I've had a book idea or half-finished book in my mind or desk drawer for years, but don't know how to go about getting it published. Is that what you can help me with? That is precisely what I do. So how does one turn a book idea into a book? First, decide if you want to self-publish it or try to publish it with a traditional publisher. To aim at a traditional publisher, first, the book idea needs to be turned into a professional book proposal. (See LINKS for sources that will help you do this.) Second, the proposal needs to be submitted to a literary agent who specializes in the book topic’s area, or a small publisher who specializes in that topic. (Large publishers generally won’t look at proposals that don’t come through literary agents.) Again, see my LINKS page. If you decide to opt for a self-publishing service such as www.trafford.com (there are more in LINKS), you need an editor like myself to get the manuscript into shape; the self-publisher will guide you through the other stages. I have more than a book idea. I have a book, pretty much all written. My friends say it's great, but it has been rejected by publishers. What can you do for me? Perhaps your idea was not professionally presented, or the writing needs a professional editor’s touch. I provide manuscript evaluation and editing services. However, in many cases, rejection is a result of the author having submitted a full book rather than a proposal (where non-fiction is concerned, agents and publishers prefer proposals as a more efficient use of their time), or not knowing the proper formula for a proposal. Again, I offer editing services, and self-publishing contacts are in my LINKS page. How do I find a literary agent? See LINKS page What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing versus traditional publishing? Traditional publishing takes longer (six months to years from the time you finish your book to the time it comes off the press, assuming it is even accepted), but pays you an advance and royalties (as opposed to costing you money up-front). Being published by an established publishing house also means the firm’s distribution and publicity arms go to bat for you. That means the book is likely to reach more book stores and get much better exposure in the media. The book is also likely to be more professionally edited and designed. The advantages of self-publishing are time and flexibility. You can have your book out in as little as a few weeks, and enjoy more control over editing, design and distribution. Also, if the book does well, you’ll see more profit, having taken on more risk. With the new print-on-demand technology used by many self-publishing services, there’s no minimum press run or pressure to turn out more copies than you can realistically sell. The disadvantage is that you’ll need to navigate your way through a time-consuming and costly set of unfamiliar services, from editing and design to distribution and publicity deals. And despite a bevy of media-hyped success stories, the reality is that most self-publishers do not achieve payback. Most important to remember is that it’s very difficult to garner the same level of publicity. Self-publishing works best for individuals who are savvy self-marketers, such as speakers and consultants. Their websites and back-of-the-room book sales offer a natural distribution channel. Self-publishing is least likely to work for fiction writers. That being said, self-publishing is becoming ever more acceptable, traditional publishing’s distribution methods are notoriously inefficient, and even traditional publishers rely ever more heavily on the authors themselves to be great promoters. Also, with online booksellers like Amazon.com flattening the field by giving equal space to traditional and self-published books, self-publishing is an option worth exploring. I recommend reading The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote and Sell Your Own Book, by Tom Ross, et al, before you commit to that direction.