Book Publishing 101: What Publishers are Looking For

Everyone — and I mean everyone — is working on a book. For some, it's just a spark of an idea that hasn't quite made it to paper; for others, it's thousands of words socked away in a drawer or saved on an old laptop. Either way, the same question is bound to come up eventually: What does it take to get this thing published?

There is no easy way to get published and become a successful author.

There is no easy way to get published and become a successful author. I can safely say this after years of reading submissions for a literary agency and a Big Six publisher (including everything from amazing books that bombed to titles I hated but everyone else in the world loved). Writing books is a weird, long haul, but — thankfully! — there are a few things you can do to help you on your journey. Here's the advice that I give every aspiring author.