How to Navigate Today’s Publishing Industry P.4: Setting Out on the Journey

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If you haven’t noticed, I write a lot about the publishing/writing journey on this blog. It’s because I’m passionate about not only for writing, but the entire process — from the initial dream {Part 1}, charting your course {Part 2 & Part 3}, and finally, to setting out on the journey.


This journey isn't easy. There are roadblocks. Dead ends. Yellow lights. Stop lights. And often, we might have to make a big decision — which path to take? — that will alter the course of the rest of our career. We’ll need to stay aware of the traffic signs (warnings from professionals, manuscript criticism, etc.) to prevent potential crashes.


We might reach high points in our journey — times of breathtaking scenery. When an agent shows interest. When we receive positive feedback from a critique partner. Win a writing contest.


Yet other times, the road will become bumpy, scenery will become dull, and the road will seem never-ending. We’ll start to wonder why we don’t release the steering wheel, put the car in park, and give up entirely.


But if we don’t keep going, then we’ll never know what could lie on the other side.


If you’re planning to set out on your writing journey, believe me when I say that it’s going to be a journey of a lifetime. Literally. Because if you’re in this thing for the long haul, then don’t assume the journey ends once you reach your destination (publication).


But where do you start? How can you break down what we discussed in Part 2 & 3 and take action?


Each writer’s journey is unique. But in effort to help you set out on yours, I’ve created a sample aspiring author’s journey toward publication below. We’ll call her Aspiring Author Anne.


Below are steps we’ve discussed in previous posts and a summary of how Aspiring Author Anne puts them into action …


→ 1) Carve out a block of time to write consistently and create deadlines that will push you further.
  


How Aspiring Author Anne puts this into action:


She examines her schedule and discovers that she has a block of 20 minutes in the morning that she can dedicate to writing before she leaves for college classes. Not much, but better than nothing!


She has also written her realistic goals on her calendar. She’s hoping to write 1000 words per week. If she doesn’t achieve this goal, then she’s going to wake up an hour earlier on Saturday and make sure her weekly goal has been met.


→ 2) While writing your book, also carve out time to invest in developing your craft.


How Aspiring Author Anne puts this into action:

Since Anne is a full-time college student, she doesn’t have much time to study an area that isn’t related to her school studies; however, she’s decided to make writing a priority in her life as well. Because of that, she’s subscribed to a list of podcasts that she can listen to while she does her chores on Saturday afternoons and while she drives.


She also noticed that she can read a writing craft book during her free time — when she would normally watch a movie or check Facebook.


→ 3) Eventually create social media profiles and possibly a blog. 


How Aspiring Author Anne puts this into action:

Anne is already active on social media, especially on Instagram. So that’s not a problem.


However, she isn’t as engaged with her target audience as she should be. So, she finds people to follow on Instagram and begins to interact on their posts. Soon, she receives several new followers within that network. She makes sure that engaging on Instagram becomes another priority and is active consistently. She doesn’t have the time to blog, but she does read blogs in her spare time and occasionally comments. This research helps her understand what goes into a good blog and it gives her ideas as to what she would eventually like to blog about when she graduates college.


→ 4) When you’re done with the book, take a break and set it aside. Then, read through it and self-edit. Find critique partners/join a critique group. Consider hiring a freelance editor.


How Aspiring Author Anne puts this into action:

Finally, after an entire year, Anne has finished writing her book! She takes a break from writing and uses her dedicating-writing time to study editing books. Then, she uses what she’s learned through those books to edit her manuscript from an objective standpoint. This takes months, but thankfully she finds more time during the summer to edit.


When it’s time for school to start back, Anne decides to join ACFW and finds an online critique partner through that organization. She’s careful about the feedback she receives and only uses feedback she believes will excel her writing.


Finally, her manuscript’s revisions are complete! She would love to hire a freelance editor, but she’s a college student and can’t afford one at the time. She does, however, give her book a final read-through before moving onto the next step.


→ 5) When your manuscript is polished, research agents. You can also look into attending a writer’s conference, where you’ll have the possibility to meet with them face-to-face. Consider entering your book into writing contests.


How Aspiring Author Anne puts this into action:

Anne checks out the current “Writer’s Market Guide” from the library and makes a list of 10 agents who represent her genre. After researching each agent and their agency to make sure they’re trustworthy, she writes a query letter and begins submitting to her list. She keeps track of her submissions and rejections in an Excel Spreadsheet. After seven months of receiving rejections and wondering if she should give up, Anne finally receives interest from an agent! He requests the full manuscript and signs with her three months later. By this time, she’s already graduated from college.


The end … Well, really it’s only the beginning for Soon-to-Be Author Anne. ;)

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Questions for you...

Are you struggling with setting out on your writing journey? Is there a certain stage you’re stuck on or an obstacle you need to overcome? Let me know in the comments!

Tweetable:

 Struggling to achieve your publishing dreams? Advice from Acquisitions Editor, @TessaEmilyHall #writingtips #pubtips http://bit.ly/2jnJHOD