How To Get Your Novel Published: Traditional Publishing
By Sravani Hotha
If you’re an aspiring writer or novelist, you’ve probably dreamed of seeing your novel on the shelves of your favorite bookstore. Maybe you’ve also wondered about how to get started on the path to publication.
For fiction novels, there are two main types of publishing: traditional and self publishing, you can check out the pros and cons of each path here.
For now, let’s take a deep dive into traditional publishing.
Traditional publishing is when you write a novel and send it to a publisher who publishes and sells your book. They assume the costs of publishing and marketing and you get paid in royalties and/or an advance.
The whole process can be broken down into four stages: Writing and revising your novel, preparing a query package, querying literary agents or editors, and the publishing stage.
Stage 1: Write your novel
Before you even think about publication, you need a completed manuscript.
After you finish the first draft of your novel, don’t send it out to publishers immediately. Most aspiring writers make the mistake of querying too soon. You should also never query a first draft. Take a break before you come back for revisions. Many authors will set their manuscript aside for 4-6 months before starting revisions. This helps you read your book with a fresh perspective and will result in a better next draft.
As you write and revise your novel, it’s important to get feedback from critique partners or beta readers. Constructive feedback can help you improve your craft and bring your manuscript to its highest potential so that by the time you’re ready to send it off to literary agents, publishers, or editors, your novel is nearly perfect.
You can look for feedback from local critique groups in your city or find critique partners through an online writing community. You can also find sensitivity readers to help you with accurate representations if you’re writing about a culture or a group of people that is different from you.
During the drafting and revision stages, think about your novel’s genre and some traits that recently published novels in that genre share, such as word count or tropes. Knowing your genre and understanding that segment of the industry will help you in the later stages as you prepare your query letter and research potential agents or publishers.
Stage 2: Prepare your query package
Once your manuscript is polished and ready for the publishing world, you will need to write a query letter and start research on publishers and literary agents. Think of a query letter as a resume and cover letter for a job application. It’s a one page introduction of you and your work to the agent or editor that helps them determine if you would be a good fit for them.
A query letter usually has the following:
General information about your novel
Pitch or Hook
Synopsis
Comp titles
Bio statement
Partial manuscript (if requested)
Each literary agency or publishing house will have their own guidelines, and you should review these when preparing a query letter. Adhere to the guidelines carefully as these can change according to genre and target age range.
Remember that literary agents and publishers can receive queries faster than they can get through them. By following industry practices and guidelines, you avoid outright rejection. This is especially important as a first time author.
Let’s take a look at each part of the query in detail.
The general information includes your novel’s title, word count, and genre. You can also mention if your book is a standalone work or the first of a series. This is the basic information an agent or editor needs to ensure that they are the right person to represent this novel, as many of them focus on books in a specific genre or a specific age range.
The pitch or hook is the sales pitch for your novel. It’s short, concise, grabs the reader’s attention, and leaves them wanting more. Writing a good pitch takes time and practice, so don’t worry if it isn’t perfect the first time. There are several formats you can use for your pitch. Some authors will make the pitches for their published novels available on their blog. You can also look at summaries on book jackets for inspiration.
The synopsis is a summary of your novel from start to finish. Not all agencies or publishers ask to see a synopsis in the initial query, but it’s a good indicator that your novel is complete and not in the process of being drafted.
Comp titles are comparative or competitive titles within the same or a similar genre. They can be books, TV shows, authors, or even podcasts. Your comp titles can also reflect a particular writing style rather than genre. Most publishers want to see comp titles from the last 2-5 years, but older works are also acceptable in some cases. Publishing is an ever changing world, so a fantasy novel published in the 1920s will be different from one published in the 1980s and 2020s. They want to know if your novel can sell in the current market.
The bio statement is a brief paragraph about yourself as a writer. You can include your previous publications, your inspirations for this novel, and any other relevant information. You can also mention other work-in-progress manuscripts to show that you can be a good long term investment for their agency.
A partial manuscript is a sample of your novel. Some agents ask for the first chapter while others ask for the first 25 or 50 pages. For a picture book, you can usually send the full manuscript since it is already very short. As with everything else in this process, read and follow the guidelines.
Some agencies and publishers also ask for information about your social media presence. Having an active presence in online writing communities will help with marketing efforts, but it’s not mandatory in your search for an agent.
Always remember to have a proper greeting and thank the agent or editor for their time just like you would in any formal letter. As always remember to follow the guidelines carefully.
Stage 3: Start querying
Once you have a completed manuscript and a query letter, you can start querying. Most major publishing houses do not accept unsolicited (unagented) manuscripts. However, if you’re targeting indie publishing houses and small presses that cater to niche reader groups, you can submit your manuscript directly to their editors.
A literary agent works for a literary agency and acts as your representative in the publishing industry. They will carefully research publishing houses, submit your manuscript to publishers, and negotiate on your behalf while discussing book deals, contracts, author rights etc. A good agent can help you establish a long lasting career and help you network with other industry professionals.
It’s important to query agents who represent your genre and category of work. Sometimes the genre is clear cut, and other times, it’s a bit more complex. For example, a mystery could be a thriller or suspense but it could also have a romance subplot. Researching comp titles will help with this as well.
There are multiple ways to find a literary agent, but here are some good places to start:
Publishers Marketplace
Query Tracker
MSWL (Manuscript Wish List)
Duotrope
For more inspiration, you can also look into who represented the authors of your comp titles.
Some writing conferences and workshops will have pitch sessions with agents where you can pitch your novel face to face. Social media pitch events like PitMad, DVPit, and APIPit have become a popular way of pitching to agents or editors via a short social media post.
The most common way to query agents is through their submission portal on their agency website or through Query Tracker. Some agents will also accept submissions via email.
Some agencies or agents accept submissions on a rolling basis throughout the year, but most have submission windows that are listed on their website. If you miss the submission window, don’t worry. You can submit once it reopens.
Before submitting a full manuscript, you need to send your query letter and wait for them to request either a partial or a full manuscript. The publishing industry moves very slowly and it’s common to wait 5-6 months to hear back from an agent. If you don’t hear back after 6 months, it usually means it’s a rejection, but you can contact them and ask for an update. Remember that rejections are a normal part of your author journey. Don’t get dismayed as you wait. Stay inspired and keep writing.
If you hear back from an agent, they may ask for a partial or full manuscript. Again, follow their guidelines when you format and submit your document.
When you get an offer of representation, discuss your vision and goals as a writer before signing with them. Here are some things to discuss:
Does your vision for this novel match with theirs?
Is their communication style compatible with yours?
Will they help revise your manuscript or pitch before submitting to publishers?
Do you think you can work together on other projects?
Stage 4: The Publishing Stage
Once you have an agent, they will conduct a thorough analysis of your novel and the current market and then pitch your book to acquisition editors at appropriate publishing houses. Before submitting to publishing companies, they may offer some more feedback and suggestions for improvement.
When your novel is picked up by a publishing company, they will hire a series of editors to make your book market ready. They will also bear the responsibility and cost of designing the interior and exterior of the book, writing a summary or blurb, and marketing the book.
If they want to publish your book, they will provide you with a contract. Your literary agent will advocate for you and help negotiate the best contract for you. A typical contract includes:
The author advance
Royalties
Publication date
Distribution details
A marketing strategy
Film rights
Once your book is published, the publishing house will execute their marketing strategy for your book which might include everything from social media marketing to events at local bookstores or book signings at literary festivals. In traditional publishing, the author is not required to participate in any of the marketing, but some authors choose to have their own website or social media presence to establish a brand or generate more buzz.
Remember that every stage of writing takes practice, patience, and persistence. Good luck with your writing journey!
