

And please, don't limit your suggestions to the web. If you know of some good books to pick up, please tell me. Or if some of you happen to work in publishing, feel free to drop me a line directly at zuulthereader@gmail.com.

Thanks in advance everyone.

6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Most publishers will give their submission guidelines on their website. I think that for non-fiction, it's generally an outline of each chapter, (3) sample chapters and a short bio to show why you are the right person to write about that subject.
    Here's a link to Hodder's advice page on how to get published - it's also got a bunch of links to explore further:
    http://www.hodder.co.uk/AboutUs/GettingPublished.aspx
    ... exciting!

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  3. I don't know much about book publishers except that they seem to be a very willing to talk to authors.

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  4. If there are any how to books or screenwriting books that you like, you should see who published the book and then research that publishers guidelines. Nowadays only a small fraction of publishing houses accept unsolicited manuscripts. Most of the time you have to have an agent. For nonfiction books, the main concern is what type of platform you already have established.

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  5. Larry Brooks over at www.storyfix.com is a pretty solid resource for book publishing. He answers questions, has some good tips, and keeps it pretty interesting.

    Take Care,
    Chris
    www.notomorrowthemovie.blogspot.com

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  6. Michael Larson's How To Write A Book Proposal is an excellent resource.

    And The Writer's League of Texas has an Agents & Editors conference (every summer) that's much like our film festival (AFF), which is to say focused on the writer with easy access to the power players who are truly serious about finding talent.

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