At times when you're trying
to get published it can feel like you're standing outside a shop where the
closed sign has gone up and then they pull down the shutters when they see you
coming.
It's tough going but there
are some things you can do to give yourself a fighting chance -
Read as much as you can and
in as many genres as you can. Whenever I'm stuck with a bit in my novel,
reading inspires me.
Write as much as you can and
accept that you may have to write a lot of novels or non-fiction books before
you get published. This may be because your first work is rubbish/not what
they're publishing right now/needed more work that you realised. I wrote 4 full
sized novels before I had my novella accepted by Pulp Press. I also started
many more.
Accept you will have some
near misses. The man who discovered JK Rowling was interested in my non-fiction
book but it came to nothing. The publisher of my first ever published book, a
humour title wanted my next two books, but then they decided to cut back on
their publishing schedule and they couldn't do the 2 books.
Don't be snooty about any
other genre. This is important because you might be missing out on the genre
your writing might be most suited for.
Get to know other writers so
you can share your tales of woe and success. Yes, I did say success. My
favourite writers' forum is Talkback. Great people who are so supportive and
know what it's like to be a writer.
Keep on submitting to
publishers and agents and ALWAYS follow their guidelines. If you don't you
might as well throw your submission in the bin. For instance, most agents &
publishers don't want to see your full manuscript they may want to see 10,000
words or their first 3 chapters and a synopsis.
Get feedback on your work
wherever you can. It's so difficult to see your work as others see it. If you
can't get feedback edit your work by printing it out or viewing it on an ebook
reader. It helps you to get your editor's hat on.
P.S. After writing this, I
got the first rejection for my zombie book. Off to cry into a bucket then I’ll
give myself a kick up the backside and get on with it. Writers who get
published get published because they NEVER give up.
