Most of us, when we decide to write for publication, don’t differentiate between writing and publishing. When we cease writing—when we’ve finished our amazing manuscript—the logical next step is publishing. In theory, publishing follows writing like parenting follows child birth.
But just think about the differences between child birth and parenting. Child rearing requires a different modality than does giving birth (or conceiving, for that matter). And publishing, whether you want to believe it or not, requires very different skills, activities and mindset than does writing.
For publishing, one must rely on a business head rather than a writer’s heart. Publishing involves reaching out rather than looking within. Publishing means planning and calculating rather than simply listening to one’s muse.
There are definite differences between the way you would approach writing and the way you should tackle publishing. Those who are successful as published authors understand and embrace the differences.
During my presentation tomorrow night at the Ventura County Writers Club meeting in Thousand Oaks I’ll be sharing two—only two—things an author must do in order to achieve publishing success. It sounds easy, right? But it is not easy. Experiencing a measure of success as a published author is time-consuming, energy-draining and often involves aspects of business that we never expected to pursue.
Contrary to what some hopeful authors believe, there is no magic. No one can give you publishing success. It’s something you must work toward and earn.
Sure there are fast food publishers who will take your money and promise you a nutritious meal. But, before you eat it, you really must dissect the ingredients, study the recipe and question others who have been served by this establishment.
So what are the two things that every hopeful author must do before they consider entering into the huge world of publishing? You’ve heard me say it before:
1. Study the publishing industry.
2. Write a book proposal.
It’s that simple and that complex. Those of you who are in the Thousand Oaks area, be sure to attend the Ventura County Writers Club meeting Tuesday March 13 at 7:00 at Borders in TO. Those who are out of the area, if you have already bought my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, read it. If you have not purchased it, do so today. Let me know if you’d like a copy of my speech and I’ll email it to you. plfry620@yahoo.com. Order your copy of my book at: http://www.matiliajpress.com/rightway.html
Special Notice: My online Article-Writing course starts April 10, 2007. It’s $125 for the 6-week course. This is a great opportunity to learn how to earn extra money or even support yourself by writing magazine articles, how to establish your platform through article-writing and how to promote your book by writing articles. If you write fiction, this course will also help you to learn about the submission process ropes. Sign up at: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm