I get the occasional email or facebook message from budding writers who want to publish their book.
There are almost as many of you with that question as there are people who ask me when I am going to write a 'real' book. (Read: Print)
That you are both as surprisingly familiar to me leads me to believe that many people have a story or two inside them and that many don't understand the art of writing.
Don't write because you want to be the next Steven King. If you do, you will never write a damn thing that anyone wants to read. Write because you have to. Write because the story keeps you up at night. Write because it is a part of yourself that has to be expressed or a little bit of your soul will die without it.
Then be prepared for someone to tell you it sucks.
That is the key to writing. And as to the 'real' book folks out there... if a writer is truly an artist, every book-be it saved on their hard drive never to see the light of day or sitting on that shelf in front of you- is a real book. Every book is a piece of their soul, even if it isn't pretty. Van Gogh painted in an era that left him poor and alone. Such is true for authors sometimes. You may not like or understand or find value in what we create. But it is real.
Actually, for all the writers or dreamers who think of becoming a writer, I offer you this link.
Summed up nicely. From there, if you want to publish, there are more ways than ever before offered online. But that is the first step.
Kay, happy 4th holiday weekend to all the American readers! Stay safe :)
Exactly! On all of it!
ReplyDeleteI just got my first "we don't want your book" e-mail and it devastated me for about 2 hours. Then, I thought "So what? This is a good story. Someone else will love it." so I sent it out again. I wasn't prepared for it to hurt as much as it did, but it was like a knife to my heart.
Great blog post, honey!
Thanks, Kimberly!!!
ReplyDeleteMy first attempt at a novel was rejected for somewhere around a year. Then I hacked a chunk off the first chapter and it was immediately picked up by a publisher. That was all I changed... Just cut two paragraphs off and started it with what was left. *shrug* The remaining 100k words were exactly as they had been. I am still shattered for a moment if a piece I send out receives rejection. But I grit my teeth and, as you said, someone else loves it. Never give up the dream!!