Monday, January 16, 2017

Not Just Reading Books but Writing

Over the years, I've read a lot of books. I love reading. Once a book draws me in, I could sit all day and read it until I finish it. For the past few years, I had toyed with the idea of writing a book. I just couldn't decide what I would write about. Then of all days on the day of my wedding rehearsal, I was telling my bridesmaids about this idea I had about what I would do in a disaster. Then it hit me. That's what I could write my book about. This crazy idea of sitting down and actually writing a book didn't seem so crazy anymore. I had the idea and I could move forward now.

After my wedding and after getting some rest, I sat down and actually started writing my book. The first few chapters flowed easily and came naturally to me. It was like it had been in my head all along. Then about half way in the hard part came. I hit a major writers block. I knew how I wanted my story to go but I couldn't think how to continue. I didn't know how to get them to the end. It was the in between that was hard. I keep going though. I wouldn't write everyday because honestly some days I couldn't. I would be tired from working or I would have things I needed to go out and do. Then of course, I had my ornament business and traveling for work.

I started writing my book at the end of December 2015. Once June came around I was more than 50% to my final word count goal. Then I slowed down some. I had told the majority of my plot and just needed how to end the book. I wanted it to end on a cliff hanger but wasn't for sure how I really wanted it to end. So a few more weeks passed by on the calendar and I still hadn't finished it. Finally in November after Thanksgiving, I finished the book. I got to my final goal word count. What I'm learning now is that writing the book might have been the easiest part of this entire process.

At the start of December, I started looking into how to go about getting published. I know a lot of people promote self publishing but that's not the route that I would like to go. I want a company to buy my book and publish it. So I started the next step in making that happen. A lot of the big book publishers wont just take your book, read it and then publish it. You need to have an agent who can submit it to them so I started looking into literary agents. To get an agent you need to Query them. So you have to have a query letter, often a synopsis and your biography. So I started working on those items. Then finally I started submitting my work to literary agents.

It's been a month now I'm still in the process of trying to find an agent. I was told by someone I know who has a literary agent to query several and then query more as you get rejections. And yes before you ask.... rejections are very common. Currently, I've queried about 38 agents and I've got about 8 rejections. Thankfully the agents haven't been like YOU SUCK GIVE UP! They've just said my work isn't the right fit for them. So the hunt continues. I like to say that I have a lot of irons in the fire. Once of them is going to come out hot!

I know that this year, I will find a literary agent. Someone who believes in this book and knows that they can sell it. I want to get a literary agent, put the finishing touches on my book and sell it to a big publishing house and see my name on the front of a big in print! I can feel it! I know it can happen. Look at all the people who have written a book and got it published.

You have to ask. believe and receive. That's exactly what I'm doing! I'm believing that an agent is going to snatch my book up to get published. I'm ready to receive it! I'll keep you updated on the process. In the meantime, I'm just over here becoming my own Joan Wilder!

2 comments:

Smiling is Good for Your Teeth said...

This is so exciting!! Can't wait to read your book!

Anonymous said...

Don't just query agents, send off email submissions to publishers as many take them. These days, the advances will be few and far between and even if you get an agent there is no guarantee they will be able to sell it to a publisher. On top of that it could take years before your book is even bought. And then at least two years before it's published if it's picked up. Many trad pubbed authors tell of their multi year long trip down trad pub lane and how they got nothing for it. Unless your book sells well, your advance (if you get one) will not sell out, so you won't get any royalties. It's just the way it works now.

Have you edited it to within an inch of it's life? Have you joined a writing club or had people you don't know read it and edit it? Have you found a copy editor or manuscript assessor? If it's not up to snuff no one will want it.

At the end of the day you decided to be traditionally published, that may never happen, it's all going to depend on luck. If you take the self publishing route you will need to do the exact same thing, edit it to within an inch of it's life, get a cover done, but at least you'll have what you want and not what the pub house gives you, and you will earn more money unlike with a trad house. And it will take less than a year and you control everything.

I suggest you thoroughly research self versus trad publishing online as many traditionally published authors are leaving or being released from their deals due to lack of sales, lack of money and lack of respect. If you are picked up by a trad house, thoroughly read the deal they give you and get an expert lawyer to check it out. Many publishing houses rip their authors off, and keep your book for 35 years plus and you have no say in how it looks or how it's promoted. And then you'll have to wait 35 years to get your backlog back. And don't expect too much publicity, they'll expect you promote yourself too.

I strongly suggest reading up on this. I have read many an article and follow many authors who talk about these things on a weekly basis. The stories of bad deals are endless. I don't wanting you being ripped off. I went through all of this when I started but one thing I learned was that my first book sucked and I needed to keep going. I read and learned and am now using what I've learned every time I write.