I get this question at my writing workshops and from most aspiring authors. They ask, “Do I have to be represented by a big publishing house to be a successful writer?” Twenty years ago, I would say that held very true. However, modern technology has given the unknown author an edge. With the right marketing using the internet, twitter, and other social networks, the little guy can be noticed as a contender on the largest publishing markets. Getting an agent to help introduce your writing to the right people does help to move your career in the right direction.
First you have to begin with a good product. Let’s assume you have a solid manuscript that you feel is complete. Have you spent time editing your work or have you hired a professional editor? Producing a print ready product free of errors and formatted correctly is the first step. This is the most important step. If you produce a manuscript full of incomplete descriptions, or flawed plot, regardless of how pretty the writing, it will fail to find a successful audience. But once you have a manuscript that has been through several rewrites and edits, you may decide to move forward with publishing.
Finding the right publisher or printer is the next obvious step. There is an abundance of new self-publishing options on line. But which one do you choose? Beware of those that do not offer examples of the work they have produced. If possible, purchase a book printed by that company for viewing. Also, check out the printer’s business history through the better business bureau and any consumer reports services in your state. If there are complaints about the publisher, dig deeper to see if it is a one time complaint or if the history reflects poor business practices. Before taking an offer to publish your book, consider if you want to risk paying the publisher if they have no identified history of successes. You should never invest in publishing your book with a pay to print company without a contract. However, if you are paying $1000 with 25 copies of your book and only 5% profit of all sales up to 5000 copies (as was offered by a company I went with) then you will likely not see much success from your large investment.
There are small publishing houses that promise editing services (for a fee), marketing services (for a larger fee), and cover design and formatting (for another fee) but the finished product sits on your shelf and are offered online without much movement on sales. Unfortunately, these pay to print publishers are more interested in making money than marketing your manuscript. They expect you to do the real work in marketing the product. Often this type of company offers editing that only includes spellcheck and making sure your manuscript fits into the formatting model to print. If your storyline doesn’t make sense, or has problems of verb tense or grammar usage, it will not be corrected. Make sure you speak to a representative that can answer all your specific questions about editing, marketing, and reimbursement for sales clearly – before you write them a check. Ask for a printed copy of their contract, and do not sign off or agree to anything on line that you have not thoroughly investigated.
The literary agent who has experience and references is the best representative of the author who intends to make a career of writing. Be aware that if the writer doesn’t get paid, the agent often does not get their commission. If you have to pay the agent to represent you before you have a published work, then you are with the wrong agency. Scammers are out there and will take advantage of an author who seeks instant fame and success from writing. There are books, such as “Writers Market” by Robert Lee Brewer, and “Guide to Literary Agents” by Chuck Sambuchino that are a great reference for new authors looking for representation.
Self-publishing success is possible. There are writers who have self-published before getting picked up by large publishing houses. Using your search engine, investigate the following authors: Alan Sepinwall, Terry Hawkins, and Theresa Ragen. These authors all self-published and through smart self-marketing platforms and speaking engagements they brought attention from large publishers and agents. There are those that will openly say that a self-published author is not really an author. If you listen to those critics and stop writing, who does that benefit? As strong as those critics defend their point that real success is shown by your representation, I often refer them to the classical authors of 200 years ago who were never recognized in their time, but whom we now count as the masters of literature on which we base good writing techniques. If the writing is good, it will stand the test of time, no matter how well known the author.
The information is available at your fingertips to publish successfully if you have a realistic understanding that you will have to market yourself by using the technology available to you. My advice is to do your homework, believe in yourself, and never stop trying to improve your work.
sherrystruthtofiction 