If you already have an idea of what genre you want to write in, whether it’s science fiction or non-fiction, you should focus on reading books in that genre. However, to become more well read in general, you should read widely when you can. The more you read, the more you’ll become attuned to common clichés. You want your book to stand out, so if you find ten books that are too much like it, you may have to find a different angle. When you find a book you really like, ask yourself what it is that makes it so special to you. Is it the ridiculous main character? The beautiful prose? The sense of place? The more you can pinpoint why you like a book, the sharper you’ll be when you try to make your own work appeal to a wide audience.
This is not to say that short stories are somehow inferior to novels. Alice Munro, the winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, never published a novel during the entire course of her illustrious career. Still, it is a lot harder to gain a reputation in short stories these days. [2] X Research source Challenging yourself with small writing projects. By writing continuously you can learn and improve your creative writing skills. [3] X Expert Source Melessa SargentProfessional Writer Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.
Many successful writers who publish their books find work as teachers at M. F. A. or undergraduate writing programs. You’ll need a degree in creative writing to do this, so if this is your end game, consider getting the degree. Getting a degree in creative writing can also help you get your foot in the door in terms of connections. You’ll meet faculty members that may be able to help you publish your work or develop as a writer in other ways. The writing degree it not a direct path to success as a writer. But it can help you improve your craft significantly.
Though feedback should always be taken with a grain of salt, getting feedback will give you a better sense of where you stand. Getting feedback will help you realize if your work is publication ready, or if you have more work to do. You have to make sure that you’re asking the right readers – people who really get your work and know what you’re about.
This will be your first exposure to something common to the writer: lots of rejection. Try not to take it personally and consider it a way of thickening your skin. Some journals charge a $2-3 fee for submitting your work. This is a pain, but it doesn’t mean the journals are trying to rob you; they are often run on a shoestring budget.
You may want to complete the whole book before you start thinking about how marketable your idea is. Still, it can help you to research the market on your topic before you begin. You may find that there is a book on your exact topic already out there and that you may have to tweak your idea a bit.
Non-fiction Science fiction Flash fiction Action stories Horror Mystery Romance Adventure Fantasy Political fiction 55 fiction Young Adult Fiction Middle Grade Fiction
After your first rough draft, keep on going. If you get lucky, you may be able to have something presentable after the first or second draft, or you may have to write five drafts before you think you’ve really figured it out. This can take a few months, a year, or even years, depending on how much time you have and how long it takes to develop your project.
If you’ve written a novel, you can try submitting some chapters to literary publications to get some feedback. Once you get some feedback you trust, work to address it. You may have to write another draft or two before you get it right.
Proofreading is the final step to getting your novel in shape for publication. Though proofreading can help along the way, too, there’s no reason to proofread rough drafts too closely because you may end up changing many of the sentences anyway.
You can also look online for more information about how to format your manuscript. If you’re submitting directly to a publishing house, each one may have slightly different instructions for how your manuscript should look.
To submit your work to an agent, you’ll need to write a query letter, which will be a succinct cover letter that briefly describes the plot of your book, situates your book within the framework of the writer’s market, and offers a few words of biographical information. Check each agent’s submission guidelines. Some may only want to see the query letter first or may ask to see just the first two chapters. Don’t send your manuscript to 20 agents at once. You may find that you get the same feedback over and over, which can help you make your work more exciting to agents. If you get rejected by an agent, you can’t approach him again with the same book unless he asks for a revision, so make your chance count. The key word in this game is patience. It may be months before you hear back from an agent, so you will have to learn the art of waiting and avoid checking your email every three seconds if you don’t want to go insane.
If you get an offer from an agent, it is perfectly okay to let the other agents who have your manuscript know and to see if they have an offer to give you as well. You’ll be surprised to hear how quickly they’ll get back to you once they know someone really wants you. Talk to the agent on the phone, or even meet in person, if it’s geographically possible. It will help to get a sense of his or her personality, and to know if you two click or not. You and your agent don’t have to be best friends, but you do have to be able to share ideas. Your agent should be, well, at least a little aggressive. This is the trait that will help get your book sold. Your agent should also be well-connected and should have impressive records of sales so he or she will know where to send your book.
If you get multiple offers, you and your agent will decide which is the best fit.
There will be other details to figure out, such as what your cover will look like, what blurbs you can get on the back of the book, and the people you acknowledge at the beginning or the end of the book.
If you’re really all about the life of an author, the most common route is to teach creative writing. But those jobs are hard to come by, and your published book has to really stand out if you do. You can also teach different summer workshops. If you get these gigs, they’ll give you some extra spending money and the ability to travel to a great location.
Start a blog about the writer’s life that you update as often as you can. Keep things fresh so people keep on reading. Don’t feel guilty about shamelessly promoting yourself. Even if you have a publicist, your job will now be 50% writing, and 50% promoting yourself as a writer. Get used to it.
Promote your reading schedule on social media so people know where they can find you.
Get to know writers in your field and genre. They can help you get ahead.
Don’t worry if you don’t have the idea for a second book all lined up. Just make a goal to write every day and soon enough, an idea will present itself.
