When I started writing *grumbles* years ago, I didn’t know anything about writing or publishing. (Honestly, I’m not sure I know much more now.) It’s one of those things you sort of learn by the seat of your pants.
I was lucky in that I found a writer’s group that taught me so much about the craft and about the business. If I had one piece of advice, that would be it. Find a professional organization. Hopefully they focus on education – getting you to the state of publication – as much as marketing and publicity – what happens after publication. Find a mentor or mentors, people willing to share their mistakes and successes with equal honesty. Learn from everyone. There is no one way to approach characterization, plot, conflict, setting, tropes, marketing, social media, website building, pen names, genres…everything can be done in multiple ways.
One of my major weaknesses is understanding the market. I wish I’d learned earlier how to read the trends, how to know what’s hot and what will be hot in a year. Because it takes time to write a book. What’s on the shelf today can have nothing to do with what editors want to buy three/six/twelve months down the road. Pay attention to what editors are buying via announcements from Publisher’s Marketplace. Read agent and editor wishlists. It’s true – write what you love. But if what you love doesn’t sell and that’s your goal, don’t be surprised if you remain unpublished. There’s nothing wrong with being unpublished but be honest about your intentions with your aspirations.
I thought publication was the start of the journey on the road to…well…publication. It’s not. It’s somewhere around step three or four. First, there’s branding and marketing and building a readership and name recognition. And do you seek traditional publication or self-publish? Querying is an entire blog post all on its own. Direct to the editor or do you seek an agent? Which agent?
If you self-publish, there’s editing and sensitivity readers and cover design. After that you need to pick the right platform for release because there are hurdles and decisions that must be considered. Do you go wide or select? Print or e-book? Each has pros and cons so have a clear idea what you want and plot the path long before you write THE END. In fact, there’s a checklist for publication that suggests you start six months before your book is released. You can find things like Best Seller Launch Kit for a comprehensive how-to. There are things for purchase, classes to take, or freebies out there that can guide you. Look at them all. Remember, there’s no single way to success.
When I published my first book, I went with Amazon’s KDP because it was easy. Amazon has a big built-in audience and their platform is easy. But using KDP Select means you’re limited to Amazon. At first, I didn’t mind but when I decided to go wide I had to trade off certain things like free book giveaways for availability on multiple formats.
Finding an agent is another mystery box. I’m in the middle of querying now and watch my inbox with a high mix of anxiety and hope. I’ve gotten my share of rejections with a few requests thrown in. The requests haven’t led to representation unfortunately but I’d like to think the right agent is out there.
Meanwhile, I’m still taking classes, still reading, still writing. Hopefully still learning.