The Pros and Cons of Print on Demand Publishing
When I was five years old, my parents bought me a manual typewriter for a Christmas present. I practiced every day until I was able to type letters to my grandparents and other relatives. Although it is safe to say that I have been a writer since 1963, I didn’t start making money from my...
The Pros and Cons of Print on Demand Publishing
E-Book Writing Formats: How to Make the Words Flow
Nervous about writing your first e-book? Never fear. E-books are written in a conversational, informative style that's easy for the reader to understand, and easy for you to imitate as you write them. Whether it's ten pages about Smart Finances, 50 pages on How to Care for Your Cat or 250 pages...
E-Book Writing Formats: How to Make the Words Flow
The World of Writing: According to Authors Dave and Lillian Brummet
Question:
What was it like as new authors in the publishing world?
Answer:
As free-lance writers of informative articles, we had no prior experience with book publishers. We did a lot of research and were aware of some basic contract and publishing procedures, yet there were many things we...
The World of Writing: According to Authors Dave and Lillian Brummet
How to Start and Sustain a Career as a Freelance Writer
Have you wondered how you can make a career writing books or articles for various publications? Or are you seeking a viable second income opportunity but do not know where to start? Well, freelance writing may be the right career for you and it can open a world of lucrative opportunities for you....
How to Start and Sustain a Career as a Freelance Writer
Writing From The Edge: Trembling Your Way to Publication
A few nights ago in the final class of the third incarnation of the Book Proposal Boot Camp, we reviewed parts of one author’s proposal and all concurred: Though her author bio and marketing analysis sections sparkled, her overview rambled and failed to clearly convey the power of her book’s...
Writing From The Edge: Trembling Your Way to Publication
The Biggest Challenge Facing A Poet , Getting Published
The best advice that I can give any child or adult who wants to be a poet is to read lots of poetry. Get a feel for poetry. Look at different styles of poetry. I have grown so much in my own writing by reading the work of other poets. Don’t be afraid to accept constructive criticism. Part of being...
The Biggest Challenge Facing A Poet , Getting Published
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For Beginners: Ten Ways To Prepare To Get Published
by
Jill Nagle
Like any field, excellent writing requires study, practice and mentorship. Very few successful authors ever published their first draft of their first work. Nearly all had to expend considerable effort to improve their craft. Here are some ways to prepare for that moment of publication. These tips also help keep you on your toes after publication for better and better writing results as your career develops.
1) Read, read, read in your field. You can never read too much when you’re trying to excel as a writer. Reading in your field helps you develop a discerning eye. You need this discerning eye for when you step back and look at your own work.
2) Cultivate role models. Know who the top-selling authors are in your field. Find out more about them. How did they get to where they are? Do searches in the Internet (available in most libraries-ask your librarian how to use a search engine) for information about particular authors whose careers you admire. Let your role models inspire rather than daunt you. There is no competition, only inspiration, potential teachers and opportunities for cooperation. That author you envy this year may be writing a blurb for your first novel next year.
3) Research your markets. If you want to publish in periodicals, whether literary fiction, journalistic writing, or anything else, realize publication standards serve a purpose other than to frustrate new authors.
4) Take classes. Many cities offer writing classes through community colleges or local writing groups. Online writing classes are popping up everywhere. If possible, choose a writing teacher who has published in a field you’d like to enter. Even better, find someone you already consider a mentor. Not every published author has what it takes to offer beginning writers what they need, but many do.
5) Join or start a writer’s group in your area. We teach best what we most need to learn. There is no better way to improve your own writing than to help others with theirs.
6) Find a writing buddy with whom to check in on a regular basis. The two of you can be each others’ inspiration, accountability market, guidepost and reality check. Having structure and someone to check in with may help you look forward to your otherwise lonely writing sessions.
7) Play with changing voices. Copy other writers you admire. How does that feel? Pretend you suddenly got an injection of creativity serum or I.Q. booster, then write like mad for ten minutes. What happens to the quality of your words? Is this a possible new direction for you? As creative and intelligent beings, we have so much more within us than we could ever dream.
8) Accept the reality of rewriting. Unlike other professions who get to rest on their milestones, for writers, a completed manuscript often represents a beginning. The best writing comes after lots of rewriting, even for seasoned authors. You needn’t throw any of it away, but not every sentence belongs in every work. Save the scraps, but don’t get attached to where they go, or the integrity of your project will suffer.
9) Get clear on what you want out of getting published. Many writers move forward without knowing where they want to wind up. As a teacher once told me, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” The answer to what you want out of getting published will help you determine the best route to take. And in publishing, those routes are many and varied. You can use our Twenty Questions as a self-help guide.
10) If what you want is to get published in the least amount of time, considering hiring a ghostwriter. An extremely common but rarely discussed practice, many successful authors talk to ghostwriters, who put their skills to work on an author’s behalf. Although some such ghostwriters get a cover credit, many do not, hence the “ghost” terminology. If you have more money than time or inclination to toil, ghostwriting may be the option for you. Learn more
About the author:
Author Jill Nagle is founder and principal of GetPublished,
http://www.GetPublished.com,which provides coaching, consulting, ghostwriting, classes and do-it-yourself products to emerging and published authors. Her most recent book is How to Find An Agent Who Can Sell Your Book for Top Dollar http://www.FindTheRightAgent.com
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