So, you want 'to be a writer'. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has said that to me. 'Oh, it must be so nice to just sit and write all day.' HA! HA! and HA! If only.
Things have changed. To be a successful writer these days you have to also be a publicist, social media expert, publishing guru, business owner, crystal ball gazer and salesperson. Publishers are no longer satisfied with just your brilliant work, they want to know how it will sell, what it is similar to, who will buy it and why, even which section of the bookshop it will belong to. In short, they want us to be market analysts as well as writers.
This sits ill with a cave dweller.
Then there's your 'writers journey', or as my husband puts it, being 'forged in the fires of rejection.' How badly do you want to be published? How much do you believe in this story/project? How much are you willing to sacrifice for this goal? I recently signed a contract for a book that was previously submitted to 13 publishers over a period of five years. It's changed a lot since the beginning because I kept asking for feedback. What was wrong, what I needed to fix. And then I fixed it. And then I fixed it some more.
You need balls of steel for this job.
That is why I say writing is not for the pussyfooters. You cannot hope for success if you whine about how unfair it is. You must believe in what you are writing, that the message is worthwhile, has something valuable or interesting or refreshing to say. And keep going. Ask for advice and listen to it.
If I knew at the beginning what I know now.....
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Things have changed. To be a successful writer these days you have to also be a publicist, social media expert, publishing guru, business owner, crystal ball gazer and salesperson. Publishers are no longer satisfied with just your brilliant work, they want to know how it will sell, what it is similar to, who will buy it and why, even which section of the bookshop it will belong to. In short, they want us to be market analysts as well as writers.
This sits ill with a cave dweller.
Then there's your 'writers journey', or as my husband puts it, being 'forged in the fires of rejection.' How badly do you want to be published? How much do you believe in this story/project? How much are you willing to sacrifice for this goal? I recently signed a contract for a book that was previously submitted to 13 publishers over a period of five years. It's changed a lot since the beginning because I kept asking for feedback. What was wrong, what I needed to fix. And then I fixed it. And then I fixed it some more.
You need balls of steel for this job.
That is why I say writing is not for the pussyfooters. You cannot hope for success if you whine about how unfair it is. You must believe in what you are writing, that the message is worthwhile, has something valuable or interesting or refreshing to say. And keep going. Ask for advice and listen to it.
If I knew at the beginning what I know now.....
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