How to Publish Your Novel: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publisher Say Yes

For aspiring novelists, the journey to publication is often long, lonely, and mysterious - but this excellent book, HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR NOVEL, can serve as an illuminating, inspiring guide. Phenomenal insights from mega-successful insider Ken Atchity. Clear, well laid out, comprehensive, enjoyable to read. If the only lights you've been seeing on the road to publication are passing headlights, I highly recommend this book to jumpstart your career!

An academician, literary manager, and the author of fourteen books (including 'A Writer's Time" and "Writing Treatments That Sell", Ken Atchity (with the assistance of Andrea McKeown, Julie Mooney, and Margaret O'Connor) offers sound, practical, instructive advice for aspiring authors on getting their fiction published in today's highly competitive publishing industry. Beginning with the basics of fiction publishing with respect to various and diverse types of fiction, "How To Publish Your Novel: A Complete Guide To Making The Right Publisher Say Yes" covers everything from finding the right literary representative and/or publisher, crafting an effective plan of action ranging from deciding to self-represent or use a literary agent; to developing a proposal package; to selecting a list of potential publishers; to publishing contracts; to building a career as a professional author, to promoting a published novel. Enhanced with an extensive section of resources including a glossary, specialized bibliographies, lists of writers groups, writer resource websites, and more, "How To Publish Your Novel" is an essential and basic addition to personal and community library Writing/Publishing reference collections.

I HIGHLY recommend this book for writers who are in the process of either writing or trying to get a publishing deal for their novel. I've read numerous books on the subject and, in my opinion, found this to be the most helpful. It's the most comprehensive as well as the most encouraging. And in this fierce business, encouragement can be hard to come by. ;) The author not only explains how to find the right agent and publisher for your work, he also covers craft (writing powerful characters, back-story, conflict, etc.), building a writing career, rejection, and book promotion (the importance of obtaining pre-publication blurbs, creating effective marketing plans, designing publicity packets). I also found the real-life examples (effective cover letters, queries, synopses, author bios, etc.) to be especially helpful. I first read this book about two years back and find myself returning to it frequently.

This book is a "must" for every aspiring novelist, revealing A-Z information you need to know! Specifically, this book will: 1. Explain the importance of researching a specific agent before sending your ms. out 2. Explain the importance of having your story idea fit a specific market niche before you sit down to write. And all the other questions you might have with regard to contracts, copyright, the appropriate form for a query letter, how to research agents and editors, and much more.

Ken Atchity's Square One Book Classification System, starting on page 9, explained to me exactly why it's vitally important to know what category your book fits into and who your target audience is. If you can convey these things to a publisher right away, it allows them to visualize instantly where your book can be sold. With this information, they will read the next sentence of your query with much more interest than if you had no idea where your book fits into the market place. Chapter six, Prepapring the Package, explains exactly how to write an eye catching query letter including the salutation, first paragraph and closing. I thought I knew these things. In fact, the value of this book, relative to other books I've read on the subject, was that Dr. Atchity explained so many things I thought I'd already grasped. And just when a question would pop into my mind, an answer followed soon after in a clear concise way over and over again throughout the pages of HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR NOVEL. I highly recommend this book if you're trying to sell one.