Your Passion For Writing Does Not Sell Books

I remember a colleague of mine at a college had a comment in his syllabus that was fantastic. It essentially said the amount of time you put into a writing assignment or whether or not he liked you was not an element in the grading process. So true.

And yet, time and time again, students would come to us telling us of how hard they worked or how much they loved their assignment and that should count for something when it came to the grading.

Nope, not happening.

Writers tend to do the same thing. A week does not go by when we don't receive a submission that goes on and on about the passion of the writing. They tell us emphatically of the time they spent on the project, of the blood sweat and tears in that novel, or of the enthusiasm they have about their writing and career. This is all great to hear, but in the end, that passion is not going to sell the book.

It is about the product!

Now, please do not get me wrong. We want authors who are passionate about their careers. We want you to love what you do. But, we also want quality writing. We need the quality writing. Your readers expect great writing. When they pick up your book and start reading, they will see that passion. I promise you! But they don't really care, in the end, that you cried when you wrote that scene in chapter 7.

As you write your query letters and think of your pitches, remember to focus on the writing. Focus on the craft. Focus on the novel. That is what sells!

Knowing and Using Your Resources

I heard a great quote yesterday that I truly believe says a lot, especially for people in publishing. I had on in the background SHARK TANK and there were two people there pitching their product. One of them referenced something she learned while working at Goldman Sachs.

You are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to know who to go to.

This says a lot!

I talk a lot here on the blog about writers needing to become educated. Too many are just jumping into the business and wondering what that success they dreamed of is turning into one failure after another. These writers struggle with composing a quality story. They struggle with knowing who to send their projects to. They struggle knowing how the whole process works. The list goes on and on. It all stems from a lack of education.

This quote, I do believe really captures what I have been trying to say. I never once believe that we can know everything. The publishing industry is constantly changing and evolving and even those editors and agents who have been in the business for a long time know that there is always a learning curve.

The second part of this thought is also important. If we don't know something, we should find a solution. We need to go to someone to get that information. It is this point that so many authors screw up. If you go to someone who is not an expert, who does not fully know and understand that concept, you will head down the wrong path.

Too many authors just do a quick internet search, find something and think they have the answer. Too many authors just sign up for some random workshop, follow a blog, or listen to a podcast from someone who claims to be an expert, and then continue to fail.

The statement implies that you know the "RIGHT" person to go to.

Always make sure that the resource you are going to is:

• Up-to-date
• Truly knows the right answer
• Truly is educated in that field

If we don't do this, it becomes an issue of the blind leading the blind!

Writing Series Romance Is Not That Easy

There are a lot of people who seem to have it in their heads that writing series romance is a lot easier than writing single title romance. This same argument often extends to series romance being "a training ground" for authors before they become serious single title authors. Unfortunately, this is far from the case.

Most of these misconceptions come from the belief that since the stories are shorter as well as scripted (sort of) by the line's requirements and characteristics, this writing becomes nothing more than a formula. It is important to understand that it is just these supposed misconceptions that make this writing a lot harder.

Let's start with the page count. Because these stories are shorter does not mean that the story line, plot development and character depth is lacking. It simply means that these authors have to really maximize their word economy and truly develop that plot in an effective and efficient way. Give me an additional 30,000+ words and I can easily weave in a lot of that depth. Try that in a smaller space and still make the story believable... try it and you will see what I mean.

Now, let's talk about those series characteristics. Just because a series has specific guidelines DOES NOT mean all of the stories are the same. It means that now, you have to work within those parameters, find unique twists and turns, AND keep your own voice.

Again, single title authors, and more specifically, authors who just write "general fiction" can pretty much get away with anything.

I liken this idea to those cooking shows where chefs are given a specific group of food items as well as a required theme. Not as easy as you think.

So, before you go out and slam those series writers, try it for once. You may seriously change your attitude about this great group of authors,.

To Self Publish Or Not? That is the question...

I will be very honest. On the surface, self-publishing your writing seems like the easiest and quickest way to get published. Taking this approach avoids having to navigate the traditional publishing route of finding an agent, finding the right publisher, query letters, submission packages and so forth. It also eliminates all of those rejection letters we all hate.

But, before you decide to jump into this, it is VERY important to consider a lot of variables.

This is something we discuss with my authors here at Greyhaus when they want to work in both self-publishing and traditional publishing.

First of all, how much do you know of the business? Self-publishing is just like opening up your own store or business. I often think of those people you see on Robert Irvine's RESTAURANT IMPOSSIBLE. You know the people! These are the failing restaurants when you find out that person running the business has never worked in the food industry. And they wonder why they are failing.

The same goes for those of you diving into self-publishing. You have to know everything from contacts, to ISBN numbers, to marketing, to distribution, copy editing, line editing, art design and so forth. This is a lot to know. If you are missing these skills, this might not be the direction to take.

Secondly, how much time do you have. Remember, self-publishing means you are now in charge of everything. Make sure you know where that time is going to come from! Again, this goes back to you knowing how to do all of this work. It will take a lot of time.

Next, this is going to cost money. Yes, you might be getting all of the profits of your book and not having to share those profits with the publishers or agents, but all of those things they provided as a part of your contract are now 100% on your shoulders now. You pay for the copy editors. You pay for the art work. You pay for distribution. You pay for marketing. Until you start making money, you will likely be working with a negative budget for a while.

Look, I know there are a lot of cases when self-publishing is the right direction for an author. But for those of you just looking for a quick path to publishing, PLEASE take the time to think though all of the variables before you make that leap.