This is my first day of reading your blog/diary offerings, although I've read some of your work via Apple Books. I've been writing pretty consistently for the last forty years. It's usually story notes, observations, odd chapters that just flowed at the time and moments of undisciplined poetry. In fact, almost complete lack of discipline has been the overriding characteristic of my writing. At one point when still in my 20s, self-employed and unattached, I wrote a series of about eight or nine short stories for children. It was a complete work and I was pretty pleased with it. I sent if off to a couple of publishers and got the traditional rejection letters. At that time my business was demanding pretty much all of my energies and writing went back to the back seat.
I want to thank you for that rather bleak outline of the writing life for traditionally published authors. In recent years I've dabbled on the fringes of the on-line self-publishing community, with a rather cynical outlook in the background. That piece has got me thinking though. I'm now semi-retired (so, much busier than I ever expected...) and I'm trying to build in more of a time-tabled structure to my days. Difficult really because I enjoy a bit of sponteneity and chaos. But reading your comments and having enjoyed some of your writing specifically because I found it online, I have been persuaded past my cynicism. Thank you.
Dear Chris, Thanks so much for your response. I really do encourage you to look into becoming an independent author. While I have had some financial success (way beyond my expectations) it has been the joy of writing and actually having people read the stories that I tell that has been my greatest reward. And there are now so many support systems for independent publishing, that it doesn't have to be a huge undertaking. The online market for shorter works is booming as more and more people read on their phones. I always suggest that people start by reading David Gaughran's Lets Get Digital. Gives you a good overview of the possibilities. https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Digital-Self-Publish-Publishing-ebook/dp/B08BTS57PC/
Thank you, Mary. That's very encouraging. I'll take a look. Incidentally, do you have a view on sites like Vocal? I started using it as a way to develop a better habit, but I do find the general content - and the content that seems to get the most positive attention - to be too 'click-bait' centred. Anyway, don't feel you need to respond at all. You must get a lot of mail and I don't want to eat into your correspondence time. Thanks for getting back to me though. Best wishes. Chris
Thank you for this information. I subscribed to your blog and bought all your San Francisco series when you announced them in your blog, so I'm happy you have this newsletter to announce future books. And I'm very interested in reading your experience with publishing. Until last November's NaNoWriMo challenge to write 50K words, I had no idea I could write a novel. I wrote over 60K words in November. I signed up the challenge just a few days before it started so I had no time to plot. Now I'm trying to backfit the story into the standard plotting stuctures such as 3 Acts. I've got to seach around for a writer's group such as you found. I'm not sure I even want to publish as I'm enjoying the process of writing, but I know social feedback is important to maintain my motivation. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Dear Mike, NaNoWriMo is a great way to get started, even without a plot, because for so many people, just getting the words down can be too intimidating. I am a firm believer that we all have stories to tell. And I do encourage you to find a writers group. I know that some cities have already existing writers organizations that help you find such groups, or continuing education classes on writing that can provide a group experience--that then leads to groups forming after the class. For some writers, joining a book club can also be a way to find people with like tastes in books can also lead to forming a small group who then go on and write together. The decades I spent getting to read the full manuscripts of other writers, seeing what worked and what didn't, participating in discussions on how to improve each manuscript, was invaluable. So good luck to you!
"the first with a small press that accepted my manuscript and immediately went bankrupt before they put the book in print." This whole paragraph made me queasy. As a human who dabbles in worst case scenarios, I often see what could go wrong before I let myself see what could go right, but you only have to hear so many stories of deals falling through, agents quitting, or publishing dates getting pushed back indefinitely before you begin to question if it EVER goes right for most people.
I'm starting at the beginning with the intent to chip through this whole section of your Substack. Thank you, in advance, for sharing what you've learned with the rest of us. I'm certain I will take much away from this!
This is my first day of reading your blog/diary offerings, although I've read some of your work via Apple Books. I've been writing pretty consistently for the last forty years. It's usually story notes, observations, odd chapters that just flowed at the time and moments of undisciplined poetry. In fact, almost complete lack of discipline has been the overriding characteristic of my writing. At one point when still in my 20s, self-employed and unattached, I wrote a series of about eight or nine short stories for children. It was a complete work and I was pretty pleased with it. I sent if off to a couple of publishers and got the traditional rejection letters. At that time my business was demanding pretty much all of my energies and writing went back to the back seat.
I want to thank you for that rather bleak outline of the writing life for traditionally published authors. In recent years I've dabbled on the fringes of the on-line self-publishing community, with a rather cynical outlook in the background. That piece has got me thinking though. I'm now semi-retired (so, much busier than I ever expected...) and I'm trying to build in more of a time-tabled structure to my days. Difficult really because I enjoy a bit of sponteneity and chaos. But reading your comments and having enjoyed some of your writing specifically because I found it online, I have been persuaded past my cynicism. Thank you.
Dear Chris, Thanks so much for your response. I really do encourage you to look into becoming an independent author. While I have had some financial success (way beyond my expectations) it has been the joy of writing and actually having people read the stories that I tell that has been my greatest reward. And there are now so many support systems for independent publishing, that it doesn't have to be a huge undertaking. The online market for shorter works is booming as more and more people read on their phones. I always suggest that people start by reading David Gaughran's Lets Get Digital. Gives you a good overview of the possibilities. https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Digital-Self-Publish-Publishing-ebook/dp/B08BTS57PC/
Thank you, Mary. That's very encouraging. I'll take a look. Incidentally, do you have a view on sites like Vocal? I started using it as a way to develop a better habit, but I do find the general content - and the content that seems to get the most positive attention - to be too 'click-bait' centred. Anyway, don't feel you need to respond at all. You must get a lot of mail and I don't want to eat into your correspondence time. Thanks for getting back to me though. Best wishes. Chris
Thank you for this information. I subscribed to your blog and bought all your San Francisco series when you announced them in your blog, so I'm happy you have this newsletter to announce future books. And I'm very interested in reading your experience with publishing. Until last November's NaNoWriMo challenge to write 50K words, I had no idea I could write a novel. I wrote over 60K words in November. I signed up the challenge just a few days before it started so I had no time to plot. Now I'm trying to backfit the story into the standard plotting stuctures such as 3 Acts. I've got to seach around for a writer's group such as you found. I'm not sure I even want to publish as I'm enjoying the process of writing, but I know social feedback is important to maintain my motivation. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Dear Mike, NaNoWriMo is a great way to get started, even without a plot, because for so many people, just getting the words down can be too intimidating. I am a firm believer that we all have stories to tell. And I do encourage you to find a writers group. I know that some cities have already existing writers organizations that help you find such groups, or continuing education classes on writing that can provide a group experience--that then leads to groups forming after the class. For some writers, joining a book club can also be a way to find people with like tastes in books can also lead to forming a small group who then go on and write together. The decades I spent getting to read the full manuscripts of other writers, seeing what worked and what didn't, participating in discussions on how to improve each manuscript, was invaluable. So good luck to you!
So cool to read of this history and your realizations about traditional publishing. Great diary entry, Mary Lou.
"the first with a small press that accepted my manuscript and immediately went bankrupt before they put the book in print." This whole paragraph made me queasy. As a human who dabbles in worst case scenarios, I often see what could go wrong before I let myself see what could go right, but you only have to hear so many stories of deals falling through, agents quitting, or publishing dates getting pushed back indefinitely before you begin to question if it EVER goes right for most people.
I'm starting at the beginning with the intent to chip through this whole section of your Substack. Thank you, in advance, for sharing what you've learned with the rest of us. I'm certain I will take much away from this!