Questions tagged [publishing]

Publishing is the act of printing and distributing writing in physical or electronic form. It may refer to the commercial publishing industry, small press, self-publishing and on-demand publishing. This tag should be used for any questions regarding the publishing process in any of these forms.

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44 votes
15 answers
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What are good places to post your work where it will be read by others?

Seeing this site and reading some of my ridiculous stories that I wrote a while ago makes me want to start writing again. I know I'll be more enthusiastic if I have people reading my work and ...
Claudiu's user avatar
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36 votes
16 answers
35k views

Is it okay to publish a book at a young age?

I am writing a novel that is called 'Murder' It's about a girl who almost gets murdered but then has to live with the murderers with almost no knowledge that they are the ones that killed her. (...
user avatar
20 votes
3 answers
926 views

Pros and Cons of different styles of publishing

I was reading on the meta site that someone thinks we're hostile to self-publishing, and I read over some old questions looking for evidence. I didn't really find signs of hostility, but I certainly ...
Kate S.'s user avatar
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18 votes
3 answers
793 views

Getting My Rights Back

Back in the late 90's I wrote a picture book which eventually was published in 2002 by a big name publishing house. The book was critically acclaimed, won an award, and went through a couple of ...
Chris Sunami's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
7k views

Got a message from an Author Liaison representative representing Webnovel about the story I wrote. Any advice?

I just published a story on fiction press, and although it only has 9 views, someone from Author Liaison representing Webnovel sent me a PM through the site. Some googling showed that this seems to be ...
Ceramicmrno0b's user avatar
5 votes
6 answers
483 views

Where to publish poems?

I'm looking for a site where I can publish my poems. I'm not keen on rewards; I just need a place to publish it. I've found poetry.com that seems to be what I'm looking for but they require a ...
user avatar
33 votes
6 answers
11k views

How to get my book taken seriously as a teenager? [duplicate]

I have been working on a book for a while, and I probably will be done with it soon. My work is very original in my mind and in the end, this book will be very high quality. But I have been wondering ...
lightofdeanthomas's user avatar
17 votes
5 answers
4k views

Can I shop an unfinished novel?

I've been writing a novel that addresses some very current themes. My belief is that if I can get it out there quickly, it will succeed well. I'm working on it frantically, but will agents consider ...
Lynn Beighley's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
6k views

Is fan fiction publishable?

This is a question that has been touched on here and there, and yet I can't find a good answer. Suppose I am writing a story set in the Star Wars universe. I don't want to dodge copyrights and ...
Alexander's user avatar
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25 votes
4 answers
471 views

How do I write a synopsis?

I have to write a synopsis to submit to an agent. Are there any guidelines for writing a good synopsis?
Elizabeth Schechter's user avatar
11 votes
5 answers
30k views

How many short stories make a collection

I would like to know, from someone who has marketed a collection of short stories (or is otherwise knowledgeable in these affairs), about how many short stories a publisher is looking for to ...
tylerharms's user avatar
  • 1,008
11 votes
4 answers
2k views

Should I care if my short story has the same title as someone else's book?

It appears to be a pretty obscure book. It's on Amazon, but there are no descriptions or reviews. From the cover, I'd say it was a kids book, which would put it in a different market. Let's assume ...
Shadow's user avatar
  • 111
10 votes
8 answers
18k views

No English degree, what are my chances on successfully publishing a novel?

I don't have an English or Writing-related degree in any way. As of right now, I have no degree, but what I mean is that I'm not even pursuing a degree in writing. How does this hurt my chances? Do ...
bdrelling's user avatar
  • 548
10 votes
2 answers
516 views

Who pays for lyrics or quotes?

Occasionally, novels will include song lyrics in the story, or start out chapters with songs or quotes. In many cases, these lyrics or quotes are from copyrighted materials and would presumably ...
sjohnston's user avatar
  • 4,765
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is Sherlock Holmes public domain for use in a story?

I am writing a short story and would like to name check Sherlock Holmes as a character; according to the ever reliable (?) Wikipedia the stories of Holmes are UK Public Domain. Does this mean I can ...
Rob's user avatar
  • 183
6 votes
2 answers
317 views

Can a title be copyrighted?

Is there any such thing as copyrighting a title? A title of a novel / short story is usually short, up to five words or so. The words are chosen after much thought to reflect the contents of work. ...
Javeer Baker's user avatar
  • 1,430
16 votes
5 answers
104k views

Where can I find sales numbers for books?

I'm a writer, working on a non-fiction book proposal. Finding public, free sales numbers for comparable titles is nearly impossible. BookScan is a subscriber service run by Nielsen. "Above the ...
user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
465 views

Lists of Suggested Magazines to Submit To

I recently began writing poetry again. I would like to look into submitting my poems to a magazine. Where can I find a list of literary magazines through which I could sort to find a possible fit?
justkt's user avatar
  • 6,675
13 votes
2 answers
682 views

What exactly do I do to get published?

I'm interested to know what the publishing process exactly entails for future reference. I'm in my last year of school and I recently finished my first substantial piece of creative writing (a subject ...
Edward Rose's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
709 views

Is there any hope of a fictional short story being published?

I mean under 100k, probably less than 50k because it's a short story. Actually, I'm not sure how many words a short story has so I have two questions. How short is a short story and is it worth the ...
johnny's user avatar
  • 1,343
12 votes
10 answers
4k views

How much sex is allowed in a non-romance novel?

Exactly how much sex would would most publishers allow to be in a today's novel? Does it vary from publisher to a publisher? I'm not talking about romance novels where apparently everything goes. I ...
Axarydax's user avatar
  • 1,422
12 votes
4 answers
40k views

Can a book be published by more than one publisher?

1) Some books are published by more than one publisher. For example, if you go to Amazon or Flipkart and search for 'The Interpretation of Dreams' by Sigmund Freud, you will see many of them from ...
Sathyaish's user avatar
  • 345
12 votes
2 answers
7k views

When do I need a new ISBN?

I am about to obtain some ISBNs for a few books I plan to publish as an eBook and possibly in print. From books I have bought from major publishers, I gather that the eBook and print version have ...
Manngo's user avatar
  • 223
8 votes
2 answers
12k views

How to publish public domain books?

It is known that the copyright permission is not needed for old books (usually 70 years after the author's death), because the copyright has been expired. However, I am not sure how easy a public ...
Googlebot's user avatar
  • 840
7 votes
2 answers
5k views

Breaking into journalism without a degree

I am a fairly experienced writer, but I have little experience in journalistic writing and no formal education in journalism. I believe I can pick up the craft aspects of this form of writing. ...
sjohnston's user avatar
  • 4,765
6 votes
5 answers
2k views

How can I make a collection of essays / arguments more attractive to publishers?

I've written several essays and am still working on some that I would like to eventually get published. The issues I cover are on a wide range of topics ranging from Scientology to Piracy to ...
J.T.'s user avatar
  • 191
0 votes
4 answers
450 views

Where Can I Find Literary Agents That Represent Christian Fiction?

I have been trying to find suitable literary agents for three years that feel comfortable representing Christian fiction. I have four unpublished and thoroughly reviewed novels ready to be published, ...
user avatar
36 votes
5 answers
869 views

How do I find an agent?

I finished my novel, and everyone I've talked to says I need an agent. How do I find one?
Elizabeth Schechter's user avatar
30 votes
7 answers
6k views

Do most novels not get published?

If a person writes a novel, grammar alright, decent story, word count, etc. everything okay, Is it a crap shoot for that person to get published? Is it just like the lottery or maybe better chances?...
johnny's user avatar
  • 1,343
30 votes
7 answers
3k views

How do I promote a self-published book?

I am in the process of writing a book and I'm considering setting up my own publishing agency to get it published, or else publish solely through the internet, but there is the obvious problem of ...
Tom Dacre's user avatar
  • 512
30 votes
5 answers
917 views

Publishing for Kindle

I am very keen to get into writing, and have come up with several outline plots for short stories, novels and even trilogies. However, one hurdle, which I expect is not uncommon for most new authors, ...
Codemwnci's user avatar
  • 583
29 votes
15 answers
9k views

I feel like people would mock me for trying to become an author at 12, what should I do?

So, I'm writing a few books at the moment. I really want to become an author when I'm older, but I'm much too shy to email a proper author about what to do or show it to many people. I really feel ...
user avatar
28 votes
8 answers
6k views

When do you stop "pushing" a book?

Let's suppose you have finished your novel, through all the appropriate stages of drafting and editing needed. You begin submitting the book to various agents and/or publishing companies, but none of ...
Liquid's user avatar
  • 15.9k
26 votes
6 answers
7k views

How does a new writer keep from getting scooped?

I'm looking for a literary agent. I've never published before. 1) What's to keep an agent from taking my manuscript and publishing it themselves, or handing it off to one of their writer friends? 2)...
Ken - Enough about Monica's user avatar
25 votes
14 answers
3k views

How to deal with self-criticism?

I write non-fiction articles for my website and a weekly paid newsletter, and I’m doing that for some time now. However, I still struggle a lot with self-criticism, and find it hard to regard an ...
Jura's user avatar
  • 359
19 votes
4 answers
765 views

Are agents too busy for new clients? What should I do next?

Most publishers insist that first-time writers approach via a literary agent. However, all the literary agents I have contacted claim to be too busy to take on new clients, as they receive hundreds or ...
user avatar
18 votes
7 answers
897 views

Can I self-publish on a reputable publishing platform, and how much would it cost?

With the barrier to having a publisher sign a new author seemingly high, especially without prior success or experience, are there any good author-funded alternatives out there to the repeated mailing ...
QuickerSnarkerBacker's user avatar
17 votes
4 answers
882 views

When to accept an editor's rewrite request?

So there's an editor who has accepted a story of mine for publication... but he wants me to change the ending. Normally I'm pretty open to editorial changes, but in this case the proposed changes ...
JSBձոգչ's user avatar
  • 6,555
16 votes
8 answers
1k views

How much leeway can be expected from an editor regarding my preference for nonstandard punctuation?

As I hope to present a unique style to the world, as I am not especially tolerant of being told I'm doing things "wrong" when that's a subjective statement related to writing style, and as I've never ...
QuickerSnarkerBacker's user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
13k views

How to handle taxes for a self-published book

I'm thinking of publishing a book on kindle, but I don't currently have a business set up. Do you need a business to publish a book? I'm curious as to how to handle US taxes for the royalties. I ...
James's user avatar
  • 153
14 votes
9 answers
7k views

Is it a bad idea to publish individual chapters of my book idea online for feedback?

I have already typed at least 6-7 chapters of this book I've been focused on, but what I want to ask is, is it wise to post what I have so far online for feedback? Or am I just setting myself up for ...
Nicole B.'s user avatar
  • 169
14 votes
9 answers
2k views

How much does style contribute to the overall value of a novel?

I've recently got a crushing critique. The critic pointed out I was obviously unfamiliar with the basic tools of the trade and that my style was non-existent. She insisted that "everybody can invent a ...
Filip's user avatar
  • 1,794
13 votes
3 answers
1k views

At what point does an author deal with an editor?

I'm just wondering: at which point do you have to deal with the editor, and what are the (possible) consequences? That is, when is the editor's involvement greatest? After or before a deal? I'd ...
Jürgen A. Erhard's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

What are advantages/disadvantages to use a CC-license for your writings?

What are the implications, if I choose a Creative-Commons-license for my work? Cory Doctorow seems fine with this. Is this exceptional?
Mnementh's user avatar
  • 2,032
11 votes
6 answers
5k views

What are the advantages and disadvantages of digital rights management for self-published authors?

DRM (digital rights management) is being used in just about every electronic format, including files used in electronic readers. My question is whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for writers, ...
Steven Drennon's user avatar
11 votes
7 answers
878 views

I am an unestablished author with a decent book. Should I publish online, or try to find a 'real' publisher?

As I understand it, 'breaking into the business' is expensive in terms of time. If I have a decent product should I put in the effort, or is self-publishing (e.g. with Amazon) enough?
Ken - Enough about Monica's user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
7k views

Do you have to be good at grammar to get published?

I am not very good at grammar. Is there someone who would go through and correct your grammatical mistakes, even if you are not good at grammar? Who would this person be?
Xaisoft's user avatar
  • 223
10 votes
3 answers
3k views

Using LaTeX with publishers?

Background: Im working on a rather long instructional book, and have just started trying to use LaTeX. The book doesn't have any scientific notation in it, and most of the diagrams I made in other ...
elburzs's user avatar
  • 363
9 votes
3 answers
402 views

What to include in agreement with a Ghost Writer. .

I am exploring engaging a Ghost writer to partner with me on the development of a non-fiction (well, mostly) business book. What are the critical elements of the agreement that need to be included?
Joseph Barisonzi's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
523 views

Is there a Market for Poetry with a Fixed Verse Form

I find that when I structure my poetry according to an accepted form such as a villanelle, sestina, or sonnet I am able to think more clearly because of the boundaries of the form, and believe my best ...
justkt's user avatar
  • 6,675