No unsolicited manuscripts!

Get an agent, self-publishing is most often a vanity project. Whatever people say, without quality control you're knee-deep in liquefying suet... 0.0001% become S&M millionaires There are somer newish independents... I don't know whether they take YA books but check out Legend Press and Myriad Editions-- the former takes unsolicited stuff. Are you a Meg Rossoff or a George Macdonald or a Dunkin' Donut? look at the publishing houses which closely suits your writing style. you've heard it all before but what are you going to do?

getting an agent is almost as difficult as getting published. I've been following the self-publishing trends and the quality is getting better and it is, for many, the way to go. But it's a fool-time job [sic] advertising yourself. Get enough sales and you'll get an agent. Simples.

Publishers do occasionally put out a call for manuscripts, they just don't want them hitting their doormat every day, so be ready for any such opportunity. Do your homework, get your manuscript, summary, bio, etc prepared, identify your dream publishers and check their websites regularly. Other new publishers arise now and then and put out a call for stories, so keep scanning writing sites for leads. And most importantly of all, keep writing Keeping the balance towards writing time and hunting down publishers is very difficult. My writing has definitely improved since I gave up trying to be published and that's really all that matters. I'd say agents are a waste of time, you'd be better off patting random dogs in supermarkets - you're more likely to stumble upon a possible publisher that way than you are of an agent ever bothering to read an unsolicited manuscript. They're not my favourite form of pond-life I'm afraid, whereas dogs are great!

You sold a handful? What's your secret? The one I sold was as a result of clear instructions given to a family member. When I'm dead I might sell another one.

What did the word count turn out to be in the end Walrus? P.S. I don't have any helpful information regarding your original questions, sorry.

I have nothing to add to the advice above really, partly because it is all good and partly because I know nothing of any use. However I did just want to say good luck finishing and getting it out there. I do have a friend who recently e-published a few books on Amazon and he is now getting rw-publishers interested after I believe getting into the top-sellers list at somepoint. However, I shamefully don't know anything about the probable huge amount of work he may have done behind the scenes to make that happen so the two facts could just be coincidence sorry.

Would love to join you one day in publishing stuff. Best of luck!