I'm about to finish writing my first ever book. It's

>>9657250
Post a sample. I'm interested.

>>9657250
I honestly still need to edit it at least once before I'm confident enough to share it on 4chan (excluding the revision by an independent editor). What I'm about to finish is the first draft, so it's still quite rough around the edges.

I'm more or less just daydreaming here, as it's at least 6 months before it's ready to ship. So I'm sorry to disappoint in that regard.

>>9657332
Sorry, for some reason I quoted the OP instead of your post>

>9657360

I have self-published. Don't bother. There is nothing for you there but disappointment unless you write shlocky erotica or already have an audience to buy your book/s. By the sounds of it, your book is unfathomably better off being traditionally published. Self-publishing means hiring a cover artist for ebook/physical, hiring a formatter to align your manuscript, unless you do it yourself. Most likely, you are not artistically talented enough to do so and/or lack the proper software to do said tasks. That aside, self-publishing demands incessant marketing - that means running social media, begging your friends to follow you and buy a copy, and by the end of it you undoubtedly will have never got any momentum, be jaded by the poor response, and feel as if your time and or money is wasted. Turn back; query an agent instead once you have written the book.

>>9658751
I'm not op, but is it always a better strategy to go through an agent and not directly to publishers yourself?

>>9658816
I would say so. Spamming manuscripts to publishers won't get you far but it is a case-by-case basis. It is more reliable to have an agent, partially because you can heavily research the history and tastes of potential agents to query before applying, but mostly because once you have an agent it is easier to secure more publishing deals/book deals. Take what I say with a grain of salt, I have a friend who has gained 50k+ sales this way but I myself have not got an agent. Yet.

>>9658847
Interesting, you sound like you have a lot more experience than the average shitposter. Do lit agents tend to take a percentage of sales or will I have to pay them whether I end up getting published or not?