| You've written a novel? Sure, you want to get it | | | | your nerve endings near the surface. On the other |
| published. That's easy, if you're a robot. On the other | | | | hand, in order to get your book into print, you need the |
| hand, if you're a human being with genuine feelings, | | | | thick skin of an elephant and the blinkered vision of a |
| then you're going to stumble, fall, and eventually be | | | | hobbled horse. An interesting combination, and darn |
| totally defeated by the humiliation of rejection that | | | | difficult to find. |
| seems to be the norm being handed out by Traditional | | | | Aha, you say. That's why the publishing industry |
| Publishers. That's enough. If you want another way, try | | | | invented agents. These days, The Agent is the perfect |
| Internet Publishing. It works. | | | | foil, the line of defence between publisher and |
| Everybody knows what the dream looks like. First, you | | | | published. It's perfect - for publishers. They don't have |
| write a book. Next, you send it off to a nationally | | | | to talk to aspiring authors much anymore. They can |
| known publisher. Finally, you are rewarded with a | | | | rely on agents filtering out the bad stuff, (as they see |
| contract for an enormous amount of money, you are | | | | it), so that they only get to open the goodies, the |
| interviewed on television, recognised in the street, and | | | | sure-fire winners. For the writer, however, it's no |
| feted wherever you go. It's all wonderful. | | | | improvement at all. There's still a person they have to |
| Ah, but I missed a bit out. At Stage Two - sending | | | | write a letter to; submit their proposal to; send their |
| books off to publishers - there's the small matter of | | | | manuscript to; and - yes, you guessed it - a person |
| waiting a few years and wasting a fortune on | | | | they get all the rejection letters from. Yes, back at the |
| postage. There's a series of rejections that you have | | | | writing desk, from that limited perspective, things |
| to receive before you finally, eventually, inevitably, hit | | | | haven't become better at all. Getting published is still a |
| that 'jackpot'. That's usual. It happened to J K Rowling, | | | | bitch. Sometimes, maybe even a lot of times, it doesn't |
| why shouldn't it happen to you too? Yes, just as Tom | | | | even happen at all. |
| Cruise is the only famous actor in the world who | | | | No wonder that today's authors are turning to the |
| actually passed his first audition, the rocky road to | | | | internet. This is a place where you can find an on-line |
| getting your book published includes the ritual humiliation | | | | publisher; sign up with a print-on-demand service; and |
| of being turned down, time after time, over and over | | | | get your book out and ready to read. What's the |
| again, crushingly and repeatedly. Most of the 'names' in | | | | reward? Good feelings. When you get that envelope |
| the world of writing have had to put up with that stuff, | | | | delivered to your door and rip it open to find it's a real, |
| so why not you? In fact, most 'established' authors | | | | live novel - with your name on it - there's no better |
| probably think it's good for you. Why not? Just as | | | | feeling in the world. It's a sense of achievement; a |
| experienced doctors think it's Okay for Junior Doctors | | | | feeling of triumph; something about justification; and |
| to work unholy hours and wear themselves out doing | | | | suddenly all those long dark nights wrestling with words |
| night shifts during their first tours of responsibility, so | | | | on a page seem worthwhile. |
| authors and publishers seem to agree that the hurdles | | | | Better than that, and maybe best of all, is a euphoria |
| that pre-publishing throws up are somehow there to | | | | which says, 'I've seen the future. I know what it's like to |
| stiffen the sinews and make for a better person. Yes, | | | | be a writer'. When you've got that warmth in your |
| well, that's their excuse, trying to explain a nonsensical | | | | heart, it's a lot easier - a real lot easier - to take the |
| system that actually wastes talent and strangles | | | | icicles of rejection. Which is what you're still going to |
| initiative. | | | | get. Don't fool yourself, the vast majority of people |
| It might work too, but for one thing. Writers have | | | | who write books never live to see a single dime fall |
| feelings. Hmm, hard to believe, I know, but a necessary | | | | into their hands. The publishing industry lives with that |
| and powerful qualification for being able to write stuff | | | | ugly thought, but survives on the hopes of a million |
| about people is knowing something about them - and | | | | optimists. Fine, let's try and live with that, as authors, |
| the way they tick. I think it's called 'empathy'. It means | | | | (and let Traditional Publishers try and live with it too, |
| having a line into the human heart. Basically, it means | | | | and get to sleep at night,) but why not make the |
| authors can sometimes be downright sensitive. Good | | | | journey a little easier to bear? Go to the internet first. |
| qualification for knocking out that book, but disaster for | | | | That's where you can find a publishing deal - easily. Not |
| trying to get published. Now there's a dilemma. In order | | | | with a million dollar price tag attached, of course, but |
| to concoct a story that might actually be believable, | | | | you get the same simple feeling of success, and yes, |
| you have to be a little bit open, perhaps even fragile, | | | | it's still the greatest feeling in the world. |