This point caught my eye as an exact response to your question:
this guide puts in your hand the advice you need to:
* Pick an idea * Approach the publisher * Craft proposals and queries * Work with agents, or act as your own * Self-publish * Negotiate a contract * Create the actual book * Sell your published book
look at the books you like/ books like yours, check out their publisher. Check the acknowledgments for the editor/ agent. Start building up a list of possibilities in your field. Check out all the submissions requirements, get a proposal together. Do online research as well.
Then start submitting. Houghton-Mifflin is in Boston, right? They have a big nature line, if I remember correctly (I might not). Talk to everyone you know about how you have this really cool book, and see if they know any agents, etc. It takes knowing people, as well.
it depends on the publisher. The general packet seems to contain one or more of the following ingredients: chapter outline/ chapter summary, project timeline, sample chapter, resume/ CV. Once you have a basic proposal you can edit it for whomever, usually.
nah! think of it like any grant proposal - they all want the same stuff, you just have to package in their own weird way. jef is on exactly the right forums (fori?), you guys will totally get the hang of it.
Oh...it's a huge part of the reason that i quit my last job - not because of the grant, per se, but because I only had 10 days to get and compile all the info required I had to shut out all of my other bosses and as a result, they made up a physical schedule for my day. I said 'fuck this noise, i'm a big girl' and went and got another job.
They, of course, ended up getting the training grant. Did I mention it was a competing continuation? fuckers.
At that time, I had 10 PIs as bosses and the training grant benefitted a bunch of them and I was doing it as a favor to the chief of the dept. They were bitches, glad I left.
Here it is Urb... I'm getting ready to get published this year (October/ November). 1. Are you writing fiction or a manual, or a text book? The type will dictate A LOT about where and how you can get published. 2. Do you have any credentials? PhD., MBA, Masters, etc. OR, do you know some one who has that who would like to partner in the book project OR, can indorse your writing? 3. If you don't have any of #2, are you willing to self publish? This can be a freeing and expensive way to go, but my folks and I are possibly going to go this route. 4. No book can be published with out a queery letter (synopsis/letter of intent all wrapped into one) and once you have one of those, who do you send it to? See #5. 5.If you are AT ALL serious about getting published, you need to consult the Jeff Herman's guide to book publishers,editors, and litterary agents. You will want one or two of these (an agent or an editor, or both). 6. Someone threw out the 'For Dummies' book, I'd personally recommend the Complete Idiots GUide to gettting published by Sheree Bykofsky & Jennifer Basye Sander ISBN1-59257-121-2 Third edition... why did I write this item like this? It has importance, and you will know why if you get this book! I also know the ladies who did the foreward and one or both may do the foreward to the Woodland Park Zoo guide that I'm doing! 7. Please ask more questions and answer (if you can) the ones about the type of book you intend to produce. If it's fiction... BINGO! You're most likely an instant in if you do the minor education of reading the books on publishing recommended. If it's technical, you might want a college press to print it, as that is all they produce and with things like thew 365 project, you are almost a 'shoe in' for that sort of thing. If you approach a publisher directly, unless it is a small indy type house (and this is even a maybe), they won't do a blind solicitation... you might as well get Jeff Herman's and see what agents rep. what books and to whome... do your home work. Litterally 90 + % of people who write ANYTHING, don't and if you do, and you write a queery letter and get an agent or an editor interested in what you've got to write, you maybe in like flint... the biggest obstacle, is 'HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO GET PUBLISHEDS?' If you work to the same degree that you want a physical book in hand, you will see results... I AM!!!!! Good luck and I hope to hear back from you in this reguard!
1. I was thinking of turning "365 urban species" into a book. I think this falls under "disposable non-fiction crap" of the kind that 10 speed press puts out, and they sell near the registers in the bookstore.
2. No
3. No. (I've self-published magazines for over a decade and it's expensive, thankless work. It's time for someone else to do it for me.)
4-6. Thanks for the advice!
7. I dont' have any concrete questions at this point other than "who is going to hold my hand through this process?"
smack! right upside your head. I totally disagree on 2. You founded the Urban Nature zine, you've run successful urban nature walks for years, you are a Boston-based naturalist, and you have oodles of practical animal experience.
Yeah, those things on serious resumes are always far more exciting and important than they really were to the individual at the time. I mean, the Boston Globe doesn't do feature articles (plural, I'll remind you, Jef) on boring people who don't know what they are talking about.
Just because you do something for fun (publishing comics, volunteering at the Musuem of Science and SF zoo, etc.) doesn't mean it's not important. Put those things on your resume and make them sound good!
Hey, I can help out as much as needed... it's relatively painless,and I'd certainly think that the 365 Project would make an awesome book! Again, get Jeff Herman's, and there is yet another book that is worth a look, Jump strat your book sales ... A Money - making guide for Authors, Independant Publishers and Small Presses by Marilyn and Tom Ross Second printing ISBN 0-918880-41-6(trade paperback). They will give you ideas as to how to fund your project, get customers and consumers in places you will never have imagined to look at, and will help you succeed in a massive fashion! Again too, let me know how I can help. If you went with a colledge press, you would probably have a seller NO PROB! Mostly cuz of the nature of your work and being able to 'multi market' (educational, nature, scientific, informational, field guide... it goes on, and on) having said it goes on and on, you will want to clarify what genre your book falls into, because brevity is a HUGE KEY factor in getting a publisher or agents ear and interest. Just let me know if I can help further in the process... and I don't mind, I had to take these same steps and uncharted territory is just that... uncharted territory, so I'll help when ya need it!
Consider a small publisher. The one I worked for definitely took all the proposals sent to them seriously. There isn't a lot of money in writing a book, though, I have to warn you. Even our biggest, most famous writers only got about $10,000 for what basically amounted to a big ass textbook that they must have worked on for years.
Another suggestion is to make a low tech version of the book (can you say "zine" kids), market a small number of them to some very important people, and then approach a mainstream publisher. It worked for Pagan Kennedy at least...
I'm not looking to retire after the first book, but I do need to know how to get started. I won't be strong enough to shovel shit and kill mice for a living forever.
You might want to check out bookpublishing and literaryagents for some tips as well - literaryagents has some very useful links on their info page, including lists of writers' agents and a website that tells you if a particular agent is reputable.
A very useful book is Writer's Market, which gives in-detail information about publishers: what kind of material they're looking for; what their subsidiaries are; whether or not they accept unsolicited materials; etc.
i agree with turil; i think small publishers are the best way to start. it's like being a fish in a pond instead of a fish in the ocean; you're much more likely to get noticed, and IMHO, even if they're not interested, they're more likely to respond saying why they aren't and/or suggesting alternate places to send your manuscript.
Thank you (and turil, too). By the way, you remind me of each other--you look kind of alike, have strong ties to Somerville, and you both think a lot and speak your mind(s).
I haven't read most of the other comments here, but if you can hire an agent, I've heard that's a very good way to go. If you know someone who has published a vaguely related book, that would probably be the best way to find an agent. If you just go up to any random agent with no personal connection that's way harder, I'm told.
Depending on what your goal is, it sounds like self-publishing is becoming a better and better option as well.
All I know is about academic history publishing, and you really don't want to know any of that. However, the generalizable rule I've picked up is to look for publishers who already do things that are kind of similar. I think someone else already said something like this, so I'm just adding my agreement. You want to complement their existing catalog - provide something that will be easy for them to sell to their existing market.
What I did is get those little kits where you can write and illustrate your own book, send it in, and they make it for you!;) Oh, you meant for reals? I don't know then...;)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesTitle/productCd-0764552570.html
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this guide puts in your hand the advice you need to:
* Pick an idea
* Approach the publisher
* Craft proposals and queries
* Work with agents, or act as your own
* Self-publish
* Negotiate a contract
* Create the actual book
* Sell your published book
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Then start submitting. Houghton-Mifflin is in Boston, right? They have a big nature line, if I remember correctly (I might not). Talk to everyone you know about how you have this really cool book, and see if they know any agents, etc. It takes knowing people, as well.
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They, of course, ended up getting the training grant. Did I mention it was a competing continuation? fuckers.
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freelance has its downsides, but at least none of my crazies are usually in the same room.
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1. Are you writing fiction or a manual, or a text book? The type will dictate A LOT about where and how you can get published.
2. Do you have any credentials? PhD., MBA, Masters, etc. OR, do you know some one who has that who would like to partner in the book project OR, can indorse your writing?
3. If you don't have any of #2, are you willing to self publish? This can be a freeing and expensive way to go, but my folks and I are possibly going to go this route.
4. No book can be published with out a queery letter (synopsis/letter of intent all wrapped into one) and once you have one of those, who do you send it to? See #5.
5.If you are AT ALL serious about getting published, you need to consult the Jeff Herman's guide to book publishers,editors, and
litterary agents. You will want one or two of these (an agent or an editor, or both).
6. Someone threw out the 'For Dummies' book, I'd personally recommend the Complete Idiots GUide to gettting published by Sheree Bykofsky & Jennifer Basye Sander ISBN1-59257-121-2 Third edition... why did I write this item like this? It has importance, and you will know why if you get this book! I also know the ladies who did the foreward and one or both may do the foreward to the Woodland Park Zoo guide that I'm doing!
7. Please ask more questions and answer (if you can) the ones about the type of book you intend to produce. If it's fiction... BINGO! You're most likely an instant in if you do the minor education of reading the books on publishing recommended. If it's technical, you might want a college press to print it, as that is all they produce and with things like thew 365 project, you are almost a 'shoe in' for that sort of thing. If you approach a publisher directly, unless it is a small indy type house (and this is even a maybe), they won't do a blind solicitation... you might as well get Jeff Herman's and see what agents rep. what books and to whome... do your home work. Litterally 90 + % of people who write ANYTHING, don't and if you do, and you write a queery letter and get an agent or an editor interested in what you've got to write, you maybe in like flint... the biggest obstacle, is 'HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO GET PUBLISHEDS?' If you work to the same degree that you want a physical book in hand, you will see results... I AM!!!!!
Good luck and I hope to hear back from you in this reguard!
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2. No
3. No. (I've self-published magazines for over a decade and it's expensive, thankless work. It's time for someone else to do it for me.)
4-6. Thanks for the advice!
7. I dont' have any concrete questions at this point other than "who is going to hold my hand through this process?"
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Just because you do something for fun (publishing comics, volunteering at the Musuem of Science and SF zoo, etc.) doesn't mean it's not important. Put those things on your resume and make them sound good!
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Again, get Jeff Herman's, and there is yet another book that is worth a look, Jump strat your book sales ... A Money - making guide for Authors, Independant Publishers and Small Presses
by Marilyn and Tom Ross Second printing ISBN 0-918880-41-6(trade paperback). They will give you ideas as to how to fund your project, get customers and consumers in places you will never have imagined to look at, and will help you succeed in a massive fashion!
Again too, let me know how I can help. If you went with a colledge press, you would probably have a seller NO PROB! Mostly cuz of the nature of your work and being able to 'multi market' (educational, nature, scientific, informational, field guide... it goes on, and on) having said it goes on and on, you will want to clarify what genre your book falls into, because brevity is a HUGE KEY factor in getting a publisher or agents ear and interest.
Just let me know if I can help further in the process... and I don't mind, I had to take these same steps and uncharted territory is just that... uncharted territory, so I'll help when ya need it!
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Another suggestion is to make a low tech version of the book (can you say "zine" kids), market a small number of them to some very important people, and then approach a mainstream publisher. It worked for Pagan Kennedy at least...
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A very useful book is Writer's Market, which gives in-detail information about publishers: what kind of material they're looking for; what their subsidiaries are; whether or not they accept unsolicited materials; etc.
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Does the band Tree by Leaf mean anything to you, by any chance?
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Depending on what your goal is, it sounds like self-publishing is becoming a better and better option as well.
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Oh, you meant for reals? I don't know then...;)