I sent my query and synopsis to three more literary agents today. The hardest part of being a
writer isn't the writing; it is getting a traditional publishing contract and literary agent. Very few
take on a new author. I understand their reasoning; they invest a lot of time and money into each
project they accept. The costs of publishing are a high-risk chance for them when it comes to
unestablished writers. They have a team that reads and discussed every project they take on.
Then there is the process of editing and revising the author's work Their editor reads and make
suggested changes needed. The book is sent back to the author for him/her to review and agree
or disagree with those suggested changes. This can go on for a while until both parties are in
agreement. Once both sides are satisfied with the work and agree that it is time to move on to the
next step, a team sits down to create the book cover. Again, this goes back and forth until the
cover is finally approved by both sides. Finally, the printing process begins. Once again, the book
is reviewed for any mistakes so the final publishing can take place. Then the publishing company
has to market the book. Copies of the novel are sent to newspapers, magazines, radio stations,
and bookstores for feedback and critic reviews. These entities then begin to help market the
novel. The entire cost lies with the traditional publishers. The cost, for traditional publishers, is
thousands of dollars. They bear the brunt of the entire cost. When they believe your work will not
only sale but bring in enough money to make it worth their time and money, a writer gets his/her
traditional contract. This is why it is hard for a new author to receive a traditional contract.
Hybrid and self-publishers go through the same process, but the cost of getting the novel on the
market is split between the publishing company and the author. Hybrid costs the author less
than self-publishing, in most cases, but the process is exactly the same as traditional publishing.
Depending on which company an author goes with determines how much the author will pay and
what the author's role in the entire publishing process will be. The less money paid by the author,
the more involved they are in helping market his/her novel.
There are pros and cons to all three methods of publishing. With hybrid and self-publishing, the
author maintains all rights to their work. The publishing companies are there to help make the
author's dreams of being a published author come true. Many hybrid and self-publishing
companies offer 100 percent of royalties to the author while others take a small royalty fee.
On the other hand, traditional publishing companies and agents receive a percentage of the
royalties. Many writers consider this to be a pro that needs to be considered in order to determine
which method of publishing suits his/her needs best.
The cons include out-of-pocket money the author must pay up front, how much control the
author has over his/her work, and how much work and time he/she must put forth to market
his/her work. I have several author friends who taught me how much work they had to do in
order to get their novels in bookstores and online. Some of these authors only had to used social
media platforms to inform the public of their work and the release dates. They had
in- person reading and signings and published those on their social media accounts to keep the
public informed about the progression of their novels and where to buy them. Another author
friend had to put in a lot of time not only making the public aware of her novels, but
she did all, or most, of the marketing. This includes not only making everyone on social media
aware of her novel, but she had to create her own audiobooks, eBooks, and even put her
novel into book format. The big difference depends on how much the authors paid to get their
novels published.
Every author's decision on how he/she gets published varies. Regardless of how he/she goes
about getting their novels in the hands of the readers, they all have the same dream. They all
want to write stories and share them with the world. Becoming a published author is hard work,
but the rewards are so worth it once they are holding their novels in their hands. I will keep you
posted on the progress of my novel.
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