HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR FIRST NOVEL

By Curt Wiser: the Author of Box Cutter Killer.

It does not have to be the first book you write, in fact it is probably best if it isn't. But if you want to be able to call yourself a novelist, you need at least one published novel. The good news is that because of the growing popularity of E-readers such as the Nook, Kindle and Kobo the publishing landscape has changed. 2011 is the first year that e-books outsold hard covers. Digital books are more cost effective for the publisher and can be more affordable for the readers. Authors can even provide the reader with a more engaging experience by adding audio or video clips which they call enhanced e-books. A good example of this is the e-book autobiography by actor-comedian Kevin Pollak entitled How I slept my way to the middle.

So now is a better time than ever to break in as an author author as long as you embrace these changes and let them work for you. Because publishing has gotten easier there has been a proliferation of boutique publishers that price their e-books to sell, meaning anywhere from 99 cents to $4.99. These smaller companies are hungry for new authors and are much more likely to accept your submission and publish your novel. The interesting thing is that the major publishers have not yet relented, they do not lower the cost of the e-books they release. This only helps independent publishing grow, we up and coming authors salute you.

The first thing I suggest is to make sure that your novel is the best it can be and that you have gotten feed back from people before you submit it. This will give you time to come back to your story and look at it from a new perspective other than the initial fit of nirvana that comes with finishing a first draft of anything. Have a well written query letter and make sure that each one is changed in small ways that target the publisher specifically. Do your research, does this publisher have a track record, do they publish novels with the same genre and tone as yours?

I first contacted Wheelman Press because they put up an online posting looking for novels adapted from finished screenplays or produced movies. At that time we had just signed with a distributor for Cam-Girl (AKA Web-Cam), my first feature film. Serendipity hit me hard, that was a posting I had to reply to. After seeing the trailer for Cam-Girl, the publisher said a novel adaptation of this story is something they would be interested in. The only problem was it did not exist. I quickly let them know that and started writing immediately. I finished the first draft in under five months and sent it out to the publisher with my fingers crossed. This is when the waiting begins. Be patient but if you don't hear from your contact with the publisher send a friendly e-mail follow up once every two or three weeks. Use this time wisely, design a sample book cover or a book trailer, update your website that you will need to promote your novel once it goes to market.

Then on one glorious day you receive a proof copy of your book from the publisher. This is for you to review and to provide notes if you want any changes made before your book goes to print. The tendency is to rush through reading this proof copy assuming the publisher would not change a word or make formatting errors. You must resist this urge at all costs. The biggest mistake you can make in life is believing that anyone is infallible. I am amazed when I find glaring typing errors that slipped through the edits of books by major publishers and authors. So enjoy it, relax and carefully read your novel as if you were just a reader who could put the book down at any second because they have something better to do. This objectivity will keep you from taking anything for granted as you check the spelling, formatting and readability of the book.

I was impressed with what Wheelman press did, the font choices they made for the title page and the way they cleaned up the formatting. I gave them the notes on my proof read a week later and then the waiting continues. Again, be patient. Realize that the publisher has several books at different stages of development. At this stage the publisher will also file for an ISBN number for your book.

It is possible for the author to do all of this themselves and sell through Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords but I do not recommend taking this option. Writing and promoting your novel is enough work as it is without having to publish it too. Also having a publisher adds legitimacy to your novel and helps with the sales because the other books they sell can bring attention to yours.  An established publisher can get your novel sold through more venders than a first time, self published author could.

Buy Box Cutter Killer for the Kindle
Buy Box Cutter Killer for the Nook

Box Cutter Killer is a suspense Novel about a single mother who works as a web cam stripper and is pushed to the limit when held hostage by an unknown gunman.

Official trailer for Cam-Girl:

Official book trailer for Box Cutter Killer: