I thought writing my first novel would be the end not the beginning

Punctuation helps.

Writing the novel is only the beginning of the publishing process. You'll have to write the novel, edit the novel, edit the novel again, edit the novel once again, edit the novel one more time, edit the novel one more time again, write the query, edit the query, edit the query again, submit the novel, submit the novel again, submit the novel again, wait, wait, wait, and wait.

And writing a novel doesn't prove squat against other authors. Every author has varying degrees of quality and success, both of which are completely subjective according who's doing the talking. You might say your book is better than Author A's, while I might say mine's better than both of yours combined, whereas Author C brings up Author B and Author D, whose books Author E absolutely loathes when compared to their own, etc.

Too many people think it's as easy as cranking out a book and, boom. You're published. Poke around the threads here, particularly in the genre in which you write, and get more information on how to improve your writing so you can get it published. That's what we're here for.

This is why around here, the query zone is called Query Letter Hell. I'll give you a tip. Go over there right now (password vista) and start critiquing other queries. Don't say "I can't even write my own much less critique others." You can. It's always easier to see flaws when you're an objective observer. Critiquing queries is honest-to-goodness the best way to write your own. If there aren't enough current, active queries, spend your time in the stickies. The Three Questions sticky, and the Successful Queries sticky are excellent resources.

I promise, doing these things will be the most valulable time you spend trying to write your own query.

ElaineA said:

This is why around here, the query zone is called Query Letter Hell. I'll give you a tip. Go over there right now (password vista) and start critiquing other queries. Don't say "I can't even write my own much less critique others." You can. It's always easier to see flaws when you're an objective observer. Critiquing queries is honest-to-goodness the best way to write your own. If there aren't enough current, active queries, spend your time in the stickies. The Three Questions sticky, and the Successful Queries sticky are excellent resources.

I promise, doing these things will be the most valulable time you spend trying to write your own query.

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Adding to this, it'll help bring your post count up to 50 so you can start posting your novel in the Share Your Work section. Critique begets critique here; the membership loves active participants.

Then there's the secret handshake. . . . . .

caw

blacbird said:

Then there's the secret handshake. . . . . .

caw

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Shhh!

Once! said:

Punctuation helps.

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So do paragraphs.

BenPanced said:

Adding to this, it'll help bring your post count up to 50 so you can start posting your novel in the Share Your Work section. Critique begets critique here; the membership loves active participants.

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But do agents and editors love the results of these active participants? My experience is they don't. Not even a little bit.

James, don't you have a post somewhere about the need to practice the right way? I think the topic was target practice, but the content nailed sound advice for learning any new skill. I enjoyed reading that. Not sure if I still have the link. It would make a great sticky for AW, offering a clue to the OP (and many others) on what is needed beyond the Share Your Work section.

As to the OP, why not follow some authors online? Getting published can be a very long process. Rothfuss talks openly about how long it took to write The Name of the Wind. My recollection is that he worked for seventeen years on the draft (though I'm no longer sure this is the actual time it took, check out his online interviews). Scott Lynch also reported a considerable time I believe to write the Lies of Locke Lamora (again, over a decade if I recall well (could be wrong here too), check out his interviews) .

Check out Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. It's a great resource. Then check out The Art of Slow Writing when you feel you've put in too much work and did not get a return. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is worth its weight in gold for anyone determined to learn to "walk".

And of course once you've done all of that editing and query writing and more editing and all the rest and your novel is finally published - there's the second novel. And the third. And so on. Unless you are one of those people with only one novel in them, then yep, the first novel is just the start.