FAQ: How do I write a book?--part 2

Every author dreams of being on the bestseller list, and some people get there. Most people don't. But then, despite the incredible number of books out there, most people don't even write a book, so if you've gotten as far as having an actual manuscript, you are way ahead of the pack.

Yesterday, we talked about the actual job of writing your book. Trans people have important stories to tell, and the more people who tell them, the more obvious the diversity of our community becomes and the more resources there are for others who follow.

So you've got your manuscript together, it's formatted, it's about as flawless as it's going to get--now, what do you do?

You can either choose to self-publish your manuscript or look for a publisher. I have done both, and there are pros and cons to each. Self-publishing allows you to get your book back much faster (six weeks to three months, compared to almost 18 months with a traditional publisher). It allows you more control over your cover, your title, and your manuscript. The stigma that has been associated with self-publishing in the past is going away, because of the Internet, amazon.com, and other vehicles that allow you to get your book out there along with everyone else's. There are a lot of do-it-yourselfers (and there is also the e-book option).

A major problem with self-publishing is that you have to come up with the money yourself ahead of time to print, publicize, and distribute your book. And you don't have a publisher's "name" behind you, which still means something to some people. If you choose to go the self-publishing route, research print-on-demand (POD) companies versus companies that will simply print up copies of your book in bulk.

POD companies will charge you a flat fee up front for various services, including cover design and other features, then will print a copy of your book when someone orders one from them or from places like amazon.com. Companies that print in bulk will charge you a fee to print a large number of copies of your book--several thousand, sometimes. You design the cover, you send them the manuscript, you pay them, and they will send you back several thousand copies of your book. In this case, you can publish under any name you choose--start your own company!

With many big publishing houses, you have less control over your product, but you have a "name" behind you--someone "in the business" liked your book enough to publish it. You don't have to pay any money. They assume the costs, and they generally pay you an advance against the money the book will earn. But they will decide what the cover looks like and sometimes even the name of the book. Guess what? It might not be the name you wanted. They also might ask you to make editorial changes to the book that you may or may not agree with. Once you have worked with them and made the changes they want, it can take up to 18 months to see your book in print.

If you decide to look for a publisher, in the age of the Internet, you can generally find out online how they accept submissions. Most of the larger publishing houses will only accept submissions through an agent, which means you have to find one. Some of the smaller houses, queer presses, and some university presses do not require an agent, and in many cases, can prove to be better than the larger New York City houses. You often get more individual attention and more promotion for your book. And many of these presses are very distinguished, winning quite a few awards, and publishing some major authors.

The best thing to do is to look at the books that are already published that you really like. Who are the publishers? Who is publishing books that are similar to yours? Then look them up online, find out their submissions guidelines, and follow them. If they require an agent, look at the acknowledgments sections of your favorite books--the authors usually thank their agent. That will help you find out which agents are representing books like yours. Then you can look the agents up online and approach them.

Most publishers and agents require a query letter. There are many books out there that explain how to write a query letter, and they are all about equal, so get your hands on one at the bookstore or library. You may also be asked to submit a proposal. One of the best books that I have found for writing a book proposal is How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen (no, I don't get a kickback--in fact, Larsen is an agent and I have a rejection letter from his agency).

Once you have your query letter and book proposal written, then it's time to bite the bullet and start sending them out. Some will request the first two chapters along with your proposal. Each agent or publisher will be different--follow the exact guidelines that each one specifies.

Most of your rejections (and you will get them) will be form letters. Once in a while, you will get a personalized letter with some advice. It's good to take that advice into consideration. Keep a file for your rejection letters and keep a record of who you have sent to and what their response has been. The thicker your rejection folder gets, the prouder you should feel, because you are doing the work. If you get accepted on the first try and you don't have a thick file of rejection letters, don't worry--you can borrow mine.

This is just a brief overview of the publishing process. If you have specific questions, feel free to e-mail me, because I can't cover everything in detail in a couple of blog posts. And I would love to have other authors share their experiences, tips, and suggestions, because, like transition, no two publishing experiences are alike.

But the most important thing is to write the book. You can worry about the rest later. If you don't have a manuscript, you have nothing to publish, and then what are you going to say on Oprah?