| Aspiring writers can't be blamed for balking at the | | | | about holding it in print form, e-publishing can at |
| apparently insuperable hurdles to becoming a | | | | least raise your profile and that's what you need |
| published author. Modern technology has made the | | | | now as your next step. Having had a couple of |
| actual process of writing much easier than ever | | | | print publishers expressing an interest in my first |
| before. Perhaps this is why so many believe they | | | | novel, I realized it had something going for it. |
| can use their word processors to achieve fame | | | | Ultimately, when it came to the crunch, they |
| and fortune. Unfortunately, the number of | | | | turned it down, but I then had it accepted by an |
| traditional publishers is shrinking rapidly as small | | | | electronic publisher and then I won an EPPIE |
| houses are swallowed up by the big boys. Herein | | | | award for it. As I had sold only electronic rights I |
| lies a mathematical problem of course: more | | | | didn't lose sight of finding a print publisher, as I |
| writers chasing fewer outlets. It's enough to make | | | | explain later. |
| you want to change your mouse for, well, | | | | Use your strategic skills in placing articles on the |
| anything that has fewer odds against success. | | | | Internet too. Even if you don't receive payment, |
| But before you throw in the towel take a look at | | | | you can use your work to your advantage. I |
| your strategy. Yes, strategy. If you don't believe | | | | placed a few articles on a high-profile site that |
| you need one, then stop reading this now but at | | | | allowed its contributors to post book proposals. |
| the same time forget about becoming a published | | | | The result is that a publisher has expressed in |
| writer. The truth is that serendipity has very little | | | | interest in my writing a reference book. |
| to do with writing success. You need to plan your | | | | I also run a website that is not only a means of |
| path. And if you're saying right now, so, okay | | | | publicising my work but offers various kinds of |
| what success have you had? Well, I can say with | | | | support for writers too. This is an effective way |
| all honesty that my strategy is working very | | | | of putting yourself in the public domain. |
| nicely. As I'll explain in the course of this article. | | | | Do I hear some groans of despair out there? I |
| So what's the first step? Simply learn your craft. | | | | know not everyone feels at ease with web page |
| No matter how much talent you may have, you | | | | design and domain names and the rest of it. It's |
| still need to learn a lot - about writing techniques | | | | okay. You can join a writers' online community |
| and about outlets and markets for your work. | | | | and set up your web pages without needing any |
| Nobody need lack access to a creative writing | | | | technical knowledge. And the cost is minimal. It's all |
| class nowadays. If you can't attend one physically, | | | | part of the strategy because you can start to |
| then sign up for a correspondence course or | | | | network. Networking is important. You need to |
| access one on the Internet. You also need regular | | | | build up a circle of people who can advise you, |
| feedback on your work from other writers and | | | | inform you, read your work and, eventually, |
| you can do this by joining a local writers' group or | | | | commission you. |
| by finding an Internet critique board. Believe me, | | | | But, I hear you say, you're hardly a household |
| you will see your style develop and your | | | | name, so why do you claim this strategy has |
| professionalism grow. | | | | worked. No, I'm no J.K. Rowling and probably |
| When you have knocked a few pieces into shape | | | | never will be. But this November I'll be holding my |
| enter some competitions. Study them carefully. | | | | first novel in my hands, in print. Like a number of |
| Local events are a good start. I won my first | | | | other British writers I stumbled across a publisher |
| competition by entering an article in the local | | | | called Publish America. Now this is something of a |
| evening newspaper's competition. I was then able | | | | ground breaker in publishing. It welcomes new |
| to point to this success when I started sending | | | | authors. It's not the Rolls Royce of publishers, |
| out my initial pieces for publication. You don't even | | | | more the bottom-of-the-range, daily runabout |
| have to win first prize to claim success. Being a | | | | model. It won't pay you an advance on royalties, |
| runner-up still puts you ahead of the game. | | | | it won't do any developmental editing (but then |
| Now start finding markets. Start small and look | | | | few traditional publishers do that now) and it will |
| for magazines that specialize in what you do. I | | | | expect you to be active in marketing. But it is not |
| wrote a story I really wanted to publish but, not | | | | vanity publishing and it will place your books in all |
| having a track record, I didn't expect it to get into | | | | the big online bookstores. As far as I'm |
| a high-profile publication. I did, however, succeed | | | | concerned, this has taken me another step along |
| with a well regarded magazine publishing only | | | | my chosen route. |
| women's fiction. Okay they paid peanuts, but I | | | | Of course I hope my next novel will be taken up |
| had another success for my portfolio. | | | | my a mainstream publisher so I'm still following |
| Next you need to look at ways of proliferating | | | | my strategy. And it's going to plan. I have just |
| your published material. Don't go for any kind of | | | | been 'highly commended' in a competition in which |
| vanity publishing: remember you want to be paid | | | | I entered an extract from my novel in progress. |
| for your work, not pay somebody to publish it, | | | | The next stage is to complete that (no small |
| and if it's good enough, you will eventually sell it. | | | | task), then to query agents and publishers. When |
| But do look at the new opportunities that modern | | | | I do so, I will have a lot more to tell them about |
| technology affords. Electronic publishing is in its | | | | my publishing history than if I hadn't worked out a |
| infancy and, although you may not feel the same | | | | strategy. |
| about seeing your work on screen as you would | | | | |