Writing for Publication!

This is of course what all writers dream of. Some truly do not understand, however, that it isn't just naturally the next step. It's not like walking up the staircase of life, oh, this stair says I should write something, okay. Ooh, this one says I should get it published, okay. Once you have a completed work (this is very important), next comes your resume'. Then, as you've sent your resume' to half the county, you wait for the call... to get an interview. Perhaps, you get a few, but even an interview doesn't guarantee you the job.

Ever hear the expression, "If it's so easy, why doesn't everyone do it?" Everyone thinks writing is so easy. Everyone does it. But getting published were that easy, wouldn't everyone be published? Not everyone is. There is art to publishing, as there is to writing. If you're a writer and want to be a writer, then you need to learn the art of writing. After that, you need to understand publishing, as the two are synonymous.

This is where I'm at. Learning about the publishing world. And an interesting world it is. I think there are two beliefs as to what an editor's job is. One, he is an easy-going, easily entertained guy, waiting for your novel to come along. Perhaps his day, his life doesn't really begin until your novel has reached his hands. Or, there's the belief she is a cold-hearted bitch sitting in judgement over your novel, abusing the power for which she has cut throats to obtain, and when she sees your novel, the ax falls again, just because she can.

The first, is absolutely a figment of your imagination, which is pretty good, maybe you should be a writer. The second is a more imaginative example, but come on you're a better writer than that. People are people wherever they are, whatever their job. Editors, agents are no different than the rest of us. Visualize them naked if that's what helps, but face it, they have a job to do, just like you and I. And your novel, mine, is their job. They can wake in the morning and spill coffee on their shirt first thing, like you and me (although, I don't drink coffee...) they have kids, they have mortgages, they have car payments. Novels of terrific writers pays their bills. And when your novel and mine comes across their desk, what guarantee do they have that this novel will make next months payment? Unless your published, unless you already have that name, unless some other editor already took that chance, then the answer is zero. But it's his job to find the one that will be tomorrow's name. Will it be you? Me?

If you're gambling that the planets have reached their perfect alignment for you, the gemini, then a gamble is all you've taken. Our goal as writers it to impress that editor, that agent we've never met. Not with long, fancy words describing how brilliant we are, come on we're writers, of course we can make ourselves sound good. Impress them with the words in your manuscript, with the story that leaves them turning pages. Yeah, you need the great, brief query, but only so it leaves them wanting, needing to read the first page of your manuscript. That's it, the query entices them to read that first page, that's all you want, all you need. Your first page? This leaves wanting to read the second, the second the third, until before you know it they've come to the satisfying end and they're actually sending you an e-mail or giving you a call.

This is our goal as writers. And if we're not getting that e-mail, that call? Is it the editor's fault? Sure, perhaps this was the day of his big meeting and he had coffee on his only clean tie and now he's trying to make it a fashion statement. Maybe she broke a heel on her way to work and she wants to throw it into the skull of the salesman who promised her it couldn't happen. And your work comes across her desk, about a dedicated shoe salesman with a heart of gold, and thereby she stabs your salesman through the middle of the page. Agent's and editors have pet peeves, they have bad days, they miss it sometimes. They may miss your great novel concept. But just as easily, we can have that bad, and say chapter two is close enough, or have a pet peeve and refuse to listen to advice that says page one needs to pull your reader in. We can miss the boat, too. And maybe, just maybe, we can pull any reader in, especially the one having a bad day, especially one needing that escape. Especially your editor, my agent. We can do it.

We can write for publication. And that is our goal.