A question for our book authors.

[stepcutgirl]

How did you get started? what did you do? I always thought you wrote a book first and then sent a copy to every publisher you could find but on Dr. Phil the other day he was saying that you contact publishers before writing a book and if they are interested they sign you and tell you how they want the book written. Whats the truth? How would someone like me with no experience get anyone to listen to me?

 

[wolftress]

I''m not an author but I work in the publishing industry. From my experience, you must be able to prove your expertise in a field in order for a publisher to commission you to write something. For example, if you want to write a book about parenting, you should be able to prove that you have first-hand experience with childcare, etc.

Fiction is a lot more difficult because publishers get hundreds upon hundreds of unsolicited manuscripts. I cannot think of a single publisher who would contract an unknown author to write a fiction title without first seeing the manuscript, but things may work differently in Australia.

What kind of book are you thinking about writing?

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I was wondering the same thing,
DH is in the process of writing a fiction/thriller book just to be able to say he wrote a book and if it gets published that''s a plus but not the end goal

 

[Haven]

I''m not a published book author, but I''ve read an enormous amount of essays and reflections written by writers about getting published. (I teach creative writing.)

Most fiction writers write the book first, and then send it to potential publishers and agents in order to get published. It is very rare for an unpublished fiction writer to get a publishing deal without an actual book to publish. Many also start out by first publishing short stories in magazines.

I don''t know much about nonfiction publishing, though.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Well, it's not a work of fiction. It's real life experience, but it is a somewhat tender subject for me to throw out on an open forum. I'm in the US. If we message admin will they let us swap email addresses?

 

[Liane]

If you are writing fiction or memoir, this is the most common route, although everyone has their individual story:

1. Write the entire manuscript. Finish it. FINISH IT. Then revise it. Polish it until it is as perfect as you can make it.

[Optional, but likely useful: seek feedback from critique groups, writing partners, and anyone else who can give you a fair, impartial opinion on how you might improve your work. The opinions of friends and family can be encouraging but are, unfortunately, almost always meaningless beyond that.]

2. Query agents (there are tons of resources on how to do this: look for the very informative blogs run by Miss Snark, Nathan Bransford, Janet Reid, Jessica Faust at Bookends, Kristin Nelson, etc.)

3. Once you have representation from an agent, that agent will submit the manuscript on your behalf to publishers. With luck, one or more publishers may make an offer on the manuscript.

That''s the super-simple version. If you look at any of the blogs I listed above, you will find that there is a wealth of information out there that goes into much greater depth, and I strongly recommend reading everything they have to say once you''re ready to start submitting. But until then, the only thing you really need to worry about for fiction or memoir is writing the manuscript and getting it done.

(Non-memoir nonfiction is different, but it doesn''t sound like that''s what you''re asking about.)

 

[stepcutgirl]

Thank you Liane! This is EXACTLY what I was looking for! Congratulations on your own book deal! How long did it take you to write your book, get an agent and get it picked up? I suspect this all may just be an idea in my head. I understand that I am probably more likely to win the lotto than get published but I think I have a story that can help many people and I''d like to tell it.

 

[Haven]

Date: 2/20/2010 8:35:27 PM
Author: stepcutgirl
Well, it''s not a work of fiction. It''s real life experience, but it is a somewhat tender subject for me to throw out on an open forum. I''m in the US. If we message admin will they let us swap email addresses?

I should have written "narrative" and "non-narrative" rather than "fiction" and "nonfiction." If your work is to be narrative in nature, then I believe the same standards apply than to works of fiction.

If you are planning to write an instructional or informational book, or some other non-narrative work, then I don''t know how those are typically published.

 

[Liane]

One thing that I would really strongly recommend if you''re thinking about writing is starting out in short fiction. It''s much easier to break in with short stories, plus it gives you good practice finishing your projects and developing a thick skin with regard to rejection (which is, unfortunately, inevitable. You will be rejected. You will be rejected many, many times. Know that going in). Short story credits in respectable publications also make agents and publishers view your novel submissions a little more favorably, since they know that you''re capable of writing at a publishable level.

I get the feeling that you''re thinking about doing a memoir, so the recommendation to start with short fiction may not be applicable to you, but IMO it''s still worth a shot just to get in some writing practice and maybe get a sense of where you are market-wise (not yet publishable, semi-pro, pro). Anyway, that''s the standard recommenation I make to everyone. Duotrope is an excellent resource for finding short fiction markets when you''re ready to start looking there. Ralan''s Market Report is also excellent for SF, fantasy, and horror writers (that''s what I write, so it''s the market I know best).

My personal path was roughly as follows:

-- Started writing short stories with an eye toward publication in 2006
-- Racked up a couple of short story credits, got some rejections from editors
-- Started writing first novel in December 2007
-- Finished novel, started submitting it to agents; got some offers, some rejections
-- Signed with my agent in spring 2008; got some more rejections from publishers
-- Book deal in spring 2009
-- Publication due March 2010.

So, as you can see, even when the story ends well, there will be many many rejections along the way.

 

[Elmorton]

Liane''s advice is right on. In terms of physically getting started writing, most authors also adhere to a very strict routine or daily writing schedule. There are tons of great books that talk about getting started in the process of writing and publishing. My absolute favorite is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, though On Writing by Stephen King can be a great one too (I''m not a fan of King as a general rule, but it''s not a bad read) - but there are tons and tons of books out there just on the subject of drafting, revising, and getting into the discipline of writing to work on larger, long term projects.

Liane or Wolftress can you also weigh in on this?: My genre of choice to read is memoir, and I''ve been noticing a real trend that most "unknown" memoirists have either released their writing on blogs or started blogging in order to gain an audience prior to publishing a whole work. I caught the tail end of a story on NPR''s Talk of the Nation a month or two ago discussing how the publishing industry is very different than what most people assume, and that break-out or first time writers need to understand that they will be in charge of their own marketing, advertising, and getting a fan base for the publisher to even get interested. The way the speakers discussed publishing, it sounded like a publishing house is really not going to market you unless you already have a huge fan following (celebrity author) or have produced major bestsellers.

Also, another piece of the puzzle is that you really don''t need a huge amount of capital to publish your own text and sell it wherever and to whomever you want. Most mid-sized cities and larger have independent publishers where you do the bulk of the work (formatting, editing, etc) and they will publish/bind your text in a small quantity. My father has done this with academic work for years, and it''s a great way to get your work readership even if it''s on a small scale to start. You might also seek out a small publishing house that specializes in certain genres or topics.

 

[stepcutgirl]

What I would like to do is a memoir. But I''d be willing to do anything to get my name out there. Thank you so much for your advice. I hope you will be sticking around, I feel I may have many questions for you along the way.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Thank you El that is good advice too. I have no idea how you start a blog or how you get a fan base. Would that be something to think of closer to finishing the book?

 

[Liane]

Elmorton: yes, that''s pretty accurate.

There are really two things going on there: platform and self-promotion.

Platform is mostly relevant to non-narrative nonfiction, although it certainly doesn''t hurt memoirists or novelists. Basically it comes down to two questions: (1) Why should anyone listen to what you have to say about this topic?; and (2) Will anyone listen to what you have to say about this topic? If a publisher has to choose between a cookbook by the latest and greatest star on Food Network vs. one by a nameless non-professional that no one''s ever heard of, they''ll always pick the one by the expert with a big audience, even if the other actual book might be better.

Memoirists and novelists don''t necessarily need to have a huge platform, since those books mostly get sold on the strength of their narrative, but it helps and never hurts.

Self-promotion is separate but related. It''s true that most authors are stuck with their own marketing and advertising. Publicity dollars mostly go to bestsellers and celebrity authors. It''s a bit of a nuisance since at best it''s a distraction from writing and at worst it''s ulcer-inducing nightmare stress, but it''s the reality of the modern publishing marketplace.

Self-publishing is a whole ''nother topic that I''m not sure I want to get into. I''ll just note that it can be a viable route for academic publications and other types of specialized nonfiction, but I personally would not recommend self-publishing fiction.

 

[Elmorton]

Liane, thanks for replying with such a thorough answer.

Stepcut - for blogging, start at a website like blogspot.com - they offer blog templates for free. The initial format is like putting together a basic mySpace page - you pick your layout, colors, can upload a photo if you want. You can share as much or as little about yourself as you want on your profile. Then start writing. You can choose to have your blog private (like a diary only you see), by invitation (you can choose to send your link to a select group of your choosing), public, or public with ads.

I blog, and it''s a great exercise in just sticking with writing and sticking to a topic. One of my weaknesses is that I''m a relatively undisciplined writer. I get very excited about a topic and then lose interest somewhat quickly. Blogging helps me with the discipline of writing more often and I can also test out how long a topic can hold my own interest as a writer. I really didn''t want a huge audience for my blog (I''m still a touch uncomfortable with this), so when I update my blog I just throw my link on my FB page, and that''s how I direct traffic to my blog - most of my readers are people I know, though I''ve also had comments before from strangers who searched keywords that matched specific entries (that doesn''t happen very often I don''t think - so it''s not really a good way to rely on readership). Still, blogging does make me feel a bit exposed - but that''s part of writing about yourself, and it''s a nice step toward seeing if you''d be truly comfortable publishing to a wider audience. Blogging is also really a great way to test out the waters with what you''re writing and see how your audience responds. If you want to be completely anonymous of course, I wouldn''t publicize through people you know, but you can add relevant keywords and register with the blog host so your blog will pop up if people are searching a topic related to your blog.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Lots of helpful info ladies. Thank you so much.

 

[VRBeauty]

I can''t offer any personal experience, but I thought of this thread when I saw this in the Sacramento Bee today:


The Web site www.thedebutanteball.com was created four years ago by a debut author who drafted four other debut authors; all were in need of mutual support as they went through the publishing process with their books.
After their titles were published, the five authors handed off the site to five other authors who were about to be published – and so on.

At the site you''ll find advice for budding authors, blogs, reviews, tricks of the trade from literary agents, author interviews and discussions of book- related subjects, such as book marketing and the quality of the artwork and photos on book covers.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Thanks VRB. That is a great resource.