WRITERS RESOURCES
Help and Tips for new Writers and Authors
Writing comes easy for some and is a nightmare for others. Where do you start? Where do your ideas come from? How do you put your dreams into to words? Well, that may actually be the easy part. How are you going to get people to read your masterpiece? What about getting published and oh my, do I need an agent?
Below I will explore all of this and more, but I do not claim to have all of the answers. Everyone is different, and everyone’s journey will be one of self-discovery and adventure, of triumph and disaster but most of all, of self-discovery.
The What, Why, and How.
Two W's and a H - The what, why, and how.
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So, where to start, well the first thing you need is an idea, a dream, a motive.
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Why are you writing?
Who is it for?
What do you want from it?
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The process of novel writing begins with the reason, the purpose, for if you do not have these, you will not carry it though. It may be to get published, to get rich (unlikely, a tiny fraction of authors get published and of these only a tiny fraction get rich), to self publish, or to just have been able to say "Hey I did that".
So, what is mine? I have a story in my head, I need to write it down, I think about it every day and every night and I need to get it out of me and onto virtual paper. I want it to be read, to be liked, and eventually to be published. I need to feel the satisfaction of completing a major project, to sit back and go "Hey, I did that."
A DAY IN THE LIFE...
Day 1)
Things to do;
1) Write my idea down
2) A brief outline of the story. A beginning, a middle and an end. (These can change at any time during the writing process but we need a place to start and aim for.
3) An idea of characters, major, minor, and in-between, Write them down. These can change at any time during the writing process but you are going to need at least a few to start off with. Names and descriptions can change at any time but just for now let’s add a few so that we know there are people in the book. Having worked out #2 you should be able to do this. It is not important to describe them at this stage as it makes little difference to the story in most cases. Unless of course your story is about a one legged bald dwarf and in that case, you may wish to describe him as such: ‘Bobbo is a one legged bald dwarf.’
4) An idea of the setting, it's locations, type of setting, etc etc. Write this down. This is important, you do not want to be 5 chapters in and decide you don't like the setting, that's a lot of rewriting although I have done that myself before.
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So, I have my idea, it's a fantasy book, set in an alternative universe but with real life elements. The reason for this is so that I can play around with the era, events, and history without having to be exact as readers will check these things. For example, if my book is set in Swindon and I say I go to a pub on the corner of Willis Street but there is no pub there, my readers will be sure to mention it.
The era will be varying depending on the part of the novel the reader is in. I know this due to the outline of my story. To start off with, it will begin in some kind of medievilish setting as many fantasies do.
I have several important characters written down, but only a couple will appear early on in the novel. Again, I know this due to my story outline.
I have a start, a middle and an end in mind.
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Summary:
1) Write the story idea down and a very brief synopsis.
2) Write the setting down and brief descriptions of the era for chapter 1.
3) List the main characters as needed at this point (i.e. Chapter 1)
4) List some character that will appear later in the book
Feeling excited, like a real author. That wasn't so hard now, was it? Time for a cup of tea.
Alpha and Beta Readers
We all know the expression, 'can't see the wood for the trees.' You will never spot all of your errors so don't expect to.
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Alpha readers (Alpha meaning first) will often do a chapter at a time, or 2-3 depending on your requirements. They are useful for keeping you on track. Their feedback would be a lot simpler than a Beta reader.
Beta readers (imagine a computer programs beta testers) usually work on completed drafts.
They will sometimes do chapters but that would really be more of an Alpha readers job. There are free Alpha and Beta readers about but they may not be as clinical.
What to expect from a (paid) Beta Reader:
A written sectional report detailing;
Plot
Dialogue
Pace
Theme
Conflict
Characters
Description
Narration
Backstory
Scene-building
Beginning
Middle
Ending
Also, a smaller version that details chapter by chapter.
Alpha and Beta readers are not proof readers or editors so do not expect them to do that.
How much does it cost? There is no set amount. But do not expect a free one to put in the hours of work that will produce all of the above.
EDITING
Hire an editor. You will regert it if you don't.
Getting Published - A Basic Guide
So, you have a finished novel, you have edited the heck out of it, re-written parts, checked for grammar and spelling, had all of your friends and family tell you how good it is, so now you want to get it published.
PART ONE:
Optional:
Have it Alpha/Beta read by an Alpha/Beta reader who will give you a full report.
The product:
Your novel will be between 70 and 120k word count. (As a new author).
Your novel needs to be polished, complete, and as near to perfect as possible.
Have it edited and proof read professionally. You have made mistakes and no, you have not found them all.
You do not need cover artwork.
You do not need cover blurb.
The Synopsis:
Fully describe what the book is about, the plot, the main character and how they interact in relation to the story.
Explain the story’s purpose, all of its main plot points, the characters story arcs, and any twists or spoilers. The publisher doesn’t want to read your book to find out the twist end, they need to know now.
Each publisher / agent will have a different requirement for synopsis length. Some want one paragraph while others want more. An average of 500 words is a guideline.
Grammar and spelling are vital, if your synopsis is a mess, they will not even read your submission.
The Pitch:
Sell your book. Why should anyone want to read it, why is it special, how are you planning on expanding on your story (series?), your target audience, why this book and why you. Don’t be shy here, this is your big chance, maybe your only chance.
Your Biography:
Sell yourself. Who are you, why are you, why are you writing? This part is intimidating for new authors who have no track record, so use this to talk about yourself and your passions. It is a sad fact that new authors have a much harder time getting published but remember, every famous author was a new author at the start of their career.
PART TWO:
Types of publishing:
Traditional publishing:
Traditional publishing is publishing your novel in physical form, i.e. a book. To do this you will need to go through a publishing house (see below for self-publishing / vanity press).
Most publishing houses will only accept new authors through agents, there are a few acceptations.
The process for submitting to either is the same.
The Submission:
Go to the publishers / agent’s web site and read the ‘Submissions’ section (Usually in the FAQ).
Some will take an email, but most will have a form for you to fill in. Some will want you to paste parts of your document into the section in the form, others will want you to upload a file. Be sure to read what file type if they want you to upload one. Most want .docx but if not specified use .rtf. Do not use a non-propriety file type (i.e. Open Office). They will not be able to open it.
Do not try and circumvent the system, they get thousands of submissions a year and this is the fastest way to the trash can.
Yes, you can submit to more than one agent / publisher at a time but pace yourself.
Agents / publishers do not always get back to everyone due to the sheer volume of submissions, if you haven’t heard back in four months it is ‘probably’ a no, however some agents / publishers can take over a year.
Self-Publishing:
To produce a paperback or hardcover book a publishing website i.e. Amazon or Lulu. The website tells you exactly how to do it, and in some cases, such as Amazon, they give you free templates to help you format and produce your book. If you have already completed your manuscript you can upload it as a .docx or .PDF and Amazon / Lulu will prepare it for publication on your behalf. You will need a cover ready to upload. These websites will also sell your book on your behalf.
Vanity Press:
Vanity Press is where you pay to have your books printed, you advertise your books and you sell your books. Mostly this means you will have 1000 copies of your book in your garage forever unless you are a great salesman and marketing guru.
eBook:
Electronic books (such a Kindle) are very popular, sales rise every year and for some it is the only way they will buy a book. To produce an eBook go to the publishing website i.e. Amazon, Lulu, and others. The web site tells you exactly how to do it, and some cases, such as Amazon, they give you the free tools, such as eBook makers etc, in which to format and produce your eBook.
As with Vanity Press you will need to market you book yourself. (See separate blog on how to do this).
©J G Gould.
If you copy this to a web site or blog, remember to credit the Author.
Marketing
So, you have written a book, it is without doubt the best book in the world, you have even published it and yet, no one is buying it. Seriously, you know it’s amazing, what is wrong with people?
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You can’t sell a secret! Marketing, Marketing, Marketing.
But how? I hear you ask. Listed below are various ways of getting both your book and more importantly, you, out there.
1) Website: Personal/business/just for this book, or all of these. You have to have one if you are going to look professional.
2) Social media:
a. Facebook
b. Twitter
c. Instagram
d. Blog
e. Etc
3) Groups: Join groups that are centred around writing.
4) Advertising, paid or free
a. Facebook boost
b. Facebook market place
c. Online via Google AdSense or other such platform
d. Newspapers and magazines. Your local press may be extremely interested in publishing an article about a local author and / or their new release
e. Radio adverts
5) Friends and Family, get them to talk about you, re-post your social media posts
6) Give a few copies to avid readers, get them to review your book online.
7) Promote yourself. All good business people do this. Get out and about, tell everyone what you do, about your new book and be engaging. People may not themselves be interested in your book but they will talk about you.
Know your audience, promote to those who will be interested in your book, style, themes so as not to waste marketing energy.
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I am sure there are many more ways that have not come to mind yet, but this is at least a start. Good Luck, stay confident, you are amazing, people just don’t know it yet.
Keeping It In Perceptive
A very simple guide to perspective:
1st person: The narrator is the MC (Main character) (I went to the shop)
2nd person: the narrator is saying what the MC is doing from the point of view of someone else in the story (I saw John go to the shop)
3rd person: The narrator is not in the story, just reading it. (John went to the shop)