Has anyone been published? How did you do it?!?!

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I'm especially curious to know how novels got published.

Some of my questions:
- Did you publish short stories first to build a writing resume?
- Did you query an agent or go straight to the publishing house? Or did you self-publish?
- How long did it take, from querying to being accepted to actually seeing the book in print? etc...

I have no idea if anyone can answer these questions, haha. If not, feel free to commiserate with me...so far I have about eight rejection letters and a lot of determination.

I'm a novelist. I have not yet been published, but I've tried for one of my books. (Before realizing that, frankly, the book just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be and it needed heavy editing. Then I started writing my current novel, abandoning the old one because my passion had moved. I'll get back to editing that previous one when I'm ready. Heh.)

In a nutshell here's how novel publishing works:
-Finish your book
-Get a book telling you how to write a query letter (not sure what the most recent one is; the one I use is "The Sell Your Novel Toolkit")
-Get an agent directory, such as "The 2008 Guide to Literary Agents"
-Write query letters to a lot of agents
-Wait for a response
-If they're interested then they may ask for sample chapters or for the manuscript; do not send either of these until the agent specifically asks for them. But if/when they do ask, then by all means send them!
-If the agent likes what they read then they'll agree to represent you and find a publisher for you. (If you try to submit an unsolicited manuscript to a publisher, then it'll end up in "the slush pile" which is almost always a void in which your manuscript will be hit with a big ol' "REJECTED" stamp regardless of its quality.)
-If the agent is able to find a publisher who is interested, then depending on the publishing house you may or may not have any say in the actual publication of it (i.e. marketing, cover art, etc.) If it's a big publishing house then you'll probably be completely shut out from the whole process. Usually you won't have much control over the publication but for some (usually smaller) publishing houses you MIGHT have a tiny bit of input.
-Wait a long ass time for the book to get on store shelves
-Wait a long ass time to be discovered by the public--if that ever happens
-In the meantime, keep writing like crazy. The more you publish, the more likely you are to make a name for yourself, as long as each piece of writing you put out is a respectable, well done work of art. That said, just because a story is a respectable, well done work of art it doesn't mean it'll ever get published.

Yeah, it sucks to be a first-time writer. DX

Did you want to make money from books or just be published?

I'd want to be published, tell a ripping yarn, and be well-known. Money would be a bonus.

Literary magazines/ journals.

I've been published as a journalist nationally in a number of countries since my early teens. I literally just walked into the offices of a major magazine, asked if I could write for them, sent them a copy of some of my writing, and that was that.

Now I have contacts through that at publishing houses, so if I ever manage to finish a novel (I really don't have the time or patience, haha) I guess I'll just get advice from them on what to do.

But I'd definitely recommend going into journalism of whatever description - I prefer magazine to news - as a way in and of getting your name out there and known.

I just want to be published. I figure I'll always keep another job, just because a writer's life is too isolated for me.

Anyway, thanks, Veresae. I think I need to query more agents and be patient. I wish there was another way, an extra something to give you a push. For instance, I've heard that websites help published authors promote their work; I wish websites could help unpublished writers publish their work. Hmm...

If you just wanted to be published, you could just put things out there on appropriate web sites.

I got a story published on the theonering.net - my version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
At the time I'd just finished reading the Silmarillion for the 2nd time and LOTR for the third. I had Tolkien's language on the brain, so wrote the short story.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Tolkien Style) by Gavin Bollard

Hi, I just remembered Squier, a member or WP that's a kid who has already written a book and even Barnes & Noble is selling it! try also asking him how he did it

glad someone else asked this.
I love writing stories and have done since i was about 8.
i mainly write short stories but am currently working on a novel.
Glad someone asked this,
xx

Self published is needed, for a manuscript goes through a lot of changes to become a book.

Just at Office Max they want $26.50 a copy for my book, and it was cheaper to buy the machine, and then it is $2 a copy, plus $4 for spiral binding.

From a writer's pont of view getting some people to read it gives feedback. It is about the readers, and if it does not reach them, change.

Publishing is tough. It costs, a lot. A private printing is 1500 copies at $7. A publisher would give away twice that to book reviewers, Librarians, and that comes after editing, layout, cover art.

My print line cost $1000, but I can produce in editions of four, or up to five an hour. I can get a production cost of under $3. For a large paperback. Online sellers are reasonable for what they do, run the credit card, make it available.

Without shelf space or promotion, there is little to drive sales. Putting two copies of each in Barnes & Noble is 20,000 copies, with more in the warehouse. Roughly $100,000.

I sell three books I did not write, and it has paid for the presses. Print on demand works for me. The first reader, the first ten, or hundred, will tell you what you are doing.

Kinko's Office Max and spiral bound gets you books to give away. Their 7 cents a page is about the same as an inkjet, the next step is owning a commercial Laserjet, then offset.

Squier is on the Barnes & Noble web marketing, and lulupress.com. They do nothing to promote.

That you have to do yourself. Like most things, it does not pay to start. Self promotion is work, first you have to have a book, and build a name.

It involves public speaking, visiting book clubs, and getting enough notice that doing a book signing in a book store, someone will show up. If you write SciFi, get a table at conventions, more expense, but untill you are known, and know your market, there is not much use in spending lots, for you or a publisher.

Learn who else writes for the same market, check their sales, is it big enough?

How far along are you? Prepress costs, editing, paying people to think for you. Will you do what it takes to make it a book? Will you market it? Agents work for a fee, publishers for profits, how do you fit in?

Still working on my book, but would have it no other way.