Where to start?

You can print the book yourself, if you like - something like Lightning Source could happily print on demand if you supply them with a PDF. There's plenty of advice elsewhere on this board about POD. Of course, this is by no means the same thing as being published, and won't really help to get you published.

The best way to look for a publisher is to look for books that are similar to yours, or sell to a similar market, and then look up the details of their publisher's submission guidelines. Then you follow those guidelines to the letter, and wait - often for quite some time.

There are plenty of online critiquing communities on the web (Share Your Work on this forum will get you some good feedback) and you can always ask your friends and family to have a read - as long as you remind yourself that any criticism they have is likely to be very muted.

DannyTuttle said:

I've written a novel, a modern-set half-religious (or antireligious), half- fantasy, and am not sure where to start the process of getting it published. I would like to know if I can do POD while I look for an agent and/or publisher.

If so, then I would appreciate advice on:
1. What is the best way to POD, and
2. What is the best way to look for an agent/publisher?
3. Exactly which people should I pester to get them to read the book and comment/advise?

I have undoubtedly left out most of the useful information which most of the responders to this post will need, so please feel free to ask whatever you need. Thanks in advance to all responders.

ö¿ö¬ E=mc²
~

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Very few POD books find a real publisher. You really need to choose. Do you want a mainstream publisher, or do you want to self-publish?

The best way to look for an agent is to get a list of agents and start sending out query letters.

DannyTuttle said:

Jamesaritchie,
Yes I want a mainstream editor, but why must I choose? Can't I do POD for now, and even self-publish if I choose, while continuing to look for an agent/publisher in the traditional manner?

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Hi Danny,
I am a nonfiction publisher, so take this with a grain of salt: I am highly unlikely to publish a book that has already been self-published, because quite frankly it's more work than it's worth. If a self-published author has spent any time or effort to get the book reviewed you have to track down where they sent it, who saw it, who might have reviewed it--and then come up with a new reason why it's different or better or worth reviewing this time around rather than before. If they've sold copies into stores or online there are often ISBN/version creep issues, and sometimes a self-published book that has sold a few thousand copies has reached its limit: a few thousand copies was all that it was going to sell, and so the publisher is left with a dud. So my advice to you is to listen to James--choose which route you want to pursue and be committed to it. Don't try to do both at once because the result is usually not what anyone wants.
Good luck!

DannyTuttle said:

Occasionally, I would pick up the phone and pester my agent, but eventually, as my hair grew gray (after 5 years), I gave up, quit paying the agent, allowed the contract to expire, and then drifted into reclusive dejection.

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The moment I read those words hundreds of red lights went on. YOU DON't PAY AN AGENT! EVER!

Agents get their money from the publisher; it's a percentage of your royalties. You were with a scam agent. He probably never sent the book anywhere. Why should he; he is already being paid by you!

Agent

I'm with Aruna 110%. It definitely sounds like you went with a "bad apple" of an agent. Royalty PODs are second-to-last ditch efforts to get your book published, beat out only by the vanity POD where you have to pay them to print the copies. If you love your book, be patient and don't settle. It's hard because you want to see your book out there, but you'll do it and yourself and injustice by jumping right to a vanity or low-end POD publisher.

My suggestion: Research literary agents very thoroughy to find out not only their interests, but what kind of repuation they or they're agency has. A good agent can open doors you'll never get through on your own. That doesn't mean you'll get published, of course, because in the end one's work must speak for itself as we all know. But a good agent stands a much better chance of getting your book published by a reputable house than you do on your own, and a good agent never charges you fees. The best agents don't charge because they only take on books they believe in, thus they only get paid if your book is published. That's really an amazing thing if you think about. They give their time and effort freely, making money only if you do.

If you do go POD, research, research. Some PODs are much more reputable and successful than others. I'd put Mundania on the top of the list. And I'd personally run from Publish America with all the speed I could muster.

God, that's awful. Commiserations. Don't think POD will make you any happier. Writers write, not hawk.

Take a look at this site which has a lot of agent listings


www.agentquery.com

Don't give up yet.

I realize it's been several years, but I think doing a bit more research on agents will help you this time around ($350 every 8 months! What a rip!)

To start, get Writer's Market to get some ideas. Then, before you start typing up queries, research to see who are scammers and who aren't, by searching:

• This site;
• Preditors and Editors - http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm ; and
• Writer Beware - http://www.sfwa.org/beware/

Yeah, it's tedious, and your eyes will probably be crossed by the time you get done with all this, but in the long run, you'll be better off. You'll know which agents/agencies to stay away from, and get an idea of who might be looking for your type of book.

At least you've got a finished book that you're submitting; mine's finished, but I'm just starting the critiquing phase (something you might consider down the line, if you keep getting rejections and you don't know why).

You might also want to consider smaller publishers, a la Mundania Press. I bought one of their books recently, and not only is the story very good, but the book is nicely done.

For small presses, you might want to do a search right here on the site.

BTW, excuse my reference to critiquing; that's a personal thing that each writer has to decide for him/herself. I decided it was something I had to do before I submitted anything.

Most of all -- good luck!

~Nancy

DannyTuttle said:

Can't I do POD for now, and even self-publish if I choose, while continuing to look for an agent/publisher in the traditional manner?

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No.

Not with the same book.

DannyTuttle said:

why must I choose? Can't I do POD for now, and even self-publish if I choose, while continuing to look for an agent/publisher in the traditional manner?

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When you publish a book - through POD, self-pubbing, or commercial houses - you part with certain rights. 1st and foremost are 1st rights of publication. While many POD presses claim that the author retains all rights (or that they'll return rights any time the author asks for them) there is NO WAY to get 1st rights back once they're gone. The "1st" publication is a one shot deal.

Almost every commercial publisher wants those 1st rights. If you try to sell them the other rights, they'll want to know how the book sold the 1st time. If that number is less than 5000, they'll think it's not worth their time or money because it's not a seller. If that number is more than 5000, then you have to convince them you haven't burned up the audience for the book before they'll sink money into it.

That's why you can't do both.

Actually, on several occasions I have worked on books that were self-published before we picked them up. What they all had in common was that they were relatively successful - stocked in a bunch of branches of Waterstones, that sort of thing - which is so unusual it attracted our attention. I can't possibly recommend it, but self-publishing doesn't kill your chances of actual publication stone dead.

Edited to add: Well, most of the time. But not always.