When an aspiring writer/author asks me for advice on getting published, I always tell people the same things. In a nutshell:
- Read a lot. Read a wide variety, and take notice of what makes writing good in both fiction and nonfiction.
- Go to as many writers conferences as you can afford to go to. You will learn a lot, be motivated and inspired, and make valuable networking connections. I met my agent because I went to a workshop he was giving. I landed my first book contract because the acquistions editor met with me during a writers conference. Here's a full list of reasons to go.
- Learn the craft. Whatever genre you're interested in, read books on how to write that. Study them. Give yourself an independent study course on how to do it well. (If you want to break into fiction specifically, see my list of my own personal favorites I used when making the switch from journalist to novelist.)
- Write now. Whatever you can write, do it, whether that's for an online niche magazine, your local newspaper, a nonprofit organization or anything else. Just keep writing, and keep getting better at it. Consider joining a local or online writers critique group.
- Build your platform now. If you are serious about getting published but your name isn 't currently widely-known, start building your following now so a potential publisher will see that you have a built-in audience. A great book on this is The Extroverted Writer: An Author's Guide to Marketing and Building a Platform by Amanda Luedeke. For a nutshell perspective on this, read what Thomas Nelson Publishers chairman Michael Hyatt's blog post, "5 Steps to Building Your Platform When You Hate Selling Yourself."
- Learn the industry. Find a blog or two about the publishing industry and follow it. I recommend following the blog of The Steve Laube Agency, for one of them. The more you know about the business, the better.
- Get an agent. Most publishers won't even look at a manuscript unless it's represented by a literary agent. Where can you find an agent? Check out the latest edition of the Writer's Market Guide. (It changes every year, so I won't add a link here but you can look it up on the book retailer web site of your choice.) There is also a Christian Writers Market Guide with everything you need to know about publishing. Many reputable writers conferences allow you to meet agents in person right there. Agents are necessary for those who are interested in signing a contract with a traditional royalty-paying publishing house. HOWEVER if you want to self-publish/independently publish, you wouldn't need one. Here is an article full of resources that may help you.