10 Steps to Being Published
By Joyce Lavene

1. Read what you want to write.

I can't stress this enough. If you don't know what the market is doing, you can't expect to get published. Have a feeling for what you're doing, write from the heart, but don't make the mistake of thinking that because you love your baby, everyone else will. Get an idea of what's going on before you start sending your work out. It will save you time, money and heartache.

2. Revise your work at least three times.

Once is not enough in this case. It would be even better if you have someone you can depend on to be honest who could look it over for you. If not, learn to be objective. Put it aside for a few days then take it out again. Slash extra words that repeat. Don't be so in love with an idea that you can't chop it out even if it ruins the rest of the story and you have to rewrite. If it doesn't work, you won't be the only one to see it.

3. Make sure you know the editor's name and how to spell it.

There's nothing that will get your work shuffled from one envelope to the next like not knowing the editor's name or sending something “Dear Editor.” If your work is important to you, act like it. Know who you're sending it to. And know how to spell his or her name. Not doing so is a frequent way to get rejected. It may not be fair but editors are only human.

4. Be sure that what you're sending is right for the publisher.

Know your market intimately. Don't send genre fiction to a nonfiction publisher, then be surprised because they send it back. If you write fiction, be sure you know the different genres and sub-genres. Check out the publisher beforehand and make sure they publish what you're sending to them. If they ask for 300 words, don't think you can send 500. The rules are there for a reason. That's what the publisher wants to see. Don't think your work is so good they won't be able to resist.

5. Don't compare your work to others.

This can be difficult because you want to have some idea of how you're doing. But there are no two writers just alike. Have some confidence in your work. That doesn't mean you can't learn new things or you have to be resistant to change. Join a critique group only if you're comfortable with the people who will be reading your work. Don't change everything or put your work aside because one reader says he or she doesn't like what you're doing. Remember that you're developing your voice.

6. Be willing to edit.

I'm making a subtle difference here between editing and revision. I'm classifying editing as what an editor wants you to change in your work. Out of all the books I've had accepted for publication, only a handful haven't had edits. Sometimes big and sometimes small.

Bear in mind that when editors contact you about changes, even without a contract, they're trying to find out if they can work with you. Show them that they can by being professional. Always listen to their suggestions carefully, write them down and think about them before you say you will or won't do them. Be ready to have good explanations for why you don't think their ideas make the story better. Editors want to feel they have a hand in the books they work on. They're all frustrated writers anyway. So smile if they ask you to make some changes and sign the contract.

7. Don't be afraid to make mistakes or get rejected.

Fear of rejection or of looking silly stops more manuscripts from being published than bad writing. You're going to make mistakes and get your work rejected. It's the only way to get where you want to be. Plan for it. Know what you're going to do with your rejections. Then move on. If you do make a mistake, get over it. No one knows everything. Try not to make it again. Keep sending your work out.

8.  Use a font and print size that can be easily read.

Every editor I've met has complained about getting too many manuscripts that are in tiny or strange fonts. Find out what the standard is and use it. Don't think you can impress someone because you know what Gothic font 5 is. They don't care. They just want to save their eyesight.

9. Always send a cover letter.

A cover letter is important because it says who you are. It says if you're impatient or easy to get along with. It says that you think of an editor as a person and not just a name in a book. Your writing should be excellent and speak for itself. But your cover letter is your only intimate point of contact with a stranger who you'd like to publish your work. Act like you're trying to begin a relationship, in a professional manner.

10. Have fun.

If you're not having fun, find something else to do. This business is hard and competitive. If you don't have chills when you finish a manuscript and cry with your characters, there's something out there that's easier and less stressful.

Joyce Lavene, with her husband/partner, Jim, have written and sold more than forty romance and mystery novels together since 1999 (including the award winning Sharyn Howard mystery series). They also write non-fiction articles and short stories. They are active in local and national writer's groups and live in North Carolina with their family. They welcome readers to their websites at www.joyceandjimlavene.com and www.sharynhowardmysteries.com.

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