Publishing Lottery

So, you've checked your manuscript, the numbers are right, all the boxes are ticked, your contact details are included, you've met the deadline (if there is one) and you have sent your work to the right publisher. The problem is, there is no cut off point, no TV announcement of winners and if you are unlucky enough, not even an announcement of non-winning via the dreaded Rejection Slip! Welcome to the publishing lottery.

The debate about whether to self-publish or go the traditional route rages on. And there remains that persistent mind-set that being published by one of the 'Big Name Houses' is the only reputable way to go. One of the stigmas that surround self-publishing is that of independents not making a living from their work. How many times have you been asked "Do you make a living from it." It may be helpful to know that even an average Author with one of the Big Houses may struggle to make $10,000. Here in the UK, the majority sell less than 300 copies. Overcoming stigma then is about challenging the perceived wisdom and proceeding with confidence.

A look at the figures may help you to break free from the 'if only' thinking of all lottery players.There are 86,300 Publishers world-wide; of that number 300-400 are mid size publishers and only 6 are large well-known publishers - the rest, all 86,000 of them are self publishers. Those who submit their manuscripts to the 'Big Houses' in the hope of fame and fortune might be helped by knowing that out of the tens of thousands of manuscripts submitted every year, about a dozen are selected by each. Welcome to the Lottery!

I am fully aware of the old arguments about self publishing and I acknowledge the validity of some of them - such as the risk of the market being flooded with poor writing. However, for those who know that their work is good and who have taken the time to have it reviewed, self publishing is the way to go.

With enhanced technology offering a Global readership, economical marketing and promotion opportunities  and Social Networking, the world is open to what you have to offer. I am an avid reader of self published books and, of the 100 authors I have in my Kindle, how could any of them ever have attracted me to read them if they hadn't used the internet to market their books. We all know the old stories of the vanity publishers, but let's not confuse that with Self Publishing enterprise that remains firmly under the control of the author and his or her collaborators.

My argument is not that people should shy away from the 'Big Publishers', but rather, that self publishing is seen as a viable and reputable alternative where the lottery has failed to pay off. I have numerous friends, who,  suffering numerous rejections have concluded that their work is trash and canned it. The publishing world is a business and structured on a firm set of business protocols, so their rejection of your manuscript isn't about it being trash, it is about straight forward business decisions that may not favor you at the time.

My plea therefore is, if you have given up on the lottery, don't can the manuscript - self publish. Click this text to see who have succeeded at self publishing and why?

Look out for my next post: '10 Surefire Ways to Self Publishing Success'.

Read Everything

I went to an interview with Kate Atkinson last Saturday in my local library. I was amazed at the turnout...it was the biggest Author event I have ever attended. Kate read from one of her books...her delivery was spell-binding and the characters came to life on every word...I just wanted to get hold of all her stuff (for Kindle) of course.

I was impressed by something that Kate said in reply to her interviewer's question about reading to be a writer; "to write well you must read absolutely everything there is." It seemed like a sweeping statement and some might say 'over the top' to me. However, when I review how my best ideas come to the fore, it is after a reading session of a broad range of genres and media. That is not to say that in reading we find ideas in other writing that we can lift out and rework, rather, it is that reading opens up the buried material in our own memory banks...material waiting to be exploited.

I downloaded Travellers Rest by James Enge last week. Not only was I thrilled by the story which takes place in a sort of  futuristic/mythological lodging house, but my interest in Fantasy was reawakened after half a lifetime. Having written fantasy as a youth I now have a couple of stories outlined.

My encouragement then is for you to exploit yourself through the creativity of others...you'll be surprised how many stories, novles, articles and more are waiting for the awakening.

Full Time Writer

This morning I read a Tweet from a young man wishing to know how to become a full-time writer. I clicked through to the blog that provided a range of answers to the young man's query from a range of those who are already writers. Some were encouraging in their replies, others poured cold water on the inquirer's efforts to break into writing full time...even I was left with the notion that it is all just an endless slog with no real gain...so why not just become a slave to the alarm clock and some other master? I thought.

I would not attempt to pretend that breaking into writing as a full-time career is easy and most of the advice offered by respondents was sound. However, if one wishes to write and make money while writing and getting their first works accepted, there is always the option of launching a website and sell affiliate writing programs off your site. Now I am not suggesting that anyone quits a secure job straight away, but with as little as an hour a day you could soon make that a realistic goal. Like writing itself, it is down to time, effort and skill.

If you have a modest knowledge of the Internet, know how to set up and maintain a website, then this might be a way for you to make that extra income that allows you to reach for your dreams.

If you have a website then Gary McLaren, Editor, Worldwide Freelance Writer, has prepared an ebook of the best Writing Affiliate Programs. OK, it will cost about $9, but what other business has lower start-up costs than writing, or has such certain work-from-home possibilities?

Here is a link for you to take a look at what Gary has to offer

A Story in Six Minutes

If you are looking for a sure fire way to get your creative mind moving, try writing a Six Minute Story at their website. Founded by Galen Sandford, the Six Minute Story website affords writers a way to kick-start their thinking and a forum of feed-back and encouragement. It works like this; you are given a prompt and then you have six minutes to write to that prompt, when the timer runs out you are unable to add more text. I tried it for the first time this morning to the prompt 'The dream was better than the waking'. Here is my effort. Flawed? Yes, but the perfect skeleton now for a fantasy piece.

Waking Dreams

She moved through my dreams in the silver slippers of moonlight.

I shivered. It seemed as though something had touched me. I could hear the early morning mist slip off the slumbering streets...my bones shuddered and I longed in those lucid moments for warmth.

Did you breath? I felt a soft air cross my cheeks as I struggled against the frostiness cast by being in the limbo between sleeping and waking. Touch me! Touch me! make me come alive again, don't let me drift into cold darkness.

Sunlight drove hard through the window and fell on my cheek...is it your kiss I wondered?

Struggling through the cold of dying sleep, I wake, gasping, reaching for you. You are not there.

The dream was better than the waking...your spirit met me there and warmth brushed my spirit's need to find you.

Click here to write you six minute story

Give it a go.

Support and Encouragement

The writing task as we know can be an isolated one and often we crave support, feedback and encouragement. Of course, these needs cannot always be met just when we need them. It may be a few weeks before the next poetry group meeting, or our fellow writer-friends may not be available and getting to the library for the book we need to help us along may not be practical. However, Immediate support is at hand and can be quickly availed of if you have access to a computer anywhere.

Fanstory.com is an online community that provides the opportunity to have your work reviewed and commented on by a host of writers at different stages of their writing careers. I once had my work commented on positively by a university professor of English.

On this site, writers receive detailed feedback from writers and readers. Feedback includes a detailed comment and a rating for each piece posted to the site. Encouragement is received by writers being ranked by the feedback they receive. Rankings are available for Poets, Novelists and Short Works and Script Writers. Trophies are awarded to the top five writers in each of the individual rankings at the end of each year. There is also a Seal of Quality committee that is made up of published authors and stand-out reviewers who are also available to offer feedback on the process of getting published. The site features competitions and allows members to post their own competitions.

With over 200 stories and poems being posted each day and 7000 review, each day, this is one of the best forums on the internet for new and not-so-new writers to showcase their work. The Membership fee is extremely low, making this the best value support that is available when you need it. To get started  Click Here

Posting your work on Fanstory is safe and you retain all copyright.

Profitable Writing

Have you ever had you dream of being a writer challenged?

This has happened to most aspiring writers. Sometimes the challenge comes from family and friends with statements such as 'get a proper job' or 'writing won't pay the gas bill' etc. Sometimes the challenge comes from circumstances and harsh reality; you go to the cupboard to gather the ingredients to make a meal and it is bare, or that utility bill came in and you were struggling to pay it. In situations like these, it is all too easy to cave-in and decide that writing is a bad career choice. However, though the demands of living in the real world have to be met, there remains the possibility of earning a good income from writing.

One of the areas of writing that I would suggest for consideration is that of writing for the Internet. Many writers while working on their cherished manuscripts and struggling to make ends meet, overlook this rich source of revenue. The reality is, there is a whole world of writing opportunities on the Web and with as little as forty minutes a day you can be earning an income that will support you in all your other writing aspirations. You may even find that being a web author is so rewarding that you go on to make this your primary source of income.

Freelance writing online is enjoying growth and people are fulfilling their writing dreams by providing copy for information hungry websites. If you have access to a computer, have good writing skills, can present information logically and clearly, then there are opportunities for you to support your writing career.

Ideas Department

Writing requires a flow of ideas. Sometimes when we sit down to write we feel that the ideas department is like Mother Hubbard's cupboard...it is empty.

Whether you wish to write short stories, non-fiction, screenplays or anything else, there are ways of ensuring that you always have something to write about. These suggestions will help you as you progress in your writing career or even if you are a seasoned writer who has hit the blank screen.

Keep a notebook in strategic locations - in the kitchen, on the bedside table, in your pocket, on the seat you watch TV from, anywhere you are likely to be when an idea comes to you so that you can note it down. Writing in a notebook is like rolling a snowball...it picks up momentum and soon has a life of its own.

Note down what you hear other people saying. Modify it, turn it into humour, make it the issue of conflict between your characters and more. The conversations that we hear around us every day are a staple in the writer's ideas cupboard.

Read often and widely. This is not to suggest that you become a swot, but just a few minutes of gleaning a newspaper or magazine can yield a bagful of ideas to get your writing going again. Don't forget to keep a notebook handy while you write.

People-watch. Whether in a cafe, on a station platform, a coach, in fact anywhere. Note carefully the appearance, dress style, mannerisms, habits, emotions etc of other people. Discreetly note them down and they will be there when you next need a character for your story or novel.

Delve into memory. Your own history and experience is full of ripe ideas to turn into a story, play, family history and more. Next time a memory surfaces that sets you on a train of thought, make a spidergram in your notebook. You may be surprised to find that after just a few minutes that you have the basis for a range of chapter headings and potential outline for your piece.

These few tips may help to get you started. Along with these ideas consider the following as effective ways of filling your ideas store:

Research - you don't need to be an expert to write an article.

Personal Interests - whatever it is that makes your life interesting, may interest others.

Interesting People - if you know an interesting person, consider doing an interview.

Surfing - the Internet is a storehouse of ideas that will leave you with only one problem...what ideas to use.

No matter how empty the ideas cupboard is, a few minutes each day spent in any of these activities will provide a host of writing ideas and boost your writing confidence.