The Writing Process...step by step

[jennifer75]

I am very new at writing. I am writing my first WIP and more than likely will market it as a memoir.

Not knowing the processes, steps, etc., can you tell me what one would do to end with a published book (preferrably in stores)?

Step one: First Draft.

Step two: Editing/rewriting.

Now, please continue for me. (Simple and idiotic maybe, but really I need an idea of how long this torturous hobby will take).

[ChaosTitan]

(Simple and idiotic maybe, but really I need an idea of how long this torturous hobby will take).

Three months to fifty years.

It's impossible to put a timeline on publishing success. Some very talented people (on this board and elsewhere) have been trying to publish unsuccessfully for years. Other folks hit the publishing nail on the head with their first book.

[PeeDee]

1) Write it

2) Finish it

3) Edit it until it's clean

4) Send it to someone.

5) Send it to someone else.

6) Repeat until someone buys it.

7) Write the next thing.

8) Repeat.

Sorry, there's not time limit. The three months-to-fifty years guess is about right.

[jennifer75]

Three months to fifty years.

It's impossible to put a timeline on publishing success. Some very talented people (on this board and elsewhere) have been trying to publish unsuccessfully for years. Other folks hit the publishing nail on the head with their first book.

Not looking for so much a "time line". I understand a good book could take a very long time. Looking for more of an idea of WHAT I NEED TO DO to get my book published.

I understand, lots of editing and re-writing, but.... let me make this clear:

I've heard mention of agents????? What does an agent do for me? LULU.com....totally confuses me.

Query's. What are those? Did I even use the right word?

This is the kind of information I'm looking for.

[TheIT]

Step #0: Read the "Learn Writing with Uncle Jim" thread in the Writing Novels forum.

A lot of your questions are addressed in that thread and in many other threads on the boards. The UJ thread is a great starting place. He describes both writing process and publishing.

ETA: There's also the "Uncle Jim, undiluted" thread stickied at the top of the Writing Novels forum which provides links to his posts.

[jennifer75]

Step #0: Read the "Learn Writing with Uncle Jim" thread in the Writing Novels forum.

A lot of your questions are addressed in that thread and in many other threads on the boards. The UJ thread is a great starting place. He describes both writing process and publishing.

You know, for some reason I've been avoiding that thread. Funny. I guess the thread title is kinda creepy, or something. I'll check it out, thanks!

[PeeDee]

LOTs of re-writing and editing isn't always necessary, by the way. There's rule that says you have to spend 4.5 years re-writing your manuscript. Perish the thought. I wouldn't get anywhere if that were the case.

Google is your friend with these questions.

Literary agents can help you find a publisher for your manuscript, guide your writing career and help with publisher negotiations. By the way, agents don't deal with publishing poetry and short stories because there is no money in it for them.

Decent enough description.


Here are some advantages to writing a formal query letter:

A well-written query letter helps prove to an editor that you are qualified to write the piece.
Sending completed articles blindly can indicate to an editor that you either failed to sell the article before, are submitting an article that was not written specifically for their publication or are attempting to resell a previously published article.
Short, informal queries will often go unread or will be given less weight by an editor if they are a stickler for the formal process.
A formal, detailed query gives you the opportunity to do preliminary research for a piece that can then be quickly converted into an article.
When submitting a query to an online publication, your query will look better than 90% of the other queries being submitted to that publication.

http://www.poewar.com/archives/2004/10/24/how-to-write-a-query-letter/LULU is not a publisher, it's a printer.

Make sure you're checking publishers -- and printers -- and making sure they're real and legit. Not everyone is your friend. Some people will steal the pennies off a dead person's eyes without any regrets (hi, PA, I'm talking to you).

[Sage]

Congrats on starting your book, jennifer & welcome to AW.

There's no specific step process to ending up with a published book. Different authors take different routes. You may find that step one starts as "first draft," but then is followed by "step two: Realize your main character is someone else & need to rewrite it from the beginning" & "step three: take a break from the WIP to work on something else," & "step four: finish first draft." Or you may be able to write it all without any interruptions, & then go into the editing process, like your example of steps above.

The best advice I'd give for after your step 1 & 2, would be to have it read over by some avid readers (& not just friends). Consider their comments, & edit some more based on that. Have your first few pages critiqued heavily because those are what you will be grabbing an agent or publisher's attention with. Write a superb query letter & send the novel out to an agent... well, more likely to lots of them. Consider any suggestions by agents who reject the novel, especially if several are saying the same things. Write another novel while you are querying. Eventually, get an agent (for the first novel or a later one), who sends it to a publisher who loves it & it gets published. You can also opt to skip the agent stage & try to get a publisher to like it yourself.

But, and someone else will probably say it too, the best step to end up with a published book...:

Write a really great story.

[ChaosTitan]

Also check out the Forum Index and FAQ at the top of the Novels board. There are links to dozens of threads that will answer basic questions about publishing.

[jennifer75]

First, thank you - as my son says it - VEE VEE VEE MUCH. For all of the information and advice.

Second, I've got a huge headache from trying to process all of the vee vee vee helpful information I've been given.

:sigh:

What! There is no smiley for a SIGH?????

[TheIT]

:e2faint:

(Closest I could find to a sigh ... :D )

In the meantime, as you're assimilating all this information, write your book. That's what I'm doing. Good luck!

[jennifer75]

Ah well... this works

:Headbang:

[TheIT]

Ah well... this works

:Headbang:

So does this:

:e2BIC:

Can't publish something that's not written yet. Right now, I just want to hit "THE END" on something and mean it.

[jennifer75]

Yes, I plan on doing that tonight..... right after I finish the O.C. Yes. I do. So what.

[Pamster]

How far back does The Cooler go? I mean when did most of you find one another here? Is there a history of the Cooler thread yet and if not why not? LOL! :)

Sorry I don't have an answer to the writing process question, I just do it when I have time and when I don't feel like it and have time I come here. LOL! I am just in too good of a mood tonight I sure wish they had my novel up on gather, with it I just started on college ruled paper, wrote out the first one hundred and nineteen pages before transcribing and editing what I had written into a computer.

That was my first novel when I was trying to decide if writing it with pen and ink was the route for me and I decided the computer was much easier. I still outline and have notes on paper, reduantly too just in case something might happen to the notes and outlines. I know my son is into ripping paper and he shreds advertisements that come in the mail or magazines. So that's a consideration too. Keeping it on the computer just makes more sense for me.

The thing to keep in ind is that you gotta keep on writing, I know I am guilty of taking extended breaks from it, but that's because I don't have the time and inspiration to pick up a story, I currently have about three unfinished books sitting here I need to work on. So those are my priorities this year, to try to finish the three of them up and maybe get two more of the children's stories written in the series and go from there. :)

Glad you posted this Jennifer, very interesting thread indeed. :D

[swvaughn]

Spend eight years doing this...

:Headbang:

*dies*

Welcome! You have more posts than me!

So what = congratulate yourself! 95 percent of people who say "I'm going to write a book" never type The End.

Also, 94.1 percent of statistics are made up on the spot.

:D

[jennifer75]

Welcome! You have more posts than me!


:D

I'm a quote-a-holic. AND i can't seem to pick up on my WIP....so I assume I'll double my posts in no time. :)

[Siddow]

You've made the second step by coming here. The first, of course, is writing the book. I wouldn't know a darn thing about publishing if it weren't for talking to other writers on boards such as this.

Pay attention. Go visit Miss Snark (www.misssnark.blogspot.com). Visit the people in her links. Ask questions.

But to answer your original question, here's the steps:
1. Write a great book.
2. Query agents.
3. Land an agent.
4. Agent sells your manuscript to Random House (or other Big Publisher).
5. Go on Oprah (make sure your memoir is all true first, though).

[swvaughn]

I was going to attempt to answer your questions, too, as best I can. :D

Many publishers, particularly the big ones who pay advances, won't consider your book for publication unless you have an agent. Agents agree to sell your book (or try to, anyway) and take 15 percent. This is a good thing because agents can get you a bigger advance.

Queries are mailed or e-mailed to agents or editors, and are a (maddening, infuriating, frustrating, pain in the a**) "sales pitch" for your book. Queries, which take the form of letters - preferably one page - consist of:

- A paragraph that describes your book in an exciting way, using your voice. Sometimes called a "hook." See Miss Snark's blog archives (http://misssnark.blogspot.com/) and read the 671 crapometer entries to see what kind of things agents look for in a hook.

- A paragraph that describes your writing credentials (publications, awards, contest wins, writing related jobs, etc.). If you don't have writing credentials, don't worry - and you can make your hook two paragraphs instead of one. Woot!

- A closing line that indicated what you're asking from the agent or editor (will you consider representing my book? May I send you my manuscript/partial for review?)

When writing and sending queries, you have to follow the agent's or editor's guidelines. You'll find them on agent and publisher websites, and also on listings such as www.agentquery.com and Preditors & Editors (www.anotherealm.com/prededitors).

Always check on the legitimacy of an agency or publisher before you submit a query to them. Check the Bewares & Backgrounds forum here on AW, and also look at Preditors & Editors. Never pay an agent or editor money to review, represent, or publish your material.

Expect rejections. Don't take them personally (you will anyway). Keep querying. In the meantime, write another book.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

[swvaughn]

A few more trifles on queries:

- Get the agent or editor's name right
- Make sure they represent or publish your genre
- Do not write about how great your book is. Just tell them who's in it, what their problem is, and why they should care (the hook).
- Expect to wait weeks or months for responses
- Do not enclose glitter, chocolate, perfume, or money. :D

[farfromfearless]

Step Three: anxious pacing, while mumbling "I'm a genius, damn it - why can't the see that??!!"

Step Four: Curled up under your writing desk trying your damnedest to recall why you wanted to become a writer.

Step Five: Tentative reclamation of sanity as anxiety wears off (temporarily), and you continue working on your WIP.

Step Six: reading your next draft, realizing it's complete hooey and roast hot-dogs over your freshly printed proof.

Step Seven: take a deep breath. Start again. Visualize. Write.

Step Seven-Point-One: Get some sleep.

Step Eight: rinse/repeat steps four through seven.

Step Nine: Send off your query letter to a dozen or so editors, then realizing you forgot to write your return address - beat yourself for that - send off another dozen to same editors under a pseudonym so they wont think you're a nutter.

Step Ten: wait. wait for it. wait for it. waaaait foooor it. Okay, continue this holding pattern for another few weeks or months.

Step Eleven: Rejoice when you get responses back from agents/publishers in your mail.

Step Twelve-A: rage at the publishing gods for rejecting your master piece and the unfairness of it all until you're blue in the face and collapse senseless.

Step Thirteen: (I love this number, btw.) Go back to step one, rise, lather, wash, repeat until you find yourself at Step Twelve-B.

Here:

Step Twelve-B: sacrifice a bull (or an 8oz. serlion steak will do) to the publishing gods thanking them for accepting your master piece and the elation of it all until you're blue in the face and collapse joyfully.

[Jamesaritchie]

Not looking for so much a "time line". I understand a good book could take a very long time. Looking for more of an idea of WHAT I NEED TO DO to get my book published.

I understand, lots of editing and re-writing, but.... let me make this clear:

I've heard mention of agents????? What does an agent do for me? LULU.com....totally confuses me.

Query's. What are those? Did I even use the right word?

This is the kind of information I'm looking for.

An agent gets your book on the desk of top editors. An agent gets you more money, and a better contract. And once the book is pubished, an agent does all sorts of cool things.

But you're putting teh cart about ten miles ahead of the horse.

What you have to do to get a book published is first write a book good enough to publish, a book that agents and editors believe poeple will buy.

You might accomplsh this in a matter of weeks or months. It might take years. More likely, it will never happen. Writing a publishable novel is not easy. Darned few can do it, no matter how long they live, or how hard they try.

If you want to be one who manages it, then back up and get things in the proper order. Forget about agents, forget about Lulu, forget about time, and concentrate on writing a novel that's actaully worth publishing.

Read as much and as widely as you can, write as often as possible, and get your hands on some how to books that deal with writing in your genre of choice.