As many of you will know, I've spent the last two years or so, on and off, writing my first ever full novel (The Chosen One). It's 50,000 words long, and although perhaps being a bit shorter than average, I'd like to try and have it published. But how do I go about it? Should I try and find an agent before sending it to publishers? If so, how to get an agent? I really need some help here...
Google is your friend! There are a lot of sites out there to help budding authors. Basically, it boils down to: Get an agent. Let them do the liaising with publishers.
Hear hear, but I would suggest getting it copywritten to you as officially as possible so no one can claim it is theirs. The easiest way to do this is to put the completed item in an envelope and post it to yourself. Do NOT open it, because the sealed envelope will prove that on that day you were the rightful owner and no one else claiminvg to be was. This is my plan if I ever finish editing (thats my project for NEXT summer. My curent project is a graphic novel that is being drawn during the lower moments of my Psychology class ). But yeah, Buzz is right, an Agent will help. Good luck!!
An agent can help, but it can often be difficult to get an agent before one has sold their first novel. Ba would recommend finding out what publishers publish novels in the genre Jackal has written in. Then Jackal should find out their contact information and submission guidelines. Generally, they will either have the submission guidelines on their website. If not, simply write to them, and ask them. Do not submit the novel until these guidelines are known, obviously. Keep doing this until Jackal has either sold the novel or has acquired his own weight in rejection letters.
Or, you could go through that same process, but with an agent instead of a publisher. Then, you will have someone whose living is made by getting a publisher interested in your book and preventing you getting royally screwed. Basically, as I said, Google is your friend. I recommend HollyLisle.com. She has a lot of good FAQs about the whole process of writing, getting published, going professional etc.
