How to Get Published--Part 1

Pay Attention

Pay attention to the world around you. The stories that stand out from the masses are the ones which reflect a slice of life. To get this slice the author must notice the little things.

Pay attention to marketing trends. The world is changing rapidly with new ways of marketing, new formats to explore, new approaches to try.

Pay attention to social media trends. With rapid technology changes comes rapid trend shifts. One popular social media platform may not be so popular tomorrow. Keep an eye on what's popular for maximum number of readers.

Pay attention to publishing trends. As much as we shouldn't write for a particular trend, since by the time the book is ready for publication, the trend has passed, it's important to know what's happening.

Pay attention to other books like your own. If you do the research and find what other stories can compare to your own, then you'll know what works, and how you can make your story different so it stands out. Agents and publishers often request a list of comparable titles in your query.

Pay attention to other authors. They can help you. You can gain tips you may not have known and connections you might need. You can learn from their mistakes. When you offer the same in return, you can find yourself in an amazing group of people who support and encourage each other.

Pay attention to your critique partners. Find someone you trust and listen to the critiques they offer. There is no point handing over your manuscript to someone if you aren't going to at least consider what they have to say about it. You don't have to accept every point they make as law, but pay attention, consider and then decide whether or not to go ahead with any suggested changes.

Pay attention to the details. Don't be in such a rush to pump something out there in the hop of 'getting published'. Spend the time to get the grammar right, the structure right, the little details of the story right.

Pay attention to events. Writers' festivals (conferences), workshops, local writing groups. Take note of when they are on so you don't miss out. Take part. Be open to meeting new people and learning new ways to improve your craft. Get involved.

Pay attention to submission guidelines. These guidelines are not suggestions. Agents and publishing houses often have their own particular likes and dislikes. Don't assume standard formatting will fit every submission.

Pay attention to the way you present yourself. Be professional at all times in all things.

Can you think of other ways you can pay attention to get ahead in publishing?

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Thank you: A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the Great Aussie BBQ. A special thank you to those who spread the word. It was a fabulous success.

Awards: I wish to thank Cynthia Willis for the Great Comments Award. I would also like to thank Nick Wilford and Mark Noce for the Versatile Blogger Award. 

Note: Part 2 will be posted next week. My next post will be for the Insecure Writers' Group.

The Magic of Interpretation

During the Writers’ Festival recently I attended a session about picture books. I have no desire to write my own picture book at this stage, but I found the session interesting because of my artistic background.

I didn’t realise most authors don’t get to meet the illustrators of their books until the book launch. They don’t even discuss the book together one on one. Publishers will actively keep them apart because invariably what happens if they do get together is the illustrator will suggest the author change their text and the author will tell the illustrator to change their art.

Publishers don’t want them influencing each other because there is magic in the interpretation. The illustrator will gain so much more from the writer’s text than even the writer.

Likewise, everyone who reads our work will have their own interpretation of it. As writers we need to give our readers room to imagine. We don’t have to lay down every minute detail. We need to create mood and atmosphere, but the real magic happens in the reader’s mind.

What's been your experience of this phenomenon (picture books, movie adaptations, cover art etc)?

Questions to Ask While Editing

There are many questions we need to ask ourselves when we edit our fabulous first drafts. Below I’ve listed just a few:

Questions to ask first:
Does my story fit into the market?
Does it have a hook?
Does it have a satisfying ending?
Do I have enough chocolate in the house?
Do any of my scenes lack spark?
Do I have too much backstory or description?
Is the story engaging? Can I make it better?
Is the story easy to follow?

Questions to ask about character:
Are my characters believable and relatable?
Do they have a strong enough motivation?
Does the main character grow through the book?
Is the main character strong?
Does he/she have flaws?
Is their dialogue snappy enough?
Is there any unnecessary dialogue?

Questions to ask about conflict:
Does the tension build through the book?
Do I give my readers any anti-climaxes?
Has any of the conflict turned into melodrama?
Is the conflict believable?
Am I happy with the balance of inner and outer conflict?

Questions to ask about the details:
Is my style consistent?
Am I showing rather than telling?
Are there any unnecessary words?
Are my sentences active or passive?
Do I still have enough chocolate in the house?
Is my grammar correct?
Do I have any hidden typos that Word hasn’t picked up?
Is the story still easy to follow?

There are so many more questions that could be asked. What are some questions you ask while you edit your latest novel?

SPECIAL NOTE: Justine Dell is having a competition to celebrate her 250+ followers. The prizes are amazing. Check it out here

In the Details

There is magic in the details of writing. Like the lens of a camera, detail can be used to help the reader focus on your story. The trick is to learn the quantity of detail to include.

Too much detail and all we offer is mess and chaos. The reader finds herself sifting through wads of pointless description and grows bored. Too little detail and all the reader gains is a vague blur.

The reader is a skilled traveller. Even though you take them on a journey, they can fill in many of the gaps. They can create the places, furnish the spaces, but they also want a guide’s hand through your world. They want the highlights pointed out. They want to be able to touch your vision and experience it as if it were their own.

They want to smell the burning toast, but most importantly, they want to feel. They want to care. Their emotions are directed through focussing your writer’s lens in all the right places.

How do you find the right balance of detail in your stories? How do you know if you’ve written enough detail or too much?