Is there an author in you?

They say that everyone has a novel in them. That may be true, but writing a book takes more than just putting pen to paper, and writing a successful book is harder still. At Publishing Scotland, we often field calls from would-be authors (and worse, poets) looking for advice on getting their book published. Walking into any city-centre bookstore, with their hundreds of thousands of books, may give some people the impression that getting a book published and into the shops is an easy business.

It's anything but.

There are two basic ways to get your book published these days. The first is to go down the self-published route, paying a company like lulu.com or authorhouse to convert your manuscript into book form. Some of these are quite sophisticated, offering proofreading, cover design, bibliographic services, listings on Amazon.com, print-on-demand, colour books and more. They all cost, of course. None of these services will get your book into your local branch of Waterstone's or Borders Books, no matter what they promise.

Self publishing can be very useful - if you want to share a story with family or friends, to create a family album perhaps - self publishing companies like these can simplify the process at a fair price.

If you have written book and want to see it on the shelves of your local bookstore, then you need to go to a publishing house.

Publishing houses - like those listed on the Publishing Scotland website - will never charge you for publishing books. Publishers take on the costs and the risks of publishing a book with the hope of making a profit. Publishers take the time and effort to proof and edit, design and market their books. They follow the trends, and know whether childhood memoirs or picture books are popular this season. They build relationships with authors, investing time and money in developing writers. And importantly, they build relationships with bookshops like Waterstone's, Amazon and BooksfromScotland.com, a never ending (and sometimes frustrating) task.

This process takes time, and many most manuscripts will never see the light of day. Publishers have huge "slush piles" of manuscripts from hopeful authors. So patience is essential if you send a manuscript to a publishing house.

When looking for a publisher, look for a company who have experience in publishing the sort of book you are writing. Many publishers are simply not interested in poetry, or children's books, or literary fiction, so don't waste your time or theirs submitting unsuitable books. Most publishers have websites these days, so do your research first.

Research the market as well. Have a look at the best-selling lists - what books are selling right now? Beware that if there are 5 memoirs in the current top 10, their might not be any room left in the market for more. At the risk of sounding cruel, your childhood experiences might be nice for you and your friends to remember, but the "miserable Irish/Scottish childhood" market is pretty well serviced already, and you'll have to offer something really fresh to make a success out of a book like that.

If you are writing "literary fiction" then an agent is essential. Some literary fiction houses simply don't accept any unsolicited manuscripts at all. The BooksfromScotland.com site has some information on agents in Scotland.

When you send a manuscript, make it easy for the publisher! Include a covering letter with a little biography of yourself; perhaps list other books which are like yours; make it clear that you are willing and able to help with publicity by appearing at events and giving readings. Don't go overboard though - too much information is as bad, possibly worse, than too little.

Any article on getting published inevitably ends with "be patient - and persistent". There are countless tales of authors submitting their books to 20 different publishers before finally being publishers - not least our own JK Rowling. So persistence is essential. Don't be tempted to keep "checking up" on the progress of your manuscript with a publisher, as too many nagging phonecalls and the publisher will likely return your manuscript unread. There are plenty more to choose from, after all...

Good luck!