The path to getting published…
When you embark on your novel writing journey, you most likely won’t be thinking about the publishing part yet. You’ll probably be more concerned with whether your story has legs, whether that great title you came up with at breakfast might not be so great after all and getting that very first draft under your belt.
Certainly in those early stages of writing my novel, It didn’t occur to me that I would end up a published author. It wasn’t even my motivation. I just wanted to see whether I was actually capable of writing a book; of whether I was capable of telling a story and whether I was capable of turning that story into something credible: chapters that make the reader want to know more, an absorbing plot with twists and turns, engaging, memorable characters and so forth…
In other words, I was writing the book purely for myself. And then, two or three drafts in, with a full manuscript in my hands, I begin to entertain the possibility of sharing my story with the wider world — beyond family and friends — and what that might look like. Would I approach an agent? Contact a publisher directly? Or attempt to go it alone and self-publish? At this point, I wasn’t even sure if my novel was commercial enough, compelling enough; whether I could envisage it in a bookshop jostling for attention among thousands of other titles.
When I finally reached the stage of being satisfied with my manuscript, I began to consider my publishing options. But where to start? I didn’t know anyone in the industry. I didn’t have a contact whom I might approach and advise me of my next steps. And with hundreds of publishers and agents out there, how would I go about choosing the right one for me and my book? The prospect of self-publishing wasn’t any less daunting. Could I really attempt to publish a book by myself? Without the support of an editor? Without a designer to create a beautiful cover? Something of quality that I would be proud to hold in my hands?
I’d just spent the best part of two years writing a book—surely this was the easy bit? The bit where I could sit back and reap the rewards of all my hard work?
I knew that I wanted my book to be “out there” but where to begin? What I needed was a step by step guide in how to approach the business of publishing.
When I discovered the Writers & Artists Yearbook, suddenly things didn’t feel so daunting anymore. This absolute gem of a guide is not only packed full of advice, inspiration and practical information, it includes everything you need to know about getting your work published. And so I read, researched and outlined a plan. Then I drew up a list of half a dozen agents, wrote a covering letter and a punchy one-page synopsis, and hoped for the best. But what exactly was I hoping for? Had I even thought it through? I was well aware what I was up against. I knew I was entering an oversaturated, competitive market and the odds of my manuscript being snapped up were, well, not exactly high.
The figures speak for themselves. Agents and publishers only accept and publish two out of every hundred submissions they receive. But it hasn’t stopped people writing books—far from it. Four million books are published each year and it’s estimated that some 11,000 books are published daily. This equates to around 457 titles an hour and eight titles a minute—from recognised authors by major publishers to unknown authors with independent publishers.
I’d read plenty of anecdotes from (now successful) authors who have shared their experience of the publishing journey: the countless rejections or even more dispiriting—the deafening silence from an unacknowledged submission. My experience was not dissimilar. I limited my reach to just five agents, three of whom got back to me with a rejection and two who didn’t reply. The strange thing was I felt somewhat relieved. Instinctively, I knew this wasn’t the right route for me to take — for my first novel at least — and so it was back to the drawing board again.
I then returned to the idea of self-publishing. I liked the thought of having complete autonomy over my manuscript and indeed the whole publishing process (from choosing font size to cover design) but I still wasn’t convinced that it would result in the slick, professional result I desired. I wanted autonomy and I also wanted my book to look as professional as one that had gone through the traditional route. And yet this seemed like an impossible feat.
It was only when I came across an article by Jeremy Thompson, founder of Troubador publishing in the Writers & Artists Yearbook that changed my mind. When I compared Troubador with other self-publishing outfits, I liked the fact there was no hard sell when I initially contacted them and that authors are not obliged to opt for services they don’t need—only the ones they require, such as proof-reading, copy-editing and e-book marketing. I also liked the fact that Troubador is discerning. It’s not a given they’ll accept a manuscript for publishing. In fact, they decline about a quarter of submissions sent to them. I’m happy to say that my publishing experience with Troubador was positive. I enjoyed the whole collaborative process and was confident that my manuscript was in safe hands.
My advice to you is to do your research, have realistic expectations and determine from the outset what you hope to achieve.
And finally good luck! I hope you enjoy your writing and publishing journey!
https://wordsrated.com/number-of-books-published-per-year-2021/