How Do I Get Published? 8 Simple Steps to Publishing Your First Book

Since co-authoring, Building the Ultimate Network, people often ask me, “How do I get How do I get Published?  As a first time author, I can only answer with the 8 simple steps that I learned from others about getting published.

1. Build a Following First– Besides a good story, publishers are looking for
   

   How do I get Published?

   authors with something to bring to the publishing party.  This means readers to buy your book—a ready-made market for book sales.  Begin slowly but consistently to build a following of your writing through social media, periodicals, or other writing venues.

2. Build Google Creditability – One of the easiest ways to get rankings on search engines is through writing blogs published on the web.  Many of the blog platforms like WordPress have an internal Search Engine Optimization that helps with the search engine rankings.  Getting numerous listings on Google for your writing builds creditability quickly.
3. Know The Publishers For Your Genre – It won’t work well to approach a publisher with a book that is not a genre they publish.  Do your research early and approach those publishers that are known to publish your genre.  A good research house for published genres is the bookstore or library.
4. Cite Similar Books/Authors – Every book has several comparators for theme or author’s writing style.  In knowing what author your storyline or writing compares to will help the publisher understand how to position and market your published book.
5. Have an Edited Copy of Your Manuscript Ready for the Publisher– Now I didn’t say, “Send the publisher the manuscript.” Even with electronic files, publishers are not interested in having a complete manuscript—unless they ask for it.  Since you expect a publisher to ‘bite’ on the sample that you provide, be sure you can send the whole manuscript within a timely basis of when the publisher requests it.  That being said, here’s what there is to send to a publisher when you are ready to your manuscript to be published:
   • An overview of what the book is about (also called a ‘treatment’)
   • A listing of the chapters titles
   • Comparable books/authors
   • A sample chapter
6. Talk Your Book Up Before It is Published – Authors use blogs to build awareness and excitement in advance of their published book as well as having readers review and comment on sample chapters.  This helps build the following that will purchase your book after it is published.
7. Create a Platform for Selling Your Book – Since publishers are looking for the next “Best-Seller”, it is key to understand how published books sell in today’s environment.  Strategies such as lunch presentations, seminars, or workshops are essential in selling more books.
8. Write, write, and write some more. – I know! If you’re like me, you think you can rest now that the manuscript is done and you’re on the way to being a published author.  However, you haven’t come this far to be a ‘one-hit wonder’. Get out your computer and start outlining your next book when you have thoughts of adding more content to what you’ve already written.

That’s it!  AND—I’m interested in your comments or questions (below) on getting published.  What can you share on the topic, “How Do I Get Published”?

Victoria Mavis is a published co-author of the book, Building the Ultimate Network.  She is currently working on her next book with co-author Dr. Angelo Senese called, The Couch and The Hairball.