Are you published??

[Hey|Crazy|Beautiful]

I'm writing a novel and have been for a while - I think it's very good and my teachers have always compared me to James Patterson. I was just wondering how you got published and how the process works. To be honest, I have no idea where to start!! Any suggestions would be awesome!!

Thanks!
Brittany

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

About 10 years ago, I had a letter to Martha Stewart Magazine published! I was asking how to make traditional Southern Iced Tea. It was actually a little test, too..wanted to see if she would play around with it and add oranges or ginger or something Herbal..LOL. She didn't she had it right!

 

[JoyG]

I'm writing a novel and have been for a while - I think it's very good and my teachers have always compared me to James Patterson. I was just wondering how you got published and how the process works. To be honest, I have no idea where to start!! Any suggestions would be awesome!!

Thanks!
Brittany

I'm not published but I hope to be one day.

I'm working on my first novel also. There are tons of books to describe the process. Your process may be different than the one I take.

I will need to attend writers conferences specific to my niche to meet agents. I will need an agent to represent my work and hopefully find a publisher for it.

I suggest you start at the library!

 

[december]

MIL's dh is published. He's written 2 books. I've thought about trying it a few times, but no time to get serious with it. I'm interested in the responses here.

 

[Val]

I have numerous scientific publications....but unless you are interested in the the underlying mechanisms of reinforcement in the brain, I guess you haven't read them! Heck, my own family won't read them!

 

[SandraVB79]

I have had many letters to the newspaper publishe and some poems got published, but that was each time for some charity or as a result of winning a poetry competition, so it's not like I made money with it.

 

[DISUNC]

YES!

But in very boring Technical magazines & publications! Even I dont wanna read them.
Maybe you caught my FAMOUS article about 10 years ago on how to send reports created on a IBM mainframe (Sequential dataset...of course) to a HP Printer over a LPD Server....IN DUPLEX...and Barcoded! (Thats right...I said BARCODED!!!! OH YEAH) That was HOTSTUFF in the day.

Then of course there was the letter to the Gentlesmans magazine....!

 

[Cindy B]

Whoo hoo.. DISUNC.. that's pretty hot stuff.

TO the OP, as for getting published it is challenging. I am a writing major (along with an Education degree).

It is very difficult. I would suggest getting quite a few writing books and thoroughly reading them. Sol's Stein's Writing book is slightly dated, but has excellent information. Stephen King's (yes-that Stephen King!) On Writing is actually very good as well.

Find symposiums or conferences that offer critiques in writing skills.

 

[Feralpeg]

OP, get a copy of Writers Digest or even Publishing for Dummies. They will explain how the whole process works. Getting published is not easy. You will need to write a letter that basically is a synopsis of your work. If it catches the eye of the person at the publishing company, they will contact you. It is very hit or miss unless you have an agent. Of course, most agents only want to represent published authors. It's kind of a catch 22. Good luck!

 

[GothTink]

I'm a published author with Penguin.

It's not easy, but so worth it. My best advice? Join Backspace: www.bksp.org - there's a free five-day trial and that site is so full of incredible info and amazing people.

 

[Hercules10]

Does me being analyzed in a psychology journal count?

 

[DVCLiz]

I was paid to write some entries in a professional anthology of children's literature once. I was asked by a woman I met at a conference - she was editing the anthology and we struck up a friendship. I think I was paid $35 per entry and I wrote maybe 6 of them. I could not have been more thrilled if I had won the Pulitzer Prize. Literally, it was one of the most exciting days in my life when the letter came responding to a sample I had sent it saying I wrote beautifglly, didn't need any editing, and would I be interested in writing some entries??? Gosh, I can still rememeber how excited I was!!!

Best two hundred bucks I ever earned. Plus I got a free copy of the book!

 

[Jennasis]

Try www.absolutewrite.com They have a ton of great info and a very active and very supportive discussion forum.

 

[Enchanted_Mama]

yes.

I have an article published here in December 2005.

 

[Hey|Crazy|Beautiful]

Thanks so much for all of this information!! I knew it would be super hard but I was hoping I was wrong!! I'll check out all the sites and books you've given me! Thanks!!!

 

[JR6ooo4]

Yes, but just photos of an event.

Mikeeee

 

[Hey|Crazy|Beautiful]

I'm a published author with Penguin.

It's not easy, but so worth it. My best advice? Join Backspace: www.bksp.org - there's a free five-day trial and that site is so full of incredible info and amazing people.

I'm going to join this site .. any advice????

 

[Quiksilvr]

I've had several pieces published; none of which has sold like hotcakes.

Going forward I'm limiting myself to the academic press since that's where I seem to be at least somewhat respected.

If you want advice about what you need to do to be a successful author, the first order of business is to come up with an idea for a book that people will actually want to pay money to read. Second, write it well. Only after you accomplish those two things is anything else relevant.

Trust me, people aren't really out looking for the next Great American Novel. People are more interested in a sequel to the Da Vinci Code. Once you've got a good draft going, have people review your draft who (a) you trust, (b) enjoy reading the kind of book you're trying to write, and (c) who can competently critique your work and not simply say "I liked it." I've been through draft after draft after draft of certain pieces and there is always something that can be improved, but it's often hard to see that as the author. You need people who can really draw out better writing, language, and ideas. The editors I've had in the past really help with that process.

That said, you don't necessarily want your book to be reviewed by an English professor. Most of them have no idea what's marketable and what isn't. They spend their time analyzing other people's writing like an academic. If any of them could write something that people wanted to read they would do that instead of teaching.

 

[Pigeon]

I've had several peer-reviewed articles published in academic journals and am just finishing up another manuscript for submission.

 

[fkj2]

As another poster noted, attend writers' conferences. Google Shaw Guides. You should find listings for conferences there. I attended a conference in Columbus, OH two years ago. In one of the seminars, the editor asked my name, saying that if he ever got a manuscript from me, he wanted to know I'd met him at that conference. Never underestimate the value of contacts.

You can learn so much from other writers. Avoid -ly adverbs in your descriptions. Show...don't tell. Narration has its place but developing characterization, description, and dialogue techniques is invaluable. Check your local Barnes & Noble, which often hosts small fiction writers' groups. Promote your work at every opportunity. Promote, promote, promote.

DON'T misspell. If you want to turn an agent or editor off, send in a manuscript loaded with spelling errors. If an agent or editor tells you to send in a script in a specific manner, send it the way you're told. Prepare for rejection and wear those letters as badges of honor. Some of the most prominent writers in history were rejected time after time.

Someone recommended Bird by Bird to me to read. It was a good resource but one of the best recommendations I got was a book by Reni Browne (I think), How to Self-Edit Yourself into Print. (Or something close to that.)

A friend of mine had written a professional column for a publication and I edited the articles. He made me a much better writer. Editing is a great way--as far as I'm concerned--to develop a feel for how content flows, or SHOULD flow--and develop organization. It's also a great way to follow style guides; if one type of word was italicized, another word of the same type should be italicized.

And advice that I should follow: Dedicate a specific time during your day to sit down and WRITE. Then, do it.