Don’t you wish someone could tell you if you’re wasting your time trying to be a writer? Or if you’re at all close to getting traditionally published—assuming that’s your goal?
In a recent issue of Writer’s Digest, I have a feature article, “Revising Your Path to Publication,” that attempts to address these (rather) unanswerable questions. It’s a helpful article for writers who feel like they’re banging their head against the wall. In a nutshell, here’s what I advise.
Avoid these 5 time wasters
- Submitting manuscripts that aren’t your best work.
- Self-publishing when no one is listening.
- Distributing your work digitally when your audience wants print—or vice versa.
- Seeking New York commercial publishing deals for regional or niche work.
- Focusing on publishing when you should be writing.
The 2 things I find MOST relevant to your publication path
- How much time you’ve put into writing. Have you put in enough time to get good at it?
- How much time you’ve spent reading quality, published work. This helps you learn how to write better AND understand where you might be on the spectrum of quality.
When is it time to change course?
- Honestly assess whether your work is commercially viable. Not all work is.
- Are readers responding to something you didn’t expect? I see this happen all the time: A writer is working on a manuscript that no one seems interested in, but has fabulous success on some side project.
- Are you getting bitter? If you find yourself demonizing people in the publishing industry, taking rejections very personally, feeling as if you’re owed something, and/or complaining whenever you get together with other writers, it’s time to find the refresh button.
- How much time you’ve put into writing. Have you put in enough time to get good at it?
- How much time you’ve spent reading quality, published work. This helps you learn how to write better AND understand where you might be on the spectrum of quality.
When is it time to change course?
- Honestly assess whether your work is commercially viable. Not all work is.
- Are readers responding to something you didn’t expect? I see this happen all the time: A writer is working on a manuscript that no one seems interested in, but has fabulous success on some side project.
- Are you getting bitter? If you find yourself demonizing people in the publishing industry, taking rejections very personally, feeling as if you’re owed something, and/or complaining whenever you get together with other writers, it’s time to find the refresh button.
Here’s a little piece of hope: If your immediate thought upon reading this blog post headline was something like: I couldn’t stop trying even if someone told me to give up, then you’re much closer to publication than someone who is easily discouraged. The battle is far more psychological than you might think.
If you’d like to read the full-length article (about 2,500 words), then get the Writer’s Digest July/August 2011 issue.
Looking for other posts I’ve written similar to this topic?
- You should definitely read this next: 5 Things More Important Than Talent
- You Hate Your Writing? That’s a Good Sign!
- Your Friends and Family Are Wrong
- Persistence Doesn’t Matter If You Make This Common Mistake
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.
Jane, I am curious. There are quite a few people having a remarkable success with self-publishing through e-books. John Locke just sold 1,000,000 copies of a book that he e-published. Why would going that route when no one in the industry seems interested be wasting your time trying to get published? Especially if you have gotten very positive feedback from readers who have looked at the work. (Not necessarily friends, but people you have asked to review the book). I have been waiting three years to get my book published. I have an agent who has only offered me dubious contracts with e-publishing and print on demand houses.
There are roughly 900,000 new book titles published every year, and that doesn’t count the many e-books that are also being released.
Self-publishing isn’t wasting your time as long as you have a strategy for reaching readers through all the noise and competition. If you have no way of making people aware your work exists, it will not sell.
John Locke now has an e-book available explaining how he was successful e-publishing and how he reached readers. It was not a case of him releasing his book and just watching the money roll in. It was WORK. Amanda Hocking tells a similar story on her blog. I’ve pasted a snippet below, but the full post is here:
http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/2011/03/some-things-that-need-to-be-said.html
“I don’t think people really grasp how much work I do. I think there is this very big misconception that I was like, “Hey, paranormal is pretty hot right now,” and then I spent a weekend smashing out some words, threw it up online, and woke up the next day with a million dollars in my bank account.
This is literally years of work you’re seeing. And hours and hours of work each day. The amount of time and energy I put into marketing is exhausting. I am continuously overwhelmed by the amount of work I have to do that isn’t writing a book. I hardly have time to write anymore, which sucks and terrifies me.”
Thank you for your response! I was expecting to do a lot of work marketing either way. Of course I would prefer to get published by a big house, but as a new author that is… impractical. I will have to check out that e-book.
Fantastic article. It’s funny how as writers we generally are shy and introverted, yet when we finish the first draft of our first manuscript, we become like “drunk seniors on spring break”!
Suddenly, our inhibitions are gone and we think everyone is just waiting to worship our “masterpiece”… uggg… growing pains can suck! But when we get through them, advice like yours can be priceless. Thank you
Yes! It’s hugely tempting, after we finish a manuscript, to send it out into the world. Patience is vital.
Jane,
I absolutely love reading your articles. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how I look at it, I am one of those people who “couldn’t stop trying even if someone told me to give up.” Thanks for your words of wisdom, which they always truly are.
Thanks, Patricia! Glad to hear of your resilience. 🙂
Jane,
This is GREAT advice for any professional writer. Thank you. Your tips really made me think, and they actually apply to the professional (i.e. they’re not everyone-in-the-writing-world-knows-this tips).
–Shari
Flattered! Thank you so much.
Thanks for that insight, Jane.
🙂
Good article, and timely. I am leaning toward self-publishing, but I realize it is a lot of work. I think a lot of people do not realize it still has to be done professionally to rise above the crowd. Just reformatting a Word doc to Kindle format doesn’t cut it. As we used to say in IT, garbage in, garbage out. If anything, I think the bar is higher since there is no one that has your back.
Keep up the good work. Yours is one of the most useful threads I follow!
Thanks so much, Darryl. 100% agree: garbage in, garbage out!
I write because I love to share my thoughts; ultimately to encourage others. Blogging has been a good way to learn whether or not anyone else wants to hear what rattles in my head from day to day. I think that there will come a time when I will know whether or not my thoughts should be bound in paper, that I might make it into the homes of others. I enjoy reading your thoughts, advice and other information. It has shown me in many ways that I am on the right path. I write first because I love to write.
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
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This was excellent; from an MFA graduate, aspiring author (I’m waiting for my manuscript to be ready), and creative writing instructor’s viewpoint, it’s completely true.
Glad to hear it resonates! Thanks for commenting.
Humbling and inspiring. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for stopping by!