I Don't Know How Much Longer I Can Do This

Cassiopeia · Mar 2, 2019

The world of publishing is full of success stories. Some of that world is full of charlatans who would have us believe its so hard we have to use their program, or some it's so easy and their program will show us the way to get published. Write your stories for you. If they happen to get published...awesome. If not, enjoy them. Cherish them. Don't berate yourself over the huge monstrosity that publishing is. If you need to see it in print, there are many sites that offer POD. We have some very successful self-published authors on here. Write to be heard. Write to dream. Write as catharsis.

MFA is a great program. Is it a path to publication? I'm not the one to comment on that. But you'll learn a lot. Hang in there and while you do, read your own work--not with a critical eye but with the intent to enjoy it as a reader. You may find answers not previously obvious to you.

Datco · Apr 8, 2019

Coming late to this. The thing about publishers is they are all looking for the next big thing- but nobody knows what that is!

To get published you need to write a good story- not necessarily a great one. Then you've got to sell it. Writers are not good at selling themselves- but get the good story finished first.

Try and divorce the two things. Don't try and write for an audience as an unpublished writer you don't have an audience- write for yourself.

Once that's done Don't submit to every agent or small publisher that accepts submissions be choosy and selective. Pick ones in your genre and I would say send it to 15-20 tops- initially anyway. Agents talk to each other and if you've subbed to 200 they'll see you as a serial subber. Agents are people who like a personalised approach.

In saying that even when u get one like I did it dorsnt mean you've made it - mine dumped me last year after being unable to place my manuscript.

ByTXP · Apr 8, 2019

Datco said:
Coming late to this. The thing about publishers is they are all looking for the next big thing- but nobody knows what that is!

To get published you need to write a good story- not necessarily a great one. Then you've got to sell it. Writers are not good at selling themselves- but get the good story finished first.

Try and divorce the two things. Don't try and write for an audience as an unpublished writer you don't have an audience- write for yourself.

Once that's done Don't submit to every agent or small publisher that accepts submissions be choosy and selective. Pick ones in your genre and I would say send it to 15-20 tops- initially anyway. Agents talk to each other and if you've subbed to 200 they'll see you as a serial subber. Agents are people who like a personalised approach.

In saying that even when u get one like I did it dorsnt mean you've made it - mine dumped me last year after being unable to place my manuscript.

One quibble with this: You should definitely do your research and make sure the agents you're querying represent your genre, but there's no harm in querying widely, assuming you're personalizing the messages and adjusting your query letter as needed. Given the volume of submissions coming in, there's no way agents are comparing notes on all their rejections, and I think most agents understand that it can take a while to find the right match. The only way you're likely to get a bad reputation is if you've failed to follow their submissions rules or are really rude or deceptive in your responses to them.

Treehouseman · Apr 13, 2019

I think Rosepetal has left the building.

It can be a tough thing to finger-wag newbies and say, "you need to be asking this question after 20 years, not 5" but I think its a given that newer folks have a very optimistic view on how long this process takes, and the commitment required.

1sa1ahsMum · Jul 27, 2019

I'm sorry she left! I came to tell her that "Gone with the wind" was rejected 138 times.

I Don't Know How Much Longer I Can Do This

Cassiopeia

Otherwise Occupied

Datco

ByTXP

Strange Visitor

Treehouseman

1sa1ahsMum