I've only been writing since 1993, but—from attending writing conferences and talking to writers more experienced than I am—I've learned a few things that might help those just beginning to seek publication:

Beware of scams. Don't get taken in by those who prey on new writers.

Beware of unscrupulous editors or agents. Anyone can call himself or herself an editor or agent. There are no licensing requirements (no licenses!) or minimum standards to become an editor. Some "editors" charge big money for very little work; some "agents" charge fees to read your manuscript or to submit it to editors.

A professional editor should be incorporated as a business or employed by an incorporated business. If the editor doesn't have an actual "business," be wary. Also be wary of editors who don't want to meet you, whose only address is a post office box, and/or who don't give you a phone number. An author and editor should establish a good working relationship. They should meet or at least speak on the phone to discuss the work before moving to e-mail edits.

A competent editor will most likely have a degree in English or journalism; a strong grasp of grammar, syntax, and punctuation; a background in/knowledge of literature; successful commercial publication experience; experience in a major publishing house; and a working familiarity with APA, MLA, Chicago styles. Check the Editorial Freelancers Association for a list of editors and their specialties.

If you're seeking an agent, remember to check his or her credentials. An agent should never ask you for money up-front. Agents make their money from commissions, not fees. An agent shouldn't put your synopsis on a display web site for a publisher to find and should be able to tell you what books he/she has sold to which publishers. An agent should be a member of the Association of Author Representatives (AAR).

The "Writer Beware" site, "Preditors and Editors" site, Absolute Write's "Bewares & Background Checks" Forum, and Writers Weekly "Whispers and Warnings" provide information about some of the worst offenders.

Attend Writers' Conferences.

In Virginia, the best one is the James River Festival Conference, sponsored by the James River Writers. It's held each October in Richmond. Click the pencil to go to the JRWF site:

Join a helpful writers' group--or start one.

You want a group where you can get honest and knowledgeable feedback on your work, not polite applause and "thank-you-for-sharing-that" responses. Avoid groups that are heavy on bureacracy and committee assignments.

A helpful writers' group should provide the following:
(1) Critiques of work-in-progress.
(2) Suggestions for possible sources for publication.
(3) Warnings of publishers, agents, contests, etc. to avoid.
(4) News of good contests, book stores that take self-published books, etc.
(5) Strategies on how to do things better: write better sentences/paragraphs/etc., market books to local audiences, learn new computer programs, etc.
(6) Guest speakers who are experts in their fields.
(7) Special programs (in addition to regular meetings) geared to particular topics.
(8) A few like-minded people who will meet outside regular meeting times to give more in-depth critiques or work on special projects.
(9) A group with a focus--preferably a focus to improve writing for publication.

Lake Writers, the literary branch of the Smith Mountain Arts Council, is a group that meets the above criteria. Most of the Lake Writers are retirees who want to become better writers. Several--including myself--have published books since joining the group. The picture below, taken in 2003, was used to illustrate "Lake Writers Provide Setting for Wordsmiths," a story that Sue Coryell (second from left in back row) wrote for Prime Living magazine.

Lake Writers picture taken in 2003 by Sue Coryell.

Find an editor or learn to self-edit.

Check the Association of Freelance Editors for editors near you--or editors who edit the type of work you write. Read books about editing. Get some members of your writers' group to be Beta readers for your work.

What I am is a "literary midwife."

I help writers get their books ready for publication. They carry their ideas around for a while, and I help them deliver. I read manuscripts for clarity, content, grammar, sentence structure, etc.

I work mostly with members of my writing groups. Because I consider it unethical to charge for a fellow writers' group member, we usually exchange goods & services--sort of like the old-timey midwives used to do.

One fellow writer that I am helping is Karen Wrigley, animal communicator, who is in the process of writing Beyond Woofs and Whinnies, a book about messages that animals have for humans. Click the picture to access Karen's web site.
I helped Ruth Mitchell, physical therapist and equine myofascial release specialist, with her book Facilitated healing Healing through Myofascial Release: Putting the Pieces together for Horse and Rider. Her book is available through her Equine Therapeutic Center web site. Click the book cover to access it.

Get your work "out there."

Submit work to local publications. This will get you some writing experience. You'll get feedback from the editors of those publications, "clips" and a readership. After you've had some local success, submit to regional and national publications. At first you might have to write for low pay or no pay; after you've gained some experience, you should expect to be paid.

Another way to build a readership is to blog. True, you won't get paid to blog, but it shouldn't cost you much (if anything) either. Blog about things that interest you—things you know something about. Eventually, you'll develop a readership.

Enter legitimate writing contests.

If your work doesn't win, try to figure out why and rewrite. Keep rewriting until you're in the money. After you've run your work through a contest, you might sell it for publication. That way, you'll make money twice for the same piece of work.

Self-Publishing: One Option for a New Writer

Many new authors think that publishing a book is easy. It isn't. Big publishing houses don't welcome submissions from unagented unknowns. Unscrupulous subsidy publishers welcome new authors with open arms--as long as they have open check-books. Having an agent as well a having a sell-able book is necessary to gain access to the major publishers.

One option for a new writer is self-publishing. While some may disparage it as "vanity," self publishing can work for certain limited circumstances. The book should fit a niche: poetry, locally-set fiction, or specialty non-fiction that wouldn't appeal to a wide audience. Any writer considering self-publishing should already have an established readership, should have the time and skills to promote his/her own book, and should have a few thousand dollars to invest for printing and other expenses.

Self-publishing is easier than you might think. You can completely self-publish (buy your ISBN numbers, find your own printer, etc.) or, thanks to modern technology, you can print-on-demand.

My first book, Patches on the Same Quilt, was completely self-published. Smith Mountain Arts Council generously subsidized a third of the printing costs for my first thousand. After I'd sold those, I had enough money for a really nice computer and another press run. I'm currently mid-way through selling my second thousand (and I've made back the cost of the second press run). A fellow writer, Rodney Franklin, gave me one of his ISBNs, so I didn't have to buy any (they're sold in sets of 10). I shopped around for printers and found one I whose work I liked and could afford (Commonwealth in Radford, VA).

Many POD companies exist; most demand only a modest set-up fee ($500 or less). However, read the POD contract closely. You want to retain all your rights and you want your books to be reasonably priced. One POD, for example, doesn't charge a fee and actually pays its authors a dollar, but puts high prices on books and takes the writer's rights for seven years.

POD is not for everyone. POD works best for a niche market that would not interest a commercial publisher. Books with strong local interest are suitable for POD if the author has already established a readership and if the author expects to sell at least 200--but probably less than 1,000--books.

An author who goes the POD route needs to realize that many bookstores will not stock POD books because most POD publishers do not take returns. However, books are usually available from on-line book-sellers. Like a self-published author, a POD author must do all of his/her own promotion.

My last four books, Peevish Advice, The Girl Who Raced Mules & Other Stories, Where There's A Will, and More Peevish Advice were done by the POD publisher, Infinity Publishing. I'd met John Harnish, the author's rep, at The Mid-Atlantic Writers' Conference in 2001 and I liked the quality of the books he had with him. Infinity has been easy to work with, they do what they say they will do, and they ship books very fast. Because they accept returns and they price their books priced lower than most other PODs, I've been able to get a few stores to order directly from them. All four of these books wouldn't appeal to a wide audience, so they were good candidates for POD.

I've made my money back from my POD books. Having my books on the Infinity site as well as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com is a plus, as is Infinity's reasonable prices for its books and its return policy. They're very fast at filling orders, give authors a good discount, and send out a monthly royalty statement.

If I were 25 years younger—or if I wrote blockbuster novels—I would seek an agent and try to interest a major publishing house in my work. However, my POD books and my self-published novel are niche books. They probably wouldn't interest a major publishing house.

I'm also fortunate to live in a region (Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia) with many avid readers and book-buyers. I usually sell my books when I do readings, but they are also available from a few bookstores and gift shops in my area. Several area bookclubs have studied Patches on the Same Quilt, and I have had the opportunity to do numerous readings from all my books. Because I wrote for Blue Ridge Traditions and currently write for the Smith Mountain Eagle, I've built up a considerable readership. Good local support is necessary for the success of a self-published author. I am blessed to have so many local fans.

Beware of POD publishing houses that do not have street addresses, that do not encourage you to tour their facilities, and that are not easy to reach by a toll-free number. Businesses should have a definite location, not just a post office box. If you hire a POD to print your book, you should be able to easily contact the company.

Self-publishing and POD can work, but you have to be prepared for all the work that both methods require. While I might use either method again, I am currently shopping around my latest work that has wider appeal.

Contact Becky Mushko