Posted By ravenclark on February 23, 2011
(Sorry about the tiny font. There is no option to enlarge it on here. If you go to “View” on your task bar and click “Zoom,” there should be an option there to enlarge. Click the plus sign once or twice, and it should make the font easy to read. There should also be an option to “Zoom text only”, which produces the same effect as if I had posted with a larger font, making the text bigger without enlarging the page.)
Hey all. I know, it’s been forever since I blogged. Don’t type at me with that tone of text, let me explain. LOL.
A short while ago, my computer caught a virus and I couldn’t do anything with it (yes, the fan is still making that horrible noise and when it wheezes too loud, I’m out of comish). As soon as I cleared that up, this site started locking me out and I couldn’t blog. I just solved that issue a few days ago, and wouldn’t you know it, the whole site crashed. All my great blogs, all the comments, my library and pages, all GONE. Ugh. Yeah. I have NOT had a good month. Unfortunately, this means I lost the post I did a while back on self publishing. I was supposed to do a follow up to that, 10 Steps To Follow Before You Submit Your MS. Today’s post offers those promised 10 steps, but for those who might not have read the post on self publishing, since the two are connected, I’ll recap.
In a nutshell, I explained that, while self publishing has its place, one should be aware of what they are getting into if they choose to do that instead of going with a traditional publishing house. The cost is not only huge, but once the book is in print, you are pretty much on your own for other costs, such as covers, promotion, conferences, and any other element that comes with selling your book. You also have to pay for copies (after however many come free with your package), and if they don’t sell, you’re out the cash, Bub. Self publishing is a good option for those who write stories for which there is no mass market appeal, such as poetry, shorts, certain types of comics, and fiction with a really obscure theme. But the costs pile up, and any help you seek with marketing you also have to pay for. I hear a lot of authors who say they’re considering self publishing because they’re tired of rejections and just want to see their name in print. The big point I made with the blog on this topic was not to self publish out of frustration. Rather, recognize the likely reasons you’re being rejected, and take steps to improve your chances of acceptance. Which brings me to today’s blog, the steps that, if you follow them, will better your chances.
A few things first. One, this post will not, and does not, promise success. If you’re here looking for a surefire ticket to publication, you might as well stop reading. I cannot say this enough, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE FOR SUCCESS. What I am offering are steps that will give you a better chance. Second, in order to appreciate the steps to follow, its best you know the likely reasons for a rejection in the first place.
Probably the biggest reason for rejection comes from submitting a novel before it’s ready. Oh, there are other reasons too. It’s important to understand, not all rejections are created equal. Sometimes a publisher will reject a story because someone else happens to be coming out with something similar. It can also be the time of year, or something going on in the world that conflicts with the story. If you submitted a story about bombing a building in 2001, and to a New York agent no less, it likely would have been turned down. It can also be that they just didn’t “get” it. Agents and publishers spend a huge amount of money on every book they publish. They really do have to love your book in order to endorse it. And of course, you must be sure to send your story to the right type of agent or publisher. Yeah, again, obvious, but you’d be surprised how often writers send a Science Fiction novel to an agent who says right on their page that they don’t do Sci Fi. That said, by and large, the biggest cause of rejection is because the story (or perhaps your query or synopsis) needs work. Weak, cliché, or predictable plots, flat characters, wooden dialogue, lazy writing, rushed or slow pacing, boring starts, Dues ex Mechina (easy way outs) lack of hooks, lack luster or obvious endings, poorly written synopsis, boring or badly written queries…the list is vast. Most writers are inherently vain, at least when they first complete a novel. They are in love with it, and thus they assume the publisher will be too. Too many writers bang off a book and rush it off to their dream agent the moment they finish a basic spell and continuity check. Problem is, very few first time writers complete a novel that is even close to publishable on the first, second or even the fourth draft. Few established authors pull it off the first time. Worse, writing is a subjective business. Every pub and agent is different. What works for one will not work for another. So what’s a poor author to do? How do you know your story is ready? Well, you can’t, not for sure. But there are some things you can do to make sure it is the best it can be before you send it off.
1) Put It Away
Yes, that’s right. When you finish your novel, do not send it in, don’t even start on the second draft. Not yet. First, put it away for a while. Stick it in a drawer or some other place where you can’t see it every day, for however long it takes for the story to fade from your mind. Most writers I follow say a month. This time away gives you a chance to distance yourself from the world and the characters you’ve created. When you take the MS out again, you’ll be able to see it more objectively, more as a reader, rather than the author. While you’re waiting, read some of the books that have been calling to you from your TBR pile, or work on another story.
2) Read Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass.
Ok, this is going to sound like I’m promoting a how-to guide, and not very objectively, but hear me out. I learned loads from this book. In Writing the Breakout Novel, Maass details how to turn an ok novel into a Breakout novel. He gives tips and tricks for how to make your plot more unique and engaging, create more likable characters, more believable villains, and how to keep the story fast paced and riveting from start to finish. I would recommend you avoid reading this book during the cooling off month. In order for the time away to be most effective, you need to avoid thinking about your novel as much as possible. While reading Breakout, you won’t be able to do that. Every page of this book, you will be wondering if you have tension on every page like Maass says, if you fell into some of the traps he addresses. You’ll worry, and you’ll just HAVE to look. Don’t do it. Let the full month pass, then read Breakout. Yes, it will mean your novel has to sit there a little while longer, but you only have to read Breakout all the way through once, and yours will still be there when you finish. NOTE: there is a companion novel to his book, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Buy that one along with the other, but don’t read it yet. You’ll need it later. And I know that title sounds technical, but trust me, it’ll benefit you in the long run.
3) Make Editing Notes
After the cooling time has passed (and you’ve read Breakout), take the MS out and read it through. Make notes about all the elements you see that need work, jot down any ideas you have that would make the story better. If at all possible, don’t make any changes on your computer yet. Instead, print a copy off and read the book in a comfy place, much as a reader would. Read it as if you’re reviewing a published work. If you view it as a critic, you’ll find it easier to be honest with yourself and look at the story the way a publisher would. It’s important that you be honest with yourself and note every weakness. EVERY LAST FLAW. If something bothers you about the book, there is a reason for it, and no matter how small, if you saw it, the publisher will. You don’t like it when someone at work does a half-assed job, so why should you be any different? Oh, and yes, you will notice a lot of things now that you would not have seen before reading Breakout. Flaws will jump out at you, but where in other stories, the reason they bothered you seemed previously illusive and you couldn’t put words to them, now you’ll be able to. You’ll have so many “That’s it!” moments (and some “Oh crap!” moments) your head will spin.
4) Implement Your Changes
This one is obvious, but it’s probably the most painful. First drafts, especially from newbies still learning the trade, often turn out to be far rougher than they first appeared. When you finished the novel, it looked all shiny, every part of it felt exciting. Now, the hero seems like every other hero in every book you read, the MC has no flaws, the way she solved the problem at the end feels way too easy, you rushed through chapter 9, and chapter 14 feels like walking through sludge. Good lord, the whole book has to be rewritten, or near enough! Now what? Simple. Rewrite it. I know, most of you are probably about ready to cry and your hearts are breaking. But it isn’t as horrible as you think. Trust me, when it’s rewritten, if you’ve read a lot and done research on characterization and plots and the like—and if you have been honest with yourself—the story will be better. The reality is, you may have to do this several times. But this is where step 5 comes in.
5) Read Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook.
Now, this is where you’ll take out that second book by Maass, the Workbook. Again, I know it sounds like a dry read, but don’t let the title scare you off. Part of the reason I suggested you to read the other book earlier is because this second one makes more sense if you read Breakout first. Maass takes all the things he taught you in Breakout and has you actually apply them, through a series of exercises, in which you make changes to your story. It sounds awful, but it’s liberating once you see what it does for your story. For example, in the first book, he mentions the importance of having tension on every page, and gives examples of how other writers did it, how it works to keep people riveted. Now, in this book, he’ll have you actually apply that advice through his exercises. It is a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Now, at this point, you’re probably asking yourself why I didn’t say to read the Workbook in your first edit. It would save time, right? Maybe, but it would be less effective. In order to see how his changes work and where they might apply to your story, it works best if you’ve read the Workbook through with that more objective eye you have only after the cooling period, and if you implement his suggestions after your manuscript has run through the rinse cycle. The Workbook is like having a free editor on hand. You’ll find that in the second edit, you’ve made the story and characters a little bit stronger, which gives him, as your editor, more to work with, so to speak.
6) Read Your Novel Again.
Once you’ve strengthened your story to the best of your ability, using all the advice from Maass that works for the story, print out the new copy and read it again. Curl up in that comfy spot with your red pen and make notes of all the flaws you still see. This second read is important for two reasons. While going through Maass’s exercises, you’ll probably have panicked more than once and changed something without thinking through how it affects the whole book. You’ll remove that unnecessary slow bit with no tension from chapter 6, just like he said, without realizing you forgot to take out the discussion of said scene in chapter 8. And two, with all the revisions, there will be plenty of things you missed, areas you think still need work, or suggestions that you thought didn’t work, and now, after you’ve calmed down, you see they do work after all.
7) Get a Beta Reader (Or Five).
After you’ve gone through the second read and implemented any necessary changes, choose at least one or two people to read over the story objectively and give you feedback on it. It’s good to have other eyes on your work, people who don’t know or who aren’t attached to the story as you are. They will notice things you don’t, and will have an easier time pointing out weak spots. If you can get three or four good betas, do it. If you are lucky enough to find five readers who know the craft well and are willing to be honest with their thoughts, great. You can find beta readers and critique partners on places like Absolute Write or on writing sites like Webook or Authonomy. On the forums of any of those sites, you can post a request for one, or look for other writers who offer to beta read. You might have to go through a few before you find a good fit, but they are there. It’s important to remember, if you choose a friend or family member, be sure the person is willing and able to give you an objective, no holds bard review. And be willing to listen to the advice. Also, make sure the person reads your type of book and has the time you need them to spend on it. Since everyone is different, you will get conflicting advice. If you use more than one beta, it’s best to minimize confusion and conflicting changes by going through each person one at a time. It takes longer, but it minimizes continuity issues and the like.
8 ) Read It Again.
For exactly the same reason as the last time you read it. This will help you clear up any mistakes that got overlooked in all the switching around, adding and deleting. It will also give you a chance to look at a much cleaner manuscript that you are now, hopefully, much more comfortable with picking apart. You’re skin will be thicker than it was with your first draft, and you’ll have a better idea what to look for, and thus, be able to edit with a finer toothed comb. You will want to do this edit with a hardcopy as well. Note that for many writers, especially new ones, it often takes many drafts to turn a story into something you’re really happy with. Children of the Dragon is in its sixth rewrite, and since much of the other drafts were scrapped, most of the chapters are first drafts, only loosely based on the original story, if at all. Granted, I had no idea what I was doing the first four times, but I will likely have at least two more drafts ahead of me. Probably more. I’ve read the Workbook, and done some of the exercises, but since it works best with a completed MS, I will have to go through it again when CotD is finished.
9) Implement the Changes.
Hopefully these changes are much smaller than they were with earlier drafts, and won’t effect the overall plot or story. If you still see any glaring issues, don’t be afraid to change them. As Maass says, it can take anywhere between 2 and 10 years to write a Breakout novel. And even if you can write a good one in a year, why settle for that if you could turn it into a bestseller? Isn’t the extra time worth it? It is to me.
10) Know When To Let Your Baby Fly.
If the first edit is the most painful, that moment before you send the story off to an agent or publisher for the first time is probably the second hardest. It’s akin to watching your child leave the nest. Panic sets in. A thousand worries careen through your head. What if it isn’t good enough? What if it flops? Maybe I could have made this just a bit better, or that a little stronger. But there comes a time when you just have to face that your baby is ready to leave your hands, hope for the best, and go for it. I’m sort of contradicting myself here, I know. I’ve been going on about not being afraid to change things as often as you need to, about being honest with yourself. And now I’m telling you to ignore the nagging voice that yammers on about every little thing and just send it out. Well, which is it, you ask? Make every change your heart tells you to, or just let go? The answer is, both. I’m not saying to send it out when you know it isn’t ready. But there is something about that pre-submission stage that insights panic. Writers are an obsessive lot by nature. The urge to perfect things is overwhelming, for those of us who are aware how hard it is for any story to stand up to the current market, how much work goes into a great book. We writers have to recognize the difference between fear of the unknown and a genuine need for improvement, between real story flaws and pre-submission jitters. If we give in to fear, we will be rewriting and revising forever. Revise for as long as the story needs, as often as it needs. Pick it apart and polish it until the pumice stone is as glass. And then when you’ve done all you can, swallow the fear, and send the damn thing out. If you get rejected (and you will; no one gets it on the first try) then revise it again. Take the advice that works, and make it even better. And then send it out again. Remember, J.K. Rowling was rejected 11 times before Harry Potter was accepted. You will get rejected. You will have to revise. But trust me, if you keep trying, in the end it will be worth it. In the end, good books do get through.
Well, that’s it for today, folks. Are there any steps I missed? Something you do in your pre-submission routine that isn’t here? Let us know.
Until next time, everyone, write on!
Raven
Category: Writing Tips |
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