The Top Five Things I’ve Learned as an Author       

 

Patience: The publishing industry often seems to move at a snail’s pace, so if you don’t have
patience you will go mad. It takes time for agents, editors, or publishers to go through the mountains of slush they receive on a daily basis. Because of this, an author needs to learn to play the waiting game without becoming discouraged.

 

There Are No Short Cuts: There are no short cuts when it comes to the publishing industry, at least not if you want a quality book. Whether you publish traditionally, self-publish, or go the hybrid route, you cannot skip important steps like having a professional editor read through your work. You also cannot have the “Field Of Dreams” mentality. Just because you write it, does not mean the fans will come.  It takes a lot of hard work to build a fan base, a platform, or a brand.

 

It’s Up To You: And speaking of hard work and brand building, it is up to you. It is not your
publisher’s job to promote you and your book. They may offer assistance, but not necessarily. By definition, a publisher is a person or company that prepares and issues books, journals, music, or other works for sale. They are not your public relations department. They are not your salesman. They are not your go-to-guy.

 

You Will Make Mistakes: You will make mistakes along the way and that’s okay. Anyone who takes the time to try new things, anyone who takes the time to be creative, or anyone who takes the time to interact with others is bound to make mistakes. I have sent an agent a request and typed Mr. instead of Mrs., as well as having asked a fellow literary blogger if he would link to my page because I needed more traffic. Definite faux pas, but mistakes I learned from and did not repeat.

 

Persistence: Establishing yourself takes time as mentioned in point one, but it also takes persistence.
You have to stick with your writing, your marketing, your social networking, your pursuit of an agent or publisher, your pursuit of excellence, or any other numerous tasks related to being an author. You cannot give up just because the journey is long and difficult. You have to believe in yourself and your writing and know that eventually, all the waiting, the hard work, the brand building, and the learning from your mistakes will pay off.

Never Give Up

We have all heard the phrase "Never Give Up" at some point in our lives. And while this may seem like a simple enough concept to practise, it is much more elusive than one might think. Never giving up requires thought, hard work, determination, and did I mention hard work? Oddly enough, patience (not one of my better virtues) seems to go hand in hand with not giving up.

As a writer, persistence and patience are necessities if you want to get published. Just imagine what would have happened if I had thrown in the towel after my first thirty six rejections. That's right, absolutely nothing. But instead of giving up and giving in, I sent my manuscript to one more publisher who happened to see the same possibilities in my work that I did. The very publisher who I am now in contract with and who has opened the doors of yet unknown possibilities to me.

These are the qualities that my husband and I strive to teach our young daughter as well. And whom I might add practises them infinitely better at the tender age of five then does her mother who is over forty. For example, when she was only three she wanted to be able to snap her fingers more than anything else in the world. So we showed her how and told her that the only way to get good at something was to practise and never give up. It was amusing to watch her try over and over again for months until she finally mastered the art. It was not nearly as amusing when she finally learned how and snapped all day and all night. I know you are laughing now, but that much snapping can get on the nerves of even the most patient of saints which you have already learned I am not!

She applied these same lessons when it came to blowing bubbles with her gum, another of her heart's desires, and when it came to whistling. There were times when she got discouraged and wanted to give up. But we would always remind her don't give up you are almost there. As I watch h er learn and grow and practise the things I teach her, I too am encouraged to continue practising what I preach. I am also encouraged to know that the lessons she learns now will stay with her into adulthood and will serve her well. What more could a parent ask for? Signing of for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!