If I could sit down with you and share suggestions on how you can get published, here is what I'd say
Answering the question “What can I write?” is a first step. Write what you know is the answer. I began with short person experience stories like “Unlikely Places” about the Christmas we spent in the hospital with our four-year-old son (my first sale—$60!)—which was sold to a small denominational magazine. I also wrote out of what I knew from being a teacher: how parents can help their kids succeed in school. See sidebar on “Deciding What to Write” for more information on this.
Finding Time to Write
We all waste a lot of time waiting. Studies show the average person spends one year looking for misplaced objects, six years eating, eight months opening junk mail, two years trying to return telephone calls to people who aren’t in. I hear lots of people say, “I’ll write someday when I have the time.” That time never seems to be handed on a silver platter but here are some ways to find time to write in the midst of a busy life:
- Write in the car or on the airplane on trips. I wrote half of my third book in the car coming back from Colorado with the kids in the back seat.
- Write while waiting at the doctor’s office or your kids’ Tai Kwan Do classes.
- Get up 10 minutes earlier and write before the day rushes in (or stay up 10 minutes later to write when the family’s asleep).
- Stop at a coffee shop or library on your way home from work and write for 10 minutes.
- If you have young children, write when they are taking afternoon naps. Or if they go to school, write for 10 minutes before you start your housework and errands.
- If you work in an office, take one or two days a week (and a brown bag) and write during your lunch hour.
If you’ve done a lot of camping, crafts, homeschooling, you could write how-to articles. Travel articles, children’s books, science fiction, inspirational stories, poems—whatever your interests, you can write about them. Study copies of the magazine (or books if it’s a publishing company) you want to write for and analyze the format of similar writing before you start.
It also helps to start an “Idea” file on subjects you are interested in, and clip articles or research to put in your file as you discover them in newspapers, conversations, magazines or books. I call this “research on the go” for busy writers, and it can save much time when get ready to write your article or book.
Keep a Journal. Years ago a published author I met told me the best thing I could do to improve my writing ability was to write regularly, even five to ten minutes a day, in a journal. Write down stories, ideas, prayers, descriptions, dialogue, quotes, reviews of books you’ve read, dreams, goals, and poems in your journal. In doing so, you’re building a rich resource for your writing. The journal is a place to catch ideas, for like butterflies, if you don’t catch and record them, they most likely fly away and are forgotten.
Attend a writer’s conference and/or course. There are conferences for writers in all areas of the country, and there’s nothing that puts spark in your writing and ideas in your mind than attending one, plus you learn from real writers how to write query letters and book proposals (so you can get your articles and books published), how to improve your writing skills, and much more. An added benefit is you get to meet other writers, editors, and publishers.
Local community colleges and universities may offer excellent freelance writing courses in fiction or non-fiction in their continuing ed programs and sometimes libraries offer writers’ courses. You can also take writing classes online, and there are good magazines for writers such as The Writer or Writer’s Digest. What’s important is to learn the craft of writing, hone your skills, learn how to market your writing, i.e., get it to editors in the right format, and persevere.
Gather a small group of writers for reading, critiquing, and support. There’s nothing like a critique group where you can read your manuscript-in-progress and get feedback. The first year I was writing my first book, I was part of a weekly critique group that met with an experienced, published magazine writer. We each read aloud our current story or chapter (plus brought copies for everyone to read along with), received input and ideas for changes to make and markets to send our writing, and gained great moral support and encouragement. Every one of that original group of women found her niche in the market and is still actively publishing.
Deciding What to Write
- Identify your main area of writing interest (novel, magazine articles, short stories, kids’ books, etc.)
- Identify your main topic areas:
- Identify your main target audience:
- List several subjects you have expertise, special interest in, or a passion about that you could write on:
- List your experience—of life, with God, with problems you have faced and overcome. Some of your best writing can come out of this life experience.
Lastly, think about rejection as “redirection.” Instead of being devastated by discouragement when you get rejection slips from editors, think about it as “redirection.” A sale of your article, story or book just means you’ve gotten your manuscript to the right editor and publication at the right time, and your content matches their editorial needs. A rejection letter means you haven’t. Think about: what do you need to do to this manuscript to improve it or get it ready for sending back out? Where are the best places to send it? If you have something to say, persevere and don’t give up. But be patient. Louis L’Amour once said the publishing experience involves a ten-year apprenticeship. Maybe it won’t take you that long, but learn all you can along the way.
Happy writing and God bless!
