I'm in the process of writing a book how do i go about publishing it without being taken for a ride?

It is almost impossible to find a publisher for a collection of poetry as an unknown author. I would suggest beginning by getting individual poems published, and then you may eventually be able to publish a collection.

You will want to research journals and magazines that publish in the same genre as your poems-- really look for things that print similar works. Each publisher will also have their own length guidelines-- some publications can support much longer pieces than others, so look for one that matches this as well!

To begin your research, take a look at the current edition of the book "Writer's Market". It is a fairly comprehensive listing of locations to submit work. Then, head down to your local public library and see if you can track down copies. Make sure it is appropriate or it will be a waste of time and postage to submit.

Each publisher has different submission guidelines, so make sure to research the specifics. Oftentimes, they are now on the web so it's much easier. Most only want you to submit three to five poems in each submission package, and they generally have length guidelines as well.

Do not submit your story to multiple publications simultaneously unless you specify it in your cover letter and you are sure that the particular publishers accept simultaneous submissions.

For formatting your story and manuscript, see if you can locate a copy of "Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript" (which is actually published by the folks at Writer's Market). It's my favorite reference for all sorts of literary queries. I write poetry primarily, and my submission package generally includes a cover letter introducing myself and the work that I have enclosed, plus my poems (each page having my name, address, and the page number at the top). Like "Writer's Market", many public libraries have this book in their reference section!

It could take a long time, and be prepared for multiple rejections. Such is the life of an author! But, if you are persistant, you will find a home for your poems!

You do not need to register your copyright ahead of time. You own the copyright to your poems the minute that you put them down on paper. That will be taken care of at a later step. Also, you are correct in that you should not be asked for money up front. That is the sure sign of a scam.

Use this website to help you avoid scams in the future:

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

I haven't tried to publish anything (I have No talent for that at all) but I have a friend who recommends:

Get an agent. It may cost a couple of bucks when you get paid (they work on commission for the most part) but an agent knows the markets, the publishers the editors, etc..

Also look at "Writers Market 200- (fill in the year)" - this is a great reference book and can be found in any decent library. It has a wealth of data on the area that you are addressing. Good luck to you, I wish you well.

The first booklet will generate so much of it is sales after it is going on sale, over a interval of time, assuming it's trendy. If it makes a first-class vendor record, your moment booklet will draw in extra presents up entrance, and so they would be within the hundreds and hundreds of hundreds of greenbacks or extra, relying on what number of copies booklet #one million sells and what the publishers consider your knowledge is. After that, it simply relies on what the general public and the critics consider of your paintings. What occurs to so much authors is that they write a booklet, ship it round to a host of publishers and get rejected time and again. A lot of quality books on no account get released. But you're going to on no account recognize except you check out, and writing a booklet is a precious attempt, even supposing no one publishes it. Good success!

Write an query letter ,

Write a good book ,poems , short story

Write to an agent ,

Before write to an agent research the agent,

If it is a legitimate agent you should not have to shell out any many unless you get paid for . see references to find further proof.

publishing is a difficult and drawn out process of copy editing, editing, proofing, design, permission, copyright, library of congress isbn identification. as a published poet myself i have jumped through hoops and chutes just to get one book published and that is through a reputible publisher. my first recommendation is to gather all your poems, place them in an envelope and mail them to yourself before submitting anything for publication: hint that is the poor mans copyright, meaning if you send your poems out and someone publishes them under a different name or steals them, then you can take them to court show the judge the sealed envelope and that will basically prove in a court of law you as rightful owner and creator.

never ever send money to a publisher unless its a fairly standard and reasonable reading fee, that goes for agents and private editors. but you can submit full manuscripts to the major publishers at no cost, its called unsolicited manuscripts, some publishers have strict guidelines on submitting your work, check out their requirements before sending.

most important read the poetry each publisher is printing to ensure that your poetry is in line in what their editors are looking for. there are numerous legitimate publishers out there that will never ask for any money, they usually recoup their monies through marketing and sales of your book, usually a publisher will provide a stipend to you and then maybe 10-25% of the sell value of each book. publishers will always revert your rights back to you, meaning you can publish your work elsewhere as long as you give the initial publisher credit as first publisher.

you need to check through all the major publishers such as greywolf press, copper canyon press, new directions, putnam, and several universities have presses. check their guidelines, some only accept certain types of poetry, some only accept unsolicited manuscripts part of the year, others dont and only accept manuscripts that are nominated to their editorial boards. the best bet is to submit to magazines several poems for consideration to at least get your name out there, for some publishers will not publish if you havent already 'seeded' yourself in the public eye.

prepare yourself for massive amounts of rejection, i have over three binders filled with such rejection letters, but you have to stick with it. sometimes it takes almost a year from acceptance to printing so prepare yourself for the drawn out process.

you can submit the same manuscript to different publishers, but as soon as one of them accepts it, you need to send withdrawal letters to the other publishers immediately as not to tangle yourself in legal matters.