Once a manuscript is written and edited, there are a couple of options an author can take in order to publish it. I have listed three below. Each option has its own pros and cons and an author should consider everything carefully before investing in a path. For example, which one is the most realistic for his/her goals and financial situation?
My current plan is to go with option three. There is a publishing company called DAW Publisher. They do not require an author to have an agent to submit the manuscript which is great for me since I am about to start graduate school and do not have the time nor the finances to find, recruit, and wait for the agent to find a publisher for me. So a check in my book. What else? Well, they are specialized in Science Fiction/Fantasy. My book falls into Fantasy so check there as well. They also don't accept any novels less than 80,000 words. My book is over 100,000 words so once again, check. Lastly, this is the publishing company which published Patrick Rothfuss's award winning noveThe Name of the Wind. If you haven't read it, stop reading this, and go order it. Read it. It's phenomenal. Click here to check it out. You will not be disappointed. As you can tell from my rant, I love this book. It is my second all time favorite book ever. So to be published by the same company and be on the shelves with The Name of the Wind would be a dream come true.
Option One: Self-publish. This takes a lot of time and personal financial commitment, however the author has full control over most, if not all, of the process.
Option Two: Find an agent who will take the manuscript to the publishers. This can allow the manuscript to reach the more prestigious publishing companies but does require a financial commitment to the agent who will take a cut of the profits.
Option Three: Submit the manuscript to a publisher oneself. This cuts out some of the more distinguished companies who require an agent for the manuscript to be reviewed by them, but this allows the author to go straight to the publishers without a large financial investment.
So what option am I planning to go with?
My current plan is to go with option three. There is a publishing company called DAW Publisher. They do not require an author to have an agent to submit the manuscript which is great for me since I am about to start graduate school and do not have the time nor the finances to find, recruit, and wait for the agent to find a publisher for me. So a check in my book. What else? Well, they are specialized in Science Fiction/Fantasy. My book falls into Fantasy so check there as well. They also don't accept any novels less than 80,000 words. My book is over 100,000 words so once again, check. Lastly, this is the publishing company which published Patrick Rothfuss's award winning noveThe Name of the Wind. If you haven't read it, stop reading this, and go order it. Read it. It's phenomenal. Click here to check it out. You will not be disappointed. As you can tell from my rant, I love this book. It is my second all time favorite book ever. So to be published by the same company and be on the shelves with The Name of the Wind would be a dream come true.
So that is my current goal. I want to be a published author with DAW. To get there, will require hours and hours of editing by myself and my friend Travis. After that I hope to send it to one of my acquaintances, Katie, for her edits. If she is unable to edit though, then I'm just going to go for it and send my manuscript off to DAW. So it's going to be several months till I hear any news from DAW but keep your fingers crossed and your eyes peeled!
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