Lore & LilacStage 05 of 05
Share
Let readers in, then find your book a home
Sharing happens in rings: trusted readers first, then professionals, then the public. This stage covers who should read your draft and when, how to approach literary agents, and what self-publishing really involves, so you can choose a path with clear eyes.
Publishing practices vary by country, genre and company. Treat every figure you read — here included — as a general range, and check the current guidelines of anyone you submit to.
Guides in this stage
Who should read your draft, and when
Different readers answer different questions, and each question has a right moment in the life of a draft.
7 min read
Querying literary agents: the letter, the synopsis and the list
A calm, practical guide to the query package, with a worked pitch for our sample novel and the red flags worth knowing.
7 min read
Self-publishing: what you're actually taking on
When you self-publish you become the publisher, so it helps to see every job, and every cost, before you start.
6 min read
Key concepts
- Beta readerA reader who reads a complete or near-complete draft and reports their experience of it before you submit or publish.
- Critique partnerA fellow writer who regularly exchanges work with you, giving craft-focused feedback on your drafts in return for yours.
- Literary agentA professional who represents authors, submitting their work to publishers and negotiating deals, usually paid by commission on what the author earns.
- Query letterA short, one-page letter pitching a finished novel to a literary agent or publisher, meant to make them ask to read it.
- SynopsisA summary of a novel's entire plot, ending included, often requested by agents and publishers alongside a query.
- Comp titlesComparable titles: recent books similar to yours in audience, genre or feel, used to show agents, publishers and readers where it belongs.
- Self-publishingPublishing a book yourself, keeping control and rights while doing or hiring out the editing, design, production, distribution and marketing.
- Standard manuscript formatThe plain, conventional layout for manuscripts sent to agents, editors and publishers, designed for easy reading and editing rather than for looks.