Long before you write the words “THE END”, know the next steps for your book’s future. How does a book get published in 2023? Hope and Donna discuss the various ways in getting your book into the hands of the reading public. From traditional, small press, hybrid and self-publishing, they will share the benefits and the drawbacks of each and will give helpful tips to navigate some of the pitfalls.What are the main ways of getting a book published?a. Traditional – The Big Five (Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, Hachette) and Amazon’s imprints.b. Small Press. Hybrid. SelfHelpful resources to assist you with finding publishers and agents:

• Publisher’s Marketplace

• Women’s Fiction Writers Association

• Query Tracker

• Manuscript Wish List

• Self Publishing for Dummies

DO NOW: Assess your book goals. What form of publishing works for you? What are your next-steps in securing that goal?

• If traditional or small press, make lists of possible agents. Follow trends on Publisher’s Marketplace.

• If Hybrid, begin vetting publishers, finding the right fit for you and your budget. Possibly looking into crowd sourcing.

• If self, finding editors and designers you can hire to get your book to the marketplace in tip top shape.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Query Template https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Sduu0mfipI3l7t3eSY0PGEoZu5Kqboj8pawKusC1TZ4/edit?usp=sharing

DO NOW:Explore the links below, especially the Manuscript Wish List. Take a look at boutique/small publishing houses and hybrid. Do some research on self-publishing

LINKS:

Publisher’s Marketplace https://www.publishersmarketplace.comWomen’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) https://www.womensfictionwriters.org/Query Tracker https://querytracker.netManuscript Wish List https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com

How do you know when you’re an author? What’s the difference between a writer and an author? Hope and Donna discuss their paths to becoming authors and what makes them experts in addressing the many steps and skills necessary from being a writer to becoming published.

• Writer life

• The jump from writer life to publication

• Author acronym soup

  • WIP

  • MS

  • MC

  • CP

  • Alpha/beta readers

• Our expertise on what we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to

DO NOW:: Assess where you are as a writer and determine what your goals are. Begin by writing something you truly believe in, then find critique partners, a writing group to give you feedback.LINKS:NaNoWriMo https://www.nanowrimo.orgCritique Circle https://www.critiquecircle.com/Megan Lally’s CP Match https://www.meganlallywrites.com/cpmatchmakerQuery Mastery Class/ NY Book Editors https://nybookeditors.com/Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) https://www.womensfictionwriters.org/