The publishing industry is often known for the barriers to entry experienced by many aspiring authors, but that does not mean that getting a book published has to necessarily be something hard.
The most important steps that you need to take to publishing your first novel begin with writing it. Most publishing companies or literary agents for that matter will not be interested in publishing your work if your work is not yet completed. There are exceptions to this, if you have had a successful career in publishing already you may be able to get away with just a proposal and summary, but in most cases that is not the case.
After you have written your first novel, you have to decide whether you are interested in traditional publishing or self-publishing your book. Both of these have their own set of benefits. For example, with traditional publishing, you will not have to pay any money to publish your books and you will have a team, which normally includes an editor, a publicist, and an illustrator that will all help bring your book to life and the set. As ideal as this might sound, the fact is that traditional publishing is much harder to get into. This is because most publishing houses do not accept unsolicited submissions of manuscripts. This in turn means that you will need to query and get a literary agent who can then contact publishing houses on your behalf. This process can be lengthy but it is ultimately very rewarding for authors who want to see their books in big bookstores.
The second option is self-publishing. While self-publishing is easier and you can just publish a book straight away, you are missing out on the experience of working with a team on perfecting your work. While editors and illustrators can be hired, the use of their services will come at a cost that you have to bear alone. If you want to learn more about self-publishing you can read an important article on the topic here.
While both of these options have their positives, they also have their negatives which is why innovative publishing houses like the Manhattan Book Group have created hybrid systems that can be perfect for publishing your first book, without having to make as many compromises. This makes them a great option both for new and experienced authors.
