# Question about submitting a novel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784 "2014-07-22T22:50:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/1 "2014-07-22T22:50:58Z")
I am hoping to get some advice from the board’s writers. I recently finished my first novel and am getting ready to find a publisher. I have read the 2014 _Writer’s Market_ and compiled a list of publishers that might be interested in it. While doing that I found a listing of agents, some of whom are apparently willing to consider repping previously unpublished writers. My question is: Is it better to submit the novel myself or try to find an agent willing to represent me? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/2 "2014-07-22T23:06:44Z")
You can do both, which is what I did with my first novel. But publishers take forever to respond – up to a year. Agents generally respond within a month or two (or, if they don’t respond by then, you can assume they’re not interested). Definitely query agents. And if you don’t mind waiting, also submit to publishers (if they take unrepresented submissions). And if that doesn’t work, self-publish. These days, it’s a legitimate option for writers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/3 "2014-07-22T23:43:33Z")
Thank you, iiandyiiii. I will do both, I think. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/4 "2014-07-22T23:46:20Z")
Definitely go with both. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/5 "2014-07-22T23:48:36Z")
Please go back and doublecheck the publishers’ entries to make sure that they accept unagented submissions. That’s a smaller list every year. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/6 "2014-07-22T23:48:46Z")
Thank you, RealityChuck ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/7 "2014-07-22T23:51:20Z")
That’s a good recommendation, Exapno Mapcase. I tried to ensure that each publisher listed in my folder is one that does accept unagented work. I’ll double-check them first chance I get. Have to leave the library soon so I’ll be back on tomorrow. thanks guys ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/8 "2014-07-23T01:27:20Z")
Thinking about it, check the publishers’ websites for current info. Agents too. Writer’s Market is often a year or more out of date. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/9 "2014-07-23T11:20:49Z")
Most agents and publishers have websites with their rules for submissions – definitely google these guys before you query/submit to them. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/10 "2014-07-23T11:38:15Z")
Good luck! And for god’s sake, follow the submission rules. My husband’s agent is always bitching about people that can’t follow a few simple guidelines! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/11 "2014-07-23T15:46:03Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Please go back and doublecheck the publishers’ entries to make sure that they accept unagented submissions. That’s a smaller list every year. Be aware also that many agents will not represent a book that has already been circulated to publishers. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/12 "2014-07-23T17:20:01Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Be aware also that many agents will not represent a book that has already been circulated to publishers. The entire process of trying to successfully sell commercial fiction makes Catch-22, novel and maxim itself, look uncomplicated. I don’t think it’s gotten any easier in the 20-odd years since I left it behind… but the possibilities for non-commercial publication are brighter than ever. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/13 "2014-07-23T17:24:13Z")
One thing that can work is self publish on Amazon for your first book, and if it gets positive reviews and sales, then start pushing your second book. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/14 "2014-07-23T17:38:34Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > One thing that can work is self publish on Amazon for your first book, and if it gets positive reviews and sales, then start pushing your second book. Seconded… except that you may never need to move on from there. My only advice is not to skip the steps between a complete ms and the book for sale on Kindle/Nook: it’s reeeaaaallly reeaaaallly easy to do now, meaning there are no hurdles of quality and presentation to clear. Doing it right will pay dividends, even if it means avoiding the ABC-123 road. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/15 "2014-07-23T21:53:31Z")
I’d advise getting an agent first if you’re serious about getting published. Most of the successful published authors I’ve spoken to went that route. Me, I self-published and I’m happy I did. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/16 "2014-07-24T02:22:33Z")
Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I will carefully consider all of it. I especially appreciate the advice about self-publishing. I hadn’t thought about that. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/17 "2014-07-24T02:37:23Z")
One problem with our giving advice is that advice is not one size fits all. A “novel” takes in a whole amount of territory. A literary novel is not a genre novel which is not a young adult novel. Self-publishing has advantages and disadvantages and those will vary by the type of work, your intentions for future work, and your capacity for self-promotion. Self publishing favors writers who write very fast and put out many works in a similar mode. Most genre writers have been forced to enter that mode; that’s why you see series from almost everyone. Literary novelists who write one book every couple of years probably needs a different strategy unless they are wired into a community, like one of the top literary magazines. I don’t know why you weren’t more specific in your OP. If it was because you don’t have even this much awareness of publishing, then you need to do more research about the field. Remember, you aren’t just selling this one book - you are also laying down a marker on all future books. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-submitting-a-novel/693784/18 "2014-07-25T02:36:11Z")
It is a literary novel, Exapno Mapcase, a coming-of-age novel, but not one intended for young adults, so self-publishing is probably out. I’m a very slow writer. I wasn’t more specific because I do need to do more research. I didn’t realize the type of novel made so much difference. That is one reason I asked the question. I wanted advice from experienced people I need to move into town so I can join a writer’s group and try to get more feedback. Thanks for your remarks.