"How Do I Get Published?"

It's a question I get asked alot.  
There are endless 'how to' articles out there and finding out how to get published can get overwhelming fast. Most of the time when people ask, I think what they are really asking is, 'Where do I start?" 

Good news - it doesn't have to be complicated. 

For the purpose of this post, let's assume you've already written the book. It is proofread, edited multiple times (at least once of those being by a paid professional), and you have revised like crazy.  It is now a masterpiece awaiting print. Congrats! That's awesome!  

Now what, right? 

Two Main Publishing Options: 

1) Traditional Publishing 

This is the long process of getting a publishing house to buy, print and distribute your book. What most beginning authors don't know is that publishing houses will require you to market your book even if they distribute it. (Distribution puts product on store shelves, it doesn't necessarily sell the thing.) 

Pros
-no out of pocket expenses for printing or distribution
-distribution to stores nationwide (or internationally) 
-Validation. Author is perceived as accomplished for having been 'good enough' to qualify for acceptance.
-Publisher designs cover graphics, promotional blurb for back cover & takes care of formatting and design.
-Accountability and motivation. It's always easier to stay on task when someone requires it, isn't it?

Cons
-you will still work hard to promote your book by building an audience. You'll give interviews, do public speaking, blog and tweet like every other business has to.
-you will have less control. Publishers decide on titles, cover graphics, and require edits. This is a good thing and could actually be on the 'Pros' list too depending on your view. But given that the author works just as hard marketing as with self publishing, I think loss of control is a disadvantage.


How to Get There:

* You could hire a literary agent. 
Some publishing houses won't even accept manuscripts directly from authors. (Mostly the biggies) An agent will get your name in front of publishers, and pitch your book to them until you get that deal.  

* Ask! 
Buy a Writers' Market Guide (a list of publishers, their contact info and what they publish) and start sending in your manuscript. This is the part where you get rejection letters. But it's okay. You're trying to get the right person on the right day with the right book. It's hit and miss. Be willing to miss, and keep trying! 

*Luck. 
We've all done it. We've believed that maybe, just maybe, they'll discover us.  I'm not sure why we have this lottery mentality, but let me just rip the bandaid off right now. Do not wait for luck. Do not believe that if you're secretly brilliant enough, a contract will float in through your window. There are no author scouts in cafes eyeing new talent. It's just not a reality. If you want this, you have to chase it. Like a rabbid dog. Ruff. 

2) Self Publishing 

This is the self initiated process of paying someone to print your book, and then working hard to market and distribute said book. 

Pros
-Freedom and control. Choose your cover, your blurb, what your bio will look like. Yours is the final say. You can also decide at any time to change or reinvent the project, postpone it if you need to. You can go big, go small, or just make five copies for your family. Your call. No pressure or committments you don't want.
-With some methods, there is no out of pocket printing expense. If you go with On Demand Printing or     
  Ebooks for example. 


Cons
-You have control. Over everything. Even the areas in which you have no skills. For a high quality product, you'll need to hire people for those things. (Unless you have extremely good friends who are highly skilled and willing to volunteer?) Most people don't.
-Stigma. It's still an old way of thinking, but it's out there. People value higher the books that have the publishing house gold star. Without that, who is there to say 'you're right' or 'your message is good'? 

How to Get There:


*Printers
This one's easy. You call, price out your book, and decide how many you want. Voila. Published! 


*Ebooks 
This one's a little more difficult to describe. There are so many options. And, for someone like  me who completely lacks tech-savvy, this route is also fraught with many miles of mirey muck.  So. I'll point you to my friend Celesta's post on it. "How To Self Publish For FREE!" Celesta was my helpful hero of a friend when it came time to launch my e-book. 


*Print On Demand
This printing method requires no money out of pocket. The printer will create books as they are ordered, then ship them directly to the customer. You never have to touch them, and the customer is paying the printer, so you don't need to pay either. 

            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What About Me, Personally? 

I have gone the self published route by ordering my books from a local printer. I have also published an ebook. So far I like the autonomy and figure if the work is the same on both sides, why would I share more profit than I  need to? I'd rather learn how to grow my skills and business. That's the fun for me. That and helping others do the same. 


If you've tried some of these already, what worked well and what didn't? 
If you haven't tried any of these yet, which one sounds like the best fit for you and why? 
Please share in the comments! I'd love to hear about your path to publication!