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By Nancy Duncan General fiction Editor  E-mail: nancyduncan@charlotteaustinreviewltd.com |
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| May 6 / 2000 The Road to Publishing: Or The Leap From Dream to Print in a Dog Eat Dog World By Nancy Duncan Dream of seeing your name in print? Can you imagine long hours sitting alone in a room pounding away at a keyboard producing words, painting stories upon a page that, with luck, tell a tale, or perhaps enlighten and engage a reader? If so, take a deep breath, sit down and join us here for some insight into the world of publishing, the writer’s life, and tidbits garnered along a sometimes bumpy, if not rocky path toward publication. Whether you’re preparing to write an article or a novel, the path to success is never easy. In truth, it can be down right hell at times. Filled with insecurity, grandiose illusions (Oprah and the NY Times haunting your dreams in the wee hours of the night), hope, delusions of fame and fortune . . . and lots of money. Lots of what? To add to the dilemma along this bumpy road to success, each writer must define personal success. Perhaps selling a poem (need I say giving it away), or publishing an article or story in your local hometown newspaper for the pure joy of seeing a byline. Or you’ve considered selling to one of the bigger New York based magazines that PAY big bucks and encourage bylines. How many times have I heard that one through the years of writing and teaching! One more time won’t hurt I suppose. Dare I say more. Writers are a dime a dozen and about as easy to find as cheap wine, one writer once said to me years ago. And unfortunately during my own years of writing and struggle to find my work in print, the writer whose name eludes me today, was right. We can be had for naught or an elusive, byline, when coaxed. Yet those words of wisdom of being a dime a dozen remain clearly etched in my mind. For very good reasons, I might add. Fortunately, I’ve learned a lot through sheer determination, long hours of discipline, and lots of coffee. Write because you love to write. A simple cliche, but true. Never take yourself or your work too seriously. You can’t afford to for many reasons. One being your sanity and the time spent alone will wreck havoc with your mind and spirit. Really, alcohol and writing don’t mix. Unfortunate fact though this may be, writing while stoned, I’ve been told, produces garbage. Except for such greats as Hemingway and Steinbeck. They are the rare exception to the blurry-eyed artist slaving over a wine stained manuscript. Not to mention they died sooner than I’d like to. Writers spend hours, if not days alone conjuring up ideas just for the pure pleasure of placing one well thought out word or phrase in front of another. Or maybe they write to see their words in print, the joy of fame runs amuck in their dreams. Ah, you say, it’s the money. Give me the big bucks, a movie deal tie in with the Hollywood elite bringing my book to the silver screen. I want to be rich. The Oprah show is waiting! Well, sorry to remind you, Oprah only picks one book a month, twelve in a year, so that leaves . . . hmm, how many of us would be stars are sighing in the wings eager to sign autographs? One too many to count, unfortunately. In the meantime, with luck, and a lot of hard work, finding your way into print is what this column is about. Insight and tidbits, and writing notions that will be shared. And along the way information gathered from a variety of sources from the publishing world. And selling your work. Writers generally are the first to admit they have at times sold out, or that it seems they have sold out. What does that mean? Working for pennies or nothing. Most writers begin by working for nothing or for their local newspapers. Local publications are good starting points for writer’s. Through the years of teaching various writing courses, an array of material has crossed my path for scrutiny. A plethora of science fiction, fantasy, romantic suspense, westerns, romance, and general fiction to name a few, has been shoved across my desk. It seems that everyone believes they have a book that should see print. And many do. But it’s those who persevere doggedly toward their goal (despite PILES of rejections scribbled with encouraging notes, if you’re lucky) that succeed in the world of publishing. Like a pack of dogs fighting over one lousy bone, the publishing world is just as brutal if not worse. Come to think of it, throwing yourself into the midst of a pack of dogs fighting over a bone might just be easier. And maybe not as messy or heart wrenching. All that said, keep in mind writer Tawni O’Dell spent years and several agents trying desperately to get the latest Oprah pick, BACK ROADS, published. Look at her now. BACK ROADS is a New York Times bestseller. Janet Fitch, author of WHITE OLEANDER, said in a recent interview, her overnight success began twenty plus years ago. Janet said, "When my daughter was six the teacher asked the children what they got in the mail at home. One child said letters from grandma. Another child said junk mail. My daughter said we get rejections." During the interview with Janet Fitch she revealed that WHITE OLEANDER will be made into a movie. Congratulations Janet! Keep in mind, someone else’s rejections may be another’s bestseller, an Oprah pick or New York Times bestseller. In the future, this column aims to bring you more information on those who struggled, persevered, and met the publishing beast head on with some measure of success. All reality checks aside, it is hoped that this column will become an informative, open, interactive forum for all writers struggling toward the goal of publication. Any links provided are not a guarantee to success. It would be impossible to check out all online publishing sites that might appear in this column in the future. The same can often be said for print media. If you have information, insights, complaints or helpful input regarding magazines, agents, publishers, and online sites, please contact me. Writer beware is the motto where publishing is concerned. However, the following information is provided for your perusal. Some markets to get you started: Freelance Success Freelance Writing Idea Makers Journalism Jobs Master Freelancer News Jobs Power Prose Bullhorn Pro Writing Media Bistro |
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