Hi all, So, I am now at the stage where I have a full manuscript, and will begin to query soon. I also just made a personal website with my CV and all that good stuff. Can I talk about my book now, mention that I am querying agents/publishers, and leave it at that? Perhaps a brief synopsis? Or should I not mention it until it's published?
Personally I would wait. Publishers would usually give you the opportunity to promote your book and it does take awhile before the production of your novel will be complete. You can tell your friends and family about what you are doing and what you have created. I think what would steer an agent or publisher away is self promotion before having them consider choosing you as a writer. It might bring the assumption that you are self publishing and are on your own. I would wait and see what publishers offer with promotion of your piece and if you do have an agent interested, ask them how promoting your book works and what you can do in the meantime and what you should not do.
Do not post about it until it is accepted for publication. And unless you have supreme confidence in the publisher, I would wait until it is actually published. The very last thing you want is a stale book promotion for a book that gets published years later, if at all.
As everyone else has said, there will be a significant lag between now and publication (if accepted). Starting now means that by the time the book ships the promotion might be stale and ends up hurting you in the end. But,bayou can promote yourself if you have other completed work. You can put together an author website and try to generate a little buzz about yourself. Then, when it comes to promotion time, you will have a platform in place already.
ditto all of that... as for timing, it generally takes 18-24 months from the moment one signs a publishing contract to the day when their books will hit the bookstore shelves... add to that all the time it will take to get an agent, should you be so lucky, plus the time that agent takes to get a publisher to take on the book, should you be so lucky...
