I've been writing since I was little and as I got older and my writing got better, I started being told that I should publish. For a long, long time I guarded my originals like state secrets. Only my sister was allowed to read them, and the only thing I put out there for other people to see was fanfiction. Well, eventually, I managed to write a novel I thought was worth reading. After discussing it with my sister, and sitting on it for a couple more years, I decided to go for it.
The first and biggest step toward being published, in my opinion, is finding good beta readers. No matter how talented you are, no matter how prolific your writing, you WILL make mistakes. I make mistakes, Stephen King makes mistakes, JK Rowling makes mistakes, JRR Tolkien made mistakes. There is no perfect author and good beta readers help you catch those mistakes. The key is finding people who you trust, who aren't afraid to tell you when something doesn't work, and who can offer suggestions on how to make it better. Once you've found at least two of those people, never let them go. I'm currently working on the third novel with my betas and I wouldn't trade them for the world.
The second biggest thing is developing a thick skin. You will most likely be told by many agents and publishers that your work is not right for them. That's okay! If they aren't as passionate about it as you are, they aren't the right person to represent it anyway! Think of it in these terms: it's not only about finding the right publisher, but ruling out all the wrong ones. If you view each rejection of non-response as just ruling out the wrong one, you'll be much happier with the process.
Once you find the right publisher, be patient. Developing a project can take months, but that's okay. You want it to take as long as it takes. The last thing you want is to rush a project to market that isn't ready. I personally chose my publisher because I am good friends with another of the authors signed with them. She was happy with them, and they seemed passionate about my work, so I felt comfortable going with them. I haven't been disappointed. I've been impatient, but not disappointed. My cover is gorgeous, the editing is top notch, and most importantly, I can tell they believe in my work.
So what should you take away from this? Keep believing in yourself and your writing and don't stop looking for an agent or publisher until you find one just as passionate as you are about your writing.
Now, here's the fun part for me. The part where I get to market my stuff a bit. My debut novel is coming out next month, and I'm going to offer one free copy of it to one lucky winner who comments below. Here's what you need to do. Read the small excerpt posted below and give me some feedback on what you think about it. The purpose of this is two-fold. First, it gives me feedback, which is what keeps me writing, and second, it gives you a peek at what I write so you know if you might like it. If you do, and think you might want to read the whole thing FOR FREE, leave me some comments. I'll be choosing a winner on November 30th, and emailing you a copy of the book once it's out.
Lightning flashed, and Alaria glowed red for a long minute. The room went completely black, and Griffin heard paws on the floor. If the Veil was gone, and Alaria was there, then she had been able to bring the hellhounds into her apartment. They were going to rip her to pieces.
Finding strength she didn’t know she had, Griffin forced herself to her feet and tried to run. She’d only gotten two steps before one of the hounds was upon her. Teeth ripped into her flesh and blood began to flow. Alaria laughed and spread her arms again.
“See this, Gabriel? She’ll die tonight, and the End will commence!”
There was a loud explosion, and the front door of her apartment flew in. A man dressed all in black with shocking blue eyes and blood red wings stood there. He lifted one hand and sent out a bolt of lightning so strong that it incinerated the Hell hounds. Griffin sobbed with relief when they disappeared and began trying to drag herself toward him, leaving a thick trail of blood behind her.
Here's a link to the grand prize giveaway:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-
And here are the links for all the other wonderful posts!
Breakthrough Authors Blog Hop
November 25 - 29 2013
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I loved the excerpt, and your tale about your writing and publishing journey. I am sure you will do very well
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