Reg Forder, at his ACW writer’s conferences, likes to ask the faculty panel the question, “What is one thing you wish you had known before you became a writer?” Since I joined the publishing side of things after being a bookseller and later became a literary agent I have to give the question some thought.
Coming from retail, the hardest thing to grasp was the amount of time it takes to properly get from an idea to print.
As a retailer we saw the instantaneous gratification of our customer when they bought the book. Within minutes a customer’s needs were met or not met depending on our inventory.
As a publisher it was a challenge juggling the 50 new books a years for which my department was responsible. Coordinating acquisition, editorial, production, marketing, and sales can get complicated, especially when overseeing multiple projects simultaneously. I might have acquired and contracted a book but then it had to be written. Then there were marketing meetings to discuss plans, editorial meeting to discuss work-flow, and production meetings to make sure design, editorial, typesetting, etc were all on track. [[The “ease” of ebook publishing for the writer seems to circumvent much of it…but shortcuts are not always the best route to take.]]
As an agent the preparation time with the author to get the proposal just right can take a lot of time. (I pushed back quite hard on two clients this past week challenging them to raise the stakes in the books they were writing. Each appreciated the challenge but it takes time to fix things.) Then we send out the proposal to the publishers and wait. Some respond rather quickly (I’ve received rejections within minutes) and other times it can take forever (the record is 22 months before a publisher said yes). The norm is 3-5 months before knowing whether or not there is interest in a project. And after securing the right publishing partner there are contract negotiations, review of contractual paperwork (sometimes taking 2-3 months to complete discussions), and any number of things that can make the process seem endless.
I guess you could say my answer to the question is “how long the publishing process takes.”
And the lesson learned from it? “Patience.”
What about you? What is the one thing you wish you had known before you entered this adventure of writing and publishing?
One thing I wish I’d known was how much this journey would challenge me in terms of personal growth. In some ways it’s been a hard journey, but it’s definitely challenged me to know where I place my identity. This has been a good lesson to learn, but not easy.
Jeanne, I’m going to piggy back on your response about being personally challenged.
I was not all prepared for how much perseverance and obedience is needed in this industry. For me the two go hand in hand. Pushing through the obstacles, whatever they are, and staying on the road God has placed me on. Come what may.
In the beginning, I wish I had someone to help me learn and understand more the process than focusing on the end result. it took some time, but I eventually found amazing and knowledgeable support groups online and locally. Those pearls of wisdom I’ve learned from respected people in the industry along with my personal growth over the past years are lessons I’m able to now share with beginning writers in my community. And it feels incredible!
Courage is one of the things I’ve learned on this writing journey. It takes courage to begin that first story. Courage to attend the first conference. Courage to submit to an agent. If I didn’t feel like God wanted me to write, I’d have given up by now. So my courage comes from God as I continue to write.
I wish I had read all the myriads of how to write a novel BEFORE I sat down and zipped out most of the story. Change, change, change…but then I have never done anything the easy way.
I wish I had been told the truth about my first novel from my instructor–that it was nowhere near ready for submission, and I had a lot more to learn about the craft of writing fiction. Instead, based on my instructor’s statement that the story was ready and she was sure it would be published, I went to my first writing conference, expecting to come home with a book offer. LOL. Not reasonable even with good writing.
My first editor appointment said I started it too soon. I lobbed off chapter one and went to my next appointment. I still started it too soon, so I (yep, you guessed it) lobbed off the second chapter. At my third appointment, she said send a proposal. I thought finally I did it right. Six months later I got a rejection.
No one got past the first page to tell me all the other things I needed to learn before it was ready. Over time I did learn and much much later I was published. In God’s timing, of course.
The one thing I wish I’d know is that just because I’d been a lit major and was an English teacher, I didn’t automatically know all the fiction techniques necessary to write a novel.
Becky
I’ll add my voice to those who’ve said that the biggest surprise is the length of time it takes to get a response or decision, even after an editor has expressed interest, such as requesting a full manuscript or “passing it up the chain” at the publishing house. Coming from a corner of the business world where things move more quickly, the glacial pace takes some getting used to.
Good question, Steve, and one that I’ve thought a lot about over the past few years! Oh how I wish I would have paid closer attention to the current genre demands rather than maching to the beat of my own drummer. It was a lovely melody, but I was the only one humming it. My best advice to new authors: Figure out what’s selling before you write that first book! Five books later and not-yet-published, I still have no regrets. I’ve learned a lot, grown a lot, and, like the other posts mentioned, I’ve discovered a little something about myself–I’m quite courageous! Writing and publishing Christian Fiction is not for the faint of heart. Or maybe it is. I sure wasn’t this strong when I first began this journey! 🙂
I wish I would have written a lot of books in the years I was really struggling to learn the craft rather than slaving over one or two. I would have learned more by not getting so hung up on contests, critiques, and what others thought of my early work.
I pressured myself way too much instead of having fun with the process. That’s what I would recommend to new writers learning the craft. Learn, explore, enjoy. Don’t put anything out there you can’t be proud of, take your time. I’d rather be a happy turtle than a sorry race horse. 🙂
Jill if it makes you feel any better…there are so many books now it makes a person feel like the cartoon saying “Duh, which we did he go?” Or maybe saying, “Duh, which way do I go?”
They don’t all agree and I really hate sludging through the murk to get to what I have to learn from vulgar examples and language I don’t appreciate.
Sorry I meant to type Jillian.
I wish I had known how long it would take me to write the first draft of my non-fiction book. I think I am more patient with others than with myself. I don’t know how many writers’ groups I have attended, along with conferences, etc. I still feel like a complete amateur in writing books, even though I have published two curricula.
Two words;;The cost. The cost of time taken to revise, revise, rewrite, and revise ad infinitum. The future costs to employ a professional editor, to self-publish, to leave home for conferences, and other costs that may affect me in the future. Patience I have in spades; Time and money are scarce. Of course, if some of these things were disclosed in advance, how many of us would continue the path? So add to patience and cost, perseverence.
I wish I had known the value of consistency. Developing a pattern of sitting down to write 6 days a week, regardless of how I feel or what else is happening in life has been of great value to me. Sure, often little of use is produced in a lot of sessions, but consistency does produce volume. From within the volume, something good often rises to the top.
When I submitted my book manuscript to the publisher, I thought I had crossed the finish line. “That’s done,” I thought. “Now its time to celebrate and start working on the next project.”
I was wrong. Submitting the manuscript to the publisher was not the finish line: it was the halfway point. Next came the editing, revising, and proofing. Then filling out questionnaires and writing copy for press releases, mailings, ads, brochures, and flyers. Then scheduling and attending promotion events: interviews, articles, conferences. Then maintaining my platform through blogs, and twitter, and Linked In, and so on, and so on, and so on.
The take-away: Being an author has two phases. Writing your book. And then being a good shepherd of its legacy.
If I had understood that sooner, I would have accepted it more joyfully, energetically, prayerfully, thoughtfully, strategically, and creatively. I would have struggled less and worried less. I would have had a lot more fun.