# Advice for getting this published(first book in a series, Epic fantasy, first book)



## kevinbgwrites (Feb 22, 2012)

Hey there.
I know I'm jumping the gun, as the time to really worry about this is when the book is complete and heavily edited, but I think I would benefit from hearing from people with any knowledge on the matter.

First, what complications do I face, if any, with this being my first book/the first installment in a(Wait for it...) trilogy?

Second, is there anything I need to know about getting published in the epic fantasy genre? What kind of WC would be considered?

Third, is it a problem if my writing contains mature themes? I'd assume in the genre it would help, but you never know.

Any other advice is appreciated!


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## riverdog (Feb 22, 2012)

My best advice for getting published is simply, write a good book.  And in Epic Fantasy, make that a real good book.  There is a lot of competition out there.  Second, try to find an agent.

Here are a few things that may help to get you on your way.  

1. Research you market and figure out where and with who you may want to publish with.

2.  Attend a few writing conferences that focus on epic fantasy writing.  These places will be crawling with agents and editors.  You may find one that wants to read some of your stuff.

3. Write a few short stories and try to get them published.  Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine still accepts unsolicited manuscripts up to 25,000 words.  A publication credit in F&FS, or other respectable magazine will make finding an agent for you novel quite a bit easier.

4.  Write a strong, professional query letter.

5.  Be patient, and don't get discouraged by rejection letters.  I'm sure you've heard, but JK Rowling was rejected by ten or more agents for Harry Potter.  Guess who's at the bank laughing now?  Stephen King used to hang his rejection slips on a large nail in his bedroom.  

Good luck!


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## kevinbgwrites (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks for the response! Any advice on the length? I can more or less tweak that at this point to meet whatever is the norm.

I'm willing to, and already know that I'll need to work my butt off- But this is what I want to do. I appreciate the advice about S&F submissions, I will read a bit of it and then write some stuff up when my main works draft 1 is complete.


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## riverdog (Feb 22, 2012)

I really don't know on the length.  Epic fantasy tends to be a bit longer than your standard crime or romance novel.  It also depends on the medium.  If you're thinking of going the e-book route (a more and more accepted route) length isn't as much an object as there are no overhead costs for the print.  Otherwise, I would suggest, and by no means know for sure, but I would suggest under 100,000 words.


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## blyish (Mar 27, 2012)

Don't worry about the other books in the trilogy. You need to make sure the first book is good, a complete story with a satisfying ending and not extremely long (around 100k is acceptable for fantasy).


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## kevinbgwrites (Mar 27, 2012)

I can probably manage book 1 in 100-140k. The trouble is forcing super satisfying conclusions as it simply isn't the true endings. All characters will have experienced a transformation by the end of it and be on semi cliffhangers though, so I'm hoping that will work despite it being my first work.


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## blyish (Mar 27, 2012)

kevinbgwrites said:


> I can probably manage book 1 in 100-140k. The trouble is forcing super satisfying conclusions as it simply isn't the true endings. All characters will have experienced a transformation by the end of it and be on semi cliffhangers though, so I'm hoping that will work despite it being my first work.



140k is long, especially for a new writer. Cliffhangers on a first book? I'm going to say no. I guess a few loose plot points are ok, but the main story has to be resolved by the end of the first book.


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## Sam (Mar 28, 2012)

I was published at 150K, but I agree that 100K is around the ceiling for a first-time author. I got lucky. My first book was also part of a series. The trick is in the ending. Give enough closure so a publisher/reader thinks it's a stand-alone, while at the same time leaving enough unanswered so the possibility of a sequel may be pursued sometime in the future. You don't want to make it blatant by writing "END OF BOOK ONE". Have a little mini-cliffhanger that evinces the possibility of a sequel.


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## TWErvin2 (Mar 28, 2012)

A trilogy is a harder sell than a standalone novel. If you can write the first novel so that it has a complete story arc and is a satisfying read in itself, with openings to continue the story/series, that will increase your chances.

There is a lot of competition out there, so your work has to be as polished as it can be, and has been stated above, the best story you can tell. Avoid a rehash of what's already out there. Sure, nothing is completely new, but something that will make it sand out from the pack will help as well.

Also, as has been said, make sure it's decent length. Not too long or too short. Most of the major fantasy markets (at least in the USA) prefer 90,000 to 125,000 words or so. Some smaller publishers prefer shorter works (under 100,000).My first novel, first in a series, was about 127,000 words, and ended up about 128,000 after editing and revisions. It had a complete story arc, but many of the characters returned for the second novel in the series. The trick was writing the second novel so that it was a standalone as well, and didn't require the reader to have read the first to understand and enjoy the second.

Good luck and hang in there!


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## kevinbgwrites (Apr 6, 2012)

Well this is disheartening lol.
There is no democracy in art, and the story I'm writing definitely couldn't come across as a standalone. I have no problem with giving it my all for polishing, length revision, down to line revision and augmenting elements of the story, but think along the lines of lord of the rings, game of thrones, and name of the wind. Name of the wind was Pat's first work if I'm not mistaken, so I don't think prior fame helped get him published.
It's not like my story drops out completely, and there are a lot of climaxes within the books, but it definitely couldn't be mistaken for standalone like Mistborn.


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