11 Steps To Getting A Novel Published

 

 

1.      Come up with am interesting idea. Develop your concept. Envision the story arc, sub-plots, character development, and themes. Create an outline.  

2.      Develop a writing schedule – commit to it. While that is taking place, write your query letter and send it to appropriate literary agents and book publishers.  

3.      If you have one or more published books, while writing your next one and trying to sell the story to a publisher/agent, you still need to promote and market your prior books. Don’t neglect them.  

4.      Seek to learn and improve as a writer. Consider taking writing courses and attending seminars, writer conferences, and an MFA program.  

5.      To be a great writer, you need editing help. Get a trusted editor to assist.  

6.      Be an active reader, aware of competing books in your genre. Be different from them; be better. As good as, is not good enough. Learn from the writings of others.  

7.      To get published by a traditional publisher of consequence, you may need a literary agent. To win over a literary agent – and likely a publisher – you will need more than a great book. You will have to:  

--Show testimonials and support for your writing from trusted third-party validators.

--Indicate a track record of getting attention for your writings, such as with your social media footprint.

--Demonstrate how you can get publicity, either based on your past performance or a new commitment to hire a publicist.

--Reveal there’s a big enough pool of readership for your kind of book.

--Explain how comparable titles sold well – or why your book has no comparisons but could break through.

--Highlight your ability to sell your book, such as the size of your mailing list, speaking engagements scheduled, or connections to influencers, the news media, or organizations that could buy your book in bulk.  

8.      Develop a working title or sub-title that is short, unique, and catchy – and not something that only has meaning to you.  

9.      Test out your writings on trusted friends – take their critical feedback and make improvements.  

10.  Get other works published – articles, essays, short stories, op-eds, guest-blog posts – anything to showcase your writings and establish a viable track record.  

11.  Make your writing debut as a self-published author. You simply need to get your work out there and not remain sidelined or on hold, hoping to get discovered while time slips by. The discovery process needs no one’s permission. Put your book out there, promote it, and keep writing.  

“People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.”

--Simon Sinek

 

“Growth  is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong.”

--Author Mandy Hale

 

“ ‘ What you say is often less than how you say it,’ he’d explain. “it’s like the difference between the head and the heart, between the knowing ad the believing.’”

--The Adventures of Herbie Cohen, by Rich Cohen

 

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.