Having written your first book

Having written your first book?

You've written your first book, you want to get it published then you can write more - and more and maybe at last, be recognised as a true published author.

So you log into the internet and do search for literary agents and publishers, . There are sure to be many who will want to take on your masterpiece. if only it could be that easy.

There are so many would be writers now, given the wondrous aid of the computer, install ?one of the word processors like ?Word' or ?Coral'? and bingo!? They have spell and grammar checks too and all a writer could wish for to enhance one's work - so no worries there!

But slowly, you begin to realise it is not that easy, and confidence depletes rapidly, especially after having sent your well worked manuscripts out? to various publishers or agents and they return with a host of reasons why, but ?rarely helpful - so you have no idea about ?how you could improve your story if it's not up to scratch

But you just want to write, you really do.

You have a need to get something out of your system which has been driving you nuts for months, something meaningful - something in which you really believe.

Having tried several outlets you click in for help for budding writer's pages...

At last, all hope is not lost. You find someone who really cares about your work after you have sent a chapter or two.. They say your book is wonderful and deserves publication. You look into it further thinking maybe you have made it at last!

Your hopes rise again until you read the small print. Then you discover just why your work is praised - the cost is absolutely abortive - but in order to get it into print you are tempted.

It is called vanity publishing; ?fine if you just want to show off to your kin and friends, because no way will they attempt to sell your book for you and it really is going to cost you to do it yourself - and even then, as much as you want it too, as much as you believe in what you have written, it may still not sell - despite all devotion you have put into it,? so you are left not only with the pain of a failure but also a large debt.

I took early advice which immediately persuaded me not to go for vanity press, that if your work is good enough they pay you and not the other way around!

"Okay fine," you may ask, so how do I get the book published.

Of course given the aid of a modern computer you can self-publish and make quite a nice job of it too.

But maybe you still haven't got the message? You will need to sell it.

What are you going to do, tramp around all the bookshops in the land and try to convince them how good your book is?

You begin to feel downhearted again. ?Almost give up. You feel you are on a losing wicket.

maybe you ask yourself; is there absolutely no one out there who will put their trust my your work? - you may even come to the conclusion that at the end of the? day you can never be a real writer anyway, so all confidence and hope fades and you may feel utterly downtrodden.

Of course that may be the case - and perhaps your work isn't up to scratch - but you don't really know because, given unsuccessful feedback, they never gave you a clue.

But then, maybe a year or two later, when you have tried to forget your novel (who are you trying to kid!)! You discover that several successful writers, those like J.K. Rowling received a number of rejections for her first Harry Potter book

It may give you a tinge of renewed hope and energy to try again.

I joined a writer's postal folio which worked wonders, which made me see just how I could improve my work, being too close to one's work is often a problem, but given the attributes of a writer's folio you can share and offer constructive advice.

Another way to test your writing ability is to write letters to the press, learn by those published and those rejected and then progress to articles, there are loads of magazines out there and there will be one which takes your genre, but take time to research the type of material they use.

I won weekend a hotel break for two having written top letter for the Daily Mail, and several small prizes from other outlets.

Getting your first article printed and actually getting paid for it is a real confidence builder, you start to believe in yourself again and you know you can do it.

Me? Well after two rewrites I have found myself a real publisher who has confidence in me, who praised my work and it is absolutely wonderful.

It has given me all the confidence in the world -well almost that is - until I offered a free copy to a local newspaper. Then it was like starting all over. I was given a r?sum? of just how many requests the features editor receives for a preview.

The features editor was quite severe too; advising me that many end up on the slush pile (so to speak) and are sold for charity at 50p or less a book. Ugh! That really hurt.

There was I thinking; ?Great my book is published at long last and it is all plain sailing from here.'

Not a chance!

"Don't you want to give local writer's encouragement?" I asked feeling a little frustrated.

But she went on to explain that it wasn't that, she had to be strict in not wanting to give would- be writer's false hope.

I could see her point, but I strived to convince her how strongly I felt about my book and the good reviews I had already received on Amazon.

I gave her the website on which my book is mentioned and contacted my local bookstore who said they will do a launch for me.? Great!

After a little persuasion the features editor did take a look at the website and after I'd said I'd leave it all to providence she emailed me back , said she is warming to me ?and I could see she was impressed, she said it looked interesting and asked me to tell her the date of the launch.

I also bravely told her that if my book didn't make it I was too old in the tooth to be upset.

?She replied?? "But not too old in the tooth to write a book!"

So are we there, me and my book? You never know.

I always remember what certain composers have said, that no matter how good you may think your song. You can never tell until it sings!

So it is all up to providence now!

Source: http://education.ezinemark.com/having-written-your-first-book-18d462d328a.html

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