I've written a book: How do I get it published?

First of all, research publishers and find one that fits with the type or genre of book you've written, one with the same target audience as your book, and one that you feel you could work with. You can find information on publishers' websites, but also read some of the books they have published. The big publishers and small boutique publishers can work quite differently. Do you want to outsource all of the work to others or do you want to maintain control over some of the process? For example, do you want a say in how the book cover looks or are you happy for someone else to make all those decisions? Is making the maximum number of sales your priority, or do you want more editorial control? Find a publisher that you would be happy working with. 

The publisher's website should have a section for submissions which outlines what they require. It will usually be a synopsis, some sample chapters (even if you have finished the whole book), and a query letter. 

What should a query letter to a publisher include?

In your letter be polite, outline what genre your books is, who the target audience would likely be, your word count, the age range of your book, and some comparable titles. When comparing your book, probably don't compare it to the great titles in literature or at least be humble. You should also include a author bio or literary CV.

What is a literary CV?

A literary CV or resume is much like a normal job CV or resume. You should list your publications, awards, and any writing jobs. This can be difficult in the beginning as you may not have had any of your work recognised, but you can still provide a brief overview of experience. For example, you may have enrolled in a creative writing course and had feedback from other participants that you acted upon. This can be important as a publisher wants to know that they can work with you and you will not react badly to criticism or proposed changes. Your experience of the writing and publishing world can be included, even if you were not paid or received any awards. Everyone starts at the bottom so just work with what you have. 

Should I send my book to an editor before sending it to a publisher?

Even experienced and polished writers benefit from having a good editor read their work, and even experienced copyeditors and writers can make errors. However, you may not have the money to finance this or not know of any good editors. Anyone who has completed a creative writing course knows that they can get ten different opinions from ten different writers and the advice can contradictory. Therefore, it is important to find an editor whose work you admire and whose advice adds to your work.

If you cannot afford an editor you should at the very least spellcheck your work! It is incredible how many authors send an manuscript to publishers that is full of typos. This creates a very negative impression and would stop many people from reading on. However, some very talented writers have dyslexia or other reading/writing issues that can make even proofreading a document tricky, so reach out to support agencies to see if anyone can help, or ask friends or family to help. Whether using professionals or friends or family to help, you should always put on "track changes" on Word so that you can see and agree or disagree with any changes. If you do have dyslexia, find an understanding publisher and state this in your query letter.