I can also tell you about the basics of getting published. It’s best to hear this from someone like me, who’s published with only modest writing credentials, and who is definitely not a member of the writing nobility. So, let’s assume you can string words together in such a way that doesn’t piss off a reader, and you have your MS (manuscript) mostly completed. That means you’re about a quarter of the way home — writing is just a small part of what you will go through.
But before we go any further, did you format your manuscript correctly? Do you have the right spacing between lines, spacing between sentences, spacing between paragraphs, font type and size, did you set up the chapter titles properly, and so on? Do you have an index? Do you need one?
If the formatting is not correct, the thing for which you have given up a small portion of your life will be tossed without a second thought. Most publishers follow the same general formatting guidelines, although there can be idiosyncrasies depending on the genre of your work. By the way, if you write non-fiction you will definitely need an index, but don’t try to do it yourself — wait until you have a publisher and they’ll hire one for you, for a small fee.
You can learn about formatting specifics on any number of websites, and you can start with writersdigest.com
Literary agent Michelle Richter
