Breaking Out of Prison May Be Easier Than Breaking Into Publishing
By: Susan Poole
Tags: Writing, Publishing, Writing Tips, Writers Life, Writer

Breaking Out of Prison May Be Easier Than Breaking Into Publishing

7 tips to keep you chipping away

Photo by Rumman Amin on Unsplash

Five years ago, I put the finishing touches on my debut novel and set out to do what I’ve come to consider nearly impossible: finding a literary agent to represent my work and land me a book deal. At the time, I underestimated how difficult the quest for a traditional publishing contract could be. Flash forward to present day, and I have a more elaborate set of adjectives to describe the process, including competitive, subjective, exhausting, and extremely frustrating.

The good news is that I’m five years older and arguably a bit wiser. And even though I’ve written two more novels since the first, you still can’t find my books on Amazon (or anywhere else for that matter). However, I’ve learned a lot throughout my journey — enough that I feel it’s worth sharing with other aspiring authors out there.

If you share my dream of becoming a published author someday, here’s some insight you might find helpful:

1) Learn the Lingo.

There’s a lot of terminology used in the publishing industry that I simply hadn’t heard of before. For instance, a query letter is the first step in pitching to an agent, somewhat like a cover letter that accompanies a resume. Each literary agent has his/her own set of requirements for a query. Some want just the letter with a short pitch, others ask for an accompanying section from your manuscript (e.g., five to ten pages, or the first few chapters). It’s critical that you read each agent’s website carefully to know exactly what they’re looking for and follow their submission guidelines exactly. Otherwise, you risk having that agent pass before ever reading your first page. (I once received a rejection less than five minutes after sending my query. My guess is that I hadn’t paid close enough attention to the genre he represented, or the requisite word count posted on his website.) Moral of the story: DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

You’ll also hear about beta readers — people willing to read your manuscript and give feedback. They differ from critique partners in that betas typically aren’t writers — they’re reviewing your work as readers only. Terms or phrases like trope, head-hopping, comp titles, multiple POV, synopsis, own voices and submissions (partial or full) all have specific meaning when it comes to trying to sell your work. Familiarize yourself with them all and be sure you’re using them in the right context.

2) Tap Into Available Resources.

There are endless resources to help you get published. WARNING: It can be overwhelming! Relevant topics include: How to find the right literary agent…How to improve your craft, your query or your synopsis…Understanding pacing, plot, story, structure and high concept… Is your head spinning yet?

Once you dig into the available material, you’ll begin identifying trends and understanding your specific needs. I write fiction novels, and some books I’ve found helpful include Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Lisa Crohn’s Story Genius and Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.

Writer’s Digest is a great resource for all-things-writing. They host useful conferences and seminars, sponsor writing contests and publish an annual list of literary agents sorted by genre. Check out websites like ManuscriptWishList and QueryTracker, and if you follow your favorite authors, be sure to see whether they offer educational opportunities. I’ve participated in several in-person and online writers’ workshops, which are great ways to hear from the experts and meet other writers. Many conferences include the chance to pitch your book to agents (for an added fee). It’s worth the money (in my humble opinion), as it’s much easier to connect with an agent face-to-face. Not all of these opportunities cost money, so peruse the Internet and see what fits your budget and your learning style best. There really is something for everyone!

3) Read, Read, Read.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to read as much in your genre as possible. This might seem obvious, but for years I was trying to hold down a full-time job while writing during the wee hours of the morning and late at night. The last thing I had time to do was read other authors. But the best way to know what’s selling is to familiarize yourself with the market. Once I actually listened to this advice, I learned to read like a writer, evaluating what’s ‘making it to the shelves’ to ensure there’s a place for my work. Besides, most agents want comp titles — books you’d describe as similar to the one you’re pitching. How would you know what those are if you’re only reading your own stuff?

4) Write Often.

Like anything, the only way to get better at something is through practice. It’s important to establish a writing routine, even if it’s only for an hour every day. That may seem like an impossible feat. We all have busy lives and for me, sometimes taking time away from the chaos seemed selfish. But if you want to succeed in this business, it’s a necessity (Don’t worry. I see the irony in this advice coming from someone who hasn’t reached that level of success yet. Just wait.)

One common excuse I used to make is that since I was working on a novel, it wasn’t always productive to write or revise my manuscript daily. If you’re waiting for feedback from a critique partner or an editor, or waiting to hear back from some queries, sometimes that manuscript needs to breathe. My advice here is to find something to fill the gap, maybe starting your next project. It doesn’t have to be another 80,000-word novel. A short story or a magazine article might do the trick. Anything to keep those creative juices flowing and those fingers banging on the keyboard.

Here’s where I’ve had some success and it was completely unintentional. I’d given my manuscript to a few beta readers and decided to set it aside while I was waiting for their feedback. I had been in a good groove of writing daily and didn’t want to disrupt my mojo, so I decided to write an essay for one of the websites I follow. And guess what? That little side trip resulted in my very first paid writing gig! Let me say that again — MY FIRST PAID WRITING GIG! (Damn, that felt good). I can’t tell you what that did for my confidence. It’s the first time someone other than my husband and my closest friends told me that my writing was worth something. That instant validation lifted me up and motivated me to write a few more essays — several of which have also been published. If I hadn’t been looking for a way to keep writing while my novel was percolating, I never would have stumbled upon another outlet for my writing. Cool, right?

5) Develop Your Platform.

Before trying to get published, I didn’t even know what that meant. And if you Google “platform,” you’re bound to find a variety of interpretations. While the definition seems to change as rapidly as technology, my current understanding of platform is not only your online presence, but an all-encompassing ability to reach a potential audience for your book.

Platform is not just your number of Twitter followers — but that’s definitely part of it. I’ve found that lots of authors hang out on Twitter, using hashtags like #amwriting, #writingcommunity and #amquerying. It’s fun to follow other writers on their journeys, and to share stories, ask questions, maybe even meet critique partners. I’ve participated in a few pitch contests on Twitter (two of which resulted in requests for submission from literary agents — short-lived, but requests nevertheless).

Author websites and blogs are an important part of platform too. At first, I didn’t understand why I needed a website without any books to sell. But it’s good to be prepared before you get published. That way, you’ll hopefully have a following prior to your first book hitting the market. Many agents ask about your platform, especially those using QueryManager for their submissions. Just a heads up so you’re better prepared than I was.

6) Seek Feedback.

One of the mistakes I made with my first book is that I never shared it with anyone. And I mean no one. Once I was satisfied it was finished, I simply started querying agents and was devastated when I couldn’t generate any interest. I’ve gone back and reread that manuscript and it’s embarrassing. I was nowhere near ready to have a professional literary agent look at my work, let alone send it out to publishers for review.

I learned the hard way that it’s important to have several sets of eyes on your work before it’s worthy of being sent out into literary circles. Friends and family are great for the once-over, but don’t limit yourself to people with whom you’re emotionally attached. They may be too concerned with hurting your feelings so it’s not likely that they’ll give you a fully honest opinion. Be sure to connect with people who can give you a completely objective assessment. Again, you can find them at conferences, in writing groups, or online.

Hiring a professional editor is also an option. I’ve heard some industry experts say that this isn’t necessary, but it’s not a bad option if you have the means and need a truly objective opinion. With any feedback, always keep in mind that it’s just one person’s opinion. You could have three different editors review your work and get three entirely different opinions. If you’ve ever been in a book club, you know exactly what I mean. Authors need to have thick skin, enough to resist caving to every piece of constructive criticism. It’s your book. Be flexible and open to feedback, but confident enough to know how much you’re willing to change.

7) Persevere.

After I finished my first book, I was lucky enough to sit down one-on-one with an award-winning romance novelist. She was very generous with her time and expertise, and she told me that if I took one thing away from our conversation it was that perseverance is the key.

I’m more hopeful about the possibility of my own success today than I was last year. And even if it still doesn’t happen for me soon, I’m confident that if I keep at it, I’ll eventually reach my goal.

All that being said, there may come a time that I decide the traditional publishing route is not for me. I’ve done some research on self-publishing, and that’s definitely another option — just a discussion for another day!