| With all the talk about getting a book published, | | | | attention. |
| writers can get lost in the technical process of | | | | 3. Tell a good story. Start off with a bang to |
| how to get a book published and forget the | | | | hook in readers immediately. Develop memorable |
| basics: to get your book published (or | | | | characters that your readers will love to love--or |
| self-published), you must have a quality | | | | hate. Put some surprises in your plot that will |
| manuscript. At AuthorAssist, we coach our | | | | shake up readers and keep them guessing and |
| writers to adhere to basic writing principles. In this | | | | turning pages. Avoid the tendency to sag in the |
| article, we take a step back and look at the | | | | middle; keep up the pace throughout. |
| critical principles of fiction writing. | | | | 4. Have your work professionally edited. In |
| 6 Basic Principles for Getting Your Book Published: | | | | thinking about how to get your book published, |
| 1. Know your genre and your audience. Most | | | | remember that your book is a reflection of you. |
| fiction falls into one category or another--or you | | | | Now that you have spent hours, weeks, months, |
| may be writing a mixed genre novel. Regardless | | | | maybe years writing it, you will want to take the |
| of genre, to get your book published, it is | | | | time to have it professionally edited. A |
| essential that you meet your readers' | | | | professionally edited manuscript shines because |
| expectations. If you are writing a mystery, your | | | | extraneous material has been deleted (as well as |
| readers expect your manuscript to conform to | | | | grammatical mistakes and typos) so the work |
| certain conventions regarding the crime and | | | | flows with ease. A polished manuscript makes all |
| solving it. Not that you are writing a formulaic or | | | | the difference. |
| cookie-cutter manuscript, but you are adhering to | | | | 5. Give your novel a thought-provoking title. Titling |
| genre standards. You understand that readers | | | | your book is a surprising challenge and can be a |
| approach a mystery differently than a | | | | lot of fun. Brainstorm with your friends and family. |
| science-fiction or romance novel. Genre affects | | | | Hold a contest or poll. Once you hone your title, |
| the plot, the pace, and even the title of your | | | | be sure to research the web to learn if it is in use |
| book. It affects your query letter and who you | | | | now or has been used before. Even though titles |
| query among literary agents and publishers and it | | | | are not copyrighted, you will want to know how |
| affects how your book is marketed and | | | | the title is being used or has been used in the |
| distributed. The best way to know your audience | | | | past. |
| expectations is to read what they are | | | | 6. Create an eye-catching cover. Go online to and |
| reading-read extensively in your genre. Become | | | | take a look at current book covers as well as |
| familiar with popular authors in your genre and | | | | covers of books in your genre. The first thing to |
| participate in the associated reading/writing | | | | notice is the thumbnail. Does it stand out? A key |
| community. In doing so, you begin to build | | | | element in designing your cover is to ensure it |
| readership for your book. | | | | looks good as a thumbnail. Later you may use it |
| 2. Write what you know. This oft-quoted principle | | | | on your business card, as a bookmark, or in |
| is attributed to the quintessential Americannovelist, | | | | e-mail blasts. So cover design is too important a |
| Mark Twain. In thinking about getting your book | | | | feature to scrimp on. Consider working with a |
| published, capitalize on your unique experiences | | | | professional book designer. You will be glad you |
| and the quirky people you have encountered. | | | | did. |
| Enhance and embellish with your personal | | | | Now back to the first point--your target audience. |
| observations. Create your special hook. Write | | | | In thinking about how to get a book |
| your novel so it is different in some way-so it | | | | published--and read, remember, you are writing a |
| attracts-and holds interest. Think ahead to the | | | | book for your readership. Most important--make |
| title, summary blurb, and other descriptive | | | | sure your work adheres to the basic principles |
| material-and how you will write it to grab readers' | | | | before you try to get your book published. |