Stepping Back from THE END

This week I accomplished something. I wrote THE END on the rough draft of my first {complete} novel.

It's taken three years to write THE END. I've had multiple ideas for novels. I've written the start of several. I've even nearly finished another. But, until this week, I've never made it to THE END.

And now I'm stepping back for a few days to enjoy the moment. I'm leaving my characters and plot lines and dialogue and taking a mini-vacation from Storyworld.

My characters don't like it. They're whispering lines while I watch my children do flips into the pool. They're telling me I need to strengthen them as I watch 4th of July fireworks. They're asking me to come home and get back to work, because they want the world to hear them laugh and cry.

From what I've learned, it's important to take a break from Storyworld before entering into the work of rewriting and editing. It's important to put some space between myself and my characters, as this will spark creativity as I hit the keyboard with my butt in my chair once again. My mind needs a creative rest.

So I trust those who've gone before and take a breather. I do a puzzle. I laugh with my real kids. I enjoy time with my hubby and go out to watch someone else's creative genius.

Then, next week I will return to Storyworld with new ideas and deeper thoughts to bring out the best in my story. Hopefully it'll become something readers will want to share with their friends. Hopefully my characters will woo readers into their world. Hopefully someone will identify with the heart of the story, and maybe it'll influence a life.

Until then, I'll step back and enjoy the fact that I finally wrote THE END.

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Your Book May be Written, But It's Not "The End"

This is what your editor and publisher look like when you've finished writing your book, been contracted, and decided you're done. You've written "The End" and think you've reached the end of the line. You're ready to move on and write your next best-seller.

What you don't realize is that this book won't be your first best-seller without a few more very important stops on the journey to publication.

Editing: If you are self-publishing, this is a key component. Don't just turn your manuscript in for print. Make sure you hire a professional editor to go through it at least once. Pay someone to do a great job so that you have a great product to present your readers. For those of us who love to read and know a few things about grammar and punctuation, nothing is more distracting than a book filled with those types of errors. Of all the self-published books I've been asked to review, I have to tell you that at least 4 out of 5 are not edited. This includes poor grammar and poor craft.

If you are being published through a house, editing is part of the publication process. This doesn't mean that you are off the hook. This means that your manuscript will be subjected to the red pen of a professional editor, and you will be responsible for accepting or denying their recommendations. You still have work to do.

Marketing: If you think you're finished the minute your book goes to print, you're not going to impress the publisher. Although most publishing houses have some form of marketing plan to help your book sell, authors are just as (if not more so) responsible to market their books. If you want a best-seller or even another contract, you'd better have a plan to market your book, and then you need to follow through with it. Nothing disturbs a publisher more than realizing they've contracted an author who doesn't want to do the work once their name is on a cover.

Think of it this way: who better to market your book than you? Who knows your readers better than the one they've been anxiously following for the past X amount of time, waiting in anticipation for the release of your story? You know them better than any publishing house or editor. Word of mouth is proven to be the best tool to sell anything. Prepare your own marketing plan and get your book noticed. It'll only benefit you in the long run. Do the work. Don't be another one of those lazy writers. You'll be the one with the best-seller while someone else is wondering why they aren't making money after putting in all that time writing.

5 Tips for Submitting After a Writers Conference

Did you know that only 30% of writers will follow up after a conference? That's right. 30%. That means that 70% of writers who attended the conference and were asked to submit will NOT follow-up with the editors and agents who requested their submissions.

Which gives the 30% a great shot at being published, right?

So what are you waiting for? Submit. Submit. Submit.

Here are 5 tips for making submissions:

1. Make sure you've edited your submissions. If it's your novel, and it's going to an agent or an editor at a publishing house, you will want to pay for (or swap services with) a professional editor to polish it up for you. When a proposal comes across my desk that is full of errors, I don't even want to read the sample chapters that are included. I'm quite certain they'll be full of mistakes too. Make sure someone else (preferably a professional) looks at your story before you submit it.

2. Follow the guidelines!!! I can't stress this enough. When you neglect to do so, you present yourself to the agent/editor as lazy, careless, negligent, and a long list of other adjectives. Editors and agents have a lot of work on their desks at all times. Someone who follows the guidelines will have a much greater chance at making it out of the slush pile than someone who doesn't.

3. Make sure you have the correct name on everything. Find out which editor of the magazine you should submit to. Find out which editor at the publishing house works with your genre. Spell their name correctly. Nothing turns an editor/agent off more than finding someone else's name at the top of the cover letter they've received (or finding their name misspelled). Show you care, and you'll earn brownie points.

4. Make a professional impression. In the world of writing, a second impression isn't always available. If your first impression turns off one agent, they have friends in this business. Their friends are likely to hear about it. The same goes for editors. Always address them properly. I've received emails from writers who want to be featured on my website. They've neglected to address me: Dear Mrs. Morales, Hello Alycia, etc. Nothing. No greeting. They've proceeded to write the email as if I knew them personally and didn't mind misspelled words, incomplete sentences, and poor grammar. Needless to say, I didn't even consider their contribution. Be polite. Write a business letter as you were taught in high school English class. If you need help, find someone who knows how to do so and ask them to teach you.

5. Leave your contact information on your submissions, unless otherwise directed in the guidelines. The most important information is your name, email address, mailing address, and a phone number. That way, if the agent/editor loves your work and wants to reach you, they can.

What have you found important when making submissions? If you are an editor or agent, what other tips could you share?