short stories

[viali]

i have written a small book of short stories about my life,which upon reading all my friends and aquaintences say it should be a book or a series of plays as they are so raw and funny,how do i approach going about publishing them /

[FGS51]

Depending on your financial situation then the cheapest option is to us a 'Print on Demand' service.

Unlike Vanity Publishing, these only print the number of books you require or are able to sell. This way you won't have paid out extortionate costs and have books over which you cannot sell meaning that you'll be out of pocket.

I recently used the following to get a book published. They do reduced rates if it's for charity work, church work or local community publications. Check it out as just one example.....

http://www.writersworld.co.uk

[saxy_jag]

Oh, at last! Someone who supports self-publishing (POD is, I believe a method/service used by 'traditional' publishing houses as well as self-publishing companies) and separates it from vanity publishing. I hadn't come across Writers World, FGS, so I've bookmarked it and am saving it for later. However, I digress.

There are one or two companies that will enable you to publish in this way, Diggory and Lulu being among the cheapest. The latter is American, but I have used them and they are reliable and their physical products are of good quality. Trafford and Authorhouse offer similar services, but they're much more expensive. However, I would avoid Publish America like the proverbial plague.

If you do choose this route, you should be aware that the marketing offered by any of these companies is minimal. even if you pay for extra services. The selling is largely down to you. You will also (usually) need to pay extra for ISBN registration (not compulsory), library deposits (legal requirement) typesetting and anything other than basic cover design.

The other route is to get a copy of the Writers and Artists Yearbook (your library should have a copy), and look up the names of agents and publishers that deal with your type of work. WAYB also gives you a lot of information about how to submit work for best results. Be prepared for multiple rejections, though, and be ready to edit, edit and edit again (which you should be doing in any case, no matter how good anyone thinks it is).

You could do worse than have a look at some of the writing forums on the web and post bits of your work for some constructive criticism. This is where I push my favourite website again, http://www.writersdock.org (and no, I don't work for them), which has professional writers and beginners representing just about every genre imaginable. It's also free.

Go

[crokepark]

Literary Agency Seeking


http://www.nicholassparks.com/WritersCorner/In dex.html

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/peald.h tm

http://www.tobyeadyassociates.co.uk/

http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com/

http://www.poetrymagic.co.uk/book-publishing/p ublishing.html

http://www.poets.com/

http://www.poetrysociety.org/psa-links.php

Welcome to Morris Publishing. We specialize in short-run printing for self-published authors and have printed thousands of books for individuals, businesses, and small book publishers. From book printing to binding, Morris Publishing will provide for all your self-publishing needs and help make your dream of being a published author a reality.

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Good luck.

Kevin, Liverpool, England.

[juliacornwal]

Before you try publishing yourself, get a copy of the Artists and Writers yearbook and have a look for an agent, or try Robert Hale publishers in Clerkenwell. They're one of the very few independent publishers around who like to give potential good writers a start in life. Most big publishers won't take unsolicited manuscripts, but Robert Hale will read anything that's sent to them. I know, I publish through them.
The Writers and Artists Yearbook is worth having and it's well worth trying a few agents, certainly, but be careful to read exactly what sort of material they're after.
Anyway, the very best of luck. Getting your first book published is the most glorious experience in the world!