Hello to those who’ve come to this spot to see what I had to say about the journey of writing a novel and publishing. I’m glad you’re here!
Recently, a writer came to me with a request for information about publishing. His request made me think (again!) that I needed to share what I know. This information is for writers at the beginning of their journey, a basic collection of what I learned over the past fifteen years, along with some resources to get you started. Believe me, once you do get started, you’ll find there’s even more available to you since looking up anything related to writing/publishing tends to have a domino effect.
My little disclaimer is that I’m by no means any sort of expert, but I can provide some information based on what I found out along the way. I hope it’s helpful in some way to you!
READ WHAT YOU WRITE
Make sure you’re reading what you write, and a LOT of it. If you write mystery – read it. If you write SciFi – read it. Horror? Well, why not the master, read Stephen King. Bottom line, whatever it is you’re interested in creating, read in that genre and be sure to read the authors who’ve “made it big!” They’re the ones who can show you how it’s done. I mean after all, aren’t they inadvertently leading by example? This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read anything else because you can learn from all genres. For example, when I wrote my latest published novel, When the Jessamine Grows, I read Paulette Jiles because she writes a lot of novels set during the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. I also read many other books that weren’t about that time, but still gave me ideas and insight on character development, like The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, and strangely perhaps, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See.
READ CRAFT BOOKS
One of my favorite things to do (still) is read books on the craft of writing. The ones I’ve read are The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner, On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and Consider This; Moments In My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different by Chuck Palahniuk. There are many others out there and what makes reading them invaluable are the varying tidbits of advice and you’re sure to find something that resonates with your own personal writing style.
KEEP UP WITH THE INDUSTRY
I subscribe to Writer’s Digest and Poets & Writers. Both are excellent and loaded with information for writers of all stages. Never stop learning! There’s always something new around the corner, whether it’s a new social media platform, or a new/blended genre, like the big winner this year in book sales, “romantasy!”
Another way to keep up with the industry is via social media. Pick your poison here. 😏 By that I mean to choose which platform you prefer, and focus your efforts there. I feel a bit scattershot in this regard and that’s because I worked in Information Technology for a long time, and we were hopping onto the new tools when they came out. For example, I’ve been on X/Twitter since 2008, or 2009. My profile’s out there, but I don’t spend a lot of time posting. Mostly, I use Instagram and have it set up to automatically post to Facebook, and now Threads. Either way, these platforms are, as I’m sure you already know, where you can follow authors, agents, agencies, editors and publishing houses. Oftentimes, agents and editors express what they want via their social media accounts. For instance, there’s a hashtag for an agent’s or editor’s manuscript wish-list, i.e. #MSWL. Not all of them do this, but many participate. ***Of course, always practice social media etiquette. In my world, that means lurk and learn. 😉
ATTEND AUTHOR EVENTS
Check your local independent bookstores and libraries for author events coming up and attend them. It’s a great way to connect with other readers, for sure, but there’s always a writer, or two, or more (!) in attendance. This is where you get to ask questions of a published author, and of course, support them.
JOIN THE NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS NETWORK (NCWN)
There’s a yearly cost, but it’s worth it. It’s a great way to network, attend conferences, keep up with what’s going on with writers from all over North Carolina (like the “Hats Off” section) as well are regional meet-ups with writers close to you. Be sure to check out the services offered– like the Critique Reading if you have a manuscript ready for that most important unbiased opinion. There’s also a cost for that, but there’s going to be $ tied to any type of editorial feedback to see if what you have is a book to move forward with, or one that needs a bit of work – or a LOT of work. (Personally, I worked with a freelance editor for over a year on my debut novel, and she really helped me get my story down. I truly didn’t know what I was doing!)
And to that point – definitely (!) get that unbiased opinion I mention above. Aside from NCWN’s critique reading, it’s worth its weight in gold to find a good/reputable freelance editor. You can Google, but beware of scammers. (!) To help with that, there’s a site called Writer Beware. Read their extensive listings to check if an individual or site is reputable. I used it last year when I was approached about converting one of my books to film. The email was slick, the name used seemed “familiar” and what I learned is 1) it WAS a scam, and 2) sometimes a name is created by using the first name of a famous person + the last name of a famous person. I mean, who wouldn’t pay attention to Angela Fonda? (I just made that up, but you get what I mean!) 😉
ATTEND WRITING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
NCWN holds them so you can attend theirs, but there are others out there too. You’d probably have to Google them, but for example a big mystery/suspense conference is called Bouchercon. There are others that target other genres.
BUILD YOUR WRITING COMMUNITY
Get to know other writers who write in your genre, and connect with them, etc. They’re GOLD, and understand what it’s like to write a novel, and seek representation, etc. You can also connect with other writers who write outside of your genre, but in the beginning, it’s always good to get to know those who are producing similar works. They’re the ones who can offer great advice, tell you about agents looking for new authors, etc.
CREATE AN ACCOUNT at AGENT QUERY
This is a site where, once you’re ready, you can target which agents might be the best ones to represent you/your work and see how they accept queries. Most do it via email now, but have VERY SPECIFIC guidelines. ***Don’t ever send anything outside of what they ask for – i.e., if they say to send the first 3 pages of a manuscript – don’t send them the first 50+ because “the action doesn’t happen until after page 38!” In most cases, you only get one chance, and you don’t want to blow it at the get-go. (this also translates into – make sure your first pages are as compelling as possible)
READ QUERY LETTER SAMPLES at the once infamous QUERY SHARK
This is an old blog spot created by legendary NYC agent, Janet Reid, who sadly passed away last year. The site has been kept up to continue to help writers. In other words, before you query, know HOW to query. That’s essentially what her site teaches.
CREATE AN ACCOUNT AT QUERY TRACKER
This is a site that can help you keep track of which agent you’ve queried, so you don’t make the mistake of querying them twice. That could land your ms in “file 13.”
WHEN IT’S ALL SAID AND DONE
When you’ve done the work, from connecting to other writers, built up your industry knowledge, learned all you can, and finally, and most importantly, prepared your manuscript by getting it edited, polished and spit-shined, the last thing you do is grow a very thick skin, because once you begin querying, you need to be prepared to hear nothing – for a LONG time. Be prepared for no responses from agents. The best advice I can give here is to keep querying and also begin a new project. Never stop writing. Always have something else in your back pocket. That’s how I was published. My agent queried an editor with one particular manuscript, which he turned down, but he wanted to know if I had anything else, and I did. My agent sent him THE EDUCATION OF DIXIE DUPREE and I was offered a contract six weeks later.
The best of luck to you!
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