I'm getting ready to start writing my own book. At first it was going to be a movie script, but I decided to go the novel route instead. My only fear, however, is that I really won't be any good at coming up with several different ideas that I can form into one book. Any of you ever tried writing before and have tips on keeping the creative juices flowing?
Forgive the sloppy post. It is copied and pasted from several documents and I do not want to proofread. I think I can help, however.
First, a question: Do you want to try to sell your book to a traditional publisher, or a subsidy/vanity/POD publisher? There is a big difference in your approach. Traditional publishers wont take everything that comes over the transom, and rejection is par for the course. Other kinds of publishers will print damn near anything, regardless of the quality.
Understand that publishing via the vanity approach is generally worthless in the world of legitimate publishing. Sorry, but there is no respect there and that is generally how it must be. Writing a book is a huge undertaking and no wanna be novelist with nothing to say, selling his slop on Lulu Press is likely to be worth the same as a book that a big publisher wants and eventually publishes. Sorry, I like to paint with broad strokes.
Published authors absolutely know this, as do legitimate publishers, agents, and editors. This is not opinion, it is a simple fact that every new author damn well needs to know. Start thinking differently, start thinking I exaggerate, and you run the risk of becoming a "PublishAmerica" victim. Google that PARTICULAR company and dig deep, well past the top returns where everything is happy and perfect. Your vanity means nothing at all and you will not be taken seriously by anyone that matters.
When anyone can publish anything, there is usually very little quality.
Forget wanting to write because it is a calling. I write because I am afraid of the calling. That is to say, Visa, and Master Card calling me. I know your goal is to sell your book; it is the Great American Dream. And trust me on this, there are ways that help you possibly get a contract and things that will slowly screw the life out of you as you struggle uphill against a battle you might loose, because of your inattention to basic and fundamental publishing truths. This is a business, after all.
For fun, try this site:
Travis Tea - author of Atlanta Nights. Before you visit, try saying the site name and think about bad publishers. I hope someone gets it.
For the record, I use Lulu Press for some stuff I want to distribute to interested parties. And it is terrible crap. I am not a great writer and I struggle like hell. Just a technical writer with hopes.
To Continue:
You can't join certain writers guilds or associations like the WGA unless you have credits. They will not let everyone in, regardless of how many books you have self-published. Try
Writers Guild of America, West and do a little research. They maintain a list of reputable agents and they are quite serious. By the way, there is a Writer's Guild of America - East and West. There is also a Writer Guilds of America. The WGA is a legitimate guild and they have represented writers for a very long time.
The Agent Question:
No, the circular argument that says you cant get an agent unless you sell and how can you sell without an agent? is not valid; Thousands of unagented books are sold every year. Agents do have value in that they fight for you because they more you make the more they make. STAY AWAY from any agent that wants a fee. By the way, visit a few agent sites and you will discover that getting an agent is not as impossible as the general public thinks. NO Friggin Book Doctors!
If you sell a book to Random House, for example, the process can be slow. You work with great people and editors to help you shape your work. If you have an agent -easier to get if RH wants to see your work- he or she will also help you. Publishing contracts are not for the beginner and you might want to keep some of the rights you might not be aware of at this point. This is where agents help. Stay the heck away from Work For Hire deals. You loose far too much.
Suppose J.K. Rowling gave away movie or merchandising rights?
There are a few places like LULU Press that do not claim to be legitimate publishers; places like "Author House" seem to suggest they are. Lulu Press is a Print on Demand (POD) Publisher that does not offer services that are almost always offered by a traditional publisher. You upload a manuscript, some cover art, and thats it. They handle printing and shipping. Fair and honest because they do not pretend to be something they are not.
Also, largely forget getting a self-published work into the book stores. Most buyers will not touch you. Amazon dot com, yes; then again, that is a no brainer, because most anything can be sold on Amazon. Not a legitimate big deal achievement to be sure.
I will assume you want a traditional publisher. First and this IS VERY IMPORTANT: Learn the differences between vanity, subsidy, POD, and traditional publishing. Research your market and READ THE WRITERS AND AUTHORS GUIDELINES FIRST. Visit a few publisher's web sites and look for author information. They are often called 'Writer's Guidelines.'
The writer's Guidelines tell you everything you need to know -from what to write (most publishers will tell you what they are interested in and not interested in) to how to format your manuscript, to what supplemental info is required. For example, some publishers/editors want a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline, an author's bio, a list of previous works published by you, any competing books on the market, (their publisher name, date, etc) and how you intend to help market the book. Yes, this is expected.
They also tell you about fonts, line spacing, indents, margins, and the purely mechanical aspects of that pile of pages. Typically, 1" to 1-1/2 inch borders, double spaced, printed on a single side of the bond stock paper, in black and white and clipped together, not stapled.
All that is left for you is the quality of your writing.
NEVER pay a book doctor. A huge scam in the business. NEVER pay for publishing; no upfront fees will be required by a legitimate publisher. MONEY ALWAYS FLOWS TO THE AUTHOR NOT FROM THE AUTHOR. You would due well to never forget that line. Repeat it... go on, I'm waiting, good. REPEAT IT TWICE!
Run like hell if they want ANY MONEY AT ALL! If a legitimate publisher wants your book, they will send you an advance and they will send you a contract. This is an advance against royalties. If you receive an advance of ten grand and your royalty is a buck a book, you do not see anything past the advance until ten thousand copies are sold. Advances are basically zero interest loans to be paid from the sales of books. And you likely never repay the advance, so perhaps it is not really a loan.
My suggestion is to visit the WGA web site and pick up a few basic books about writing your first novel. Look for books published by Writer's Digest. Subscribe to "Writers Digest Magazine," "Book Magazine," "The Writer." If you want to follow the market, try "Publisher's Weekly." Very pricey, though.They are generally great reads and they tell you exactly how it is. Also, visit some industry sites like Publisher's Weekly and join a local writing group for help.
Finally, try writing a few magazine articles. Real paper and ink publications.
Cheers,
Bob Maxey