Have you ever wondered how those authors whose novels reach the New York Times Bestsellers list get there? Do you turn slightly green with envy when you read about an author getting a million-dollar contract for his next book?
You are not alone. Most beginning writers, and those who have begun selling but are eager to move ahead faster than they're doing, are right there with you. They listen, read and learn every chance they get and work hard.
In a study of highly successful people, behavioral scientists have discovered the top people in every profession or career have three traits in common. If you want to evaluate your chance at success as a novelist, check out this list and see how you measure up. Success doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. The strength of these traits you need to achieve success depends on how high you set your goal. You may want to publish one novel to show you can do it. You may want to be a hobby writer, turning out a novel every few years to satisfy your muse and pay for things your current budget doesn't include. You may have your sights set on a fulltime career as a novelist. The higher the goal, the greater supply you need of these assets, and the more skilled you need to be at replenishing them if supplies run low.
Trait #1: Positioning
Those on their way to the top know how to position themselves. They put themselves where they can meet writers and anyone connected to the publishing business. They benefit and learn from those who have already done what they want to do and those in the places they want to reach.
You don't need to pack up and move to New York. You can live wherever you want, but you should start looking for opportunities to meet these people whenever possible. Writers, agents and editors live everywhere. University presses and small publishers exist in every state. Freelance editors work from home offices in urban and rural settings. The Internet can connect you to like-minded people around the world.
You can join a writers' group or start one. Be selective about any group you join. Visit the group or talk with some of the members. A group of all beginners may not be very helpful in the advancement of your career. The ideal group should have selling writers as well as not-yet published ones. You need input from those who know what makes the difference between a rejection and a sale. Experience is the best teacher.
An excellent way to broaden your base of writing friends and contacts is to attend a writers' conference or seminar. They exist on local, regional, national and international levels. Pick one close to home, or register for a distant one as part of your vacation. Most invite editors and agents to attend, and you will have an opportunity to hear and meet them. Even if you aren't ready to present your novel, you can begin building your network of people in publishing. That's positioning.
Trait #2: Style
Your writing is the main factor of your style. Create your own style. Don't try to imitate or copy anyone else's.
The most important beginning place is learning the basic techniques. There are many excellent books and articles on techniques. Read as many as you can find, then study the work of published writers and see how many different ways they use those techniques. Then practice, practice, practice.
Style is as individual as your fingerprint. Style is not only how you write, but how you act and interact with the writing world.
You write alone, but you will need to research information for your novel at times. As you move up the ladder, you will talk to agents and editors in person or on the telephone. Your confidence and attitude are as important as your words. How well you handle the unexpected or disappointments creates an impression that can affect your career.
No editor or agent will turn down an obvious bestseller, but some may say "no thanks" to a manuscript from a writer who has established a reputation as difficult.
You rarely get a chance to start at the top. Too many missteps on the road to it can seriously hinder your progress. Publishing is a small world, and editors know other editors, so stories get around. You don't want a reputation as a difficult writer.
Most horror stories about a writer being blackballed are fiction, but it does happen. I knew a writer years ago who stormed in and yelled at editors when he didn't get his way or like something. His publisher finally turned down a book, thus ending his contract. He went through several publishing houses until one day he lost his temper completely and threatened an editor with violence. He was sent packing, and found himself unable to sell a book to any other house in New York.
How you communicate with others also becomes important when you begin selling and promoting your novel. You may encounter argumentative or rude people at book signings or other events. Since participating in promotion and marketing is part of a writer's success, you must deal with all types.
Never forget publishing is a business. Your value to a publisher is directly related to how well your book sells, and you are part of the selling team.
Trait #3: Persistence
The third trait is persistence.
Some years ago, the keynote speaker at a writers' conference looked out at the hopefuls waiting to learn the secret of success. He smiled conspiratorially and said he knew the secret and was going to tell them exactly how to do it.
The secret?
You have to be too stubborn to admit how hard it is and just keep trying. If it were easy, novels would occupy a lot more than the 20% of shelf space of bookstores they do today. The Internet has made it seem easy to the unwary would-be writer, but the only way to reach your goal as a published novelist is to go through the hard work of writing the book one page at a time.
The good news is the more skilled you become using basic techniques, the easier and faster it is to write your book. How fast you become at writing isn't what counts. How well you do it is more important by far.
Do you have the persistence to stick to it until your book is finished? You'll have good days and bad ones, but as in any other job you need to show up and put in your time.
Do you have the persistence to face the disappointment of rejections? After 17 rejections, Margaret Mitchell put "Gone With The Wind" away forever until a friend convinced her to send it out one more time.
Do you have the persistence to make and stick to a schedule for your writing time? John Creasey wrote 20 pages a day. Graham Greene wrote 500 words a day. Both finished their novels by the deadlines they had set for themselves. Persistence pays!
Scoreboard
How do you measure up? If any or all of these traits are not as strong as they should be, it's time to strengthen them.
Join that group. Attend a writers' conference or seminar. Look for opportunities to talk to writers and others in publishing. Read professional newsletters to stay abreast of the industry.
Do you study your chosen subgenre so you know what readers want and expect? Are you constantly striving to improve your techniques and style? Is your self-confidence improving? You can join Toastmasters or volunteer with a group where you'll be a team member to improve your communication skills.
Build your persistence by setting a scheduled time to write every day. Stick to it! Set a goal for the completion of your novel. Divide the total time by the number of months, weeks and working days it gives you. Is the final count realistic based on your record so far? It's better to start within your comfort zone and increase the amount gradually as your comfort zone widens. Pushing too hard too fast is counterproductive and can set you back or discourage you into giving up.
If you reach an impasse, get help from an experienced writing coach or other professional. Never let yourself stay stuck for more than a day or so. Writer's block is like poured cement. The longer you're in it, the harder it is to pull out.
Writers should add a final trait to the success list. When your novel is finished, professionalism in how you present it is the key to making the other three traits pay off.
Research the publishers you send your manuscript to. Write a query letter that convinces the editor to read your book. Learn as much as you can about the publishing process so you know what comes next after your book sells.
Start on the way to becoming a highly successful writer today!
Copyright 2007
Marilyn Henderson chose writing as a second career so she could work from home. She had no idea how hard it was to make that bfirst sale then keep selling. Thanks to her mentor, she soon learned the difference between writing a novel she hoped would sell and what agents and editors really want. Now after more than 60 novels published, she mentors writers and critiques manuscripts for those who want to build careers or make those first sales. www.MysteryMentor.com
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