Selling a novel doesn't have to involve years of senselessly banging your head against the brick wall of the publishing world, hoping to find a soft spot. Using proven techniques for success you can find the door in that wall and save yourself time and money. The publishing world is fickle and difficult to navigate, unless you know what you are doing. First time writers struggle to break in to this seemingly impenetrable world and many end up walking away dejected, convinced that publication isn't possible. It is possible! Take a look at a few simple steps you can take to improve your chances of publication:
1. Researching your genre is very important. Many writers fail to do this and find themselves falling "off formula" within their particular genre. Read a few books like the one you have written or are writing to get a feel for the successful side of your writing niche.
2. Take 30 days off! Walk away from your novel, you are too close to it after you have written it. Put it on a shelf for a few weeks. Take a vacation. Start your next book, or simply rest your mind. After the 30 days have passed revisit your novel and see if it still holds the same appeal to you. Does it start strong? Does it flow well? Is there anything that doesn't need to be in there like a side story that detracts from the main plot? Do a little editing here if necessary and then get ready to start your submission crusade.
3. Research the publishers you are going to submit your novel to. Pretend you are hiring them as a nanny for your first-born child and do as much research as you can on them. What kind of books have they published? Were any bestsellers? Please don't do this over the phone with them, but just a simple background check online. Nobody is safe from Google these days!
4. Follow the submissions guidelines for each publisher or agent you submit your manuscript to. Some want the entire book, others want a query letter and plot synopsis, still others may want sample chapters or any combination of these devices.
5. I would recommend getting a website with the name of your book, and perhaps a website with your author name. Reserving these will cost you around $12 per domain. This shows you are serious about promotion and proud of your work.
These simple strategies can greatly increase your chances of selling a novel. Write the best book that you can and then stay positive in your approach to getting published. Even the greatest writers started right where you are today.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Writing A First Novel
Writing a first novel doesn't have to land you in a mental hospital or the poor house. There are simple strategies that can save you time and money.
Reading - Read similar novels to your own and see how the flow of the books are done. Some genres, specifically romance novels seem to have a popular template that if followed helps ensure publishing success.
Writing - Write as much as you can. Sometimes simply sitting down at the computer and beginning to write a story, any story, will lead you down the path of a new novel. If you are having writers block, just write anything. Write recipes. Write jokes. Staring at the computer screen waiting for the right words to suddenly flood in to your mind doesn't work. Your writing mind needs exercise, just like your muscles, flex it!
Arithmetic - Do the math! If you strike out on your own and spend three to six months writing your novel and that's all the further you get with it, how much have you wasted. Time is money to a writer, so figure up how much your book, if published, would have made you and realize the loss. You can streamline your process, save money, and increase your likelihood of successful publication 100 times by following the steps of another successful writer.
Work smarter and follow a road map of success to get to where you want to be in the publishing world. It's an amazing business and you can't understand the reward fully until you see your book sitting on a shelf for sale. Writing a first novel is easier with the proper plan!
Reading - Read similar novels to your own and see how the flow of the books are done. Some genres, specifically romance novels seem to have a popular template that if followed helps ensure publishing success.
Writing - Write as much as you can. Sometimes simply sitting down at the computer and beginning to write a story, any story, will lead you down the path of a new novel. If you are having writers block, just write anything. Write recipes. Write jokes. Staring at the computer screen waiting for the right words to suddenly flood in to your mind doesn't work. Your writing mind needs exercise, just like your muscles, flex it!
Arithmetic - Do the math! If you strike out on your own and spend three to six months writing your novel and that's all the further you get with it, how much have you wasted. Time is money to a writer, so figure up how much your book, if published, would have made you and realize the loss. You can streamline your process, save money, and increase your likelihood of successful publication 100 times by following the steps of another successful writer.
Work smarter and follow a road map of success to get to where you want to be in the publishing world. It's an amazing business and you can't understand the reward fully until you see your book sitting on a shelf for sale. Writing a first novel is easier with the proper plan!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Write Your Novel
You can become a published author with the proper novel writing guide to show you the way. Publishing houses and literary agents all have their own specialties and interests that they want to represent and being able to understand who wants what will aid you greatly in your endeavors to become a published writer. One agent may only want to represent romance novels, while another specializes in true crime stories, so submitting a coming of age novel to either of these agents would be a waste of time and quickly end up in the trash pile. You can research many online and published sources to find agents and publishers who want your type of novel. A little research goes along way.
Getting an idea for a great novel is only the beginning, and many great novels have been left half-finished on the corner of bookshelves that will never be read. So how can your novel get past the gatekeepers and out to the world for everyone to read? You need to follow a road map of success laid out in front of you by a successful, published author. Following the footsteps of someone who has done it many times before is a priceless tool to get you to where you want to go. You can watch an interview with a successful novelist and get some more great tips by going to this novel writing guide information page. Keep writing!
Getting an idea for a great novel is only the beginning, and many great novels have been left half-finished on the corner of bookshelves that will never be read. So how can your novel get past the gatekeepers and out to the world for everyone to read? You need to follow a road map of success laid out in front of you by a successful, published author. Following the footsteps of someone who has done it many times before is a priceless tool to get you to where you want to go. You can watch an interview with a successful novelist and get some more great tips by going to this novel writing guide information page. Keep writing!
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