/lit/ I finally finished my book series after years. Now I want to publish it. What do I do now? Shop around for an agent or self publish? Does the agent work for the agency or for me? I had the name of my series and IP registered so I own it. So If I go the major publisher route do I sell them part of the IP or do I own it? I have no idea how it works. I am ready to be rejected 100 times in a row if I must. My genre is a mixed genre, but broadly soft futuristic/fantasy that is primarily a love story. I have enough ideas and backstory to make 9 books total, but for now this first trilogy is what I want to publish. I didn't write it to get rich, but how much can I expect if I got a deal?Help me /lit/, I'm quite lost. Any recommendations for agencies or agents?Or is self publish the way to go now?
Bump for /lit/ advice
the fact that you finished the trilogy should appeal to publishers and agents (I am neither). George Martin has famously fucked authors of sf/f series.
>>25272390Thanks for advice. I am interested in getting an editor, but i am under the impression that an editor is part of a publisher. Are independent editors any good?
Are there any publishing houses or agencies I should avoid or that have a bad reputation? What should I watch out for?
>>25271822better ask a bot than a troll
>>25271822You need an agent if you want to traditionally publish, unless you're already a huge name, which you're not. I recommend query tracker. Find an agent who've represented books you like, then send them a query letter. Pay attention to genre, it's no good if you've written sci-fi to approach an agent that primarily represents crime novels. Learn how to write query letters. Agents are usually inundated with queries and there's often a preferred form.>Does the agent work for the agency or for me?They work for themselves. The agent gets a cut from whatever you're paid. Don't accept up front charges, those are almost invariably scammers. That goes doubly for publishers. Publishers BUY your manuscript. They don't require you to pay them for it.>I had the name ... registered so I own itYou would have owned it anyway. But it doesn't hurt to have third party proof, which the registration is.>I go the major publisher route do I sell them part of the IP or do I own it?No, you've sold it. I am simplifying, you usually have some say in how it's used. But generally speaking, once it's sold, it's sold. It's not yours anymore.>I am ready to be rejected 100 timesThat is close to the average for some genres nowadays. Expect rejection and be surprised if you're published. Some genres are a lot easier to sell though.>primarily a love storyRomance is always easy to sell, however, the competition is also fiercest here. But considering the sloppety-slop-slop produced, you're likely to get a foot in.>I have enough ideasThese are worth nothing. Ideas are plentiful, quality is scarce. Only finished work that has gone through a round of beta-reading and self editing can even be considered for publishing. It's going to go through a round of in-house editing too, and you should do whatever the fuck they want you to. Editors are professionals and it's uncommonly rare for them to make bad recommendations.>how much can I expect if I got a deal?Depends on the number of copies they intend to print. But I would not expect more than 5k.>Or is self publish the way to go now?If you self-publish, you need to have money for final edits, cover (never use AI because it will absolutely fucking tank your sales, get a professional artist), and advertisement. It's expensive and self-publishing has a bad rep. But it's possible. Understand also that if you self-publish, you will not be able to traditionally publish the same title. Publishers are basically allergic against not getting first rights to publish. Only if your title is doing exceedingly well as self-published will they consider picking it up, but if it is doing exceedingly well, what do you need them for?>>25272390>the fact that you finished the trilogy should appeal to publishers and agentsUnfortunately, this is the minimum expected. Not finishing immediately disqualifies you as a new author.>>25273593>What should I watch out for?Any publisher marketing themselves as hybrid are likely scammers.
>>25273806Thanks.
>>25273597>>25273597I think /lit/ is smart and experienced so surely a few /lit/ians have published or know some good information. Information that's not mainstream or I can't find in a search
>>25273806Very good advice
>>25273597Can confirm. I'd ask ChatGPT long before expecting anything useful from this website. Seems like this anon >>25273806 actually delivered, though.
>>25273806How much money do agents typically steal from you to be a worthless middleman?
>>2527459420%
>>25274623So that's 20% in addition to the 15% that i heard the publisher themself gets and also you lose all property rights, and then a team of self important and i'm assuming at this point f*male editors get to fuck up your work while they yell>look, I'm helping
>>25274646>>25274646>assuming at this point f*male editors get to fuck up your work while they yell>look, I'm helpingThat is one major thing i am worried about. My story's main villian is a girl boss type character who became selfish and evil. I am afraid that a female or fenimist editor would interpret this as anti fenimist(because it is) and either make me change it or out rightly reject it on the story painting the girl boss as negative. Is there any way I can choose my editor?
>>25274646>you lose all property rightsI thought they only have the right to publish the printed work. I want to make an audio book version but I will do that myself. I thought I would still own the brand or book series and they only have the right to publish paper format. Do I need to talk to an IP attorney to have them draft up terms to make sure a publisher doesnt F me over?
>>25275160If you're worried about getting rejected on the grounds of content, then that will happen way before anyone is editing your work. A publisher isn't gonna pick up your book and then decide they want you to change some key aspect of it, they'll just publish something else that already fits the bill.>out rightlyThis is the kind of stuff that editors are supposed to catch btw
