Help for Aspiring Authors

i'm sure there are alot of Aspiring authors in indiblogger

Thank you for the encouraging words leon, now if only they would come forward

Hi,

I am from Houghton, Michigan and I am an aspiring author as you put it! I have published but only in a scientific conference. Would love to put out a humorous short story in the next 1-2 years!

Hello then, welcome to the 'gang' anyways nice to see that atleast someone responded! 

You may like following 2 links,

http://www.writerswrite.com/cgi-bin/fictart.pl (Ready all the articles by Alex Keegan)

http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/

I am composing a check list for writers. I will send a link soon.

Thank you Ravi!!!

I'm not an aspiring author, but something similar, i'm a struggling author - in many ways

1. To find time to write something

2. To find some readers for what i write

3. To justify myself why i write all those c*ap

4. To find out something better to do for a hobby

Hi all,

I am getting a lot of mails asking for 'guidance' in getting published. Here is a gist of how I went through the whole thing, based entirely on my experience. (Perhaps another author might have a different way)

This is my first book and I have no knowledge whatsoever of the publishing industry, but I am learning as I am going along. So whatever I know or learnt I am sharing here.

Before approaching publishers, I wanted my writing to have 'credibility'. For this I started writing for a local paper first. Then when I had written a couple of articles for them (and satiated the need to see my name in print) I went on to write for a few national magazines (Including Readers Digest). At that time Times of India too wanted people who could write for them, and I took that up as well. My poetry too got published in a book series. Side by side, I was also working on my book.

By the time my book was complete, I already had a 'name' as my work had appeared in many publications. Therefore when I approached the publishers, it ensured that they at least see my work. I did not go through any literary agent. I don't think in India, one needs a literary agent. Most of the publishing houses have 'guidelines for submission' on their websites. I followed that to a T. Publishing houses receive more than 200 manuscripts a day--so if you want yours to be even looked at, you better adhere to what they specify in their guidelines.

I looked closely as the genre of book available in the market to see where my book would fit in. Then I approached various publishing houses. I was fortunate that mine got selected and subsequently I got published. Now I am working on my second book for which a publisher has already approached me.(Once you get published, then it becomes easier as then you have 'proven' yourself)

The most important thing (according to me) is quality of work and content apart from of course the writing style. Do not copy (that is the worst thing one can do). Be true to yourself and find a voice. Do not give up and keep trying. Like every other art, the more you do it, the better you become at it.

Good luck and wish you the very best.

Preeti Shenoy

thank u preeti soo much for sharing your views!! they were incredibly helpful! can u plz tell me abt how to get around publishing a book on poetry?

Thank you Preeti, your experience is invaluable to this thread!!!

Good one Preeti. I liked the way, you've Xplained.

Well, I'm not actively writing a book right now.. but, its one of my ambitions to write and publish a sci-fi before I die. So can I consider myself an aspiring author anyway??? Or am I trying to push myself into the gang of actual authors...

Of course, you are, even I wish to get a novel published. I have started writing it but compared to how pros/full time writers write, it is next to nothing, in short I am making slow progress.

very useful stuff Preeti

Kudos to all those who have come forward, Please, everybody out there, come out and introduce yourselves

Tell us your story-what kind of work do you wish to write, have you tried writing before, are published in terms of small works and short stories, how did you get them published, have you been rejected, share that too.

Come Right Up!!!

i must congratulate you for bringing up this nice topic! it will be really helpful for all of us!! may be all of us "aspiring authors" must get together to help each other!! wht say arjuna??

Sure Parv that is the very purpose I started this topic to get all of the aspiring authors together and to garner some attention so that we can obtain guidance from people like Preeti!

One thing to be aware of is the recent popularity of the self-publishing concept.  Companies such as lightning source (lightningsource.com) are publish on demand houses which support distribution of the books online on sites like amazon.com.   Thus, authors don't have to be reliant on big publishing houses to pursue their writing goals and can use the long tail strategy to market and offer their offerings to specific niche audiences..

Apurv you have raised a good point-it is also known as vanity publishing. However it's effectiveness and success is questionable!

Here are some points I collated.

http://ravilobo.blogspot.com/

Great Tips Ravi, I think any aspirer should read the tips on your posts before beginning.

Now...does anybody have more info on publishing???

Thank you Arjuna.

Ravi has made some very effective points in his post.The one I cannot agree more is Read ,Read and Read.

I would add that it is important for a writer to get very very real and sensitive to what's happening all around him.Your ideas,characters,emotions will sprout once the field has become fertile enough.

Also,It is important to focus on writing something good and original,publishing and all come much later.Would like to take this opportunity to present my work to all the authors club on indiblogger.You can chekc it out at :

www.aahang.wordpress.com

If you are not happy with the endings please write to Ravi.He has suggested the changes(which I liked and incorporated)

Two books I found very useful for writing are,

1. Bird by Bird  - Anne lamott (http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016)

Don't get mislead by the name. It is the best writing books available in the market.

2. On writing - Stephen King

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Stephen-King/dp/0743455967

This book has King's biography as well as writing instructions. Both are good but the second part is essential. Many don't like Stephen King novels. I don't like them too. However this is a diffrent book. It's very good.

Once again, great tips...will try to get a hand on those books!!!

Now if we could see some new faces on the threads with thier queries, answers, suggestions, experiences or almost anything!!!

Hi Arjun, you can join http://www.youthkiawaaz.com and further your writing skills. Visit http://www.youthkiawaaz.com now!

Here Anshul has reminded me of another issue- does blogging contribute to your writing career or does it give you any initial boost for publishing and stuff???

Hi all,

I just re-read what I wrote. A slight correction: Publishing houses receive more than 200 manuscripts a month, not a day :P  But you get the picture I was trying to convey.

First thing, is to sit down and complete that book. It is easy to think that you will do it. But writing it  all down and actually completing it is a different thing altogether!  Most novels have a word count of about 50,000- 60,000 words.

Believe in your story. Else it will not work.

Avoid cliches. They have been done to death.

No sudden coincidences either. Yes, they happen in real life, but in fiction, it seems incredible :-)

Have your own voice. Do not copy styles.

Write, write, write!

My second book which is a full length fiction will be out in a few months. I followed the above mentioned things while writing it.

Good luck and once you have a manuscript ready start approaching the publishing houses.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Preeti

@preeti.... give me ur first books name....

@preeti.... same question as of mag

Parth, Mag: A simple google search for my name would have led you to it :) All details here:

http://preetishenoy.com/

Ajay: I write about simple incidents in daily life on my blog. But you can write about anything really. Blogging helped in my growth as a writer, as i treated each post as a writing exercise.

I'm no book writer (at least not at present). But I've been blogging for some time now and I too believe that blogging has helped me improve my writing. Each post has certianly been - in Preeti's words - a writing exercise. Hopefully, someday I can also start writing a book.

I havent read your blog yet I'll make sure I do..but ya what u said totally makes sense..cause that the one thing I'm lacking right now..is the discipline that writing needs..thanks a lot for the pointers..

if you dont mind id like to pick your brain about one more thing..have u ever written anything when u dint feel like writing? say because of an unavoidable deadline..or something like that..n did it turn out to be as good as your normal writing?

ohhh google... how can i forget this...

Ajay, Recently I did a blog marathon as a part of NaBloPoMo. You have to write a post every single day for a month. I did that last year as well. The link which explains what it is all about is http://www.nablopomo.com/

I did this last year too.

Yes--they all turned out to be as good as my normal writing as it was notjing but working on a deadline which I am used to (as I used to write for readers digest, TOI and others)

I think to be a good writer one has to write every single day.

There are many sites which help you and motivate you to do this. See

http://www.inkygirl.com/ and click on writing challenges on right side to see if you can do 250,500 or 1000 words a day challenges.

Don't bite off more than you can chew  and stick to your goal.That's all.

Hope this helps.

wow thanks a lot for sharing these links..they are extremely useful...have already read quite a bit on inkygirl..

Im trying to write daily for the website which I work for and include some writing time for my own work as well.. but i get stuck a lot when I"m writing or editing something which is personal ...Im confused whether its writers block or not..coz my work articles and writing are often appreciated..

Anyways..thanks a lot...u helped a great deal..congrats on your book...will try to catch it soon...

Hey Arjuna... contact Renie for all dat....

he wil give u cheat code 4 dat....

Great to see that this thread is picking up momentum once again...

@Deepak Could you tell me what question you are referring to in your answer

Hey...

I am an aspiring author blogging sice 3 years..i write poetry and prose. I too wana get published ...

currently working on my book 'My Infatuation Love Demystified'

Blog:www.shayar4u4ever.blogspot.com (My Infatuation Love Demysdtified)

Hi there, just went through your blog great work! In your blog you have mentioned that you have already penned your book and are searching for a publisher...

Please do share your experience and/or queries regarding your search for a publisher on this thread.

Who knows you may find a potential publisher on this forum itself!!!