How to Get Published

by Al Philipson

Authors who sell their first book usually do it because they have:

1. Spent a long time learning to write compelling prose
2. Learned their craft through practice and feedback (workshops)
3. Finally produced a work that was both compelling and obeyed the “rules” (fast start, attention to point of view, minimum or no “info dumps”, story lines that are interesting, characterization, etc.)

After a couple of successful novels, authors begin to think they “have it made” and start to get sloppy. (more…)

by John Bowers

If you want to sell your writing, you need to know your language.

That may sound crazy: “Know the language?  I’ve been speaking it since I was born!”

Maybe so.  But how well do you know your native language?  Can you spell?  Can you punctuate?  Do you understand basic grammar?  Do you understand the difference between subject nouns and object nouns?  Do you understand subject-verb agreement? If not, you won’t just sound like an amateur, you’ll sound like an ELL (English Language Learner…with apologies to real ELLs). (more…)

by Barbara McNichol

Setting out to find the right editor for your manuscript puts you on the road to feeling confident you’ve got a good match. You want to feel comfortable that your editor understands what you’ve set out to accomplish so you can “polish” it together.

Look for a reputable editor who understands the type of book you have written. For example, if your book is business or self-help, choose an editor with experience in these genres. Ensure that the editor you chose has worked with both traditional and self-published books over a number of years. That person’s website should reveal that information and project a professional image. After all, you want your writing to reflect a professionalism that comes from expert editing. (more…)

by John Bowers

You read an awful lot these days about the good writers who never get published.  You read how the system is structured to make it very difficult to break in.  And what you read is true.

There’s another reason good writers often don’t get published.  That’s because they never really try to break in.  They become discouraged and give up.  That query letter is just too intimidating, or researching the markets just seems hopeless. “I can’t do it.”

I understand that mentality completely.  I’m one of those writers.

I discovered a love of writing in junior high.  Long before I bought my first typewriter, I was writing short stories with a pencil.  I just loved to create adventures in my head and write them down.  When I got to high school, four of my English teachers (which means…ALL of them) were astounded at my natural gift (I didn’t even know I had one, I just thought it was fun), and expected great things of me.  So I began to believe in myself.

Then I ran into the world of reality.  People I knew - friends of the family, people at church - they smirked.  They laughed.  “You want to be a writer?  Who are you? What makes you special?” (more…)