Here is how I got my start:
Three years ago, I was polishing my manuscript "The Replacement Guitarist" for submission. I had started my next book, which is what all the NY Times best selling authors all told me to do. And in the winter of 2009, I got my first contract. Nine books later (and two more on the way) I don't feel like a veteran writer but apparently I am :) so here's some advice to the newbies getting started.
1. Never stop writing. All of us have received some sort of rejection at some point in our writing careers. Obviously, none of us let it stop us from moving on because now we are published. Don't let anything stop you!
2. Listen to a revise and resubmit letter. If the editor took the time to write all the problems that exist in your manuscript, something either in your writing or in your manuscript hooked him/her. Otherwise, she would have just sent you a rejection letter. (I also said listen, not obey. If you know these suggestions just aren't going to work for you, move on. Don't try to argue.)
3. Network with authors, find out what worked for them but please don't send us your complete manuscript. If I had time for that, I would set up an editing service.
4. Don't take the writing world so seriously. Laugh a little. Have fun around here. Don't start a flame war with a fart torch, okay? I have rubbernecked at too many of these to count them all and the publishing world has the memory of an elephant. They never forget.
5. Like in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: "Be excellent to each other. But most of all...PARTY ON, DUDES!"
Three years later, I hoped that my one time illness would turn into a distant memory but instead it flared again. What I thought would be a complete nuisance (which make no mistake, this disease cramps my style) has instead inspired others around me to push on and keep going. I was really surprised and touched.
Expect the unexpected and dive in!
Now for the contest. (I guess I'm having a contest. No one told me I couldn't.)
Comment on this post to win your choice of any of my books. Leave your address in secret ninja style, like this: lori at loritoland dot com okay? :)
This contest is closed! Thanks for playing!
Events for this weekend:
An article on the things I have learned over the last two years (and believe me I have learned more but I had to stop writing somewhere!)... this can be found here: http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/RJScott.html
Articles written by some of my wonderful author friends that are listed below in an anniversary Blog Hop...
Articles written by some of my wonderful author friends that are listed below in an anniversary Blog Hop...
Competitions on a lot of my fellow author's pages on the Blog Hop... Click here to visit all the blogs
A facebook page pulling together all of their advice to new (and existing) authors... https://www.facebook.com/GlbtqAuthorResource
