Excellent Article on Getting Published
I suspect many readers come to this blog to find out how to get published. I’ve written a few notes on this myself. Through Energion author David Alan Black, I found an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, “Things You Should Know Before Publishing a Book.”
While Energion is not an academic press, and certainly not a university press, this article is very helpful, and the suggestions apply to getting published with us as well.
One of the commenters to this article suggests that self-publishing is taking over from traditional publishing. To a certain extent that’s true, and that trend will continue. You can handle your own book, and with various services available, you can publish it, but there is a great deal more that a publisher does for the book beyond simply investing his money in the process rather than yours.
I do suggest paying close attention to the quote: ‘You can probably make more money having a first-class yard sale’. There are many ways I could make more money than by owning and operating a publishing company, and unless you find that exceptional book that breaks out of the pack, you could probably make more money doing something other than writing.
I publish because there are things I believe I can do to build God’s kingdom in that way. Make sure you’re realistic about all the work you’re putting into writing, and that your efforts are appropriate to your goals.
