How to Publish a Book

Do some homework before you go publishing a book

Many people would like to publish a book. It is a dream many of us have and until recently, the dream seemed out of many of our grasps. There are many options for someone who wants to publish a book, but it is a good idea to do a little homework before contacting a publishing company with your manuscript.

Publishing Assignment

The book that I wrote is part of a series of books that address questions about specific careers. The assignment was ideal for me because I wanted to publish a book about being a therapist who works with autistic children. My topic fit the publisher’s needs and I went to work.

I completed the first draft of the entire manuscript in a record two-month period of time. I worked on the book for about six hours every day, often staying up way past midnight to get my thoughts organized into the text. I found that we would publish a book on my topic, but not in the near future. I completed the manuscript about six months ago and I just now got the contract from the publisher. I still have to read and sign the contract to get things moving.

Desire to Publish a Book

I am pleased that I will have the opportunity to publish a book in the upcoming year, but I still have a way to go before the book hits the shelves. The editor is going to go over the manuscript on a page by page basis. I imagine that this will take a great deal of time. That is not a problem for me. I am a diligent writer and my desire to publish a book is a driving force that will keep me on my toes.

I have looked into other ways to publish a book as well but I find some of the options a little confusion. Lulu is a company that will publish a book for an author through its print on demand program. I am not sure if this is a viable option for me. I am not one for vanity publishing and Lulu seems to have some of the qualities of a vanity publisher.

For right now, I’m sticking to working with a publisher on assignment. If you want to publish a book, you may want to use a company like Lulu, but if you want to publish a book that will be read, consider working with an editor.