Comments on: Q&A: How do you get published?

By: Kimberly Pauley « Veronika Asks

Kimberly Pauley « Veronika Asks — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:52:42 +0000

[...] same week that I found out I was pregnant. As for some writing tips, I’ve got some on my website: http://kimberlypauley.com/2008/10/11/qa-how-do-you-get-published/ and I also host an online Writing [...]

By: kimpauley

kimpauley — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:37:24 +0000

Hi Diana, I wrote up a whole blog post for this since a few people have asked about it.

By: Diana Dang

Diana Dang — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:44:20 +0000

When you wrote your book, did you sort of have the idea what the whole plot would be about or did you just let it come to you?

By: kimpauley

kimpauley — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:39:42 +0000

Whenever you want to throw it out, just work on something else for a while and put it aside. It helps.

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:10:26 +0000

Shweet, I’m writing a book, and if I don’t throw it away in disgust or eating it accidentally I’ll try getting it published.

By: kimpauley

kimpauley — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:51:49 +0000

Agents take a set percentage of your earnings from the book. They can generally a) get you better book deals, b) get your book seen and considered by more publishers (many will not even look at an unagented manuscript) and c) give you career advice, etc.

By: Diana Dang

Diana Dang — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:41:59 +0000

Oh I see I see, that clears it up! I want to maybe one day (5 years from now maybe?) publish a book. Ah, if I ever able to finish it and if I have the time. Some side pocket money would be lovely by the time I get to university…

Exactly what does an agent do? Do you have to pay them a certain amount to get hooked up with companies and such? (I read the article =) )

By: kimpauley

kimpauley — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:18:12 +0000

If you self-publish a book (which I generally don’t recommend, see the hints & tips article), then you are generally the one that is paying to get your book in print.

If a publisher buys your book, they pay you. Generally, to start with you get an advance against royalties. Royalties are what you earn for each book sold. It will be a percentage of each book. For instance, (and these numbers aren’t necessarily actual, I’m just using them because they are “easy math”), if your percentage was 5% and the price of the book was $10.00, then you would be getting 50 cents for every book sold. If you received $2,000 as an advance, you would not receive your next check until you had earned enough in royalties (i.e. 4,000 books * .50 = $2,000) to “earn out your advance.” After you’d sold over 4,000 books, you would then start earning additional money. Hope that makes sense.

By: Diana Dang

Diana Dang — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:10:30 +0000

When a publisher wants to buy your book, does it mean they pay you to get published or is it vice versa? I’m always confused with those…