So, you wrote something magnificent and now you want to get it published.

How in the heck do you do that? You’ve heard about E-Publishing and you know about publishing powerhouses such as Random House, Penguin, etc or maybe you want to be featured in your favorite magazine.  Whichever way you want to go, here are a few tips!

  1. Do your research.  It is important to know what kind of work your potential publisher accepts. Do they only specialize in Sci-Fi? Do they want feminist articles? Maybe they just want info on current events.  Whatever the genre, make sure you know what it is before you submit your work.
  2. Can anyone submit their work or do you have to be solicited? This is crucial to know.  Some magazines only accept submissions from people who have already written for them.  How to find this out: the simple way is to Google the magazine’s name + submission guidelines (ex. Glamour Submission Guidelines).  Or if you’re like me and always looking for a wide variety of places that will accept your writing, you can buy The Writer’s Market (www.writersmarket.com or www.amazon.com).  If you purchase the book, be sure to get the most current copy for up to date listings.  These resources will give you in depth details on what your target accepts or doesn’t accept as far as new authors are concerned.
  3. Did I say research? Has your story been done before? If so, what is your twist to make the editors want it?  Do put your best creative mind forward.
  4. Craft the perfect query letter. If your’re not familiar with what a query level is, take a look at https://janefriedman.com/query-letters/ for tips (she’s awesome). Once you are familiar with the submission guidelines, if you must submit a query letter before an actual submission make sure it is one that sums up your manuscript or article idea clearly and concisely.
  5. E-Publishing and Self-Publishing is not for the faint of heart. If you want to publish your work yourself and skip over all the red tape and possible rejection letters, you can do it! Amazon and CreateSpace allow you to go it alone and get as many copies of your book as needed even if you just want 1.  Just know that this process can be costly as you are paying out of pocket.  Also, this is a skill you just might have to teach yourself.
  6. Say it with me: Research!  Well, research and compare publishers. There are a plenty out there that are not giant companies but will still get your book or article out there.  Check reviews if they have them.  For smaller publishing companies that charge a fee, do compare prices and services and check out some of the books that they’ve put out in the past.  You want your work to be with a reputable company that looks over everything with a fine- toothed comb.  You don’t want a place that overlooks spelling and grammar mistakes or doesn’t know plagiarism when they see it.
  7. Lastly, before you go to that publishing house, come see me so we can do a a copy edit before you make it big. Let me walk you through the query letter process.  Heck, I’ll even write your author bio, intro, and back cover synopsis all for an affordable price!

I hope these tips help you on your way to becoming published. As always, feel free to email me at renaissancewritingllc@gmail.com for any inquiries about services or questions about writing in general. Happy writing!