What is the best publishing company for a mystery, adventure, and fantasy debut novel?
I’m new to writing, but i know that it is something that i want to do for the rest of my life. My first novel is really good, but i feel i’m in the dark for who to send it to. i’ve done research and i realized that there are a LOT of publishing companies, agents, and online do it yourself publishing. which would be the best?
The first book is always the most difficult. Even agents want someone who has a foot in publishing already. So, first step is establishing a readership by writing short stories for mystery / fantasy magazines. If accepted the pay for these isn’t bad, and it gets people hooked on your style. Once you have done that consistently for about a year, you should have enough samples to take to an agent. In nonfiction, I highly recommend being agented for your protection (and decreased frustration level). A lot of companies won’t look at unagented books, and an agent usually knows what firms are looking for in terms of story lines. That’s their job.
If you decide to get an agent the current standard is they get 15% of what they make for you and may charge for postage and large copy projects. They should NOT require a reading fee.
Good luck!
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TOR, Wizards of the Coast, both do a lot of great fantasy publishing.
Self-publishing is rarely successful because marketing becomes a full time job. One just does not have the resources a publishing house does.
Buy a Writer’s Market, thru Amazon. Put out by Writer’s Digest, they may even have a SCI-FI/Fantasy Market book.
References :
You should check the Writer’s Market. It will help you out a lot. They list by genre. You should be able to find a copy (pay the extra money for the one with a disc in the back, it automatically gives you free access to their website for a year-which they constantly update) at many bookstores like Walden’s, Borders, or Barnes and Noble.
References :
The first book is always the most difficult. Even agents want someone who has a foot in publishing already. So, first step is establishing a readership by writing short stories for mystery / fantasy magazines. If accepted the pay for these isn’t bad, and it gets people hooked on your style. Once you have done that consistently for about a year, you should have enough samples to take to an agent. In nonfiction, I highly recommend being agented for your protection (and decreased frustration level). A lot of companies won’t look at unagented books, and an agent usually knows what firms are looking for in terms of story lines. That’s their job.
If you decide to get an agent the current standard is they get 15% of what they make for you and may charge for postage and large copy projects. They should NOT require a reading fee.
Good luck!
References :
15 years as a professional author.