Navigating the Publishing World

The path to publication ain't all roses, folks, as J.A. Hunsinger is here to tell you today. For anyone out there who has ever harbored dreams of seeing their name in print, Jerry's guest post should prove quite useful to you.

Take it away, Jerry!


******



“If he has the energy and already has a short pre-written something done (like something on the history of vikings or his road to getting published or whatever..l.”

I tell the story of the Greenland Norse people through their eyes, to give their individual lives, their very existence, a meaning in a manner that no novelist has ever undertaken. The Axe of Iron series is the continuing story about a medieval people whose lives are surprisingly like ours. They have the same basic desires for happiness, love, food, and shelter that has dominated the thoughts of generations of cultures the world over. These character-driven, historical fiction books tell of the adventures of Greenland Vikings as they struggle to establish a settlement in North America in the face of hostile native opposition.

The road to publication has been a nightmare because of the time and money wasted while I learned the business. I wish I could say that there is lots of help out there for the newbie’s, but actually, the reverse is true. You are prey swimming in the shark’s pool—take heed. Believe nobody, and get everything in writing, research, research, and research. Even then, you will have picked the worst time in the world’s economy to enter the business. Do your homework on the submission guidelines for any query. All agents will have their own guidelines; adhere to them absolutely. Do not ever send a manuscript unless it is requested. Hire professional editors to edit everything that another person will read, especially the final draft of your manuscript. An English teacher is not an editor and you cannot edit your own work, so hire someone. Your professionalism will determine whether you ever make the grade. A shabby cover letter on your submission packet will guarantee its demise. Agents and publishers are busy people and they have no time to waste on people who do not follow the submission guidelines.

*****

About the Author



J. A. Hunsinger lives in Colorado, USA, with his wife Phyllis. The first novel of his character-driven, historical fiction series, Axe of Iron: The Settlers, represents his first serious effort to craft the story of a lifelong interest in the Viking Age—especially as it pertains to Norse exploration west of Iceland—and extensive research and archaeological site visitations as an amateur historian. He has tied the discovery of many of the Norse artifacts found on this continent to places and events portrayed in his novels.


Much of his adult life has been associated with commercial aviation, both in and out of the cockpit. As an Engineering Technical Writer for Honeywell Commercial Flight Systems Group, Phoenix, AZ, he authored two comprehensive pilots’ manuals on aircraft computer guidance systems and several supplemental aircraft radar manuals. His manuals were published and distributed worldwide to airline operators by Honeywell Engineering, Phoenix, AZ. He also published an article, Flight Into Danger, in Flying Magazine, (August 2002).


Historical Novel Society, American Institute of Archaeology, Canadian Archaeology Association, and IBPA-Independent Book Publishers Association, are among the fraternal and trade organizations in which he holds membership.


You can visit his website at http://www.vinlandpublishing.com and his blog at http://www.vinlandpublishing.blogspot.com.







25 comments:

  1. I so support the hire a professional editor, I have read quite a few independently published books which could be real good if not for the editing.

    Thanks for the guest post. I hope it helps some of the aspiring writers out there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A good editor can make a huge difference and a good writer knows that.

    Nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also agree about making sure the book is properly edited - it makes ALL the difference.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, I have no aspirations of writing my own novel, but I did find his insights into the publishing world fascinating!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good Morning, Michelle, Ladies,

    I am happy to be back on your site for this guest post, Michelle. Yesterday was terrific.

    Ladies, thank you for your comments. I have written several published articles on this topic. If anybody has a further interest, e-mail me through my website and I will send you an attachment or two.

    Have a great day, TGIF. :)

    Jerry

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great guest post, Jerry! Thank you for hosting him today, Michele!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree, a good editor is the key. There was one POD book I read one time that was soooooo in need of one I had to wonder what her family was thinking letting it go as is.

    I'm going to have to put a purchase request in to the library and see if they'll pick up this book. Although I'm feeling guilty, I've put in about ten in the last six months and they've picked up all of them. Maybe just one more......

    Michele, package drop? We're at Goldstreak all the time in the summer shipping stuff to Alaska.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Michelle,

    Even I noticed that your site colors had changed. Why did Blogger do that without consultation? I don't want them to arbitrarily do that to MY blog, too. :)

    Jerry

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jerry - evidently, Blogger only chooses special *ahem* blogs to mess with. Many aspire, but few are chosen. ha.

    ReplyDelete
  10. misfit,

    I certainly agree with you about the appearance of many POD books. Many of these presses couldn't care less about the text, their mission is to print books. That is why so many are filled with errors and why self-publication has a bad rep.

    I use BookMasters and their subsidiary AtlasBooks for everything because they DO CARE and they watch every part of the process to a finished book.

    Thank you for asking your library to carry my book. Almost every library uses Ingram, so ordering will not be a proble.

    Jerry

    ReplyDelete
  11. I find all of this quite fascinating. I imagine 90% of all bloggers probably are closet writer wannabes, like me. Great post! BTW, you aren't the only one the Blogger messes with. I am frequently a target of Blogger gremlins...

    ReplyDelete
  12. I loved this. Sounds daunting! Of course I have secret dreams of being a published author, but -- with all its faults -- I think Blogger will have to do! It is always neat to hear about the "inside" process of getting a book published.

    ReplyDelete
  13. To Sandy and Jenners,

    Dreams are what it is all about. All my life I dreamed of telling a story about my ancestors, to fill in a gap left by that which is known and that which is not known. I am realizing my dream in the telling. You can, too. Write it down, put your heart and soul into it. Others will feel your passion. As they say. 'just do it.' You can if you believe. :)

    Good luck,
    Jerry

    ReplyDelete
  14. Michelle,

    For the two days of effort in my behalf, thank you.

    You have a great site, Blogger's interference notwithstanding. Your work shines through, no matter the sites color(s). :)

    I will see you around cyberspace, somewhere.

    Best Regards,
    Jerry

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for all the great information, especially regarding an editor.

    I'm putting this novel on my list. I think they were a fascinating people.

    Thanks for this post!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lover,

    Thanks for taking the time to comment. I think you will enjoy my Axe of Iron series.

    Best,
    Jerry

    ReplyDelete
  17. "believe nobody and get everything in writing" ... sounds like publishing is a lot like dealing with my insurance company!

    ReplyDelete
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Fire away!