HOW TO GET PUBLISHED Write a good book Persevere Be lucky

New authors from agent Contracted authors 3 months Non- contracted authors 6 months Slush pile 1 year Where do we want our manuscript ?

Agent Author Publishing House

What an Agent Does  Knows the market  Does the administration  Does the networking  Does the negotiating: publishing rights  Gets 15% $0=0 $10,000 = $1,500

How to Get an Agent  Check market: internet, acknowledgements—for someone who likes similar material to yours and who is looking for work  Schmooze  Go to workshops

Once you’ve identified a possible agent:  Write a query letter (e or print, as requested)query letter  They often request the first chapter or the first three chapters only – make them dynamite!  GOAL: get an agent to read your entire novel and say, hey, I want to represent you!

How will you make a living?  Advance (against royalties)  Royalties Typical Canadian advance: $30, signing rights 15 published or 10/10 edit/10

Typical Royalty Deals: Fiction  Trade Paperback: 10% royalties –Sell for $25 -- $2.50 per book minus your advance Therefore, once sold 12,000 copies, you’ve earned out your advance, and then you get to keep $2.50 each

 Mass market paperback: 6% royalties To start, say, for first $50,000 but often an escalator clause 2 nd 50,000 – 8% after 100,000 – 10% after 500,000 – 12%

 Hard Cover: 10 – 15% –More often than not, Canadian books don’t earn out their advance, so the advance is often all you get

Non-fiction  Sell the idea with a proposal  Always get an advance, then write book

Somebody has to be the next best-selling author Why not you?