New Authors & Undiscovered Talent

[blgarver]

Hello everyone.

I just joined yesterday and am already addicted, much like I am to the Files.  I feel sort of at home here, in a cyber sort of way.

Anyhow...I've been writing stories since I was able to understand and manipulate the English language.  It's one of those things that doesn't really have a beginning, I've always just loved telling stories.   Granted, until recently most of my stuff was crap, and I'll be the first to say it.

However, I've gotten very serious about pursuing my dream of being a professinal author, and recently posted my first completed work on an online writing group.

Within a few days I got an extremely positive review from one of the reviewers, and a personal email from a fiction editor at a small press.

This all very exciting for me, but, to tell the truth, I don't really know what i'm doing, as far as the business end of this stuff is concerned.  And all I have really completed is a 5000 word short story.  I'm about half way through the novel I'm writing, but it could be a year before I finish it, because I have to work around a full time job and a part time job.  But I would really like to start querying agents and more established publishers.

Are there any writers here who have recently had their break, or any undiscovered writers who are serious about pursuing a writing career?  I'd just like to know some real world opinions about the first publication, and how people have gone about it, or are going about it.

[terioncalling]

I really want to get published but have one small problem.

Have to finish a story before I can send it anywhere.

Hence why it may be a while before I make my attempts at trying for publishing.

[blgarver]

Try short stories for a while.

I was working on this huge multi-episode fantasy epic that is just overwhelming to think about.  It's a great story, I think, and I still want to write it, but I think it's something for when I'm at least marginally established and have the time to put in 8 hours a day on it. 

So, I took one of the characters and wrote a short story that takes place before the series.  I looked up magazines that publish fantasy, got the guidelines, and wrote the story specifically for submitting. 

I finished it in about a week, and had a polished copy ready to go.  That was the first thing I had ever really completed.  And it was a huge relief to just finish something.  And that's the story I posted on my writing group, and got many great reviews about it. 

That response was an incredible motivator, if nothing else.  Someone aside from friends and family praised my work...to me, that was invaluable.

So, I would recommend taking a short break from a big project and write a short story, just to get something completed.  And put all the skill and effort into the short that you would your novel, because then you can start sending the short around and at least get people looking at your work.  Meanwhile, you can continue working on the novel.

That's the way I'm doing it right now.  Whether it will go anywhere or not, only time will tell. 

Good luck!

[Richelle Mead]

Are there any writers here who have recently had their break, or any undiscovered writers who are serious about pursuing a writing career?  I'd just like to know some real world opinions about the first publication, and how people have gone about it, or are going about it.

I have two series coming out in the next couple years, possibly a third that we're trying to sell even as I type this.  I'm not sure which aspect you're curious about, but as far as publication goes, my advice is to get an agent by following the rules you read about: query, synopsis, sample pages if requested, etc.  The system works.  I run into a lot of people who think that's too complicated or that it doesn't work.  It worked for me.  I sent out a lot of queries, and although they went to the slush pile, I still got hits and manuscript requests.  I pitched to my eventual agent's boss at a conference, but I had to go through the usual process afterward.  Two friends of mine have upcoming books and got very nice deals, and they never met their agent when they signed: they were slush pile finds too.

So I guess my advice is perseverance.  Perseverance on all aspects of the game: writing, pitching, and marketing.  It's exhausting, but it's what you've got to do.

Were there other questions you had?

[blgarver]

Oh, I've got all kinds of questions.

But that response gave the info I need right now.  Did you query short stories, or longer works?

All I have finished and ready to present is a short story.  I'm half way through my novel, but it could be a while before I finish it. 

Thanks for the help!  Hope to see you on the shelves some day!

[Richelle Mead]

Sorry...I've been away from the board for a while.

I queried novels because I'm not so good at short stories (though I'm getting better).  Short stories are great if you can publish them, though, because they make nice writing credentials when you start querying the longer stuff.  It'll get you noticed more.

I'll be on the shelves in March.  And of course, you can always head on over to Amazon and pre-order right now...