There was a celebrity chef (I believe it was Steven Raichlen of Barbecue Bible fame) who, when asked his advice about starting a restaurant, had only three words to say about it: Don't, don't, don't.
But, he went on, if you simply must go ahead and do it, here are some pointers. This is what you need to know at the very least. It's no guarantee of success, but if you don't follow these guidelines you are bound to fail.
I have the same reaction whenever I hear someone say they are writing a book. Because invariably that is all that they know about the writing business. Put the words down on paper or on screen and they will magically sell themselves. Except that is not how it happens. Yes, I used to be one of those people too, and I wish that someone had set me down right at the beginning and asked me some very hard questions. It would have saved me years of grief and mountains of debt that have shackled my future.
It is one thing to write for oneself, or even in a blog. But if you intend to write for publication--and get paid for it--which is what I assume most people mean when they are saying they are writing a book, you absolutely positively need to know the ground rules.
If the answer to ANY of these questions is "No", or "I don't know", then stop right now. Don't write another word until you know the answer to these questions.
First of all, do you have any idea of how and where to submit your work? It is astounding how many beginning writers do not know this. It is bad enough that the odds are stacked against you right from the beginning, but I guarantee that if you submit your writing to XYZ Publisher without knowing one thing about what XYZ Publisher is known for, that is a sure route to rejection. Do it often enough, and your name will get around, but not in the way you want.
Do you have any idea of how to market your work? Do you have a marketing plan? Have you done your homework? Is there a market for your book, or is it already saturated? Do you know what is selling and what is not? How are you going to sell your idea to a publisher? What makes your book stand out against the rest?
How do other, professional (and by that I mean published) writers who are working in your genre, view your work? These are the only opinions that count. Not my opinion. Not your friends' opinion.
And finally, how well do you take rejection? Because you will get a LOT of it.
The late singer Harry Chapin once wrote a song entitled "Mr. Tanner" about a man who liked to sing in his shower for fun. All of his neighbors thought he had a fantastic voice. They badgered him into renting a concert hall and giving a concert. In the audience there was a critic, "who didn't hear how well he sang, he only heard the flaws." And he went out and wrote a scathing review which ended something like this: "Mr. Tanner would be well advised to seek another area of employment." And Mr. Tanner never sang in the shower again or anywhere else others could hear. He'd been unwittingly set up to fail by well-meaning people who had no idea of what it takes to be a professional concert singer. As the critic pointed out, he had no business being there on stage at his level of talent and experience.
It is not enough to have an idea. It is not enough to have talent. You need to know what the standards are.
One thing that's become very popular around here are "Wine and Art Parties". In fact, that's what resparked my interest in painting. At these parties, participants are given a very simple painting to copy--and I do mean simple. The idea is that anyone can create art. Yes . . . that's true . . . but . . . try entering one of these works in a juried art show and you will find out that there is art and there is art and a still life of pumpkins created at one of these parties doesn't qualify for gallery space. There is only one way to find out how good you are as an artist and that is to have your work judged by your peers. By other artists who are exhibiting and selling works similar to yours. By gallery owners who make a living selling art.
For most of the women (and it's mostly women) who take part in these Wine and Art Parties, just creating something that they can hang on their walls or give as gifts is enough. They aren't looking to be serious artists, and that's fine. But if a person is looking to be a serious artist, they need to move beyond those circles. That is why when I joined the art association I showed them some of my work and asked them point-blank if it was up to their gallery standards or had potential to be up to their standards. Had they said no, I would have revised my plans for my art.
So when someone asks you these questions, don't get upset. They are not trying to be cruel. They are trying to spare you a Mr, Tanner experience.
But, he went on, if you simply must go ahead and do it, here are some pointers. This is what you need to know at the very least. It's no guarantee of success, but if you don't follow these guidelines you are bound to fail.
I have the same reaction whenever I hear someone say they are writing a book. Because invariably that is all that they know about the writing business. Put the words down on paper or on screen and they will magically sell themselves. Except that is not how it happens. Yes, I used to be one of those people too, and I wish that someone had set me down right at the beginning and asked me some very hard questions. It would have saved me years of grief and mountains of debt that have shackled my future.
It is one thing to write for oneself, or even in a blog. But if you intend to write for publication--and get paid for it--which is what I assume most people mean when they are saying they are writing a book, you absolutely positively need to know the ground rules.
If the answer to ANY of these questions is "No", or "I don't know", then stop right now. Don't write another word until you know the answer to these questions.
First of all, do you have any idea of how and where to submit your work? It is astounding how many beginning writers do not know this. It is bad enough that the odds are stacked against you right from the beginning, but I guarantee that if you submit your writing to XYZ Publisher without knowing one thing about what XYZ Publisher is known for, that is a sure route to rejection. Do it often enough, and your name will get around, but not in the way you want.
Do you have any idea of how to market your work? Do you have a marketing plan? Have you done your homework? Is there a market for your book, or is it already saturated? Do you know what is selling and what is not? How are you going to sell your idea to a publisher? What makes your book stand out against the rest?
How do other, professional (and by that I mean published) writers who are working in your genre, view your work? These are the only opinions that count. Not my opinion. Not your friends' opinion.
And finally, how well do you take rejection? Because you will get a LOT of it.
The late singer Harry Chapin once wrote a song entitled "Mr. Tanner" about a man who liked to sing in his shower for fun. All of his neighbors thought he had a fantastic voice. They badgered him into renting a concert hall and giving a concert. In the audience there was a critic, "who didn't hear how well he sang, he only heard the flaws." And he went out and wrote a scathing review which ended something like this: "Mr. Tanner would be well advised to seek another area of employment." And Mr. Tanner never sang in the shower again or anywhere else others could hear. He'd been unwittingly set up to fail by well-meaning people who had no idea of what it takes to be a professional concert singer. As the critic pointed out, he had no business being there on stage at his level of talent and experience.
It is not enough to have an idea. It is not enough to have talent. You need to know what the standards are.
One thing that's become very popular around here are "Wine and Art Parties". In fact, that's what resparked my interest in painting. At these parties, participants are given a very simple painting to copy--and I do mean simple. The idea is that anyone can create art. Yes . . . that's true . . . but . . . try entering one of these works in a juried art show and you will find out that there is art and there is art and a still life of pumpkins created at one of these parties doesn't qualify for gallery space. There is only one way to find out how good you are as an artist and that is to have your work judged by your peers. By other artists who are exhibiting and selling works similar to yours. By gallery owners who make a living selling art.
For most of the women (and it's mostly women) who take part in these Wine and Art Parties, just creating something that they can hang on their walls or give as gifts is enough. They aren't looking to be serious artists, and that's fine. But if a person is looking to be a serious artist, they need to move beyond those circles. That is why when I joined the art association I showed them some of my work and asked them point-blank if it was up to their gallery standards or had potential to be up to their standards. Had they said no, I would have revised my plans for my art.
So when someone asks you these questions, don't get upset. They are not trying to be cruel. They are trying to spare you a Mr, Tanner experience.
