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As I said early on, these blogs are meant to get you started. I’m not qualified to tell you what to write or how to write, just how to get started and some of the basics so you won’t feel bogged down. So many people simply can’t start because it seems overwhelming and it truly isn’t. I simplified the process because it is simple. Just do it. Your style, content, and methods will come with time.
Once you are comfortable with your completed manuscript, put it aside for a while and start researching publication possibilities. There are so many decisions to make in this area.
Ideally you would find an agent, the agent would find a publisher, and off you would go on a whirlwind of book signings and radio and TV interviews and speaking engagements at universities and join the lecture circuit. If that’s what you want, it’s possible, however, becoming a successful writer is about as promising as becoming a famous movie star. But what is a successful writer? For me it was just about the writing and getting it out there.
Let’s say your book is good. Let’s even say it rivals Checkhov's writings (congrats). There are many elements surrounding you and your book that will determine its handling. One of the major hurdles is--you. If you haven’t been submitting magazine articles, essays, or other public submissions, you are not going to be well received by the industry. It’s not that they don’t want fresh talent, it’s that they are overwhelmed by it. As a result they pick through prospects looking for writers who have at least a small track record. They also hope you have a family member or friend who has a track record. Knowing someone who has successfully published in the traditional way is a huge hurdle you can overcome. Often you will slide into their agent/publishing pool and in time will publish or at the very least--they will read your submission as a courtesy to your friend/family member.
Another hurdle is education. I have a modest A.A. degree from a local community college and it was an adequate vocational tool for the work I did during my life. It is not prestigious and if you think our country is not class conscious, you need to read more. Not only is education important but also the school you attended is important. A young woman from Vassar on the Today Show is more appealing than an older woman from community college on local access TV.
When you submit manuscripts some agents/publishers require a short bio. That’s where a lot of writers get the shaft. Again, it’s because agents and publishers are overwhelmed with manuscripts and if the young woman from Vassar has a compelling story and it’s sitting somewhere near yours in the mail stack, well, guess what???
There are excellent books listing agents and publishers. I purchased two large volumes and spent weeks reading them and selecting possibilities for submission. Each listing sets out exactly what they want and requirements are quite different for each. The listings also describe what material they are accepting so if you write a story about a lost dog don’t send it to an agent or publisher dealing with war stories. (Unless the dog was lost during the war then you might have a chance. If the dog went to Vassar, better yet. If the dog is a vampire, well, the sky's the limit.)
After I selected a fairly large number of agents and publishers I started preparing packets fulfilling the exact requirements of each and started making trips to the post office. In a few weeks as I continued to send packets out I started receiving replies. I have to say it’s a very supportive industry. I never received a nasty response. Though most of the responses were form letters they were encouraging and thanked me for my offering. Most of the replies stated they were not accepting new clients "at this time." If I was best friends with Toni Morrison, however, and had mentioned that in my bio, I would have at least gotten my foot in the door. The responses were much the same whether it was from an agent or a publisher. What I learned almost immediately is that my submissions were not being read. I certainly would not mind if I was rejected because my story wasn’t acceptable--but it wasn’t read. These entities receive too many submissions and I didn’t meet the minimum requirements for even a cursory examination.
After I had sent out a small fortune in postage, I received my only handwritten response. It was short and kind and the agent suggested I consider self-publishing. I had heard of vanity presses and self-publishing and it sounded like a lot of work with iffy results. Especially vanity press publication. So as usual, I spent quite a bit of time researching those options.
The two methods are similar. In my limited experience, however, I determined that vanity publishing left it all up to the writer and in the end you ended up with a garage full of books you had to schlep around to sell. With self-publishing you can pick and choose what services you want from the publisher and they do it for you and they keep the books and/or keep the book as print-on-demand. My publisher (authorhouse.com) has many services and they keep my book and print it for sale and distribution. I can order books to take to festivals and events and readers can order it online or at bookstores everywhere. I do not have the desire to spend every day hitting the streets to sell my book. You can purchase ads through a self-publisher and all sorts of press releases, etc. Though you may be small potatoes, you can successfully publish your book this way and many writers are turning to this method because you have all the control. If you do a little research you will discover the following I just found to include with this blog:
“Self-publishing is a branch of publishing in which the author publishes his own works, cutting out the middlemen and raking in all the profits himself. With the advent of computers and desktop publishing programs, this approach has become increasingly viable.”
I would add that it not only is viable but it may be your only way to publish. However, try the traditional route and see if it works for you. I’m not sure I will try traditional the next time even though I now have a track record. With self-publishing you can look at your work as a small business. A small business of writing and publishing. I think that’s a fantastic way to go though perhaps not as profitable as traditional publishing initially. It’s a competitive field. More on that next Sunday which will be the last blog on writing and publishing. New blogs on insomnia, dieting, and other worldly topics are in the works!
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