So another blunt post today.
And it’s a writing post, so those who don’t care about the writing biz, I won’t be offended if you don’t read on.
So you’ve written a book. Congratulations, and good luck. I mean that sincerely. There are a lot of people who say, “I’ve always wanted to write a book,” and they never do it. Just trying it is huge. So that’s an awesome thing.
But. Yes, there is a but.
But. Just because you wrote it doesn’t mean you’re going to get published-just because you wrote it doesn’t mean you’re entitled to special treatment. It doesn’t mean agents, or writers, or editors owe you anything other than the simple courtesy you also owe them.
Agents don’t owe you a personalized reply. If agents took the time to send every writer a personalized reply, they wouldn’t be able stay open to submissions as often, because they’d spending a lot more sending personalized replies.
Same for editors.
Writers don’t owe critiques and if you haul your book into a booksigning to have them look it over…well, they don’t you anything, and certainly not because they are published and you’re not. They are published because they did their research, they did the work, they also went through the same rejection process you went through. They took their bumps, they took their bruises, and they kept on going.
And if you want to make it, you have to do the same.
But here’s the thing…we don’t all make it. We just don’t. There are all millions of people who want to get published, I would think.
A lot of them might have the drive…but they might lack the talent.
A lot of them might have the talent…but they might lack the drive.
Some might have both, but there are issues with timing, and timing is huge in this business-it’s oh, man…
huge.
It just is.
Ten years, fifteen years ago, authors like Stephanie Meyer and JR Ward, there is a very good chance, if they had submitted their current series, they would have been rejected. Not because the stories were any different. It was all about timing.
Luck plays into things a lot. Yes, luck. Getting your book in front of the right person, at the right time. Having the drive, having the talent, at the right time, with the right person.
Luck… yes, it’s important.
Talent. Drive.
And… professionalism.
Even from the beginning. If you go on a rant on your blog, on twitter, on a group, a forum, wherever and you’re dissing the agents who’ve rejected, or dissing the authors who’ve made it and you haven’t….eh, well, here’s something I want to share with you. Karma. In this business-it’s another thing that is oh, man, huge. Negative energy, reap what you sow, you can call it what you want, but it comes back on you. And if you’re focusing so much energy on why you’re not making it and it’s because of this person…. instead of what you need to do to improve…well, there is a very good chance that in five years, ten years, if you’re still writing, you may be still furious, still fuming, and still angry.
Which would really kind of suck. Because if you don’t get published, how does the rest of the world hear your voice? We want to hear it. We love voices. We love new stories.
But trust me, all that anger? It’s not helping. Really, really… it’s not.
Wow, powerful post, and one I hope will sink in to anyone who doesn’t “get” it. I have no doubt writing is an incredibly difficult, time-consuming, arduous process, but also a labor of love. Expecting anything other than hard work is probably not the wisest course to take. Prepare for the worst, yet always, always hope for the best. Even after all that, there’s no guarantee. Resenting that fact won’t do anyone any good.
Well said, and more importantly, I think it needed to be said. Especially from the voice of experience.
Excellent post.
My university degree was called ‘Professional Writing’ (we specialise from day one in Australia).
In our first class the tutor walked in and announced none of us would probably ever get published! Now, he was a bastard who wrote one crappy book nobody bought and thought it made him better than everybody else, but he did have a point.
I couldn’t believe some of the work people presented in my classes. Some girls were out of high school and still writing stories about cute ponies.
Most people seem to have no idea of what it takes to become a published writer.
LOL. Yes, it amazes me how many people expect that writing is easy and expects something to just be given to them, because that wrote it and they’re positive it’s great. And, I’m saying this as an aspiring writer. Unfortunately, I’ve always been self-aware that I have ways to go before I get to where I want to be in my writing career. LOL!
I think it’s probably the personality type that makes them act this way. We’ve all known the person that has gotten fired or quit from a dozen jobs and they claim they are being picked on, or the boss was a jerk- it’s never their fault,and they never end up correcting their behavior. Imagine this person as a writer- they would always blame someone else and never take constructive criticism. Sigh.
Moonsanity, it’s a personality type… AND probably a by-product of the “ME” age-
This post was partly inspired from some comments I’ve seen or had directed at me, seen directed at other writers, and then from stuff I’ve seen online and a great deal of it seems to come from people who are very much stuck in the ME mindset-as in…
“I’m entitled”.
Frankly, that’s a mindset that pisses me.
People are entitled to have a roof over their heads, food in their bellies and decent healthcare, they are entitled to be safe and loved and how many millions aren’t?
Those things are so much more important than writing.. and I’m going off on a tangent.
Writing is hard work and just writing the book is NOT enough. You want to make it, do the rest of the work and hope for the best-but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. The person who thinks they are ‘entitled’ to having it happen? Eh, they are already setting themselves up for disappointment, because the world doesn’t work that way.
Another wise post from an old soul. So true about karma. This is the info age too. Anything you post out there is out there forever. You can’t take it back.
Good post! Just finished my first book- working on the second. Going to my first conference this weekend and hope to carry myself well. Maybe it’s my age of 50 something but I know I am not entitled but, rather, need to accept that I am a beginner. Thanks for this post on the eve of my new life!