Getting published - Writers Forum

Kimba · 12-30-2004, 05:53 PM

I've just finished a crime-ficiton novel and I'm hoping to try and get it published sometime in the new year. Can anyone help me?

Talia_Brie · 12-30-2004, 08:07 PM

In Australia, the process is generally this:

1. Contact a number of Literary Agents and ask if you can submit an example of your work.
The largest agencies in Australia are:
Australia Literary Management
The Curtis Brown Agency
The Bryson Agency
There are more however. You can look them up on the internet. There is a Writers Association website. I used to ahev the link, but now I've lost it. I could probably find the site again though if you want.

2. Submit three example chapters and a synopsis to the agents. Be upfront and tell them if you are submitting to more than one. They do talk, and you don't want to piss any of them off.

3. The Agent will either offer to represent you, or decline. If they offer to represent you then you have effectively sold your book, because no serious agent will make that offer unless they think they can make some money from the book. Note: Any agent who requires a reading fee is to be dismissed (Christine Nagel in WA is one of them, and so is The Book Doctor, also in WA).

4. Should this first avenue prove ineffective, then you might want to look at a manuscript assessment. A manuscript assessment is an independant review of your novel. There are lots of companies that do it, but it would be a good idea to look for one that isn't associated with an agency. Driftwood Manuscripts in SA is one of these, and so is Edit or Die. You can look them both up on the internet. PM me if you want the addresses, and I'll get them for you. Driftwood Manuscripts is recommended by Sean Williams, an Australian Fantasy and SF writer, and I think Fiona McIntosh uses Edit or Die.

These two offices will charge a fee to read your book and provide a substantive report on what you can do to make it marketable. The fee is calculated against the length of the mss. Once you have one of these you can rework the novel as per their directions, then re-submit to the agencies, mentioning you've sent the novel previously, and have now received a mss assessment. If the mss assessment is positive, you can also consider bypassing the agents and going straight to the publishing companies that you're interested in.

The reason you have to go through all this rigmarole before approaching publishers is because in Australia none of the majors accept independant submissions unless they are accompanied by a positive manuscript assessment.

Let me know if you need more info.

bobgelinas · 01-04-2005, 10:12 AM

Enter your novel in our annual Novel Writing Contest. If you win in your category, your book gets published in hardcover this Fall, extensively marketed and promoted at publisher expense, distributed nationally and internationally, and you get paid. Details at www.archebooks.com.

Seriously!

Airborneguy · 01-21-2005, 08:56 PM

I sent you a PM Bob. Thanks for the info.

americanwriter · 01-21-2005, 11:18 PM

Kimba,

There's also a First Novel Contest sponsored by Mid-List Press. You can read about it here:

http://www.midlist.org/generalsubmissions.cfm

You might want to check out Avalon Books, but you definitely need to go and read their submission guidelines and content restrictions.

http://www.avalonbooks.com/wrtgdl.html

If you don't wish to consider those, then you will most generally need to find an agent to represent you in order to submit to the big houses. I'd recommend the small presses. Then there's always self-publishing, self-promotion. It requires an investment of both money and time on your part. Shipping costs, promotional materials, travel to promote, etc, but its sounds like the adventure of a lifetime if you have the $$ to invest in it.