Somethings To Expect As A New Author

How many of you have poured your heart and countless hours of work into forming a manuscript to publish as a book or novel, only to find the steps to getting it published through a legitamate publisher are walls that seem impossible to climb? Step one is knowing that most publishers want your work in a particular format. That is to say 12 pt Times Roman typesetting. dialog get it's own format. here's an example:

"I know it's too late to get dinner from Tommies, but I can make the meal here," said Jill aggravated over the situatation.
"Well I guess that will have to be acceptable." replied Bill annoyed and disappointed.

Each speaker gets there own line on the page. You can't continue to write a dialog for a different character on the same paragraph as the first. In other words, although there was space on the line after the first character spoke, you must skip the line and start a new paragraph for the next character speaking.

I didn't know this as well as many publisher requirements. Publisher's want professionally edited manuscripts from the start.

As to gettting an agent to read your hotsheet submission, it needs to be brief, real brief! If you've never published before they really don't want to hear from you. Your manuscript must grab the reader in no more than 3 pages. It helps to have a well published author make a referral to their agent, if at all possible. You want a "Traditional Publishing Contract", nothing less or it will cost you a small fortune to have your book published. Self-Publishing is the first thing to stay away from if at all possible. Secondly are so-called "Joint Venture Publishing Contracts." These will cost you less, but when all is said and done, they list you as a P.O.D. or Print On Demand and don't keep a stock of your books for sale. A P.O.D. catalogue listing is like getting a death sentence and Barnes and Noble, as an example, won't let you have a Book Signing at their stores if you a P.O.D. listed author.

Bye for now, Gregg
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