Guest Post by Heather Frost, author of the Seers Trilogy
A love of reading led me to a love of writing. That’s how it
is for many authors, I suppose. I can’t pinpoint an exact moment in my life
where I said to myself, “Self, become an author!” Writing became such an
integral part of me that becoming an author was the only choice that made
sense. Becoming a published author, however, took a lot more time, research,
and determination.
I was twelve when I finished my first novel, and though I
daydreamed about seeing my book on a library shelf, I wasn’t seriously
considering publication at that time. Writing was a hobby—ok, a lifestyle—but it wasn’t a viable career
choice, and I definitely wasn’t “good enough”. When I was fourteen and I’d
finished my fourth novel, (and started on my sixth, seventh, and eighth,) I can
clearly remember sitting down at the family computer and turning to Google for
sage advice on publishing. I quickly became so daunted by what I was learning,
I decided to rethink my growing ambition to get a book published. At eighteen,
I’d finished thirteen novels, and decided I owed it to myself—and my
characters—to try.
I researched, and researched, and researched publishing
methods, and I revised, and revised, and revised my fantasy novel, and
eventually I send out a manuscript for the first time. This was in 2009. I
waited—expecting the worst but hoping for the best. And I waited, and kept
writing. I started college. And I waited some more, still writing.
Eventually, I received a slim envelope in the mail, which
held my first rejection letter. I still have that letter in a sheet protector
in my desk, and I keep it proudly. Why proudly? #1-Even the cool authors get
them. #2-It was tangible proof that I tried, despite my fears. And #3-I didn’t let
that one rejection crush me. I went on to get other rejection letters, until
eventually—in 2010—one of my novels was accepted.
Many people have asked me how to get published. I break it
down into 5 steps:
1-Finish
your book. You can’t get published if you don’t have a manuscript.
2-Revise
your book. This is one of those “and repeat” deals. Just remember, Writing is
Revising—you’ll always find something to tweak. The trick is learning when to
call a manuscript “done”. The good news in, you can start on step 3 while still
working on step 2.
3-While
you’re in the revising stage, research the many publishing methods and houses,
and decide what will work best for you and your goals as an author. (Three
popular methods are: seeking an agent; approaching a publishing house on your
own; or self-publication.) Research is the key!
4-Send
your book out. It can be painful, but no publisher will ever come knocking at
your door, curious if you’ve got a potential best-seller stashed in the corner
of your bedroom. If you want your book to get “out there”, you have to send it
“out there.”
5-Don’t
let rejection stop you. Rejection letters are to be expected. Decide to view
them as a success—that you’ve taken steps many timid writers never have—and
then go find a few more publishers to pester.
And remember, determination and persistence—these are the
things that transform an aspiring author into a published author. Publication
isn’t easy, but it’s possible as long as you keep trying. The popular saying
goes, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” I’d like to revise that to
read, “You publish 0% of the novels you never send out.”
Author Website: http://www.heatherfrost.com/
Link to the prologue of “Seers”:
http://www.heatherfrost.com/seers.html
Link to the prologue of
“Demons”: http://heatherfrost.com/demons.html
Official Facebook Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seers-The-Official-Fan-Page/158893460846605
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/HeatherFrost
Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4983261.Heather_Frost
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