Featured this month is the follow-up by Tammy Ditmore’s experience of Pub U. She came back with tons of information. See her article for highlights; see her blog for more details.
We receive lots of emails from authors who say, “My book is finished. I need to find a good self-publisher, an agent, a traditional publisher…” Rarely do they say, “I need a good editor.” That’s essential, to produce a good product. The other thought is—why wait until the book is done to find the professionals you need? It’s then that you find your book is too long, too short, has the wrong setting, or any of a hundred other things you could have changed during the writing that prevents an agent or publisher from taking your book.
Writers need to research agents, publishers, and ways to self-publish, all while you’re writing. You’ll have an idea of what they’re looking for in a book—and you’ll have a huge advantage over others.
Sandy, Editor, WPNews, editor@spawn.org