As an editor and a novelist, I get asked by people all the time about my jobs. Doctors, financial planners, car salesmen and the like are curious about the lifestyle of The Novelist. For many, writing looks like an elusive, exotic career. They think we stay up all hours of the night, puffing away at cigarettes, drinking a snifter of brandy and mumbling under our breaths as we move ink-stained fingers across reams of paper.
Well, I for one only do that on Tuesday nights, thankyouverymuch. ;-)
The biggest question I get is how I got published (and also how much money I make, which is a whole Pandora's box in itself--but I digress, lol).
I remember being uber-green back in the day (around 2004), having that wisp of an idea hit me that I wanted to write a book. It's easy now for me to look at where I am, after years of being in publishing as an author and editor, and feel like I understand how the industry works. But when you start brand-new, you want to know how to break in.
You want to write a novel. You want to see it published.
If I had a dollar for each time someone asked me how to get a book published, I wouldn't have to work. Actually, that would be rad--can someone get that set up for me? Awesome, thaaaaanks. Anyway, some people ask because they're curious in general. They just want to know how the publishing industry works.
But some...some have a book that's been burning inside them for a long time. And they really want to know. How does one even start trying to understand the monumental task of writing a book, much less finding an agent and/or publisher?
In that vein, I've decided to do a series of posts outlining the whole process, plus tips/tricks about breaking into publishing with a traditional/digital publisher (assuming, of course, your story is well-crafted and commercial enough to gain you an agent and/or editor). Obviously I can't make any guarantees or promises, and this will be based off my own experiences, as well as some of my friends'. But if you're curious about how publishing works and/or you're dying to start that book, this might help.
Or if you're an author who gets this question all the time, maybe you can point people here. haha
If you decide you want to self-publish, that's a whole other series of posts. But some of these steps are the same, with the exception of actually submitting to agents/editors. Instead, you'll be acting as your own publisher. There's lots of great info on the interweb about self-publishing, so crack your knuckles and practice that Google Fu if you're interested in it! :D
Let me restate again that some of what I write in these blog posts will be a bit overgeneralized and that your own mileage may vary. These posts are meant to be informative and suggestive, not declarative, and hopefully may help you wade your way into the traditional/digital publishing industry. Each person's path will be unique, of course, but this is how I started as a writer.
So, without further ado, let's start with part 1: research.
You want to write a book. AWESOME. Now what the hell do you do?
First, you have some decisions to make. Is this fiction? Nonfiction? (If it's nonfiction, these posts may not all apply to you. My expertise is in fiction. But some of the process may be the same.). Let's assume you've decided you want to write a novel (and btw, it's just "novel"--not fiction novel...novels are fiction by nature). Here are some questions you should answer before you even start your research (hint: if you're not sure what you want to write, look at what you're reading. What books do you gobble up? What do you feel drawn to?). And if you already have a story/plot idea or a character in mind, where do you think it might fit?
1--what age group interests you? Do you want to write for little kids? Middle-schoolers? Young adu1 Comments on Breaking Into Publishing, Part 1--Research!, last added: 4/12/2012Display Comments Add a Comment
I hate when people ask me how much I got paid. I mean, no one asks my DH how much he makes. What's the deal with that?