OCTOBER 15, 2007

The Journey: From Aspiring Writer to Published Author

By Lisa Unger I used to give this talk with some regularity when I was just starting out as an author. I chose this topic because my journey is somewhat unique, because I have a great deal of experience in the publishing industry, and because initially people werent that interested in hearing from an unknown author who managed to get herself published. Sad but true! I dont give this talk as often any more; my appearances are generally more focused on the book Im hawking at any given moment. But themes from this talk come up again and again. And I hear from enough aspiring writers here and www.myspace.com/authorlisaunger with the same thoughts and questions that I believe this might be of some help. A word of warning: This is NOT a nuts and bolts guide to getting published, because, frankly, there is no such thing. Many books pretend to be that and you might find some good ones out there that tell you how to seek an agent, write a good query letter, etc. But the truth is, theres no one way toward this elusive goal. When asked, I always say: Getting published takes a little bit of ability, a little bit of luck, and just sheer, never-say-die tenacity. However, the following piece does contain some practical advice, some philosophical advice, and a few of the things that I learned along the way. I hope my thoughts and experiences help you get closer to your dream. Enjoy and good luck! *** I guess what I want to talk about is dreamsdreams that become reality. Im willing to bet that all of you reading this have pretty big dreams, otherwise maybe youd be watching television rather than searching the internet about how to get published. The author Julia Cameron, who wrote a tremendous book called The Artists Way, wrote in another tremendous book entitled The Right to Write that, we treat unpublished writers as if they have an embarrassing case of unrequited love. But Ill ask you to consider for a moment that there is not a published author today who has not at one time been an aspiring writer. At one time or another every bestseller on the New York Times list, every critically acclaimed author you can name, had what you have right now, the dream of becoming a published author. For me, the dream began when I was just a kid. I have always most naturally expressed myself through writing. I have always created stories to entertain myself and others. Ive always dwelled in the land of my imagination more comfortably than in the real world. Being a published, full-time writer is the only dream I ever had for my life. And looking back, I can see clearly that every choice I made, whether I knew it or not at the time, has led me here. It may be like that for you. Perhaps youve always been a writer. Or perhaps, youve decided just recently that you have a story to tell. Whatever your experience is, for whatever reason youve come to the craft, the first step in making your dream come true is very simple: Believe that it actually can come true. For a long time, I didnt really believe that it was possible to make a living as a writer. Mainly, because thats what people always told me. So, I made it a hobby. All through high school, I won awards and, eventually, a partial scholarship for my writing. In college, I was advised by teachers to pursue my talent, to get an agent, to really go for it. But there was a little voice that told me quietly that it wasnt really possible (Actually it was my fathers voice saying, Kid, youre off the payroll. Get a real job!). I didnt see it as a viable career option as I graduated from Eugene Lang Collegethe undergraduate division of the New School for Social Researchand started my first job in publishing. A real job delivers a regular paycheck, right? So I entered a profession that brought me as close to my dream as possible (without actually risking anything) and paid, if not well, then at least every two weeks. But this is the second step toward making your dreams come true: Realize that its not about the money. If youve come to the craft because you think its a way to get rich, put your pen away. Some people do get rich there are a few celebrity authors that we all can name. And Im not saying you cant or wont get there yourself. But I am saying that if thats your motivation, then you are not a writer. A writer writes because he or she cant be anything else. Not that were unable to do anything else, only that its a drive that exists whether theres a paycheck behind it or not. I would be writing even I werent getting

paid (and did for most of my life). I will still be writing if I never publish another word. If this is true for you, then you are a writer whether or not youre published, whether or not you are getting paid. One must write for the sake of writing, for no other reason. In my publishing career, I started as a publicity assistant and, eventually, over the next seven years, climbed up the ranks to an associate director of publicity at Penguin Putnam, one of the largest publishing companies in the world. I booked author tours, media interviews. I traveled the country with authors. I worked every day with some of the most successful writers in the industry, was intimately connected with every aspect of book publishing and had never been further away from my dream. I wasnt writing a word; months would go bynothing. My job was very demanding and drainingfifty, sixty hours a week, late nights at book signings and events, traveling to conferences, author tours. And all the while, I was stealing time to write my first novel, Angel Fire. It took me nearly five years to get serious about it. Thats the next step toward making a dream come true, COMMITMENT. You have a million other commitments, of course. Theres your family, your job, your life. But at some point, you have to make a commitment to pursue the dream. Maybe that means you get up an hour earlier, or stay up two hours later to write. Maybe that means you eat a sandwich at your desk and use your lunch hour to get some pages down or claim some time for yourself on the weekends. There is no other way to be a published writer than to write, no matter what. Maybe its a paragraph, maybe its a page, maybe its ten pages when you can do it. But there is simply no other way to be a writer than to write. There are no short cuts, like anything worth doing. You have to dedicate at least part of your energy to accomplishing that goal. Personally, I had an epiphany. I took a really long hard look at my life. It was pretty good. I was young, had a great job, a fabulous apartment, fantastic friends, and I was newly liberated from a terrible relationship. But I realized that I was devoting all my creative energy to a job that I didnt love. And that if I took 10 percent of my energy and devoted it to my goal of being a published, working writer that I KNEW I could make it happen. And more than that, I realized that if I DIDNT focus fully on my goal that ten years from now, Id have to look back and say to myself, You know what? You never even tried. I couldnt live with that. From that point, it took me about another year to finish Angel Fire (my first novel published by St. Martins Minotaur under my maiden name Lisa Miscione). When it was done, I sent it to five agents and was fortunate enough to get signed on by one of the best in the industry (shes still my agent today). Three months later she had brokered a two-book deal for me with St. Martins Press. This is the abridged version of my story, visit me at www.lisaunger.com for more detailsits a pretty interesting story, if I do say so myself. Here, Im going to move past the more philosophical ideas about making this particular dream come true and move into the nuts and bolts aspects of getting published. Unfortunately, theres no formula. And, of course, my story is not typical. There are not many people who sell the first book theyve ever written. Many successful authors wrote five books or more before they were ever published. So that brings me to the other element in making dreams come true. TENACITY. Believe in yourself and never give up. In my experience the following five steps are the best way to go and they can be repeated over and over again if necessary. 1) Finish your novel. You may hear about people selling their idea, or their outline for a book they want to write. And this happens sometimes in the case of non-fiction. An established author might sell by synopsis. But for a firsttime novelist, you really need to submit a completed manuscript. Theres more to the writing of a novel than a good idea and the ability to string a few coherent sentences together. An agent (and well talk about why you need an agent), needs to see that you can create and resolve a story arc, that you know about pacing, how to create a strong narrative voice, develop characters, etc. To know that, theyll want to see your finished book. 2) Find an agent Congratulations! Youve finished your book. Now, your next step is to find yourself an agent. There are about a million agents out there (well, not really, but you get my point) all with varying degrees of credibility. The Literary Market Place (LMP) lists all agents and publishing houses, offering detailed accounts of what they represent or publish. Go to the library or visit www.literarymarketplace.com to peruse this industry bible. Some agents like military fiction or legal thrillers, some are more literary, some more commercial. The LMP will help you to compile a list of agents that might be right for you.

Another way to find an agent to query is to figure out which authors your work is most like. Is it a romance novel in the tradition of Nora Roberts? Then you might call that publisher and find out who represents Nora Roberts. An agent is crucial for many reasons, and I suppose that could be a whole other blog. But the simple truth is that most large publishers dont accept unsolicited manuscripts and theres no other way in the door except to find reputable representation. So get yourself a good one. Easier said then done, of course. But the Literary Market Place is the best place I can think of to start. 3) Draft a compelling, professional agent query letter Once youve decided which agents youd like to approach, send your query letter (DO proofread carefully, correct typos, etc. have someone else look at it, too) to one or two agents at a time. Some people will tell you that you can only query one agent at a time but this is not necessary. If more than one agent requests your full manuscript and leaps to sign you on, you can make a choice based on who else he or she represents, what theyve sold recently, success track record, fee, etc. (BTW Standard agent fee is 15 percent of earnings and no reputable agent will charge you anything until your book is sold.) All you need is a simple business query letter. State briefly what your book is about, what your credentials are (education, publications, etc.), a personal statement about why youve chosen to query that particular agent, and a polite request for representation. (You might also include the first chapter of your novel, though some books will advise against this. To my mind, thats what will sell your book or not. But like I said, this is not a nuts-and-bolts guide, so do what feels best.) While poor grammar, bad spelling, and typos are all the hallmarks of carelessness and a lack of professionalism and need to be very carefully attended to, dont get bogged down with anything else. Sending your work in colored envelopes to catch attention, fancy binding, and/ or stationery are all totally unnecessary steps. It may catch someones attention but probably not in a good way. Simple, professional, and focused, thats the way to go. The writing is the thing. Your query letter is an introduction and must walk the line between professionalism and enthusiasm. It must be selling but also measured. Crazy lines like, Im so much better than John Grisham or Youre looking at your new bestseller will really hurt you to the point that people might just throw your stuff in the trash. Seriously. 4) Prepare for rejection Look, theres simply no way around. It hurts, every time. Youll feel that crush of disappointment on your heart, every time. But youll need to get over it and FAST if your dream is going to survive. Its possible that the first agent who reads your book, loves it, that the first editor who sees it, loves it and buys it. But more than likely, youll query a couple agents at least before you get signed on. Even when youve found an agent, there may be rejection from publishers until you find one who thinks youre brilliant. Even when youve found a publisher, there might be reviewers who reject your book, or readers who dont like it for whatever reason. Get tough. Your dream has to be made out of cast iron because the publishing industry is one hot kitchen. Imagine where wed be if great dreamers let their ideas get quashed by other peoples opinions. It would be a dark, cold world. 5) Keep writing Just because your manuscript is out there, doesnt mean you should stop writing. Keep at it. Come up with another idea, and get to work on it. Remember, its not about the selling. Its about the craft. Its about being the best writer you can be, every day, without fail. And you cant do that without writing every day without fail. It really is the question I get most often: How do I go about getting published? Everything above is the long answer. The short answer is: Write everyday. Get better every day. Keep getting your work out there in the most professional way possible. And never, ever give up. Its really that simple and that hard. Keep writing and good luck! P.S. These are some of the best books Ive read on the craft. Youll understand more about the business and yourself if you take the time to read them. The Forest For the Trees by Betsy Lerner On Writing by Steven King The Right to Write and The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
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