I aspire to be an author, but I have some queries?

H

hotmama

New member
Hello,
I live in England by the way =]

I am currently writing a novel, but have some questions about when I finally complete it.

When I want to get it published, I assume that I need to talk to lots of publishers and see who actually likes my story?
Also, if they like the story, how much do I have to financially invest in its publishing, or would they do it for free as they think it would sell?

Furthermore, earning a living from it.
To become a J K Rowling is very rare, but how much do authors usually earn.
I would think it is all about advertising your novel?


Could someone who maybe has done this give me some advice - thank you for all your help =]
 
I work for a publishing company in the US, but all the rules we follow are the same.
First of all, you do not talk to us directly, (at least my company doesn't except unsolicited material), instead contact a literary agent who works with your kind of genre and send them a query letter along with a short synopsis, 3-4 chapters and a SEA (self addressed envelope) with the required postage. You then wait for them to contact you. If any literary agent decided to publish your work, they will help you find a publisher. (Literary agents usually charge 10-20% of your earnings)
Also, some literary agents charge a reading fees though most of the reputed ones do not.
A word of caution though, there will be many publishers (read about Vanity publishers) who will be ready to publish your work for a price. If you seriously wish to make a living with writing, I suggest you avoid them like the plague.
How much you will make with your writing will largely depend on how popular your work becomes, though first time publishers who wish to make writing with our company are usually advised to write at least a novel a year.
About advertising your novel, once you are published you could easily hire a publicist for promotion of your book but this depends on your publication house too.

P.S.: It would be very handy for you to get yourself a copy of The Writer's and Artist's yearbook 2009. Its a great source of information for potential writers.
 
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