PLEASE READ: info on publishers, queries, and agents.

Be sure and familiarize yourself with potential scams using sites like Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors. People do like to prey on writers, but the good news is that there is a whole army of people that are committed to fighting and stomping these scams into nonexistence.

A word about copyrights:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58845

Short version: you don't have to pay money to get a copyright.

NOW, on to the good stuff!

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SELF PUBLISHING

Amazon.com, one of our sponsors, has a self-publishing arm called CreateSpace.They have sponsored NaNoWriMo for several years, offering winners free proof copies of their novels. (No, we don't have details on whether that offer will be repeated this year - please don't ask. Information will be posted in Special Offers when it's available.)

Here's the link:
http://www.createspace.com

One option is Lulu. It's free if you make your manuscript an E-book, and cheap if you want to hold a nice, shiny book in your hands.

Here's the link:
www.lulu.com



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E-PUBLISHING

I've looked around the web, and I haven't found a better source for info on E-publishers than Piers Anthony's site.
Here's the link:
http://www.hipiers.com/publishing.html

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SMALL PUBLISHERS

Small publishers don't require that you have an agent or any prior sales. They are often open to submissions, and generally pay a decent commission but no advance. Here is a discussion of small, reputable publishers:

Link:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42735

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LARGE PUBLISHERS

To get a large publisher, you'll need to get an agent. To get an agent, you'll need to learn how to write a query letter.

Here's a link on how to write a query:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59255

Here's a couple of sites where you can find reputable agents:
http://www.agentquery.com/
http://www.querytracker.net

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TWO THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE YOU SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE:

(1) NEVER pay money to an agent or publisher. The only exception to this is when you are knowingly going through a self (or vanity) publisher. Even then, don't pay much. Money flows toward the author, not away.

(2) GOOGLE your potential publisher/agent. Check them at Preditors and Editors, Hi Piers, and Absolute Write.

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Best of luck, Wrimos!!

Originally posted by The_McCalls on Nov 14, 2007 - 15:59

What exactly is a proof copy?

Is there a way to use Createspace or Lulu to print only, without risking losing the ability to get an agent and publish through more traditional avenues later on?

I FULLY support Lulu and would recommend them to ANYONE. I just discovered them a month ago, and used them to publish a huge fanfic my best friend and I wrote forever ago, and just gave it to her as a surprise gift. They do amazing work, and the site is really easy to use. Really afforable too, a 265-ish mass market paperback only cost me about $9, with a full-color cover. =D

Can I use the NaNoWriMo 'Winner' badge on the cover or inside my book?

I'm honestly not sure. I'll have to ask!