Why can't you get published?

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seun

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It's time to look at your work and time for some brutal honesty. Why can't you get published? Why can't you find an agent? Is it because of your synopsis or query? Or is your book not as good as you thought?

I've been thinking about this for a while and for myself, I can't narrow it down. I think I'm a decent writer; I've had stories and poems accepted. I think I could sell my books if I was published, but I'm still not really getting anywhere. Maybe I am just not as good as I thought.

Over to you.
 

CaroGirl

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I also think I'm a decent writer. But I think I'm not quite good enough. How to bridge the gap between my skills and publisher demand eludes me.
 

James81

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Two things:

I'm not consistent enough and I don't pursue it enough.

I get distracted pretty easily. The moment I take the time to really focus and dedicate myself to getting published is the moment it will happen for me.
 

Parametric

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Poor plotting. Repetition. Inability to world-build. Patchy characterisation. Major pacing problems. General incoherency.
 

icerose

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I'm good but I'm not great has been my problem so far. My recent string of rejections have been "Although we loved reading it and read it several times, it doesn't stand out among the books already on the shelves enough. Regrettably, we're going to have to pass."

My solution has been to write a stronger book and I think I just finished one that fits the bill. We'll see, first it has to pass betas, and then it'll be going through the agent test.
 

Phaeal

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My query and MS haven't hit the right desk at the right time yet.
 

DamaNegra

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I haven't even tried.

I've written many novels, but none of them have convinced me to try and get it into some editor's desk. I may be getting on to something with my current novel, but I won't know until it's finished. So that's the main reason I'm not published: I don't feel ready for it right now.

I will publish eventually. Still, I figure that since I'm only 20 years old, I've got plenty of time for honing my craft and publishing. Write on!
 

StoryG27

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I also think I'm a decent writer. But I think I'm not quite good enough. How to bridge the gap between my skills and publisher demand eludes me.
^ this.

My writing isn't good enough yet.

And, I give up too easily. I get a couple queries knocked back or a few partials turned down, and I trunk it and move on.

I need to improve both my writing and my resiliency.
 

Alpha Echo

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I'm not consistent enough and I don't pursue it enough.

This.

I think I'm decent. I really think if I kept at it, I would stand a good chance. I might have to work on my query letters, but the manuscripts themselves...well the one I have completed and am proud of...is good.

I seem to get on a roll for awhile - I'll consistantly pump out 1k a day or I'll revise a chapter a day or whatever - and then I'll consistantly do nothing. I don't know why or what happens to my motivation, but there you have it.
 

Ellefire

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My technical ability isn't quite up to standard. I always knew I had a problem with grammar but other problems are now being pointed out to me by people who know better than I. Such as inconsistent use of POV. Third person limited/ omni are not quite as interchangeable as I had been using them.

I'm taking an Open University class to try identify (and conquer) these problems I didn't realise I had.
 

Dave Willhoite

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The writing is good, but the revision is weak.

Maestro Heinlein said

1) You must write
2) You must finish what you write
3) You must refrain from excessive editing
4) You must submit what you write for publication
and
5) You must write something new.

And revision is part of "Finish what you write".

Telling the story is fun. Revision is slog work. I haven't actually ever finished revision a project. I always get excited about a new one, and leave the last one in the trunk.

But, this latest project is worth finishing, I think. For me, at the middle of a long project, there is a low spot in the middle of the composition process where I get really disheartened.

I am wondering if there is a similar spot during the revision process. If so, I will get to find a solution to a new problem.

Dave
 

Southern Girl

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This is a great question, actually.

I've written all my life. And my peers, teachers, family, friends, etc., have always loved my writing. I've heard, "You should be a writer!" consistently for more than two decades. I've won awards and received a lot of local media attention for my earlier writings. Yet, I never pursued writing for profit. I was content being wife and mom, and I'll be honest. I was scared to pursue it.

Finally something clicked for me last spring, and I had a story I desperately wanted to tell. I wrote it out and edited it.

The novel I'm submitting right now got rave reviews from my test readers. They loved it. Cried over it, talked about it, swooned. I felt ridiculously confident that I'd find an agent somewhat easily. Ha, ha.

I sent out lots of queries with little to no response, and then I realized my query sucked hard. From more than fifty queries, I was asked for 2 partials and 1 full. (1 partial and full are still out). So I went to Query Hell and reworked my query. I also decided to take this month away, to relax, work on another book, and revamp my manuscript.

So, to answer your question, I think it is my query at this point. I was R'd on one partial, but I wasn't upset about it - I knew to expect differing tastes over my writing. I haven't rec'd any feedback on my full or other partial yet. The one holding my full just accepted my trimmer, revised version, for which I'm grateful because I think it's much better. The one holding my partial hasn't let me know anything yet. So I can't say that my manuscript is bad; I've literally gotten no feedback other than query Rs that say (if anything) "Doesn't interest me." No wonder, considering how unappealing my query was.

I think once I hear back from these agents holding, I'll have a better idea what changes I need to make if it's a problem with my ms. But to be honest, right now I believe it's my query.
 

DragonHeart

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It's time to look at your work and time for some brutal honesty. Why can't you get published?

I never finish anything, thus I never have anything to send out to publish. Well, that's not entirely true. I've had some flash fiction both finished and published, so I know I'm capable of it. It's the long fiction that eludes me.

I lack discipline, have for a long time. I'm working to change that now, both in my writing and life in general. Progress has been made so I'm not entirely hopeless. Yet. ;)

I'm sure once I start actually finishing my projects I'll be able to spot problems on the technical side of things but until then, discipline's the major issue I need to work on.
 

Alpha Echo

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The writing is good, but the revision is weak.

Maestro Heinlein said

1) You must write
2) You must finish what you write
3) You must refrain from excessive editing
4) You must submit what you write for publication
and
5) You must write something new.

I need to remember all five steps.


And revision is part of "Finish what you write".

Telling the story is fun. Revision is slog work. I haven't actually ever finished revision a project. I always get excited about a new one, and leave the last one in the trunk.

But, this latest project is worth finishing, I think. For me, at the middle of a long project, there is a low spot in the middle of the composition process where I get really disheartened.

I am wondering if there is a similar spot during the revision process. If so, I will get to find a solution to a new problem.

Dave

I actually LOVE revising. I don't know why, but I do. It's either finishing the story or querying in which I fall behind and disappoint myself.
 

Brindle Chase

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My experience is very limited... but I have found this equation to be truth.

If you are not getting requests for more materials... your query and/or synopsis need work

If you are getting requests for more materials, but no offers for publication/representation ... its likely your writing or your story or both.

This is based on submitting 40 times before my book found a home. I did ten, got no nibbles... adjusted query and did ten more, got one nibble, adjusted query and revised book, did twenty more, got several nibbles that lead to an offer!
 

Jamesaritchie

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Writers fail to get published for all sorts of reasons. Just not good enough is number one.

But good writers can fail, too, and it's because, from my experience, being a writer comes in two stages. First, you have to learn how to write well. Second, you have to learn what to write well.

It's the second hurdle that many talented writers have trouble getting over.
 

Dungeon Geek

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I don't know. I think I'm plenty good enough, but I think my query letters have been bullcrap. One thing I've learned from this website is that the query seems just as important as the novel. And if agents aren't reading my novel, it's because they can't get past my query. Also, I have a fondness for dwarves and elves, and maybe that hasn't helped me too much overall. Anyway, I'm working on the query part of it. I have been paid for my writing (the shorter stuff), so I know I can sell my work. I think I just need a damn fine query to hook an agent with my epic fantasy book.
 

mscelina

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I haven't told the right story yet.

(maybe. I'm still holding out hope on the 7 fulls and 2 partials still out there)

I have been published, but not on the level that I want. So, I'm assuming that when I come across the right story, I will land the agent,the contract, the publishing house that I crave.

It all depends on the story.
 

Bubastes

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I haven't finished a book that's ready for subbing yet. I'm batting over 90% with non-fiction articles and short fiction, though, so I'm hoping that's a good sign for my novel-writing future. I need all the encouragement I can get to make it through the subbing slog.
 

RG570

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I'm going to go with just plain luck mixed with a weak approach to submitting. I think the writing is fine. I hate submitting though.
 

Judg

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Plotting and structure. I'm working on it.

I'm not surprised either. It was the idea of trying to put together a novel-length plot that scared me away from writing for years. I knew I could write a good sentence, a good paragraph, maybe even a good chapter. But a whole novel?

But I'll get it. These things can be learned.

Writing to a very narrow niche is not helping things. *sigh*
 

seun

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Maybe something else I'm overlooking is demand. Has the world had enough of my subjects? :Shrug:
 

JoNightshade

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Great thread. :)

I've got the writing part down, in terms of technical proficiency, characterization, everything like that.

I think my "failure to publish" thus far is a combination of:

1) I struggle with creating enough conflict. I get lost in the characters and forget that every scene needs to have a point OTHER than revealing character. But I'm aware of this and am working on it.

2) My subject matter isn't easily categorized. It'd just go in general fiction, but I don't have a nifty "hook" or "concept" that would serve well for marketing. I've had a couple of agents say "I really like this but I have no idea where I'd sell it" or "could you make this more romance-y?" This is something I could easily change but I'm unwilling. I like what I write, I believe in it, and I am willing to deal with the extra hurdle to getting agented and published. Maybe I'll ultimately go with a smaller pub house, we'll see.

3) Query. Actually I think my query is pretty good, but essentially it suffers from the same issue as item #2 above. There's nothing I can fix about that; it is what it is.

So at the moment I am fine-tuning my novel to make sure it has enough conflict, since that's the one item I know I need to improve. Then I'll turn it out to agents again. And we'll see what happens. One agent who came very close to signing me suggested I just move on to the "next" novel, but I really, really believe in this one. I don't feel like it's the best it can be quite yet. When I get to that point, then I'll start on something new.
 
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