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SECTION ONE: Writing
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Writing Links
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Not everyone can become an author, because not everyone can write a book. Writing an entire book is incredibly hard work, requiring countless hours of dedicated effort, as well as a certain degree of skill. You may have a great idea for a story, but organizing, implementing, and refining a manuscript is a full time job that doesn't pay very well.
In fact, it doesn't pay anything. But if it's in your bones to be a writer, the pay is irrelevant. The hard work is irrelevant. The demand is irrelevant.
The story is everything. The writing is everything. You will not be stopped. I hope I can help.
I have written and published two books and a screenplay so far, and each has provided its own set of lessons. I can't say what will resonate for everyone, but I can share what I have learned along the way.
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Query letter links
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Have something to say
This is a lesson that was taught to me by Chuck Palahniuk, author of "Fight Club". I was doing a reading from my book "Palm Sunday" during a conference called "Postcards from the Future" that Chuck put on at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2003. During my presentation I made the comment that the secret to writing is "You've gotta put your butt in a chair." Chuck made the observation that "First you have to have something to say."
Quite so.
When you decide to write a book there's a natural tendency to want to rush in and get started. For some writers this is the best time to start, when the idea is fresh and motivation is high. But more often this rush to get started leads to frustration as a blank screen stares you down and mocks you.
It is important not only to have something to say, but to understand why you need to say this thing. You will be spending a lot of time with your chosen subject, so be sure it is the right subject for you, at this time. You don't need to know the entirety of your story at this point--in fact it would be surprising if you did. The decision to write about this must be firmly resolved, even if you still have much to learn about your topic.
There is an infinite supply of ideas to commit to. Take the time to choose the one that is right for you.
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Say it
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Once you have decided to write about whatever it is you will write about, it's time to put your butt in a chair. If you are not sitting in front a piece of paper, a keyboard, a recording device, or some other writing implement on a regular basis, then your writing career is in trouble. It's okay to spend time thinking about writing, reading about writing, and talking about writing, but if you don't get around to actually writing, what good is it?
Life's circumstances provide an abundance of reasons to not write. Personally, it takes very little to dissuade me from writing, possibly because I'm somewhat moody. (Those who know me best would probably laugh at the 'somewhat'.)
Anyway, the smallest thing can discourage me from getting started, which is a huge negative that I must overcome if I am going to put in the necessary hours to complete anything. Couple this with the dearth of actual creative hours available to any human being, and the challenge becomes substantial.
What to do?
Be regular. Set an hour every day, more if you can find it, to simply write. Do it at the same time of day if possible, but make the commitment to write something every day. Don't have an hour? Then twenty minutes. Chances are much of what you write will be garbage, but it doesn't matter. Eventually you'll create that one sentence, have that one idea, learn that one new technique, that turns things around.
But not if you don't keep at it. And not if you don't put your butt in a chair.
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Know the rules
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I've found that I don't really like rules that much. No one does. In writing, the whole thing is about rules, and what you can do within their bounds. It's okay to break writing rules, as long as you understand the rule you are breaking, and are breaking it for a reason that advances your writing. These rules are all about grammar, usage, syntax, and so forth.
I struggled early on with quoted dialogue, when to break paragraphs with changing speakers, how to punctuate quoted sentences, and things of this nature. I had to learn the rules, many of which were only poorly explained in grammar books.
The last thing I wanted to do was study grammar, but guess what? Grammar is a critical part of the writing craft. If your text is littered with grammar and spelling errors, then guess what?
It stinks.
Bad grammar in the context of dialogue is not bad if it reflects reality. Bad grammar that is only a reflection of poor writing skills is bad, bad, bad and must be rectified.
To see how certain grammar rules are applied I often consult the experts. Books by well-known authors should be punctuated correctly, and can be an excellent guide as to how certain complex grammar constructs are handled. These regularly published authors, with their legions of editors, should be an excellent reference, and usually they are. I feel if I follow the example used by these established authors, I should at least have my syntax and usage correct. Often, however, you will find contradictory models in different books, or even within the same book. If the usage is ambiguous, then I have to choose my own way.
Bottom line--learn the rules, use the rules correctly so that your writing will at least be grammatically correct, and when the rules are unclear to you, see how other writers handle the situation. Break the rules when necessary, but...
Know the rules.
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Get feedback
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Writing is a solitary activity. In the end it is you and your keyboard that will spend the most time together while writing. Your spouse, your girlfriend, your mother--what do they have to do with your writing?
Nothing. And everything.
Unless you are dictating to someone, which is possible, the first person to know what you are writing is you. Having written something, how do you know if it's any good? If it resonates?
Someone else has to read it and comment on it.
Of course, as a writer you can read what you have written and decide if it's good or bad, and in the end you have to decide what to keep, what to change, and what to discard. But the feedback of others can be invaluable. When writing "Palm Sunday", I had a trusted friend read an early version. She said it was hard to tell who was talking when. This led to my examination of dialogue changes, and revealed glaring flaws in my writing.
Writers tend to be thin-skinned about their creation, but you need to get over this. Find people you trust--not to tell you how great you are, but to tell you what's wrong with your writing. Other writers will often value this reciprocal honesty regarding work product. If you can hook up with someone whose work and judgment you respect, to exchange manuscripts, then you are well ahead of the game. An 'outside' perspective on what you have written from someone you can trust to be truthful is essential to advancing your work.
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Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite
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Just accept it. Your writing will never be as good as you can make it. One more rewrite. One more rewrite. After twenty rewrites, you'll still be saying the same thing. That's fine. You have to rewrite. When I start to get near the end of a manuscript, I try to find the weakest chapter, the most flawed page. Then I endeavor to make this weakest chapter into the strongest chapter, this flawed page into an excellent page.
Sometimes it comes down to flow, the turn of a particular phrase, the choice of a different word. This is what rewriting is all about--deciding if there's a better way to say it, and then saying it.
Rewriting is a perpetual cycle of finding a better way. It never ends, but at some point you must stop. When do you stop rewriting?
You'll know when.
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Back up
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Make backups of your work. Even go so far as to periodically print out a full copy of your manuscript. Computers crash, hard drives get wiped out, CDs fail. Trust me, I've worked with computers for 15 years.
Back up.
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Take breaks
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Assuming that you have been giving your writing its due, meaning that you've been spending regular hours working at it, researching, thinking about it, agonizing over it, and doing it, then realize that time off is important, too. Even if it's just an occasional walk, going out with friends, or taking in some different scenery, every writer needs time away from writing to rejuvenate and reenergize. Make time for these breaks.
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Outline
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Although every writer has their own approach to outlining, and while novices may believe they can skip this step without negative impact, don't underestimate its value. I outline from the very beginning, creating a literal story line on a piece of paper. I write in major and minor events at various points in my story, and gradually fill in the gaps as my mind conjures up new stuff. Only then do I actually start to write.
While this may seem over-analytical, I find that it helps me in a couple ways. First, if I have a general idea of how the story will progress, I can build the foundation for events that I know will come later. Second, this outline gives me something to write towards. If my character is on Hill A, and by the beginning of the next chapter he has to rescue a maiden on Hill B, then part of my task is to move the character from A to B.
This sounds painfully obvious, but many is the time when I found myself writing with no idea where I was headed. This is writing without direction, and quickly becomes confused and ultimately futile. You need to know where you're headed. For me, the outline is a critical part of this process.
Sometimes writers outline only when the work is finished, as documentation. Everyone works differently, and for some this may be fine. In my opinion, if you're going to do an outline, you might as well do it when it would be useful as a tool while your work is in progress.
Either way, a good outline is indispensable.
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Summarize in one sentence
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What is your book about?
This is probably the most common question potential readers will ask you. You must be able to answer in one sentence.
One coherent sentence. Of less than four hundred words.
There are several reasons why. First, you want the reader to be interested, right? When someone asks about your book, you need to 'hook' them. A dissertation won't accomplish this. You need a good one-liner to sum up your story and capture interest.
Second, if you can't reduce the topic of your book to one sentence, it's probably about too many things. Maybe that's okay. Maybe your book is an encyclopedia of disparate multivariates.
That would require explanation. But generally, you should be able to say, "My book is about..." and finish with an interesting summation of something that people would like to read. This summary will be used over and over for media quotes, in interviews, and anywhere that you are in a position to discuss your book. You will need this sentence.
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Don't give up
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Finally, don't give up. Although you will get discouraged, and you will realize, time and again, that everything you have written is garbage, and you will decide you are a fool to think you had any talent as a writer, be of good cheer. You are on the right path.
Any writer that has never had these thoughts is either a liar or will have these thoughts eventually. Self doubt is part of the game, maybe because writing is such a personal revelation. People who don't write well don't like to write, because they feel it reveals a personal shortcoming. Although they should not feel inadequate over something they have little control over (to the extent that one can substantially improve one's writing ability) they are correct in the judgment that writing is an intensely personal reflection.
It is no great failure to not be a good writer. Good writers are in the minority, and vastly so.
What is a failure is to be a good writer, and to not use that talent. Allow yourself the occasional discouragement, but don't tarry in that land too long. Get over it, or write yourself out of it.
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SECTION TWO: Publishing
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What is publishing? Essentially, to publish means to make your work available to the public. "I am a published author" means what?
Twenty years ago it could only mean that a mainstream publishing house had accepted your work and was willing to commit to printing a first run of at least 5,000 copies at their own expense and risk. It still means this today, although there are alternative methods of publication as a result of technological advances in printing and distribution.
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Traditional publishing
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You grab a sheet of paper and write 'Yard Sale' in the center in huge black letters. You then nail this to the telephone pole across the street.
This is publishing in it's most basic form, but is not quite what I plan to discuss. For the purposes of this section, to publish means to make your written work available as a bound manuscript for public sale over commonly available distribution channels.
There are essentially two ways to get published. The first route is via conventional publishers, like Bantam Books, WWNorton, or others. The path a new author must follow in this scenario goes something like this: you write your manuscript, submit it to a publisher, they accept it and make you an offer, and about a year later, maybe two or three depending on the publisher and other variables, your book hits the shelves.
Maybe it really takes off, because you've been vigorously promoting it, and because it's a pretty good book, too. With all the time you put into it, it would have to be, right?
Life is good, the royalties will sustain you for the rest of your natural life, and all is as it should be.
But here may be a wrinkle or two that makes this the less traveled road.
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The Competition
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How many writers submit manuscripts to publishers every year? Every month? Every day?
It varies. The answer is a lot, which is why most publishers have stopped accepting unsolicited manuscripts. The sheer volume of these offerings long ago induced most publishers to accept only those that come from a literary agent. Agents now serve the purpose of screeners, and publishers know that a manuscript that comes from an agent has at least survived one level of independent scrutiny.
The result, predictably, is that now agents are inundated with thousands of manuscripts every month. How can you be heard through all that noise?
It's not easy, and there are rules.
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The Rules
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There is a definite method to the madness of manuscript submission.
When your manuscript is finished you will need to identify which agents or publishers handle the genre of work you are submitting. This is critical. Don't waste time submitting your mystery novel to Lil Debbie's Recipe Books, Inc.
You can find listings of literary agencies and publishers in Writer's Market, an annual publication that lists agents and publishers by type, along with submission requirements. You can also find listings through online search engines, or in literary trade magazines. Choose a few agencies that handle your type of work, and then put together a query letter.
A query letter is a one-page document that explains what your work is about, describes your qualifications, and perhaps briefly makes a marketing case. This is a lot to do on one page, but do it you must if you want them to ask to see your manuscript.
That's right. At this point you usually don't send your manuscript. Sometimes agencies will request the first chapter, or an outline, or something else along with your query letter, but often not. Follow the instructions from wherever you found the agency's address, or call them to ask if you're not sure what to send. Just don't try to pitch them hard on the phone. Be respectful of their time, and always be professional.
When you send your query letters, always include an SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope.) Business-sized. Don't use fancy stationary in your query letter, and remember--you're trying to sell your idea. Be professional, but be creative. Know your market, and pray that this is what they are looking for.
After you send out your query letters (it's okay to send out more than one at a time) then you wait. Sometimes you'll hear back in a week, or two weeks, or a month, or a year. I've even heard back almost two years later. That's unprofessional in the extreme, and fortunately it's the exception. In any case, wait to hear back, and if anyone wants to see your manuscript, eureka!
That's a nibble!
Send it in as soon as possible. You still can be turned down at this point, but at least someone thinks your idea has merit. Now your writing must stand on its own.
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Rejection is Reality
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So you sent out fifty query letters and forty-seven came back with little more than a photocopied rejection slip.
Rejoice!
If you are receiving rejections it means that at least you are trying. It also means that something is wrong. It could be in your query letter itself (maybe there are typos, grammatical errors, usage errors) that make you sound unprofessional. Remember, the query letter is the only thing they know about you at this point. If it's sloppy and poorly written, that's the impression you will leave.
Are there any notes on the rejections? Sometimes a kind agent will take the time to offer advice. If they do, listen to what they say and evaluate it in relation to your efforts. Maybe you need help editing your query letter. Maybe your topic is not timely. Maybe the agents don't believe there is a market for this type of work at this time.
These are all valid reasons for rejection, and remember--they haven't even seen your manuscript at this point!
When it comes to getting published, rejection is one of the few things not in short supply. Be thick-skinned about it, make improvements to your pitch if necessary, and move on. It may be best to limit your initial query letter mailing to ten or so, just to gauge how it will be received.
Review my links to query letters for examples and additional advice.
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The Alternative
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If you have exhausted all possibility of getting an agent or publisher, and if you are still confident in the viability of your manuscript, and if this confidence is buttressed by research and objective analysis, then you may want to consider an alternative publishing scenario.
Advances in two technologies have opened up an entirely new mode of publishing.
The first area relates to printing. Machines now exist which can print, bind, and cover an entire book of up to 800 pages in a minute or so. The quality is good. This method of printing is called 'print on demand', or POD.
The second technology is the Internet, and specifically eCommerce, which allows the general public to easily order books online from vendors such as Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, or from personal websites by using PayPal or similar payment service providers.
In combination these technologies allow writers to publish their work and to make it available over normal distribution channels. In other words, I can write a book, front the initial cost of publication, and have it available online or by order from most bookstores without needing an agent or a mainstream publisher. The cost is minimal, and I don't have the years of waiting that sometimes accompanies the mainstream model.
There are drawbacks as well.
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Considerations
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The negatives associated with print on demand are fairly easily defined. First, there is no independent editorial review. The only one deciding that your work should be published is you. This is really not the same as a publisher deciding to take a chance on your work because they think it has market value.
This can be a real issue, but doesn't have to be. As an author you are more concerned with what your readers think than with how your book was printed. Make sure it is the best that it can be, but don't trust your own judgment. You are much too close to your own project for objectivity, so you really need to enlist the help of others who are qualified to comment on your work.
Best friends and relatives are poor choices for this task. They will tell you everything is great because they don't want to hurt your feelings. Your best bet would be to either hire a reputable editor, or to enlist the help of another author, professor, or other professional who is qualified and willing to comment on your manuscript. Often other authors are willing to exchange manuscripts for review and commentary. Brutal honesty from a qualified individual is what you are looking for.
The second negative is that print on demand books are generally non-returnable. This makes sense, because books sold using this model are not printed until there is an actual demand. But brick and mortar bookstores use a different model, which allows them to return any unsold books to the publisher, no questions asked. This can be a serious drawback, because you will be unlikely to get your print on demand book stocked in bookstores nationwide unless you can demonstrate a very good sales record.
Marketing
Enter marketing. People will buy a book if it is interesting, is reasonably priced, and if they know about it. Print on Demand books tend to be priced somewhat higher then their mainstream counterparts, but not drastically so. Assuming that your book is relevant to the prospective reader, is well-written, and is easily available for purchase, then the rest comes down to publicity.
Chances are that you don't have a huge marketing budget, or resources beyond your own computer, printer, and scanner. That's okay. To get started you don't need much more than this and a little boldness.
Start out by identifying your target audience. This is important because everything you say about your book should be geared towards convincing this audience to buy your book. If you get on the evening news, it is an opportunity to tell viewers why your book has value for them. Find an angle that resonates, and use this every time you talk about your book, in literature you produce, or in articles you may write for magazines or newspapers.
Create bookmarks or index cards with your book information, and reinforce your message about your book on these. Hand them out at every opportunity. Go to your local television studio with your book and your pitch. Tell them you are a local author, and be prepared to talk about your book. ALWAYS BE PREPARED!
If you suddenly get an opportunity to be filmed for the evening news--and this does happen--you need to have several short, precise, and interesting sound bites ready to go. It's tough to ad lib and get your point across effectively. Spend some time working on what you would say in this situation. Practice answering questions like "what is your book about?" Know how you will answer this question while at the same time giving people a reason to buy your book.
In addition to media opportunities, you should try to schedule book signings at nearby bookstores. Visit personally and speak to the manager, bring a copy of your book, be personable, and give your pitch. If you are able to schedule an event, use the event to generate more publicity. Newspapers are always looking for stories, and a local author doing a book signing is a story. Even if you don't sell a single book at your event you will gain practice in talking to people about your book and your writing efforts. Enjoy these events, and always give out literature about you and your book.
If your book has special appeal for a particular group, contact any related clubs, organizations, or even support groups, and tell them about your book. Offer to speak at a meeting, or invite them to an event. Be creative in thinking about who might be interested in what you have written. Offer a free signed copy to use as a giveaway at their meeting.
The Internet is terrific place to find prospects. Make sure you have a good web site, and look for chat rooms and groups that may have an interest in your book. Don't spam.
Always be professional in your efforts, both in how you deal with people, and in your marketing materials. Neatness counts.
These suggestions are by no means exhaustive. If you put your mind to it, you will come up with many inventive ways to get your story out there. Ask friends for advice, and research book marketing techniques. Never miss an opportunity to promote your book.
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My Way
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After numerous rejections, mostly in the form of generic form letters, I decided to try print on demand. I was wary, pretty certain that I would fork over a few hundred bucks and get nothing in return. But I was pleasantly surprised. After researching vendors that provide the service of getting a book into production using the print on demand model, I settled on Aventine Press, and so far have been satisfied with them.
After countless self-imposed rewrites of my novel, I completed the written agreement, copied all my files onto a CD ROM, and sent them off to Aventine. Along with the text of my novel, the files included cover images and blurbs for the back of the book. Aventine sent back a printed galley (I paid an extra $49 for a hard copy) which I reviewed for typos. They allow you to fix a certain number of simple errors at this point for no extra charge. I asked several trusted professionals to look it over, and didn't find many problems.
Shortly thereafter I received the cover for approval. Once I approved this, Aventine sent the materials to the printer. It took about three months before the book was available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
Be forewarned: When following this route you are responsible for all content in your book. There will be no team of editors going over your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb, unless you hire them, which can be very expensive. Any mistakes in substance, style, plot, or dialogue will be printed as is.
Further, you will enjoy no marketing assistance, or marketing budget. But even mainstream publishers dedicate precious little resources to new authors, so this may not be such a big deal.
Whether you're published using print on demand or through traditional means, you'll have to get out there and promote your book. With Print on Demand you get your book into production quickly, on Amazon and ready for sale. The rest is up to you. If you're not good at marketing, you're in trouble. Your book will not sell itself, and exposure is sometimes tough to come by. You have to be creative to push a POD book, but in the end it's just a book, and it's out there just like any other book.
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Final Impressions
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I'm generally pleased with how things are progressing. I've been on local television and in the papers regarding my books, and I was the first in a speaker series at St. Francis University, where I talked about issues related to my writing. In addition my former high school invited me to speak at a major event, and I've done several book signings.
I have found that as time goes on I am less concerned with how my books were published, and more interested in what readers think of them. I never ask a reader, "What do you think of my publisher?"
It's nice to have some corporation say they believe in your work. It's also better to spend their money for publication and marketing than yours. With professional editors, cover designers, marketing specialists, and a whole range of other professionals ready to go to bat for you, the end product will almost certainly be more polished than what you could do on your own.
So how is it that many books published by these companies are, frankly, not that good?
I don't know. Some people look down on print on demand because it lacks the imprint of a famous publisher. Think of your favorite book. Who published it?
You probably don't know the answer to this question.
If it's a good book, it just doesn't matter who published it.
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