| Your novel is finished, but how do you get it noticed? It's not supposed to be easy. If it was, everybody would be doin' it. But it's not supposed to overwhelm you, either. You've written your novel. Congratulations! Take a moment to bask in the wonder of it all. It truly is a wonderful accomplishment. The moment lingers, but you're already thinking about the next step, aren't you? You love your novel and know it's good. Now you want it published! But how can you send a proposal to a house that no longer accepts unsolicited manuscripts? How many houses even look at The Writer's Edge? And then there's that catch-22 thing. You think you won't be able to convince a publisher to give your work a chance until you're a published author, but there's no way you'll become a published author because no publisher will give your work a chance. Don't go throwin' in the towel just yet. First of all, make completely sure you and your novel are ready to be noticed. Is your novel as finished as you can make it? Is every detail accurate? Has a freelance editor critiqued and line edited the entire manuscript? Together, have you eliminated all typos and structural problems? Is your manuscript formatted correctly? Are there still places in your story where you've said, "Ahh, that's good enough"? Is "good enough" really the best you can do? Second, have you created a concise, yet intriguing query letter and synopsis? You must be able to clearly and confidently summarize your story in 50 words, in 150 words, in 1000 words, and in short chapter summaries. You must show your novel's word count, define where it fits into the fiction market, and yet describe why it is different from anything else in the market. What will compel a reader to pick your book over the hundreds available to them? Is your presentation to the point? Is it professional? Humble? Keep in mind, it is the quality of your writing that sells your novel, not how boldly you proclaim its greatness in your query letter. If your proposal survives the slush pile, the editor will immediately hand it to a reader who will definitely make up her own mind. Be concise. And be as brief as possible. Think like an editor. Put yourself in their shoes. Third, are you ready to spend some money? Unfortunately, unless you have a mentor well established in the industry, the only way to get noticed is to make yourself visible, which means shelling out some serious buckolas to attend writing conferences. Publishing house editors thrive on relationships, and they willingly attend conferences to meet and form relationships with new authors. They want you to succeed. If your book succeeds, so do they. DO NOT think editors are the enemy. Lose that attitude immediately. Not only are they experts in writing and editing novels, in marketing, publicizing, and selling novels, but they are also fellow believers, your brothers and sisters in Christ. Treat them as such. It's almost too obvious to say, but if you lack respect for others in this industry, there is no way you will build respect for yourself. Agents also regularly attend conferences, but with the availability of house editors, I would suggest focusing on meeting editors first. Agents have become necessary in this age of "no unsolicited manuscripts," but finding an agent can be as difficult as finding a publisher. Go straight to the source whenever possible. At some of the larger conferences, you may be able to submit your proposal to an editor for pre-screening before you actually meet with them. This is a tremendous opportunity. Take advantage of this service no matter what it costs. (At Mount Hermon, this service is free, and you submit to two editors.) When you do meet with an editor at a conference, keep in mind this meeting will be limited to fifteen (that's 15) minutes. (I hear the voice of God thundering from the heavens every time I think of it. Fifteen minutes.) It is definitely a "get in, give your spiel, and get out" mentality. So be prepared. How do you market yourself and your novel? When the editor walks away, is he thinking, "Just like all the others. I wish her the best." Or is he thinking, "Maybe not right now, but soon she will be published. I’ll keep her in mind." Or . . . "Wow. I need this novelist at my house right now!" What causes an editor to notice you and your work? Your preparation. Editors know all new authors will shake with nervous tension in those intense fifteen minutes. They don't care about that. They do care when new authors waste precious time stumbling over words because they are not prepared. How do you prepare? First? Pray. Put Christ first in everything you do, in every possible way. Second? Four words: Christian Writer's Market Guide. Read it, know it, live it. In this guide you will find publishing houses that need the work you do. Study what they are selling, visit their Websites, download their guidelines, and know what they require. Do not pitch your novel to a house editor until you are sure your novel fits in with what that house is trying to accomplish. In other words, do not pitch a novel to a house that does not publish fiction, and don't pitch science-fiction to a house that only publishes historical romance. Third? Clearly define your novel to the editor. Give a brief summary of what it is about, define its genre, where it fits into the market, and why readers will be drawn to your work. Keep in mind that editors are more interested in a novel that starts a series than in a stand-alone. Think multi-book. And during the interview? Relax. Enjoy yourself. Allow your passion for your story to beam out your eyes. Passion is infectious. Infect an editor. What else can you do? The Writer's Edge and First Edition are options. These services reach the smaller publishing houses more so than the larger ones. But, again, whatever you can do to make yourself and your novel more visible, the better. Both services charge fees and have Websites with full guidelines for submissions. So. You've conferenced. You've submitted. You've Writer's Edged. Still nothing, and you're starting to get desperate. You want your novel published. Now. Okay. I hear you. Read on. What would I recommend? STEP AWAY FROM THE NOVEL. It's finished, polished, refined, and driving you crazy. You know it's good, and what little feedback you have received verifies that. But still, no one wants it. You are starting to think no one appreciates you or your work; you're starting to think about self-publishing, print-on-demand . . . Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with self-publishing or print-on-demand. If you are willing to invest a few more buckolas into your story, there are many reputable publishers who will take your money and print your book. They will do a terrific job. They produce high-quality products. But then what? Are you prepared to market and distribute your high-priced book? How? Some POD publishers provide limited distribution networks. But do they have the connections to place your book in Wal-Mart? In a bookstore in the United Kingdom? Probably not. Tyndale does. Zondervan does. Bethany House does. But it's all up to you. What's the one thing you need right now, more than anything? (Besides divine guidance, a winning lottery ticket, and a publisher?) Sorry. But the one thing you need is patience. I can hear you screaming in agony. That was the one word you did not want to hear me say. Hear me out. Your novel is good enough to be published by a big-time publishing house. The timing just may not be right. What do you do in the meantime? Instead of spending money to self-publish, spend it attending conferences where editors and agents are waiting to meet you and to hear about your work. And in the rest of the meantime? STEP AWAY FROM THE NOVEL. Put your beloved story on the shelf. And start again. Did I say give up on your beloved? Not at all. Putting a story on the shelf is not the same as throwing it away. Just get yourself away from it. And write another story. If you feel yourself destined be a published novelist who writes novels for a long, long time, consider this: there are Christian publishers out there who are actively seeking new authors to write romances for their continuous club mailings. New authors have the opportunity to follow a formula to write an original story that fits into a highly productive system. Steeple Hill/Love Inspired, HeartQuest, and Heartsong Presents all publish as many as 60 titles a year, both in historical and contemporary settings. These novels are usually shorter than the average novel, are widely read by rabid readers, and are a great way to break into the industry. By following strict guidelines, you are expanding your ability to write marketable fiction. By distancing yourself from your first novel, you are allowing it to refresh in your mind. If you resist temptation and stay away from it for at least six months, you give yourself the opportunity to hear your story with fresh ears, to see in it what you may not have seen before, good and bad. By submitting a story to a highly prolific publishing house, you increase your odds of not only having your story noticed, but read and appreciated. By becoming a published author, you increase your odds of not only having your first story noticed, but read and acquired. Just something to think about. And pray about. Please don't ever forget: God's timing is perfect, and every good and perfect gift comes from Him. If He has blessed you with a story to tell, and has given you the ability to tell it, He will lead you the rest of the way to whatever end He has planned. Wait. Pray. Trust. And believe. No matter what, believe He knows what's best for you, and that He has everything under control. Cuz He duz. Questions? Need to vent? I'm here for you. donna at donnafleisher dot com |
getting noticed
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| Romans 15:5-6 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| James 1:4-5 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. |
| Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. |
