writerzitch.com

TIPS FOR UNPUBLISHED, NEW AUTHORS ON: How to get published

So, you have written your first novel and you want to know how to get published?

Many people have written novels, or stories but have no idea how to get published. It often seems overwhelming and difficult to understand the process. How do you get published? Is it simple, or complicated. Are publishers and agents churlish men and women who have no desire to look at your manuscript. Where can you learn how to get published?

The single, most important thing to do if you want to learn how to get published, is to first of all make sure that what you have written is indeed publishable.

Why do you want to publish your book?
There are many reasons why someone would want to get published. It can take months, or even years to get a manuscript to the point that it could be considered publishable. That’s a lot of work, a lot of writing and most likely a lot of time spent correcting and re-writing too. What better reward for your efforts could there be than to get your book published?

People write memoirs, autobiographies, or stories based on real events that happened to them. Some people wake up from a dream and have a story to tell. Perhaps you write children’s stories, or horse stories. Whatever you have written, you deserve to get your book published.

How to get published:
Before you even submit your manuscript for publication, you need to pay attention to the following:

Plot: Is it believable? (Even if you’re writing a fantasy story, it needs to make sense.) Is your story, new, fresh and not a re-write of any other novel?

Characters: Are your characters believable? Do they have weaknesses and strengths, just like real people?

Grammar and Punctuation: Yes, it’s still important to write correctly. Bad grammar and punctuation mistakes will make it almost impossible to find anyone willing to read your story.

How Do You Know if You’ve Written a Great Story?
Sometimes you get that gut feeling, “this novel is the one”. But is it? How can you be sure? Before you go to all the trouble of finding an agent to represent you (more on that later) or sending off your manuscripts to publishers, you may want to have someone else, or a few someones, take a look at your manuscript.

Mothers and brothers and grand-aunts and little sisters may be willing to read your manuscript, but that’s not really what you want. Some of the best people to read your novel are other writers. If you can take your ‘baby’ being scrutinized, tore apart and then put back together; if your skin is as thick as a crocodiles; and if you want really good, pertinent, helpful input then join a writer’s critique group. Besides, published authors have a wealth of knowledge about how to get published. After all, they’ve already done it.

Writer’s forums and critique groups are a dime a dozen. Just search online and you’ll see what I mean. So, how do you join a critique group and how do you know if they’re any good or not? A couple of good critique groups I’ve joined, that cater mainly to the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror writers, have been Critters Writers Workshop and Online Writing Workshop.

There are other very good critique workshops and forums and it pays to look around, check them out and find one that you’re comfortable with. Not all are free (Critters is, for example, but OWW asks for a small membership fee) but you probably wouldn’t want to pay out big bucks to join a group until you’re sure it’s right for you. Many allow you access to forums or give free membership for a specific time, so you can see if you do like them.

Although it’s nice to join up with other novice writers, and critique each others work, I have found it more helpful to team up with writers who have more experience or are more accomplished than I. Why? Because you stand to learn a lot from their experience and advice. If you seriously want to know how to get published, the best way to learn is from other writers.

How to get published–the first 6 easy steps
#1 Write your novel

#2 Print out your first draft, and edit your novel. Chop out sections that don’t further the plot. Re-write scenes that don’t seem right. Deepen your characters, make them more believable. Rearrange your chapters. Make sure your plot is tight and believable. Given the circumstances, it could happen. Keep an eye on your characters, make sure you haven’t introduced one in Chapter Four and then forgotten all about him. Make every character essential to the story in some way.

#3 Type in your corrections, then print out your draft again.

#4 Edit again. This time pay particular attention to any grammatical errors; spelling mistakes; inconsistencies in the weather, the way names are spelled or location; ensure the POV is consistent throughout your novel. Trim, tighten, polish and correct.

#5 Join a critique or review group. Begin submitting your work and begin critiquing others’ work. Don’t miss this important step. You only stand to gain from it. If you want to get your book published, don’t miss this step.

#6 Change, correct, rewrite till you and those reading your novel think it is publishable.

That’s when the fun really begins. I’ll cover more specifics on the mechanics of how to get published in upcoming posts. Till then, work on that manuscript and get your work critiqued and reviewed.