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Ghost of Samuel Clemens here
That's Mark Twain to those of you who dozed through English class like me.
Now, most of you pilgrims will either find an agent or an editor and get published.
Right at this moment, that is your end goal ... and it shouldn't be.
There are things you will need to keep in mind after that, children!
1.) Choose your words, both prose and speech, wisely.
2.) Choose agents even more wisely.
3.) Literary fiction is a genre that pretends it is not a genre. Be careful of all pretenders.
4.) Editors are essential. The best one you will ever find is yourself. Be kind to that one!
5.) If an editor is talking about culling their list in the first meeting, this is a bad sign.
6.) You have to be good. And keep getting better.
For every writer taken on, another is dropped.
A paradox: you have to rise to stay level.
7.) Ninety per cent of people in the publishing industry are twenty-six years old.
Expect the maturity from them that comes with those few years of experience.
8.) Foreign rights = free money.
9.) Human nature being what it is:
People like your book more if other people like it.
10.) Being published doesn't make you happy. It just swaps your old neuroses for new ones.
11.) Humans get excited about new things. With a debut, you are the new thing.
With every other book you write the new thing must come from elsewhere.
12.) Success depends on great words, and passionate people. Try to produce one and be the other.
13.) Beauty breeds beauty, truth triggers truth. The cure for writer's block is therefore to read.
14.) Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
6.) You have to be good. And keep getting better.
For every writer taken on, another is dropped.
A paradox: you have to rise to stay level.
7.) Ninety per cent of people in the publishing industry are twenty-six years old.
Expect the maturity from them that comes with those few years of experience.
8.) Foreign rights = free money.
9.) Human nature being what it is:
People like your book more if other people like it.
10.) Being published doesn't make you happy. It just swaps your old neuroses for new ones.
11.) Humans get excited about new things. With a debut, you are the new thing.
With every other book you write the new thing must come from elsewhere.
12.) Success depends on great words, and passionate people. Try to produce one and be the other.
13.) Beauty breeds beauty, truth triggers truth. The cure for writer's block is therefore to read.
14.) Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
Hi Roland
ReplyDeleteI was surprised with the gifted title. Thanks. I look forward to reading.
Happy Monday to you.
(Sam is so bright)
People like your book more if other people like it - that is so profound!
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic advice. The thing that kills me most is when I see people just hoping a particular agent will like their work, but that's all wrong. The goal is to find the agent/editor that's right for YOU, not the other way around.
ReplyDeleteI like this one:
ReplyDelete"1.) Choose your words, both prose and speech, wisely.
What is said, may not be what is heard."
Hope the health issue is going well.
R. Mac:
ReplyDeleteGlad to happily surprise you. :-)
Sam, at the time of this novel, is 127 years old. You pick up a bit over the decades. His father was at one time a Harvard professor. And Sam was taught by the evolved raptors who were converted by Jesuits in the Pajarito Mountains of Sonora.
I hope you enjoy it.
Alex:
A guy seems more attractive when he is seen accompanying a pretty girl -- at least to other girls. So the same is true of novels I think. :-)
A BEER FOR THE SHOWER:
Yes, you're right. The agent who loves your book and believes in you as a writer will fight for you much harder than just someone going through the motions, right?
D.G.:
I have often been surprised that what I said was totally misheard by the listener!
The cancer surgery is looming over my head like that well-known sword, but I am trying to focus on THE STARS BLEED AT MIDNIGHT (40,000 words so far)!
Then, there is working increased hours over the next two weeks as my co-workers take week long vacations! Whew!!
Poor Mark Twain. He had financial trouble for much of his writing life because he had a penchant for getting involved in money loss schemes.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie