It's Not About The Tricks In Publishing

I did a search yesterday for online discussions going on among authors. Over and over again, I saw writers discussing new techniques for marketing, new ideas to include in a synopsis or a new cool thing to try with their writing. This is already combined with the ongoing discussions of rumors of new lines, things editors say and so forth. Although these are important things to consider, these authors are again missing the most important thing.

They are not learning how to write.

I do think that this is just the nature of our current population? We seem to always be looking for the short cut to anything we do. Our students in school are only focused on earning points and getting a passing grade, and not focusing in on learning material. Teachers too focus only on "passing" those standardized tests, and not focusing in on the learning.

In writing, authors need to make learning to write a priority. You can have a great story idea, but if you cannot execute the story with quality writing, this is going to be an epic failure for you and that great idea.

To learn how to write does not mean that you attend some great workshop by a presenter that is "great to listen to." It requires studying successful writers, analyzing writing, both your writing and that of other authors to determine why things work and don't work in stories. In essence, think about what you did when you were in those literature classes in high school and college. YOU STUDIED LITERATURE! You did not look at how Shakespeare marketed Romeo and Juliet. You did not study how Poe added certain literary devices that would make the story marketable. You studied the writing.

If you want to know why authors today are receiving less offers of representation and more rejections, or why we see the same authors on the book shelves and no new authors, I would argue it is because the writers are just not that strong. I wish there were. I don't know how many times I read a great proposal or query thinking I have found something great, only to find that the writing is far from quality.

Please, take the time to learn the craft.