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Hi all! Darla here again!
First off, thanks for all the well wishes. I am doing better. Sorry I missed RT. But I am glad to be back on my feet again. And no, I didn?t dust the ceiling fan. I spent three days talking myself out of standing on the bed to do it. Maybe this weekend I will get it. But thanks for all the kind thoughts. I really do appreciate them.
Chiefly what I wanted to address was a misconception that seems prevalent, at least from what we get in email. It is what the publishing industry is and how to get there.
Publishing is not sports. So for those who know me and are going well duh Darla. Those who know me well are groaning because they know my sports knowledge is zilch. But I have been thinking about this for awhile and finally have an analogy of what publishing is NOT.
Sports! When you look at sports there are hundreds of thousands of players at the high school level. Thousands of players at the college level, yet only hundreds of players at the pro level. That?s because there are a limited number of spots available. Once those spaces are taken, there is no more room for more players. It is difficult to move up the line. (Don?t anyone email me about expansion teams either). In order for a player to move up, someone else has to go.
The point is that is NOT what publishing is like. There is not a limited number of slots open for writers. We get lots of emails and that seems to the prevailing idea for some folks. But it is not factual. Publishers publish what they think will sell. They will publish as many books as they can. Just because someone else got published doesn?t mean you cannot too. You don?t have to wait for another published author to make room for you.
There is no magic too it, no formula we can give you that will help you sell. Editors buy what they like. Just because one editor turns you down doesn?t mean they all will. Nor will having an established author tell you they like your work get you sold. Established authors don?t have that kind of clout. Nor can they keep an editor from buying your book. The only person that matters initially is the editor. They decide whether they will buy your work or not. It is the editor you have to impress, and they can be a tough group. Remember though, their opinions are very subjective.
The thing is don?t give up on your dream. If this is what you really want to do, not for money (most writers don?t make much), not for acclaim (better aim for acting or music, hardly anyone cares about writers), but because in your heart of hearts this is what you want to do, then chase your dream. Work on making it happen. Write what you want to read. Write from your own perspective, your own voice and world. Don?t try to be a clone of someone else. No one but you can give your world life, so give it. And then send it in! Be bold, be brave! Don?t let the rejection letters destroy you. Remember, it is the work they are saying they don?t want, not you personally. And send it to another editor if it gets rejected. Read the comments see if they really are valid. Maybe this or that does need to lengthened or shortened. Another editor may tell you the exact opposite!
And the market fluctuates. Some things are hot, hot, hot. But chasing the hot trend can be a dead end. It will be about a year, minimum, before your book hits the shelf. By then the hot trend may have faded. So don?t chase trends just trying to get published. If your heart is not in your writing, it really does show.
If this is your dream then go for it. It won?t happen if you leave your words unwritten, your manuscript on a shelf, unread by anyone. Be courageous, follow your dream. Don?t get discouraged. Good luck! And do let us know when your first novel is published. Excellent news should always be shared.