If you are happy with the quality of your work, you certainly have the completed goods to dazzle an editor or a literary agent.

Start doing your homework. Most libraries have books that are designed to give you shortcuts such as names of people in publishing to contact. An investment in an agent is worth the cost and won't be deducted until your book is published.Agents work on a percentage of the gross.

Stay away from the publishing mills who will extract fees and raise your hopes that your book will be published if you allow them to show you the way. the writers market is willing to pay for interesting books and does not charge you a fee. If you decide to self publish or go the internet publishing route, that's another story. Adobe will furnish you with information on how to publish with them, reasonably and within your time-frame. Just so you know, there is a cost attached. It is probably the simplest way to see your book "out there."

If you publish with an agent who will work directly with the editor of a publishing house, there are a few details you need to mind before you even talk about contracts. Your works need to be copyright, if you go to creative commons.com they will give you information on Internet copyright as well as some stuff on traditional copyright. I have lost some works I put the effort into because I believed "who would steal another's work?

My first copyright I took directly to the copyright office in Washington D.C., I was stopping over for a couple days so I went to the actual office and got a complete rundown on how the whole thing works. Of course, this was 24 years ago, but I digress.

there are copies in most libraries of "Books in Print." this is to help readers find the complete works of a favorite author, but it also will show you titles to avoid. Two or more books with the same title is the recipe for disaster, possible charges of infringement, etc;etc; words and strange phrases in courtrooms, which you don't need.

Once you establish that a publishing house is indeed looking for something along the same lines as you write, and isn't targeting an audience of whodunit buffs, are they actually soliciting manuscripts? This information is freely available in magazines targeted to the writers market. If you can't find them straightway, your friendly research librarian will be glad to help you find what you need. This is vital information.

Some publishing houses will never forgive anyone who has the temerity to send them an unsolicited manuscript. I did it--once. My manuscript was returned muddy, torn, and in tatters with a tiny anal looking note that said NO! and indicated my life was over. I could never look at that manuscript again. one other thing, of course, is the question of who is going to illustrate for you. These are all questions that should be answered. Your illustrator may want to work along with you to get a proper feel of the relationship between the words and the illustration. an agent may make some suggestions here, and usually the editor as well.

I see a great increasing need for writers to meet the demand placed on the internet and the publishing market in the next few years. Newspaper publishing is unrecognizable from just three years ago. Writers who don't despair and continue practicing their art may soon be rewarded with fair compensation for their work. I 'm talking about writers. I still haven't made a nickle. Congratulations on the work you have completed so far.

Best Wishes