The video mini-series Publishing 101, has been created for the benefit of new authors, but also in general to demystify the publishing process for those who have yet to experience it. Since 2015, when Luna started, we have received many emails from new or aspiring writers, asking how things work. The following introduction to the series is also available as a video and you can watch it here.
These short videos are meant to be an introduction to the different aspects of publishing, as we follow the book from submission to publication. And although experiences between presses of different size do vary, Publishing 101 covers the essential points of each aspect, and for that I hope it will help authors become more confident.
It is beyond our scope to cover “How to write a book”, and there are many great resources out there, including our very own Gareth Powell’s About Writing.
So assuming you have a MS to submit, you are probably wondering what to do next.
In the day and age of the internet it’s relatively easy to find submission avenues.
When I was ready to submit my first novel, back in 2010, White Child, Book I of my YASF Tijaran Tales series, I had several artists’ friends who religiously checked the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and essentially introduced me to it and its wonderous lists of agents, publishers, tips and very useful articles.
I bought my first copy, and went through it with highlighters, pens and post-it notes. It opened a whole new world for me, and allowed me to learn the first steps and take the plunge.
By the way, you don’t have to buy it – you can check it out of the library too. I bought it because there was no way I could give it back to the library after my ‘note-taking’...
As an aside, it has been a few years now, but Luna Press is also listed in it, and all I need to say is that when it happened, at Tebay Services, it brought tears to my eyes.
One thing if you are using a printed source for listings: check the publisher’s website as well because things might have changed.
The Yearbook is one option, but there are many more who provide lists of venues for submissions: writers’ associations, genre associations, listings sites. Online and offline.
You can use any of them, and if you have a few publishers you’d like to work with, subscribe to their newsletter, their blog, or in any case, follow them on socials. That way you will always know in advance what is coming.
In the videos, I’ll be brief and to the point (as much as an Italian can be), and I will add useful links to the description.
The experience will be based on Luna, of course, but the broad strokes apply to all publishers, irrespective of size.
Finally, if you are a self-published author, as I was before my first contract with Oloris, you may find some of the info in this series, useful as well.
Enjoy!
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