How Do I Publish a Book?

A lot of young (and old!) writers want to know how to get their novels published. It's not an easy path, but we all like to dream about that day when we walk into Barnes and Noble, and say, "That's my book! Right there!"
Here's the step by step process. It may not work. It may seem like a waste of time, but don't give up!

1. Write your book. Sounds easy, right? Try again. Write out your rough draft. Just write what you feel and what seems good to you. Then step back and admire your work.

2. After you admire your work, you're probably freaking out. How did you switch tenses halfway through? Why did so-and-so's little sister disappear? Calm down. We all slip up. Go through and edit your draft with a big, red pen. A bowl of Hershey kisses might help.

3. Once your draft is all shiny and perfect, let your friends and family overlook it. They'll help you realize it's not all that perfect, and that's okay. Revise and edit until you find satisfaction.
4. The next step is finding an agent. Agents can help you a lot with getting published. You have to query agents, wait for their response and most likely send them another email/letter before the deal is sealed. To see a list of agents, go to: http://agentquery.com/

5. If you find an agent, it will hopefully become easier. They can help you get your manuscript out to publishers and publish your writing. I haven't made it to this step yet. I'm still in the process of querying, but I can tell you one thing. Agents and publishers might turn you down. Your job is to get back up and get your book out there.

So, there you have it. It won't be a skip in the daisy field, but it'll be rewarding. It also won't be free, but costs differ on agents, publishers and more. Just remember that you can't give up.