Hey everyone. \u00a0Happy New Year and welcome back to work! \u00a0Right? \u00a0Am I right? \u00a0Yes… Get to work.<\/p>\n
Well, Adamsville book 1 is done and now the search for a publishing home for my series is beginning. \u00a0This is a whole different part of things. \u00a0It’s a side that requires a lot of patience, understanding, faith and nerve to take whatever comes. \u00a0There are a lot of things you can consider when publishing your books. \u00a0A lot of folks choose the self-publishing route, which may be what the future could hold for this book but at this time, I am going for a book publisher.<\/p>\n
What does that look like and what should you expect and do in this pursuit as well? \u00a0Let’s look at what the process most commonly calls for.<\/p>\n
1.) Have an agent, or an existing relationship with an editor:
\nIf you want to get in with a publisher in many cases you need an agent to get face time with an editor at any of the major publishing houses. \u00a0Most major publishers like Scholastic’s Graphix line will not accept an unsolicited submission. \u00a0This means it can not be something you send to them on your own basically. \u00a0It must come to them either through an agent or by personal request.<\/p>\n
The easiest and best means of getting past this is to have an agent. \u00a0I say easiest in a very loose term. \u00a0It’s not extremely easy to get one and with good reason. \u00a0Agents generally act as a filter of sorts in the industry, helping make sure that an editor only looks at materials that would have a certain quality that could meet their standards. \u00a0It saves the editor having to filter through tons of submissions that could be from anyone and whoever.<\/p>\n
The other option would be to have a contact with an editor through either personal relationship or contact. \u00a0This actually goes quite a long way. \u00a0The majority of people I know who have landed book deals have been people who were working with an editor before they had an agent. \u00a0It’s a lot like when you apply for a job… \u00a0If you have a friend that already works there or you know the owner it scores extra points in getting hired. \u00a0But again the product needs to be worth their time. \u00a0It isn’t fair or proper to expect other people to show your work to all the people they know for your personal gain. Your friends are your friends… don’t make things messy or start going directly up to people asking them to show your work to their editor. \u00a0It’s just not very cool. \u00a0I have actually had someone ask me if since I know a number of graphic novelists it shouldn’t be hard for them to put it in the right hands. \u00a0This is true, but I’m not going to ask anyone to do that. \u00a0My position on this, is that it’s their prerogative\u00a0to do that if they feel compelled to… \u00a0Share your book with people because you want to, not to devalue your relationships for personal gain.<\/p>\n
So how do you get an agent? \u00a0Let’s look at that one:<\/p>\n
2) Query An Agent
\nQuerying an agent is the most common way of reaching out to an agent that you do not have a relationship with. \u00a0Now just like editors, some agents do no accept\u00a0unsolicited\u00a0submissions as well. \u00a0So make sure you read their guidelines and understand an agent’s policy on being approached.<\/p>\n
There are a few resources that may really help you in finding an agent. It is very important to make sure, again, that you read each and every agent’s guidelines for submitting to them for consideration. \u00a0It could mean the difference between the trash can and getting read.<\/p>\n 3.) Patience With all of that said, do prepare for the possible outcome that involves your book not finding a home in the bigger publishing world. \u00a0In comics and the rest of the industry it’s becoming harder and harder to get your book through. \u00a0The whole industry is in flux and so many things could be changing in the near future. \u00a0So I offer this word of personal advice from someone who’s gone through this and is about to again, set expectations appropriately, believe highly and have your next plan in place. \u00a0If ADAMSVILLE doesn’t find it’s home somewhere I already have my next steps in mind. \u00a0It’s OK for you to as well. \u00a0We live in an exciting age where no project is truly dead. \u00a0The internet and self publishing have risen so much that anyone can find a way to share their idea with the world. \u00a0It’s a great time to be working in storytelling and working to get BETTER with every project.<\/p>\n So keep working everyone!<\/p>\n On an ADAMSVILLE note. \u00a0Tonight I finished my first pass at the treatment for book 2 of the series. \u00a0With any luck I will be working on the script very soon! \u00a0In my next post I will talk more about how I write a comic from start to finish. \u00a0See you all then.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hey everyone. \u00a0Happy New Year and welcome back to work! \u00a0Right? \u00a0Am I right? \u00a0Yes… Get to work. 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\nAgent Query.Com<\/a>\u00a0 This is a FANTASTIC resource for hunting down agents by being able to \u00a0sort through agent’s by their desired subject matter and links to all of their agencies.
\nPreditors and Editors<\/a> – This is a great guide to agents and editors. \u00a0Really it exists to help people filter through potential threats in the publishing world. \u00a0With all things there are scams out there. \u00a0Being advised of them is good.
\nQuery Shark<\/a> – \u00a0Don’t know what a query is? \u00a0Well this is the site for you. \u00a0A great blog where the writer will take submitted queries and\u00a0dissect\u00a0them. \u00a0A great learning tool for what is and what isn’t effective in getting someone to pay attention to your submission.<\/p>\n
\nLastly, and most difficult of all, is just learning to be patient with this process. \u00a0God knows I am still learning this. \u00a0We finish our book, or pitch and we just so badly want people to be taking notice. \u00a0Nevermind people’s lives and all. \u00a0Be patient. \u00a0This process of querying and getting word back from publishers is a lengthy one. \u00a0My first time through it took one year, solid. \u00a0It was grueling, at times elating and many times for lack of better word, heartbreaking. \u00a0The best thing you can do during this time is pick up and get to work on the next project. \u00a0I am intrenched in so many odds and ends projects around here with work on my script for book 2 and other illustrations, I don’t really have too much time to be anxious. \u00a0I believe in my project and I believe that if it’s good enough, it will rise to the people it needs to. \u00a0Stay active, keep working and remember to control what you can.<\/p>\n