If you’ve written a book and are trying to get published, Writer’s Relief would like to suggest the following strategy to get literary agents and editors excited about your book: Publish an excerpt!

That’s right. Create a stand-alone short story or essay from within your book.

Creating a short story or essay from within your manuscript may seem time-consuming and counter-productive, but many writers have used this strategy to great effect. Often, when you crack open a book, you’ll notice in the copyright section that the publisher wishes to acknowledge other small presses that previously printed selections from the book. Professional writers will frequently convert the first chapter of a book into a story or essay and then publish it in a literary magazine years before the book is even done.