I used to wonder if there was a correct path I had to follow to become a successful writer.
I’m sure that isn’t unusual. After all, haven’t you all wondered the same at some point or another? And, wouldn’t you also admit to having listened to many writers tell their story in the hope of finding the answer?
Let’s take J K Rowling. Every writer knows that story; the woman who invented ‘Harry Potter’ on a delayed train from Manchester to London. In 1993 she was a single parent living on benefits. In March 2010 she was listed in Forbes as the 12th richest woman in Britain with a fortune of £560 million ($798 million).
Okay, so I have taken the most extravagant of examples, but was her path an easy one? ‘Hell no!’ (I bet she’d use those exact words if you asked her :D).
She was turned down by nearly every major publishing house until finally being accepted by an editor who worked for a then not-so-well-known Bloomsbury.
Or, what about Stephanie Meyer? She apparently had a dream and wrote a book called ‘Twilight’, solely for her own entertainment. On her sister’s insistance, and ignoring every submission guideline known to man, she sent her manuscript to fifteen agents. Bagged one, and sat back to let the publishing auction commence. In 2010, Forbes ranked her as the 59th most powerful celebrity with annual earnings of $40 million. No wonder her husband has quit his job.
For any writer whose just starting out, it seems there are certain rules one must follow. Those rules are:
1) Write a book. This is self-explanatory, and if I have to explain it further then you really should think of a career change.
2) Find an agent. Some argue this. I personally think (if you find the right one) they are worth their weight in gold.
3) Send your agent a query, synopsis, or even a chapter or two.
4) Your super agent will have your book published within months.
5) Count your millions as they roll in.
Okay, so there are a few holes in 5 and 6 but, in essence, these are the rules we, as writers, are told to follow.
So what is the reality?
Honestly? I think it’s a lot to do with luck. Of course you have to be able to write, although I’ve read a few books and asked myself the question ‘how the @%$*?’
But how many of you out there have found an agent via a chance meeting, word of mouth, being in the right place at the right time, or just by holding your breath and taking that brave leap of faith?
The pathway to success is a maze. There are twists and turns and lots of dead ends. We get scratched by overgrown hedges, worn out from all the walking and if we fall we get totally mud splattered. However, if you perceivere and you’re carrying with you a good idea that’s even 75% well written, I really believe you will conquer that maze and exit into publishing madness.
My current story? The novel I’m working on at the moment is an adaptation of a script I wrote with fellow writer Natalie Duggan. We were asked over to LA where I was told ‘get it written as a novel’. Two days later I was at the DFW writers convention pitching it to an agent. I was nervous, unprepared, had no chapters, no synopsis….nothing. But, he liked it and requested I send him the first few chapters once I’d drafted them. Was this down to talent? Maybe a little. After all,the LA trip was based on a pilot we’d written. Was this down to luck? Again, probably. The script had been sent to our lawyer who read it just as our manager telephoned regarding an unrelated matter, and just happened to mention she was looking for new writers. Hell, maybe it was just good old fashioned Fate stepping in.
It certainly helped that this agent had worked with our manager before. It certainly helped that I had the ‘TV pilot’ angle to ‘glitter and dazzle’ the pitch. Hell, it helped that the agent didn’t seem to mind the complete unprofessionalism of pitching a book I hadn’t even started to write!
I was told by author, Linda Regan, that a big part of being accepted by an agent is YOU. If you are interesting, then you are half way there.
Now – This is my favorite part of blogging. I love reading your comments and stories….. So, I want to hear your stories – good, bad or just downright cringeworthy. You tell me the things you have done to try and win the heart of an agent or publisher – no matter how embarrassing – and the success stories involving luck, fate and a sprinkle of bravery.
(Like my Facebook page and join myself and other writers for a natter – to my American friends, that means ‘chat’.)
Chance referral.
I’d started writing FanFiction, got a lot of practice doing that and decided to finally write the story I had in a dream one night (VERY Stephenie Meyer – I know). Through the FanFiction community I found a contest for original fiction with a published author – Jennifer McBay Berry. She also wrote fanfiction at the time, which was how I managed to find out about the contest at all.
I used the contest as my litmus test. Was my story any good? Well, the judges would let me know.
I won.
Holy crap! I won! My 10K excerpt was going to be published in her second volume.
I spent the next few months working with the draft I had, getting it beta read, etc., and started sending it to agents.
Jen Barry mention I should send it to Martin Sisters Publishing although I’d been only hitting up agents, not publishers.
They wanted a partial. They wanted the manuscript. They wanted me to be the first book they published.
Quick road to fame and fortune? Probably not. Luck? Maybe a little. Maybe some good friends with faith in me and the right names at the right time. Whatever it was, I’m grateful (and not a little scared).
There’s my story, in the ultimate brief nutshell. 🙂
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If you could see my face now…I am beaming. I love to hear stories like this. With regards to the fame and fortune – as nice as it would be for us to write a book, sell Warner the film rights and spend our days flying from our house in the Carribean to our villa in the South of France – don’t you just get the biggest buzz from seeing your name in print?
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Hi Donna
Most of that luck you talk about you had to make. You had to go to LA, you had to go to writing conferences. You had to pitch an agent without a manuscript (generally a complete no no). Point is luck doesn’t find people. People find luck. Oh, and if they talk a thousand words a minute that seem to help too!
Cheers!
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A thousand words a minute? Me? Never……Or at least not when I’m with you or Kristen – You guys won’t let me get a word in edge ways 🙂
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Yeah, but there are computer auto dialers that struggle to get a word in when Kristens talking!! 🙂
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Ha ha ha. Yeah, and she’d have to agree with that, too 😀
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I believe we make our own luckily (mostly) – too many people sit back and think why arent I rich, why dont I have the job I want….
You have to really WANT it, I’m not a writer well except for my blog & training courses I write but I do plan to write a book one day. But in the meantime I read a lot – a ridiculous number of books per week but then I dont really watch TV anymore….
One of the authors I read is Sherillyn Kenyon and if you read her bio (click on read more under childhood) you’d be astounded by the knock backs she got – now she’s a repeat no. 1 seller http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/bio.php
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Luck is part of it but we won’t be lucky unless we try. Kinda like winning the lottery. If there’s a huge price, we won’t win unless we take our chance and buy a ticket.
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Donna,
I am still happily jealous about your LA deal. There are so many different ways and I know God has a way for me to go. I know The Light of Atlantis will be a phenomenon and you will be the next biggest thing to come out of Britain since Americans.
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LOL, Terrell you always put a smile on my face. I love having you as my mate!
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I’m in this agent-seeking process right now for my humorous space fantasy novel, and so far I have received:
— One print rejection not much larger than a fortune cookie fortune
–Two email rejections which were at least polite– and that was more than I’d expected
–And one non-response
My cunning plan is to just keep trying.
(Also to make myself a stylish skirt out of the form rejections when I gather enough of them.)
Your post, I have to say, is extremely timely.
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Hi Jenn,
Have you read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’? In it, he describes how he skewered his rejections onto a hook/nail by his bed. It was quite high before his work was accepted. I think as writers, we all have our rejections somewhere nearby. Keep going, though. That is a big part of success. 😀
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Hi 🙂 Very nice post.
It has to do with luck, but most of all has to do with work.
Your article shows more about how much work is needed than luck 🙂 Not only writing related work, but also communication.
Thank you for the post
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I believe that it is a combination. You have to be able to write. You have to be interesting and able to sell yourself a little and you have to have some good luck but I think there is a fourth element and that is the most important. You have to take a chance. I read somewhere “Nobody is going to come knock on your door and ask to see that manuscript you have in your desk drawer.” That is the first and probably the most important step. Great post though Donna. After reading it I have decided to take my manuscript out of the desk drawer and send at least the first 3 chapters to a couple of agents. Thanks for the push.
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Ann, that is excellent. As I said on FB, if I’d known you had hidden it away in your drawer I would have moaned at you earlier :D. Good luck with it!
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Luck goes to those who climb the mountain and jump up and down with the lightning rod. For a long time and don’t quit.
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[…] Is there a right path to becoming a published author? Donna Newton asks “What is the Write Path?” […]
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