All writers have the same dream; to have their books published and read by as many people as possible. ًWriting a book takes time and effort. It is a long journey filled with restless nights, writer’s block, and a lot of procrastination. After all of your hard work, naturally, you want to share your book with the world and watch it become a success. First-time authors may find the whole process more challenging because they may not know where and how to start. That being said, there are various methods that can help authors get their books published. You just need to choose the right method for you and your book. Here are some useful tips to help you get your first book published.
Research Agents
The first thing that you should do after finishing writing your book is to find an agent. The best way to do that is by conducting an online search. Finding an agent is your safest bet to getting published and securing a publishing deal because they usually have connections at many publishing companies. Getting your book published isn’t an agent’s only job; they will also advise you, give you editing tips, provide you with an objective opinion about your book, and act as an intermediary between you and the publishing company. They will also take care of everything related to publishing your book so you won’t be concerned with anything other than writing.
Additionally, since you are a first-time author, naturally you won’t be familiar with many aspects related to the publishing industry. On the other hand, an agent has the right experience and expertise to help protect you from scams and will handle all the negotiations to ensure that you get the best deal as well. When looking for an agent, find one who loves your book so they are able to sell it.
Get Feedback
Is your book really good? As the author, you may be biased, and you won’t be able to determine that for yourself. Therefore, you need to have someone other than your agent take a look at your book. You can try to seek out people in your circle who are avid readers and may be interested in the genre that you are writing about to give you an honest opinion. Ask them to write their feedback and send it to you. Take notes of what they tell you and adjust your work accordingly. However, if you need a professional opinion, then you can hire an editor as well.
Hiring an editor is a very important step. A good editor can make your book a bestseller, so it is definitely worth it. If you have friends who are published authors, then you can ask them to recommend editors for you. If not, then you will have to search for a good one online. That said, before hiring an editor, you should check their portfolio first to ensure they are adequately qualified.
Self-Publishing
Technology has made our lives much easier and made many things a lot more accessible. Many new authors have taken advantage of what technology has to offer and opted to publish their books digitally for a very small fee. It is an easy and fast method that you can do yourself without any help. Self-publishing is ideal for writers who don’t want to work with editors or agents. In this case, you will have to do the marketing, editing, and cover design for your book yourself. However, this may be a very hard task for first-time authors, but it’s not impossible.
Self-publishing has many advantages, like owning the rights to your book and giving you the chance to publish your book in various formats, like paperback, hardcover, audiobook, and e-book.
Hire a Publishing House
As mentioned, editing, marketing, and designing your book’s cover may be difficult tasks for new writers. If you feel that self-publishing isn’t the right step for you, then you should consider hiring a publishing house. A publishing house will provide you with the same speed and freedom that self-publishing does, while also offering you all the guidance and advice that a new writer may need.
Publishing houses aren’t free; you have to pay in advance, but the services they provide are worth it. They can help get your book published on various platforms that boast global audiences. According to the information on www.booxai.com, Amazon is one of the largest platforms that can help connect you to a wide demographic of global readers. Other platforms that you can also use include Apple, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble. You will find many publishing houses with distribution networks that can help get your book published on these platforms. Unlike self-publishing, you won’t have to take care of all the tasks yourself; the publishing company will handle all of the editing, formatting, cover design, and marketing for you.
Choose a Great Title
Although people don’t always judge a book by its cover, they will certainly judge it by its title. First and foremost, your title should be short. You want a title that is easy to remember, not a long and complicated one. Additionally, a short title can be very intriguing as it hints at what the book is about without spoiling too much. For instance, the novel One Day by David Nicholls could have been called One Day Each Year or One Day in the Lives of Two Friends, but the title One Day remains true to the theme without revealing too much of the story. Last but not least, make sure that your title is original and stay away from titles that will sound familiar and confuse readers.
Becoming a published author isn’t as hard as it used to be. There are many methods that can help you get your book published; you can hire an agent that will connect you to a publisher, publish your book yourself, or hire a publishing house. That said, as a first-time author, try to find a method that will provide you with all the help that you need.