Sep
What Are You Doing Right Now To Get Published?
Okay, here comes the big ugly stick lecture. Someone posted a comment the other day (and I don’t recall who and it really doesn’t matter who, unless you want to go after them for unleashing Boyle on you, but’s that your business not mine) and the comment was to the effect that your site wasn’t as busy because you were all busy hanging out over at Avon FanLit–which is cool and fun BUT what is that doing to get you published? Now, really, my feelings aren’t hurt, but I found it one of those things that stuck in my head and I couldn’t shake it out.
Then I knew why. I needed to rant a bit, and just needed a good subject. All these sites and bulletin boards and other internet meeting places are great fun, but they are also terrible time drains when you could be writing.
Obvous, yes. But it hit me when I was outlining my writing goals for the next year. Yes, for the next year. When I was going to have the drafts for two books (yes, TWO) and when I could expect to have revisions, copy edits, galleys, and map out school vacations, holidays and other dates that would interfere with getting two books done before this time next year. I needed to be able to make commitments to my agent, editor and publisher, to have a viable schedule mapped out that wouldn’t kill me, but would keep me writing every day.
And that is the key–writing consistently. Because when you peck away here one day and peck away four days later, you lose the momentum, you lose the story. If you sit down and write every day the story is never far from your thoughts and the writing will get easier, the pages faster.
For my schedule, I’ve back-loaded it. Meaning I gave more time in the first three months of writing a book to get the first 100-150 pages done, then the last three months, where I will write the other two thirds of the story and do all the revisions. But that is always the easiest part of the writing for me–the back half, rather than the first half. So the plan is to have 100-150 pages done before the Christmas holidays. Then in January and February, when the schedule is wide open with time, buckle down and produce.
So I ask you again, what are you doing to get yourself published? Reading blogs? Reading contest entries? Posting witty remarks? Or putting the writing first? What are your realistic writing goals? Do they get done before email? Before hopping online? Think about it and then make a decision.
Tomorrow: Getting To Work
Ummmmmmmm, writing the good write (to paraphrase a bit).
Isn’t that all any of us can do? Write. Write some more. Edit. Plot. Do some revisions. Meet our deadlines (either those of our publisher or those that we impose on ourselves). Network. Pay attention to who’s buying what. Write. Pay attention to who’s selling what (as much as we can). Oh, and write.
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:19 pmOh, Elizabeth. You are SO right. I let FanLit eat up my time—not just at home, but at work, the very place that provides money for my RWA fees, trips to National, book-buying, stamps to mail partials…FOOD…and it has to stop. I’ve vowed for the next six weeks I will NOT watch my score fluctuate. I need to work on the things I CAN control!
Which doesn’t mean I won’t be playing the game. A friend of mine ranked within 4 places of me and she got a request from an agent over it!! YES! Dreams really can come true.
So for all of you keeping up, I have a list of where me & my posse ended up at the end. http://www.laceykaye.blogspot.com #17 baby!
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:32 pmOR my posse & I I TOLD you FanLit fried my brain!
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:36 pmEvery once in a while a rant such as yours, Elizabeth, comes along, that is not only great to read, but it also works as a fabulous reminder of just what is important. I tend to get bogged down in research. But reading books isn’t going to get me published, if there is nothing written down on the page. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[I've printed a copy of your post and stuck it prominently on my desk.]
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:55 pmI have to admit that while I’m a big reader of Avon Authors I’ve not read a single entry of the Avon FanLit.. No offense to anyone competing, but I simply haven’t had the time.
Juggling a full time job and writing, I find that I tend to crash on the couch when I get home. I try to get some writing done every evening before going to bed though, and I’m proofreading my MS during lunch hours, staying at my desk at work (probably why I’m so pale..rofl.. ok, no.. I’m always pale). I could do more though I’m sure. I need to plan my time better so that I can write more. At the moment I’m still pretty much wrapped up in revisions and I need to do the synopsis. Once I start writing the next book I usually set myself a goal of 1 chapter per week.
I think this was a great post, Elizabeth. It’s so easy to get caught up doing other things, and your writing might suffer for it. It’s a good reality check
Thanks so much.
Emily
September 22nd, 2006 at 6:14 pmFanLit = Very Bad Things
September 22nd, 2006 at 6:17 pmLOL, Lacey, I agree that FanLit=Very Bad Things. I have not written a lick of my manuscript today. (But I’m gonna, I swear. Like, right now!)
OTOH, it’s not every day you get an e-mail from a pusblished author saying she wished she’d written your entry though, is it? And if I hadn’t barfed out my silly little parody in a half an hour, I’d never have had that thrill.
September 22nd, 2006 at 6:43 pmLooking back over the last two weeks, the only thing I regret is obsessive reloading of my FanLit status page. I can’t regret writing my entries and my blurbs — they jogged so much loose in my brain that I had some wonderful inspiration for fixing my query letter. Talk about a lightbulb moment. And I am still getting work done on my WIPs. I just need to be more disciplined about NOT checking the status page all the time. Now that I don’t have any entries in the queue, that should be easy.
For this round, I’m using timed writings to control how much time I spend on the FanLit entries. My little kitchen timer will become a tyrant!
Good luck to everyone. I really enjoyed reading your entries.
September 22nd, 2006 at 8:41 pmVery good post, Elizabeth! I can color myself guilty on all the point you made. *blush*
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:56 pmWell truth be told, I submitted a very sucky entry to the FanLit, but didn’t get caught up in reading EVERY SINGLE ENTRY. hehehe. Heck, I didn’t even vote on every single chapter in the final ten!
I do however speand a lot of time over at the Avon Board. I need to balance time better in that respect.
But…I have finished final editing/revising on my first book, I’ve written my synopsis for it, and now I have to write the querry letter.
Unfortunately, my printer has gone caput! Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to have all this ready to be printed out, and not able to do so! I mean, the next step after the query letter is doing my first submission!
I can’t tell you how terrified I am of that, but also how hopeful, nervous, reluctant, and excited I am!
Thanks for the blog Elizabeth!
Michelle
September 23rd, 2006 at 2:27 amGreat blog Elizbo. I have been guilty of finding other things to entertain my time..but fanlit was not one of them.
Since I do graphics I will sometimes use it as an excuse to not write, those are typically days that I don’t feel good and just the thought of working on my WIP gives me a headache.
I’m not trying to play my illness off as a special case, but it does get in the way. Way back when, when I was healthy, writing was so much easier.
Anyhow, this fanlit contest actually lit the fires under my assets to work more on my WIP. I swear I need you and Jenna to do one of those voice frames…saying “get to work Haven” haha.
Thanks again for the “match under my bum” post. Dang slave drivers haha.
September 23rd, 2006 at 4:11 amI’m guilty as well. I need to set some rules for myself stating that I won’t go online until after I’ve written some in my WIP. What a great reminder this is for us, Elizbo. Thanks…I needed that.
September 23rd, 2006 at 9:42 amAndrea
Okay, whoa! I never meant to say that Avon Fan Lit is bad. Not in the least, but rather obessing about scores and reading all the entries, when you could be writing YOUR book, well . . . I’m the first one to raise their hand and say “I waste time on the internet.” But if your time is limited, then put your writing first. That’s great that someone got an agent to take notice of their writing, but if they’ve spent all their time writing a fan lit entry and not finishing their work, the notice of an agent isn’t going to get them very far if they haven’t got a GREAT book to give to that agent.
September 23rd, 2006 at 11:47 am[I've printed a copy of your post and stuck it prominently on my desk.]
I’ve done the same thing! Thanks, Elizbo for saying it like it is! No ifs ands or buts!
You rock!
Isabel
September 23rd, 2006 at 3:48 pm