How to get a book published: Many have asked me how I did it. Here is my report!
1. Write your book just for yourself. But read a lot of good books to learn how to write well. It's not easy.
2. Don't give up your day job - it takes a long time.
3. If you know anyone in book publishing, ask them what do. It really helps to know someone.
4. Type your book double-spaced on typing paper, or have someone help you.
5. Show your book to an editor at a publishing house, or to someone who works on a newspaper or magazine.
6. If the first person can't publish it, try someone somewhere else. There's a book called "Literary Market Place" by RR Bowker Company in New York City, which can be found in libraries. It has lots of different publishers in it. Call an editor and ask if they accept "unsolicited Manuscripts." Many editor only acquire books from writers they already know!
7. Don't give up.
8. If someone DOES take your book , they will write a contract and pay you a small amount of money, called an advance. And if you later sell a lot of your books, you will get more money, called royalties. It's a small percentage of the selling price. In the contract, be sure you keep the copyright in your name. (Look at page iv in any book and you will see the copyright page.)
9. You will have to work very hard with your editor, revising and rewriting your book until it goes to the typesetter.
10. A book designer will design the way the pages of the book will look,. so that it doesn't looks like it's a typewriter page.
11. Then it is sent to a typesetter or compositor, who makes it into pages following the design. If you look at W's in many different books, you will see that there are many ways of designing and setting type.
12. The typeset pages are sent to a printer. Usually they are on a computer disk.
13. The printer makes film for every page in the book, usually in big pieces called film flats. Then the printer makes "printing plates" from the film. These are flexible metal. They have 32 pages on each one, usually.
14. The printing plates go on a big printing press. It prints with black ink (or 4 colors of ink if it's a picture book) onto a big roll of paper. Then the paper is folded into a 32-page section called a signature. if your book has 128 pages, it is 4 signatures.
15. Then the pages are trimmed and glued into a case.
16. Meanwhile another designer has been
working with your editor to make a nice jacket for the book.
This is printed in color, and sent to catch up with the printed
pages and case. After the book is jacketed, it is sent from the
printer to your publishers warehouse.
17. Your publisher sends the book to bookstores. If a lot of
people read it and like it, then the your editor will call you
and ask you to write another book.
18. If nobody reads it and it doesn't sell, the publisher will probably not ask you to do another. You'll have to find a different publisher for your next book, but don't stop writing.
19. Your mother will always like your books.
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The How to Draw Survival Kit: a few tips about Drawing
Reflections:
Drawing is especially wonderful on a rainy day or on a long plane trip. In rough weather, chart bumps! Drawing and painting promote goodness in the world.
Not so tedious as a novel, more dependable than a computer, more important than a cellphone, and forget about television! - Drawing is a vacation in itself. It's also good for your diet.
Think about prehistoric cave paintings - what lively mastodons!
I have done the math: Drawing actually doubles your fun.
(TIP: If you do not see immediate increase in fun, change the
color you used for the sky).
Encouragement:
Please forget that gradeschool teacher who scoffed at your efforts.
I'm shocked - shocked! at the numbers of grownups and kids who
believe what some misguided so-called teacher said in criticism
of their earnest drawing efforts. Humpf! (I feel very strongly
about this.) What your teacher did not know is that you are as
yet, "undiscovered!"
For the doubtful: You can draw, and you are a great artist. Don't worry. Forget about the result, think of it as a notation, and trust that later on when you look back on it your minds eye will fill in the rest.
Don't try too hard. Ambition should be set aside and fun should prevail.
I like cartoons because they are easier and promote a spirit of fun.
Keep your drawing in the center of the page, more or less, so that when you see you've produced a masterpiece, you don't have to then hunt for an oddball frame size.
All artists great and small begin as a brave soul making a colorful smudge! So get out there and smudge!
Things you'll need:
Always have $1 and a pen with you at all times.
(The $1 is to buy another pen, in case the first one runs out
of ink.)
We are blessed to live in an age when there are about 10,000 different kinds of pens and pencils to choose from. You have to get somewhat good stuff, or paintbrush hairs will fall out, pencils will scratch instead of coloring, and paper will pucker. (Exception: Of course, in an emergency, the Great Artist uses whatever is at hand - excellent results have been acheived using only sand and Elmers glue.) Most important is that you pick materials that you enjoy using.
Pencils:
Prismacolor pencil Black 935 makes wonderful thick and thin lines
and a feathered edge.
Pens:
My current favories are Pilot Varsity Black and Pentel EnerGel
.7mm. If you're a letter writer, take note: Pilot Varsity also
comes in Pink! Test your pens in the store for the right feel.
The ideal, for me, is the feel of writing on a banana with a
ballpoint pen.
Colors:
Once you start drawing you'll want to color too. I use Prismacolor
colored pencils. I like their bright clean colors. If you like
water, you'll soon be in a paint mood. You can mix up lots of
colors starting with just a few. Watercolors are tough if you
want to do them properly, but fun if you are just playing around.
Old Holland or Pelikan watercolors are rich and smooth.
Brushes:
I use Raphael brushes size 0, 3, 6. and a wider "10 Royal" brush for sky and water.
Paper:
The best paper is not too smooth, not too rough, and fairly heavy.
Look at a few pads and see what appeals to you. Pads with spiral
bindings will open flat, which is preferred.
A. L. Friedman Heavyweight Bond is a nice for pen or colored
pencil. Watercolors need a heavier paper. Strathmore 400 has
a little more texture and is a good spiral watercolor pad. "Aquarelle
Arches watercolor block hot pressed 140# 9 x 12" " is great (and sounds so impressive too!)
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