Are you working on the next great American novel?

Planning to start a career as aprofessional writer?

Writing a book is no small undertaking, but it is a common goal for Americans.

A woman sits on a stack of papers as she types on a type writer.

In 2002, a famous New York Times poll showed that81% of Americans wanted to write a book.

Trends suggest those numbers have only gone up in the following decades.

However, you have to figure out how to publish your book.

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Are You Ready to Publish Your Book?

But you have to ask yourself: How are you going to publish your book?

In todays world, authors have a wide array of publishing houses to choose from.

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Its up to you to decide which path best suits your magnum opus.

There also are websites to find reputable agents, such as theLiterary Agent Database.

These publishers are more likely to take notice of new writers and manuscripts.

Once a publisher accepts you, they will offer you a contract with terms to publish.

The most important figure to watch out for is the royalties you’re free to expect to earn.

Most publishers will offer a figure between10% to 15% of a books net profit.

The publisher will ultimately have rights to your manuscript once you sign a contract.

However, whats in the contract is where working with a publisher can really shine.

The publisher will take care of other expenses such as editing, marketing, the book cover and printing.

The internet has made the process infinitely easier and more accessible than ever before.

If you want to publish your book through self-publishing, the process is comparatively simple.

After that you will get a few options to sell your book as an e-book or a paperback.

For the writer seeking complete control over their manuscript, self-publishing will seem like a dream come true.

However, that comes with risk.

You should seek out an editor as a self-published writer, but they are not cheap.

There Are Other Responsibilities

You will also be responsible for the design of your book.

Most self-publishing sites provide tools for you to design your cover using free art assets.

These prices can vary wildly.

An artist who works with photoshop assets will generally be less expensive than someone who designs an original piece.

That means you will also need to spend money on advertising.

The most common pop in of ad for self-published writers to use these days will be online banner ads.

While that may seem very little, an effective ad will generate thousands of clicks.

Many published authors still need to supplement their income with either a regular job orother projects.

You will ultimately have to decide how much youre willing to pay or compromise your version to get there.

But profits are on the horizon.

He has also self-published a handful of novels.