You've heard it a thousand times from editors and agents: “Write a good book, and the sale will take care of itself.” So you focused on writing good books. Now, it's several years later, and those good books still haven't found homes. Stranger still, people who have been writing for half as long as you have are suddenly standing up and announcing multi-book deals. While you cheer for them, it's hard not to think, “where the heck are my contracts?” However much you love writing as a craft and an exercise, I believe all writers are eager to communicate to as many people as possible… and that means publication. So what's a writer to do?

Know your markets. I made my first three sales by breaking into new lines. New lines are often desperate to populate, and that means opportunity, whether you have an agent or not. That doesn't mean look for new lines and try to quickly cobble something together that might fit. If you write meaty historicals, I wouldn't recommend trying to ‘toss off” a quick, light Chick Lit because they're selling well. But it does mean that when a publisher changes direction, and is suddenly looking for something you write well, jump on it. Have that query and synopsis ready, or hammer one out with your critique partners, and get it in the mail ASAP. (Check out our website, www.sfarwa.com, to find some of the best email-loops and web sites with industry news.)

Know yourself. You're not the next Nora Roberts. You're not the next Julia Quinn. You're not the next anybody. You're the first you, and you need to act like it. Maybe you've been jumping from subgenre to subgenre because the markets were hot. Or maybe you just like writing for multiples genre because you enjoy different things about each. Still, there will be something about your writing that is distinctly “you” no matter what the genre is. Look over your manuscripts. Do you write stories with kick-butt, take charge heroines? Or heroes that melt your heart and make you grin? Do you write over-the-top comedy no matter what the time period? Supernatural events have you hooked? What's your common denominator? Emphasize your strength in your query and synopsis. You're not just selling a book, you're selling your voice and talent. Coincidentally, they're not just buying a story: they're trying to invest in an author that they can brand and keep bringing out. Show them you're ready.

Know your blind spots. You've been writing good books. What can you do to kick them up a notch, from good to mind-blowing? It's hard to improve in a vacuum, but here's a tip: once you get an editor, he or she is not going to be able to work with you on craft. They have too many authors, too many meetings, too many manuscripts and not enough time. You've got to be the absolute best you can be right out of the box. They'll still ask for revisions, make no mistake… but they won't be asking for anything if your stories continually have a bit of a sag in the middle, or rely too heavily on coincidences, or any number of things. You've got to bring your “A-game” every single time you send a proposal out. So if you've been getting a lot of rejections, try taking a class, ry out a new critique partner (preferably one who's farther along than you are), or read a new writing craft book.

Know your enemy. No, this isn't your competition. Your enemy is jealousy, and the need to ing is crap!” It only gets worscompare. “Why did she get a contract, and not me?” Or “How did this book get published when mine has so many rejections? This the when you're in a group, and several of you start getting into it. It might feel better for a while to blow off steam, but keep in mind you'll only feel worse later, and your book still won't have sold. Avoid the downward spiral and focus on your book. You'll feel better, you'll write better, and you'll thank yourself later… especially when you get your first contract!

First published in the April 2003 issue of the Heart of the Bay newsletter for the San Francisco Area chapter of the RWA. Check out their website at www.sfarwa.com for more information.

top