Tips on Getting Published

Today Lisa Umina, author of the Milo book series, shares ways to help you get published.


Getting a book into print is just the beginning of the involved, and oftentimes overwhelming, publishing process. I started Halo Publishing International as an independently owned publishing company to help individual writers self-publish their books who don’t want to wade through the slush piles of traditional publisher for their chance at publication.

Trying to become a published author can be a difficult and lonely process, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few things to help you get your manuscript ready for publication.

Join writing communities and critique groups. You can learn from others who have been where you are or who are dealing currently with the same trials you are facing. Critique groups also help give you feedback on why your manuscript might be receiving rejections or help you overcome writers block.

Attend writing workshops and conferences. No matter what level you are at as a writer, you should at least once a year attend a conference and workshop to help hone your skills and learn about anything new in the industry. This is also a great way to make connections with editors, publishers, agents and others in your writing genre.

Get a freelance/professional editor to look your manuscript over. Authors are too close to the subject to objectively edit their own manuscripts. They often overlook the same mistakes time after time. By having an editor look your manuscript over before the submission process, you can be confident your manuscript will have correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. At Halo, our creative editors watch for consistency, organization, clarity, character development, wordiness, sequential order, accuracy, and the right tone for the intended audience -- while always retaining your style. You want to make sure whomever you use doesn’t just do computer "mechanical" editing. Our editors at Halo get personally involved to hone your manuscript to a fine edge. This is key for a publishable manuscript.

Have a marketing plan outlined. Without an effective and comprehensive marketing plan, a book, although published, will sit in a box and collect dust. What sets HPI apart from other publishers is that our services do not end after a book is printed like most self-publishers and even traditional publishers; unless you are one of their top selling authors. Each and every HPI author is provided with an all-encompassing publishing solution that includes an essential marketing component. However, it is important to have a marketing outline ready to share with your publisher so you show what you are willing to do to help promote your book once it is published. Getting the word out to the media and, in turn, finding potential buyers for your book is a very important part of getting an editor or publisher interested in supporting you as an author.

Read the submissions guidelines and follow them. I cannot stress this enough. Each publisher, agent and editor has their own set of submissions guidelines and you need to make sure your manuscript follows them. You may have a great book idea and it would be a shame for it to be rejected because you didn’t follow the guidelines.

This are just some basic tips to help you achieve publication. Through Halo Publishing, I have helped countless authors realize their dreams and I hope that today, I have helped you reach your dream.