Waving, not drowning, however...

[Adam Archon]

Hello all, today is my first time joining this illustrious site, and this is my first post.

And I am not even certain how to frame it.

Basically, like a lot of you, I have written a book - two actually - and I am well on my way with the third in the series. I am loving the process, it's like I keep discovering new aspects at every turn, the characters reveal more and more of themselves to me as the pages mount, and I am finding it an absolute thrill if I am being honest. I never knew it was like this. I thought I knew what the deal was when I started, but as it happens, even though I am the one writing the words - it turns out to be as much of a surprise to me as it would to a reader when something exciting happens. Totally bizarre, but not at all un-enjoyable.

My question is: where to from here? I don't have an agent. Should I self publish or try to get a big 5 to take me on? I am a babe in the woods, wandering around with no clue!

How can you help? I guess I just wanted to reach out and start the process of engaging with new people, hearing your thoughts and what has worked for / against you, and what you think is a good avenue to explore.

Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks for making it this far, and have a wonderful day.

Adam.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ha! This came up in the Chrons podcast yesterday as one commonly asked on the Chrons as an opening question

forget about how to publish and start with making the writing as strong as it can be. Which means getting to know the critique section - you can’t post your own before 30 posts but you can feedback to others on theirs - reading the writing Threads, maybe entering the flash writing challenges. Later when you are sure you have the product ready to go, you can explore the various avenues.

 

[The Judge]

Hello and Welcome to Chrons!

I second Jo's advice. Have you been working alongside a writing group? Have you had your work read by someone who knows about writing and preferably in the same genre? ie not just friends and family who enjoy books, but someone who can pinpoint a novel's good point and flaws and understands things such as structure, theme and character arcs?

If not, then the first step is to get that kind of help to ensure your book is as good as it can be. Sending out a novel to agents before receiving knowledgeable feedback -- been there, done that, got the rejection slips! -- is not only dispiriting, it's also self-defeating, as agents rarely respond well to getting the same stuff back again, even if it is now the new improved version. And self-publishing might seem easy, but actually selling a SP'd work is another matter altogether, and it makes the task even harder if people can pick holes in the writing of the first page seen for free on Amazon.

So settle in and get to know us. Join in the Writing Challenges and the exercises in Workshop, read around the threads in Writing Discussion and the posts in the Toolbox -- no matter how long we've been writing, there is always something to learn! And have a look at our Critiques section and see the kind of work that is posted there and the kind of feedback that is given, then when you've got the necessary 30 counted posts, put the first 600-800 words of your first chapter up and see what reaction you get.

The other advantage of joining in, as well as gaining companionship and information, is that if you do eventually decide to self-publish, if by then you're a Supporter you can promote your work here and your fellow members are much more likely to take a look at your novels and buy than they would for a total stranger coming in and advertising.

Writing is a marathon, not a sprint, but you've come to the right place for help!

Meanwhile, I'll move this over to the Writing Discussion forum as it will sit there a little more happily than in Publishing.

 

[tinkerdan]

I would say that--depending on how much you have edited your work--you should edit it very carefully one more time and then look for someone willing to edit the whole piece for you.
Probably start by giving a small chunk to someone you trust to be fair with grammar and spelling and maybe even content and consistency editing.

After that, you should find that you have a lot of work yet to do to polish things.

It can help to post portions here, though the size constraint makes it clear that the best bet is to have editors and beta readers you can rely on close at hand.

Once it's polished a bit you can begin to look at different ways to publish.

 

[The Big Peat]

The "Are you really sure you're ready" step is a good one. Saved me from putting my name to some utter tripe.

However, that wasn't particularly what you asked.

Assuming you are indeed ready, your options as I see them here

1) Self-Publish
2) Get an Agent
3) Make enough friends in writing/publishing fields that someone will recommend you directly to a publisher

3 is difficult as hell. Should you seek to make friends who share your fiction interests? Yes, absolutely. Might it lead you to a lottery win? Could do. But I don't think you should count on it.

2 is difficult but not as difficult. I'm currently doing so, a number of others have done it. And remember! Just because you get an agent doesn't mean it's going to actually happen. There is no guarantee they'll be able to place your work, or that you'll be happy with their work. It is however the only way to get a major publisher to take on a full-length without major luck.

1 lets you do it right away but it puts a lot of work on your plate and getting anywhere with it is difficult. But you have total control.

I forgot 4. 4 is sit on it and create more work and see what comes from it. Do a lot of short fiction and the like.

Unless you're really set on the self-control or right now gratification you get from 1, I think you should at least attempt 2. It's very unlikely to hurt you and you never know what you'll get. Just control your expectations as to how it will happen.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

The "Are you really sure you're ready" step is a good one. Saved me from putting my name to some utter tripe.

However, that wasn't particularly what you asked.

Assuming you are indeed ready, your options as I see them here

1) Self-Publish
2) Get an Agent
3) Make enough friends in writing/publishing fields that someone will recommend you directly to a publisher

3 is difficult as hell. Should you seek to make friends who share your fiction interests? Yes, absolutely. Might it lead you to a lottery win? Could do. But I don't think you should count on it.

2 is difficult but not as difficult. I'm currently doing so, a number of others have done it. And remember! Just because you get an agent doesn't mean it's going to actually happen. There is no guarantee they'll be able to place your work, or that you'll be happy with their work. It is however the only way to get a major publisher to take on a full-length without major luck.

1 lets you do it right away but it puts a lot of work on your plate and getting anywhere with it is difficult. But you have total control.

I forgot 4. 4 is sit on it and create more work and see what comes from it. Do a lot of short fiction and the like.

Unless you're really set on the self-control or right now gratification you get from 1, I think you should at least attempt 2. It's very unlikely to hurt you and you never know what you'll get. Just control your expectations as to how it will happen.

Just a few words to add to Pete’s advice, especially point 3. Some publishers allow direct submissions, mostly by way of a short open submission period or a competition of some sort.
Although I rarely write SFF these days, I won a publishing contract by submitting directly to a publisher and my crime books are now selling well with audio rights also sold.
It doesn’t have to be one of the big 5. There are some really excellent smaller publishing houses out there these days.
Also, I’d agree with Jo and TJ. You need to make your work as perfect as you can manage under your own steam, and then you need good readers to give you feedback. You will probably need a good editor too, at least one, whichever pathway you choose. You shouldn’t submit or self publish until it’s as good as you can possibly make it, and it’s really hard to see the faults in your own writing.

 

[Wayne Mack]

Welcome and congratulations on finishing two novels and starting a third. That is more that the vast majority of the population has accomplished.

I am in somewhat the same situation, I have been writing for myself and I am becoming curious about whether my efforts would appeal to a larger audience. So, I can't give advice on next steps, but I can provide some advice on advice. Remember, no matter what rule someone gives, there has been an author who has completely violated it and become wildly successful. There have also been those who have followed the rule and never seen the light of day. This is not to say 'ignore all rules,' but to say if a suggestion does not feel right, then it is okay to ignore it. Suggestions, though, that either feel right or at least seem neutral should probably be followed.

I'm sure some of those who have become successful in various paths will chime in and describe what worked for them and what pitfalls they might have encountered. Best of luck going forward and I hope you find the journey fun and exciting.

 

[Steve Harrison]

When you are ready to submit, be aware that you will need an agent to reach the big 5 publishers and many of the upper and middle tier companies, too. However, if unsuccessful, there are plenty of publishers of all sizes who accept direct queries.

I couldn't get an agent (either here in Australia or overseas) for my first two novels, but eventually sold to a small UK publisher. I'm now trying to get a UK or US agent for two other novels. No success so far, but I live in hope!

And although it's not for me, self-publishing is definitely an an option.

My overriding conviction is that there is one single person out there among the many thousands of agents and publishers across the world who will agree with me that my books are fabulous and my ongoing quest is simply to find him or her