Publishing a Novel Conventionally

I've always believed that creative writing is its own reward. But publishing a novel, of course, is the real prize that awaits you.

So how do you go about getting published?

Your first option, of course, is finding a publisher, and you can do this in 2 ways:

• You can either submit your novel directly to a publishing house.



• Or you can send it to a literary agent, who will submit the novel to a publisher on your behalf.

But which of these methods is best? You can find out by reading Finding a Publisher vs. Finding an Agent.

The process of getting published rarely runs smoothly (come to think of it, nothing in life does). You might get lucky and have your novel accepted by the first agent or publisher you approach, but more likely you will need a strategy, a plan for the long haul facing you - and you can discover one by reading A Plan for Finding a Literary Agent or Publisher.

Once you have decided where you are going to send your novel, and the strategy you are going to adopt, you will need to know which of the literary agencies or publishing houses (or both) to send it to - and what, precisely, you should send. You can find the answers in Submitting a Manuscript.

Your second option for publishing a novel is to cut out the middle man and go it alone, and that is the subject of the next section: Self Publish Your Novel.