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Saturday, April 24, 2010

How bad do you want it?

Do you stew every second of the day, thinking about it? Do you imagine grandeur moments of receiving a phone call from a huge publisher seeking to publish your book? Taste it with each typed word? Well, if you’re a dedicated author, determined to succeed, then yes, you do. And why wouldn’t you? Like me, you’ve worked hard to hone your craft.

You prepare a submission, send it off and wait. After a few weeks, most of the time months, a response arrives. Sigh...it’s a rejection. So, do you give up? Hum, your determination isn’t great and powerful enough if you do.

So you join a critique group. After posting some of your novel, you wait for your fellow critique partners to comment on the story. They do and the blinding red splotched across the pages inspires a defensive reaction. Why? Don’t you want to hone your craft? Remember, all the people whom you hope will buy your book will each have a different interpretation of your story. So what do you do?
Give up? Or look through the comments and see which ones are common and which ones are opinionated. You make the corrections and post again. You’re learning and growing with your craft.

Hurray! You’re finally published and the finished product sent off to a reviewer. You wait for what seems like forever. A review shows up on your Google alert. Yes! You zip over to read it and your mouth drops open. The reviewer hated the story. So was your book that bad or was the reviewer having a bad day when she read your work? Time to look inside and see if the problem is with yourself and your writing. It’s your call on whether you’re being honest and admitting maybe, just maybe there’s some truth to the reviewers comments. If not, then ignore it. Not everyone will love or understand your story.

Next, you receive your cover. Omigod! It’s the worse cover an author can have. The hair color for both hero and heroine is off. Their faces aren’t what you described in the book. The colors are hideous. Embarrassed, you rush an email to the editor but it doesn’t do any good. The cover stands as is. Do you accept it and move on or complain and whine until you make the editor and publisher angry?

Writing takes a tremendous amount of discipline and dedication. There are many ups and downs. An author must realize this at the start. If you don’t then the trip down the writing yellow brick road will end up worse than Dorothy’s and Oz will remain simply a mirage along the horizon. Writing also takes some intense soul searching too. For me, writing is humbling and reminds me I’m not perfect. I strive everyday to improve my ability by learning more and more about the craft. Why? Because I want the reviewer to love my story, I desire my critique partners to love my story, I yearn for readers to develop a passion for my books, but most of all, I crave to do the best I can with my talent.

So, how much do you want a publishing contract? Do you step on the roller coaster ride to publication or do you talk the talk but skip away from the walk? Let me know what writing and seeking publication means to you.

Be sure and take a minute to look at my books on my website.

9 comments:

Molly Daniels said...

LOL:) When I landed my first agent, I envisioned being sent on the multi-city book tour and being on the morning shows. Didn't happen, but it DID boost my confidence to keep writing.

My first e-baby has enjoyed modest success, due to the fact I was too low-key about promo. Hopefully I'll do better with the second one...and still not go TOO much overboard!

Katalina Leon said...

I was thrilled to get my first book contract! Every moment since then has been about doing better, learning to work with a team of people and most of all learning not to complain about the many details an author has no control over. Cover art being one of the biggest. So many readers think we "Choose" our book covers-I wish... lol The real truth is most of us make a wish list for a book cover and we accept what the publisher offers.
XXOO Kat
PS I do love Jimmy Thomas who's on the cover of "Beautiful Stranger" I hope I get Jimmy again...

Judith Leger said...

I fully understand, Molly! I was a baby about promoting and getting my name out there. Is there such as a thing as going overboard with promoting? Nope! The more the better sales!

That's exactly what it takes, Katalina. It's such an amazing growing period. And yes, I love Jimmy Thomas! Maybe one day on one of my covers! :D

Sandy said...

I love to write. This morning, I wrote and I didn't want to quit. I did because there were other things to do.

By the time, I was e-published I was too numb to get excited. Now, that I'm on the whirlwind of promotions I'm even more zoned out. lol

Judith, nice post.

April Ash said...

Finally selling was a thrilling moment because it meant my hard work paid off. Little did I realize how much promo is involved...and for someone who "stayed in the background", shoving myself "out there" was important.
Now, I'm happy to do promo and encourage others to get their names out, too. That's the only way to keep up with our business.
Yep...I want it and am willing to do what has to be done!

Tina Donahue said...

OMG,Judith, you described the process perfectly and scarily (is that a word?).

It takes a thick skin and a lot of persistance to make it in this business.

More importantly, it takes an individual who MUST write...it's not an option. Without the daily writing, the individual feels incomplete.

Anyone who's ever sweated in front of a computer screen (or over a typewriter) knows that. :)

Judith Leger said...

Thanks, Sandy! I'm just like you. I love to write. Or better yet, I live to write.

Me too, April!

Exactly, Tina.

Destiny Blaine said...

Thank you for the great post. I'm glad I stopped by this morning.

Like Molly, I envisioned a lot of perks with my first contract. Those perks eventually came with my non-fiction books but in fiction, it's a bit different.
Authors work very hard for sales and success, but the end results are worth the effort. ;)

Hugs,
Destiny

jean hart stewart said...

Excelllent blog. Writing is certainly a learning experience in more ways than one. Also a humbling one. Jean

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