How to Publish Your Novel: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publisher Say Yes (Squareone Writer's Guide) [Paperback]

Ken Atchity (Author), Andrea McKeown (Author), Julie Mooney (Author)

Book Description

Series: Squareone Writer's Guide | Publication Date: December 1, 2005

How to Publish Your Novel is like having a friend in the business. It provides the knowledge and strategies needed to get a work of fiction into print. You’ll learn how to locate a literary agent, develop an effective proposal package, and understand contracts. You’ll also discover how to perfect your craft and promote your latest work. An extensive resource section guides you to valuable source books, writers’

groups, websites, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

How to Publish Your Novel - "Delivers a thoroughly comprehensive guide to publishing fiction in today's market." (Library Journal )

About the Author

Ken Atchity received his PhD in comparative literature from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Using his multifaceted talents as a writer-mentor-editor producer, the author founded AEI, a highly successful literary management firm specializing in author representation and movie production.

Product Details

• Paperback: 313 pages
• Publisher: Square One Publishers (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757000495
• ISBN-13: 978-0757000492
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,074,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With more than forty years experience in the publishing world, and over fifteen years in entertainment, I absolutely love being a "story merchant"--writer, producer, teacher, and literary manager, responsible for launching dozens of books and films. My life's passion is finding great storytellers and turning them into bestselling authors and screenwriters--and making films which send their stories around the world.

I've produced 26 films, including "Joe Somebody" (Tim Allen; Fox), "Life or Something Like It" (Angelina Jolie; Fox), "The Amityville Horror" (NBC), "Shadow of Obsession" (NBC), "The Madam's Family" (CBS). "Meg" (New Line), "Demon Keeper" (Fox 2000), "Henry's List of Wrongs" (New Line), and Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not (starring Jim Carrey; Paramount) are approaching production. Full film bio at www.imdb.com.

My 14 books include books for writers at every stage of their career. Based on my teaching, managing, and writing experience, I've successfully built bestselling careers for novelists, nonfiction writers, and screenwriters from the ground up. Clients include bestsellers Steve Alten, Royce Buckingham, Jamise Dames, Noire, Shirley Palmer, Tracy Price-Thompson, Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not!, Cheryl Saban, and Governor Jesse Ventura. Now, as chairman and CEO of Atchity Entertainment International, Inc., my Story Merchant companies, www.aeionline.com and www.thewriterslifeline.com, provide a one-stop full-service development and management machine for commercial and literary writers who wish to launch their storytelling in all media---from publishing and film and television production, to Web presence and merchandising & licensing.

I was born in Eunice, Louisiana; and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, where I attended Rockhurst High School (and was editor in chief of The Prep News). After undergraduate work at Georgetown (A.B., English/Classics), and getting my Ph.D. in comparative literature from Yale, I served as professor and chairman of comparative literature and creative writing at Occidental College (Faculty Achievement Award; published articles, reviews, short stories, and poems in major journals and magazines throughout the world).


Editor of CQ: Contemporary Quarterly: Poetry and Art

Co-founder and -editor (with Marsha Kinder of Dreamworks: An Interdisciplinary Journal Devoted to the Relationship between Dreams and the Arts (authors published and/or advisory board included Joyce Carol Oates, Ursula Leguin, Ernest Cardenal, Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, Paul Bowles, John Fowles, Hubert Selby, John Rechy, Stephen King, Georges Simenon, Carlos Fuentes, Eugene Ionesco).

Served as Fulbright Professor of American Studies at the University of Bologna

Distinguished Instructor, UCLA Writers Program

Regular columnist-reviewer for The Los Angeles Times Book Review (involved in establishing the Los Angeles Times Book Awards)

Vice-president of P.E.N. Los Angeles

I'ves made numerous radio and television appearances, and given inspirational keynote talks at writers conferences, speaking on the world of professional storytelling, the storyteller's market, the storyteller's process, creativity, dreams, and various academic and entertainment and publishing related subjects.

I wrote and served as on-camera talent for Synapse Technology's "Columbus: The Voyage of Discovery," and consulted for the Discovery Channel's series, "The Power of Dreams."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for writers!, October 19, 2006

By 

Marisa D'vari (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Publish Your Novel: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publisher Say Yes (Squareone Writer's Guide) (Paperback)

This book is a "must" for every aspiring novelist, revealing A-Z information you need to know!

Specifically, this book will:

1. Explain the importance of researching a specific agent before sending your ms. out

2. Explain the importance of having your story idea fit a specific market niche before you sit down to write.

And all the other questions you might have with regard to contracts, copyright, the appropriate form for a query letter, how to research agents and editors, and much more.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Want to sell a book? Read this one first!, July 25, 2006

By 

B. Boop (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Publish Your Novel: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publisher Say Yes (Squareone Writer's Guide) (Paperback)

Ken Atchity's Square One Book Classification System, starting on page 9, explained to me exactly why it's vitally important to know what category your book fits into and who your target audience is. If you can convey these things to a publisher right away, it allows them to visualize instantly where your book can be sold. With this information, they will read the next sentence of your query with much more interest than if you had no idea where your book fits into the market place.

Chapter six, Prepapring the Package, explains exactly how to write an eye catching query letter including the salutation, first paragraph and closing. I thought I knew these things. In fact, the value of this book, relative to other books I've read on the subject, was that Dr. Atchity explained so many things I thought I'd already grasped. And just when a question would pop into my mind, an answer followed soon after in a clear concise way over and over again throughout the pages of HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR NOVEL.

I highly recommend this book if you're trying to sell one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive..., September 10, 2006

By 

J. Nusz "Author, reviewer & graphic designer" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Publish Your Novel: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publisher Say Yes (Squareone Writer's Guide) (Paperback)

HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR NOVEL is a must-read for newbie novelists - even those of us published multiple times can still learn a thing or two from this book! Providing a comprehensive checklist of steps for those on their way to a published product, author Ken Atchity covers every angle. From editor preferences, to submission gaffes, Atchity outlines the pitfalls and proven practices along the road to published bliss.

Not only does the author provide samples of the "must-haves" in a submission package, he also gives good advice on finding a literary agent, self-publishing your work, and how to decide what's right for YOUR novel.

For those looking for the "right" way to get their book noticed, I'd highly recommend reading HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR NOVEL.