Rejection. This scary word plagues virtually every writer this side of John Grisham. It stops many writers in their tracks and often leads them to a new line of work. If your one of the millions of Americans who have a passion for writing and dream of seeing your novel on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and Borders Books, don't let fear of Rejection scare you off. Follow this simple formula, and you can publish your novel on the very first try.
The secret to getting published is both simple and complex. The simple part is two-pronged. First, you need a modicum of writing skill. Now, you don't have to be William Shakespeare, but you do need to know how to put sentences together, while tossing in a few nifty adjectives on occasion.
The second prong of the simple part of the secret to publishing on your first try is undeniable persistence and work ethic. Most writers fail, because they are defeated by the plague of rejection; they don't have the necessary work ethic to succeed, even if they have the skill and the idea. Oh, speaking of the idea, this is the complex part of the simple formula to being published on your first try.
You don't need the amazing characters of an S.E. Hinton or the grace of Ernest Hemingway. What will get you published is a unique plot that appeals to a large audience. Let's face it, publishers are in the business of making money -- not authors. In most cases, publishers don't care how popular you become or if your work becomes the next Oscar winning movie (unless they have a piece of the pie). What they do care about is lots of sales. If you don't have name value, which you don't until you become a selling author, publishers want ideas that attract a large audience.
Take my first-ever novel, The League, for which I received a publishing contract the first month I began sending it to agents and publishers. Is it because it's the next Tom Sawyer? No, rather, it is because of the unique nature of the plot. The League is suspense with a back drop of fantasy football. It is the first of its kind, and fantasy football has over 15 million participants in America alone.
Now, I was turned down by at least 50 agents and probably 40 publishers. But I didn't let rejection defeat me, because I knew I had a remarkably unique story that would appeal to a gigantic audience. In fact, this is exactly what my publisher said when he contacted me. He told me my writing was clean and the idea was incredibly unique. So, get yourself an amazing idea. Put it together neatly and clearly. Make it fast-paced, and send it to as many agents and publishers as possible. The electronic age makes it very easy to do.
Learn more about the process and The League at www.sportsnovels.com.
Mark Barnes has published several how-to books on real estate finance, Internet business, and self-publishing. Recently, he has expanded his horizons into the fiction world, with his suspense-thriller, The League, presented by DNA Press. The League is available at Amazon.com, DNA Press, sportsnovels.com and will be in book stores this summer. Mark is currently working on his second novel, another sports-related suspense thriller. Mark Barnes resides in a suburb of Cleveland with his wife, Mollie and two small children.
Weather posting a page to your Website, writing a letter... Read More
Our Freelance Writing Needs DefinedWe must make freelance niche types... Read More
Our Image-Driven SocietyWe live in a new image-driven society. It... Read More
Everyone has a book inside them, or so the saying... Read More
Good writing requires self-examination. Why is one writing? What part... Read More
1. Use Logic: Check for External PressuresAre you under physical... Read More
If you become a writer for any publication, private business,... Read More
More and more good authors are turning to the Internet... Read More
You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More
We all need a cheer squad.We all need people to... Read More
If you are a serious writer who wants to publish... Read More
Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More
What do people expect when they join a writing group?The... Read More
This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More
The self-indulgent writer listens only to the mumblings of sycophants,... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
If you are reading this article then you probably have... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
So you want to be a successful author? You want... Read More
When a writer is working on their next literary masterpiece... Read More
I recently set up a website to promote a new... Read More
You know you've got writing talent. Others enjoy your work... Read More
What does one do as a writer who loves writing... Read More
What is Sense of Place? It's the image of a... Read More
Nothing is more daunting for any writer than having to... Read More
These 8 tips on using characters in your stories will... Read More
Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing,... Read More
(Skip directly to ten for the fastest shortcut!)Like any field,... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
Do you want to publish something? An article, a non-fiction... Read More
Word processors are so widely used now that I tend... Read More
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?The writer, who doesn't have the time... Read More
You've finished your story, and you're pretty happy with it.... Read More
When you read a letter from someone, we are immediately... Read More
To write books for readers at an elementary reading level... Read More
If you want happy customers to use your service or... Read More
Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury,England in 1965.... Read More
1. Before you write anything down define not what you... Read More
I recently read a book where everything was akimbo. Arms... Read More
Hands up all those who'd like to have a successful... Read More
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a... Read More
While novels do not usually attempt to convey concepts about... Read More
The self-indulgent writer listens only to the mumblings of sycophants,... Read More
Effective screenwriting relies on the good understanding and use of... Read More
Here's everything I know about improving your writing, publishing it... Read More
The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?It's no use coming up with a... Read More
The biggest mistake authors make when trying to get free... Read More
Writing |