I am very grateful to God for my two wonderful daughters, Tahlia and Lauren. One of the things they seem to have inherited from their Dad is a love for writing and publishing. They produce their own girls’ magazine, Girlz4Christ Magazine, for 8 to 15 year-olds and maintain their own website, www.girlz4christ.com. Recently, Tahlia (12) wrote an essay on “Making a Magazine,” and Lauren (14) produced a piece on “Finding a Publisher.” I’ve written several books, and edited a few journals, but I learned a lot from reading these essays. I know you will, too. Enjoy!

Making a Magazine by Tahlia Köstenberger

Making a magazine is a really fun thing to do. However, it’s a lot of work. Anyone can produce a magazine if they know what to do and have the right equipment. If you want to make a magazine, all you need is the use of a computer, friends to help you write articles for it, a simple publishing program such as Microsoft Word, and a place to print it, or you can even print it yourself!

The first thing you need to do is gather ideas and brainstorm about why you want to put together a magazine and how you’re going to do it. It would be easiest to make one for people who are your own age and have the same interests as you. For instance, if you are a ten-year-old boy and like sports, then you could make a sports magazine for boys. You need to decide how many issues you want to make per year and how much it will cost you to do it. Are you going to make it just for fun or do you want to make money from it?

Next you need to gather writers and decide on the topics that you want to write about. You’ll need to decide on how you’re going to organize it. You could have a meeting with your friends who want to help you produce the magazine. It’s good to have at least a few other people helping so you can have lots of different ideas and you can share the workload. Maybe you can assign different jobs such as an editor, photographer, advertiser, etc. You can also have someone who distributes the magazine and keeps track of the money.

One important thing to keep in mind is that you should also have a deadline for people to send in their articles. Set a date and send out reminders a few days before. If you don’t do this, some people will forget and it’ll make it hard to put the magazine together on time if you don’t have everyone’s work.

When everyone has sent in their work, start a document on the computer and type up all the articles. Put all the main articles on a separate page and fill in empty spaces with the smaller articles. When you’ve put all the articles in, add pictures and backgrounds. Use a variety of cool fonts and colors so that the magazine looks colorful and interesting.

Making the cover is one of the most important things to do because it’s the first thing people will see on your magazine. The front cover can be anything you want it to be. You can take pictures of lots of different things or use Clip Art. Be sure to list a few of the contents that are inside your magazine so people will want to read it. On the back cover, it’s a good idea to say what the theme is and a few articles that are coming up in the next issue.

Now it’s time to edit. Check for misspelled words and incorrect grammar. Make sure everything is all lined up and ready to go. Then put the file of the magazine on a disc or flash drive and bring it to the printer. Ask if they can print a sample copy for you. Then you can check and see if there are any more mistakes. If everything turns out the way you want it to, print as many copies as you want and then distribute them!

Making a magazine can be very enjoyable. Another idea is to start a website to advertise your magazine on the internet. People can send in their ideas and buy the magazine online. Have fun!

Finding a Publisher by Lauren Köstenberger

Millions of people write books. Then why are there only about 60,000 books published every year? Because writing the book is the easy part. The hard part is finding a publisher who is willing to publish your book.

After your book is written, it’s a good idea to write a proposal. A proposal is what your agent will send to publishing companies to get them interested in publishing your book.

On the first page, write the title of your book, your full name (or the name under which you want to publish), the word count of your book, the estimated completion date of your book (unless you have already finished it, which is a good idea) and the genre (for example: general fiction, children’s book, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, adventure, romance, or Western).

After this should come a page on you, the author, and any co-authors. In a couple paragraphs, describe the most important and relevant information about you—your education, work, travels, and most importantly, any previous experience that makes them realize that you are the perfect person to write your book. Include any titles of books, articles, or other publications if you have published before.

Then provide a brief summary of the entire plot of the book. This should probably only be two or three pages long.

Include three chapters, not necessarily the first three or any consecutive three, and follow them with a detailed fifteen- to twenty-page plot synopsis that includes bits of dialogue.

Your proposal should be no more than 100 pages, but probably no less than 50. Also, if you want your synopsis and sample chapters back, or even any reply at all, be sure to mention it in your cover letter and include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) that is big enough to hold your entire proposal, and with enough postage to mail it.

What format should you use for your proposal? The Writers Federation of Nova Scotia says, “Your book proposal should be typed on white paper. Sample chapters should be double-spaced and all other material single spaced, with double spacing between paragraphs. Send a simple covering letter identifying your submission as a proposal for the publishing house’s consideration.”

After you write your proposal, you have to decide whether or not you want an agent. An agent is a person who helps you to sell your book. Basically, he or she will represent your written work to a publisher. For their hard work, an agent receives up to 15% of the money you will receive for the book.

So why would you want an agent? Author Judith Kelman says, “Yes, if you want to sell book length adult fiction or non-fiction. If you’re trying to sell children’s books, short stories, poetry, or articles, the need for an agent is debatable.” For one thing, some well-known publishers will not accept an author’s work without an agent. Also, an agent can help you with complicated publishing contracts and practices, because he or she will know more about this than you will. A good agent will also offer sound suggestions for getting your book in publishable shape. The agent needs to be able to envision where your work belongs in the marketplace and have good contacts at the appropriate publishing houses. Your agent will handle submissions, negotiations, and contract revisions. As the book goes through the publication process, the agent serves as your coordinator to the publishing house and troubleshoots if problems arise. Generally, agents collect your advances and royalties. They deduct their fees and relevant expenses and send you a check for the remainder.

You have decided that you want an agent. What next? You should start by sending an agent a query letter. A query letter is ideally about 1–2 pages long and describes your book to the agent. If you have had previous publishing experience, such as writing for a newspaper or magazine, or even had a book published, mention it. Some people may include either the original or a photocopy of their magazine/newspaper article. Sometimes, you may include a synopsis or outline of your book, as well as five to ten pages of your book. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope, so the agent can reply to you easily. Most agents receive twenty or more query letters every day, so don’t expect a reply right away; probably you will receive an answer within a couple months. If not, then follow up with a quick note or phone call.

If the agent is not interested in your book, you will receive a rejection letter. Generally, this will be a form letter. If the one you receive is not, and/or even includes handwritten comments, this is a good sign, even though it is disappointing that the agent does not accept your work.

If the agent is interested in your book, he or she will request to see a partial of your book. A partial is either three chapters, fifty pages, or somewhere in between. If the agent really likes your book, he or she may request a full, which is basically the full manuscript, minus whatever additions such as a dedication page. If the agent thinks he or she can sell the full, they will accept the author. Sometimes the contracts are merely verbal, but often you may have to sign a written contract to make it more explicit. It’s a good idea to have a lawyer or an attorney read through the contract before you sign it to make sure you understand what exactly you are promising to do.

After you sign the contract, you and your agent will work together to get the book published. The agent will use his or her “pull” as an agent to get your manuscript and/or proposal sent in to a publisher.

If you decide not to use an agent—or possibly can’t get one—then it is possible to try approaching editors at university presses, children’s publishers, and small publishers on your own.

First, look at the category that you earlier put your book in (i.e. fiction, children’s book, etc.). Then find a publisher who publishes your type of book. It’s not a good idea to send a query letter about a children’s book to a publisher for textbooks.

If you want your query letter read, it’s a good idea to address it directly to an editor. To find the name of an editor, you can do several things. You can look on the acknowledgement page of another book by the same publisher; sometimes authors will thank their editors. Also, you can try calling the publishing house and asking which acquisitions editors acquire books in your genre. There are some books (such as Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents) and magazines (like the annual Writer’s Market).

The query letter that you should send to an editor at a small publisher is essentially the same one you would use to find an agent. The only difference is that this letter is trying to sell an editor on your book, rather than an agent. Do remember to include a SASE or else you will, in all likelihood, never hear back from that editor.

Once you, or you and your agent, have gotten an offer from a publisher to publish your book, and you decide to accept, you will have to sign a contract. The contract will detail everything from foreign rights to free author copies to a delivery date for your manuscript.

After the contract is signed, you’re home free, right? Wrong. If your book is still being written, you need to finish it—and by your deadline. If you need a couple extra weeks or months, you can ask your editor for an extension. When asking for an extension, it’s a good idea to ask for one as early as possible. Calling in at the last minute on your due date and asking for more time is not smart. If it is finished, you will have to work with your editors to make it perfect.

“Editors?” you are probably thinking. Yes, there is more than one. First, your acquisitions editor will take a look at your book as a whole. He or she will review your manuscript for its content, structure, style, voice, pacing, and more, performing what’s known as a content edit. If your book is a fiction book, your acquisitions editor will also be making sure that the main elements are correct, including setting, plot, characterization, dialogue, point(s) of view, narrative, themes, etc.

Then, if the acquisitions editor finds that significant changes must be made to your manuscript before it is approved for publication, he or she will send you on to a developmental editor. Developmental editors work on content. They will help you to redo your manuscript to fit the publisher’s expectations.

When you and your acquisitions editor have fixed the larger issues, the production/project editor, who will help you through the production process, will take over.

Next comes everyone’s favorite … the copy editor. Copy editors will check out your spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, cross-references, and other details to make every aspect of the book perfect.

After the editors come still more people to help your book be published correctly. First comes the art director. The art director is the person who is responsible for how your book looks, inside and out. Unless your book has illustrations or a different format, your book’s interior design should be very simple. The cover, however, is a different story. The cover of a book is its major sales tool. You want a cover that will catch someone’s eye as they are scanning the shelves at a bookstore, and then make them want to buy the book. The cover is usually the most expensive part of the production process; it normally costs thousands of dollars even for the most basic cover. A cover containing either a photograph or an illustration can cost thousands more. The art director will present his or her designs for your books interior and front and back covers to a panel that will include your editor, the marketing director, and the publisher.

Second is the copywriter. The copywriter writes the copy that shows on the front and back cover of your book, as well as the inside flaps on a hardcover book. The cover copy must fit with the cover design to make an attractive cover that will make people want to pick up your book and buy it.

Then comes the proofreader. The proofreader is the last person to read the formatted book pages before they are printed. The proofreader’s job is to catch mistakes like typos, pagination problems, and so on.

The manufacturing manager is the publishing house’s liaison with the printers. He or she is generally in charge of buying the paper to print the books on and deciding which printing company to use.

Before the book is printed, the printer will first print a test copy, known as the page proofs of your book.

After your book is printed, how does it get into the stores? First a copywriter will write a paragraph that describes your book in 100 words or less for the catalog a sales representative will use. Then, a sales rep for your publisher will meet with a book buyer. A book buyer is the person who is responsible for deciding which of all the books recently published the bookstore will carry, and how many of them. The sales rep will give a very short presentation on each book in the catalog, and try to convince the book buyer to buy your book. If he or she is working for a small bookstore, the store may order from 1–20 copies at first. If the book buyer is from a large chain of bookstores, the store will order about the same amount per store, but because there are several stores on the chain, it could add up to a couple thousand.

Congratulations, your book has been published! Enjoy the excitement of going to a bookstore and seeing your name on the spine of one of the books. Now it’s time to start working on the sequel!

Sources:

Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia. Writing a Book Proposal: Fiction. May 8^th, 2007. http://www.writers.ns.ca/bookfic.html

SoYouWanna.com. So You Wanna Publish a Book.
www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/publishbook/publishbook.html

“Tom.” How to Get a Book Published: In 10 Not-so-easy Steps.
www.rightreading.com/publishing/howto.publish/howto.publish.htm

Kelman, Judith. Getting Published, About Agents, The Business Side
www.jkelman.com

Bykofsky, Sheree and Jennifer Basye Sander. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published: Get your book out of your head and into bookstores. 4^th edition. New York, Alpha Books, 2006.

by Andreas Köstenberger - May 25th, 2007.
Filed under: Family.