Sorry I'm not very good at figuring this out
Is your book finished? If not, don’t worry about publishing yet.
2) Honestly, unless you have some connections to one, I would NOT bother with an agent.
YMMV, but I disagree with this one. If you want to be trade published - especially if you want to be stocked in bookstores - an agent is your best bet. You'll have more potential publishers, and you're far more likely to get a good advance.
Is it hard to get an agent? Yes. Do agents miss excellent books? Yes. I don't think either of these things mean you should skip this step if you're working to trade publish.
But as I said above, it depends on your goals. Think about what you want first, then do your research to figure out the best way to get it.
I strongly disagree with this, unless you've done as lizmonster suggested and interrogated why you want to be published, and decided you just really want this one book to be published because Personal Reasons (ie: not necessarily to sell, and not necessarily as the platform to a career.)2) Honestly, unless you have some connections to one, I would NOT bother with an agent. I wrote the clearest, most engaging queries I could think of (and I'm an English instructor), followed all of their guidelines, and even wrote a Chanticleer semi-finalist book, and still couldn't get one. I am kicking myself for spending ten years trying to get one to no avail.
3) Enter it into a contest if you think it is that good. I recommend the Chanticleer contest (Kiffer Brown is very nice and helpful). If you can make it as far as the semis, you will get a badge for your novel. That kind of notice is helpful in endorsing it to others.
YMMV, but I disagree with this one. If you want to be trade published - especially if you want to be stocked in bookstores - an agent is your best bet. You'll have more potential publishers, and you're far more likely to get a good advance.
Is it hard to get an agent? Yes. Do agents miss excellent books? Yes. I don't think either of these things mean you should skip this step if you're working to trade publish.
But as I said above, it depends on your goals. Think about what you want first, then do your research to figure out the best way to get it.
Still no. I'd still disagree. Contests are not an alternate route.I'm sure you are correct, so I would tweak my post by recommending not to try too long for an agent. After a year or so of reaching out, if the fish aren't biting then either try an alternative or revamp the story and query. I wasted many years looking for an agent and wish I had thought of an alternate route sooner.
I'm sure you are correct, so I would tweak my post by recommending not to try too long for an agent. After a year or so of reaching out, if the fish aren't biting then either try an alternative or revamp the story and query. I wasted many years looking for an agent and wish I had thought of an alternate route sooner.
Still no. I'd still disagree. Contests are not an alternate route.
Only the author can know when it’s right to give up on querying. There’s no magic timeframe or number.
Sage: Only the author can know when it’s right to give up on querying. There’s no magic timeframe or number. And whether to move on to the next book or self-pub the first at that point (or even both) is also down to the author
Lizmonster: Of course everyone needs to figure out what works for them. For me, having contingency plans helps keep me from being discouraged when one particular avenue doesn't play out. Timeframes are a big part of that: if something isn't working, I want to shift focus before I get so frustrated I never want to write again. But my timeframes are entirely subjective and applicable to no one else.
I was paying my agent $60 every month to send the queries to the publishers.
Okay, YIKES, I think it's non-controversial to say DO NOT PAY AN AGENT TO SUB FOR YOU.
And indianroads, I know you had no way of checking back then, and you were making the best choices you could for your career. I'm really sorry you got hooked up with someone like that, and I'm glad you're still writing and publishing.
What Liz said.
Well, all I can say is that I didn't know better at the time, and it all worked out in the end. For my goals at this stage of life, self-publishing works fine. For someone else, going the traditional route would probably be better. I think it's great that we have options now.
Funny. I just happened to look up on a dust covered shelf in my office, and found an old ZIP drive with my novels, 'Moytura' and 'Eyes of the Beast' on it. I think I have on old ZIP reader around somewhere... who knows, maybe I'll wake these stories up and publish them. I'm a little afraid of what my writing was like back then though.