<p>I've read a lot about high school students publishing books (novels, collections of stories/poems) on CC, but I never really understood how they went about doing it. Did they send their manuscript to a publisher, or did their parents just pay for 500 copies and spread them around the family? </p>
<p>If any of you have published something like that, can you explain to me how you did it?</p>
<p>I think to be legitimately published it would be the former, but I have no practical experience in this matter</p>
<p>why do u want to publish a book. it wont do much gud to just send it to a publisher. u need an agent first.</p>
<p>Traditionally, you find a literary agent who’ll represent your work, then he helps you find a publisher to accept your work.</p>
<p>You can submit straight to a publisher (of course, they all have different guidelines), but your work ends up in what’s called the “slush pile,” which is pretty much like it sounds: a massive pit of unsolicited manuscripts ranging from the worst-written work imaginable to the occasional gem.</p>
<p>It’s really hard to get your work accepted from the slush pile. </p>
<p>Nowadays, there’s plenty of e-publishing and self-publishing options too. You can get your work e-published for e-readers, like the kindle, and stuff like that.</p>
<p>Traditional publishing is hard, but occasionally, there are teens who get stories published this way. </p>
<p>And there are many–people in general–who will self-publish a few hundred copies just to say they “got published.”</p>
<p>I haven’t published anything of such a grand scale - yet. :P</p>
<p>First, for fiction books you need to write the story and rewrite and revise several times. Send it off and get an agent, who will then find you a publisher.</p>
<p>For nonfiction, usually you get an agent first and tell them your ideas and plans for a UNIQUE book and why your the person who should write it. Once you land an agent… Cal Newport has information on this. Go visit his website! :P</p>
<p>Write manuscript > edit it > compose a query letter > send letter (and first 1-3 chapters of manuscript only if requested) to literary agent > sit on your hands and wait > (assuming you were picked up by an agent. [also do a Google search on notes about legit agents and fraud ones. Never ever ever send Money to a legit agent. If they ask for money upfront, skip them.]) > agent sends manuscript to publishers > more waiting > (assuming you were picked up by a publisher) begin the publishing process > get published</p>
<p>You forgot pay agent :P</p>
<p>Yeah…whether or not you self-publish depends on what you want to DO with the novel. If you want to make money off of it/spread it around, you have to publish with a publishing agency. But, if you don’t necessarily want to make money (my friend make $136 off his self-published book, but results not guaranteed), and just want to enjoy the thrill of seeing your book in a store, then I recommend self-publishing (if you can pay for it of course).</p>
<p>What kind of novel/novella/short story is it?</p>
<p>Well, it isn’t like I have some specific piece of writing in mind, but there are some CCers who claim they have published a book and I was doubting whether they did so legitimately, with an agent and through a selective publishing house.</p>
<p>the earlier, the better. if you publish a book at 16, it’s novel and people are more generous.</p>
<p>Getting a novel published by a well-established publishing house is harder than getting into HYP. PlattsburghLoser gave a short, quick version. I come from a family of writers, so I know (i.e. grandfather, mother, father, sister, 2 cousins).</p>
<p>^^ Not true at all. In fact, they’re more likely to reject you since you’re VERY PROBABLY unrefined. They might be nice to you though.</p>