So much has changed in the industry since I started writing seriously. I’ve gone from using manual typewriters to laptops. I’ve gone from sending submissions in by snail mail to sending almost everything in by email. (There is still the occasional competition which prefers post but these are as common as the Dodo).
In the joy of creativity, and unless you have decided to write solely for your own pleasure, which is fine, it is easy to forget writing is a business. As with any industry, there are charlatans out there.
It is only when you’ve been writing for a while, when you’ve had setbacks, you realise how much you don’t know. There are things I wish I’d been aware of when I started writing.
For this three part series, I share tips and contributions from writing colleagues. A big thank you to them for taking part in this series. We all hope you find it useful. There will be a brief bio for my colleagues plus links to their Amazon Author Central page and the like. Between us, we represent a very wide range of genres and experience in the industry.
I asked my guests three questions which are:-
1. Which tip over the years has proved most useful to them?
2. What do they know now that, with hindsight, they wished they’d known when they started writing seriously?
3. What do you think a new author should most be wary about?
Allison Symes – Amazon Author Central
I’m going to start by answering the first question and sharing another of my top tips. I’ll answer question two and share another tip next week and finish on the concluding post with my answer to question 3 and my final top tip.
Allison Symes – Question 1 Answer and Top Tip
The tip I’ve found most useful is to always edit on paper and not on screen. You miss things on screen. (As a kind of 1a to this one, always allow yourself enough time to edit. You can’t rush it).
Top Tip
Never be afraid to ask. The principle if anything seems too good to be true it is is one you should take seriously. It is just as true for the publishing industry as it is for anywhere else. Never be afraid to ask awkward questions or to walk away from something you’re not certain about. The latter is far better than being stung for thousands by a vanity publisher who will give you very little for what you pay. And that’s just to name one “sting”. I walked away from a vanity contract. I am now published traditionally but know many authors who self publish to a very high standard and who retain control over what they do.
Guest Writers
My guests come from Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, Bridge House Publishing, the Association of Christian Writers, Cafelit, Chapeltown Books, Authors Reach, the world of self publishing, and, of course, there is great representation from our local writers too.
Genres represented include YA fantasy, flash fiction, crime, children’s writing, paranormal/ghost stories, romantic fiction, short story specialists, horror, and non-fiction.
This week’s post features local writers or authors who work with Authors Reach, which local YA writer Richard Hardie founded.
You will spot common themes emerging in the tips shared by my guests. There’s a reason for that! The advice they give is very good.
Richard Hardie – Amazon Central link
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts here, Richard, and good luck with the audio version of Leap of Faith. Audio is becoming increasing popular and understandably so. I’ve listened to many a good story including Richard’s. (Neither do I care I am far from being a Young Adult so there!).
1. Which tip over the years has proved most useful to you?
There have been so many, such as the tip from Terry Pratchett to keep my day job! He was serious, but for the nicest of reasons. He kept his day job until he’d had his fourth best seller.
However my first agent told me once to put the letters GOWTS on a piece of paper and stick it on the keyboard. It stands for Get On With The Story and it’s the best tip any author can have!
2. What do you know now that, with hindsight, you wished you’d known when you started writing seriously?
That what interests me won’t necessarily interest a reader.
However the main thing I know now is I’m not getting any younger and I should have started writing many years earlier.
3. What do you think a new author should most be wary about?
Not necessarily in any order…
a) Beware of false encouragement.
b) Don’t get put off by over-harsh criticism. Some people always look for potential bad things, without being constructive.
c) Beware of Vanity Press publishers. They charge a fortune and do nothing for you.
Allison: As well as getting on with the story, I’ve got to share my favourite P.G. Wodehouse quote here. His maxim for writing was to “apply the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair”. That tip will always be relevant!
Brenda H Sedgwick – Amazon links for her books can be found here
Brenda is the author of two books set in Hampshire but with connections to France – Marriage, A Journey, and A Dog and The Trinket Wife
1. Which tip over the years has proved most useful to you?
Make friends with other writers. They will be honest with you if you have made mistakes and keep you going when want to give up.
2. What do you know now that, with hindsight, you wished you’d known when you started writing seriously?
I wish I had known how much time and effort publishing and marketing takes. Understanding the energy and commitment this takes, and also the cost, is a big learning curve.
3. What do you think a new author should most be wary about?
Beware of all the writing sites that want your money. You can learn a lot from books and on the internet for free. You can also learn a lot from chatting with other writers. I’ve never known a fellow writer not willing to encourage someone starting out. Do your research before parting with cash for courses or for advertising and stay within a set budget.
Francesca Tyer – Amazon Author Central
Francesca Tyer is an Authors Reach writer and has taken part in book signings in the area with Richard Hardie. Her first novel, The Firestone was published in February 2020.
1. Which tip over the years has proved most useful to you?
To not look back over a draft until it’s finished, especially the first draft. When I started writing my first novel, I would continually look back over what I’d written the day before. Inevitably, I wouldn’t be satisfied and would make many edits or even start again. This got me nowhere. Now I never read a draft until it’s complete, unless I’m in the final editing stages of course.
2. What do you know now that, with hindsight, you wished you’d known when you started writing seriously?
That most authors suffer from bouts of self-doubt and it’s part of the job. When you experience self-doubt, you can feel alone. It’s easy to get lost in that feeling, whether you’re a novice or a professional. The majority of authors will, at some point, feel their work isn’t good enough. Knowing this helped me to accept that. Although I doubt my writing at times, I can just get on with it anyway. The doubts come and go, and whilst they should be acknowledged, they don’t need to be analysed.
“A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
~Thomas Mann
3. What do you think a new author should most be wary about?
Giving up. No author, if they care about what they do, should even consider giving up. Giving up is the easy option, the cushion to fall back on when things get tough. Doubts may come, but only the individual can make things happen. If you have a passion for what you do, you’ll keep pursuing your dream despite the challenges. More practically, new authors should be wary of the work that continues after a book is published. Once a book is out there, the marketing begins and this ongoing process should not be taken lightly.
Teresa Bassett – Amazon Author Central
Teresa Bassett is a recent addition to the Authors Reach stable. She writes mostly mystery and adventure stories for young adults. Her debut novel, The Time Crystals, came out in paperback in February, published by Books to Treasure, with an ebook following in July. The Time Crystals is a time travel adventure for children and young adults. (The manuscript was shortlisted in a big Amazon contest and won another contest.) Teresa also has a blog called Tree and Leaf.
1. Which tip over the years has proved most useful to them?
I’m a great believer in letting a piece of writing ‘rest’ between drafts. For a novel I like to leave at least two months, and I’m always surprised by what I notice with a fresh eye, not only errors, but parts which are or aren’t working. I think of a novel like a fine wine, maturing as it ages!
2. What do they know now that, with hindsight, they wished they’d known when they started writing seriously?
Someone said the only difference between a successful writer and an unsuccessful one is a successful one refuses to give up. That strikes a chord with me. As a young writer, I wrote first drafts of novels but didn’t persevere. I let the slightest setback dishearten me and, looking back, I realise I was doing well! The desire to write and publish stories never went away, and I ended up leaving my job at the Eden Project to concentrate on my fiction. Still, my job was good experience, and inspiring, so I don’t regret it. I tend to believe things happen for a reason.
3. What do you think a new author should most be wary about?
For authors, writing, and being a writer, are the most amazing things, but it’s important to remember not everyone feels that way. You can waste a lot of time feeling disappointed by lukewarm responses to your all-consuming passion! So my advice is be wary of taking things too seriously and being over-sensitive. Write the best you can, apply yourself to your craft, but try to keep things in perspective. That way knockbacks won’t have so much power over you.
Maggie Farran – Amazon link
And now for Maggie Farran. Along with Karen Stephen, Catherine Griffin, and Sally Howard, Maggie wrote the two Secret Lives of Chandler’s Ford books. Now with Catherine and Sally, Maggie’s most recent book is Winchester, Actually. This is definitely keeping it local!
1. Which tip over the years has proved most useful to them?
The most useful tip has been that you should write every day even if it is only a few words.
2. What do they know now that, with hindsight, they wished they’d known when they started writing seriously?
It is important to have a goal in mind when writing. It could be entering a competition or writing an article. In my case it was working towards writing a book of short stories set in Winchester. The book is called Winchester Actually and is a collaborative effort with Catherine Griffin and Sally Howard. We met regularly to discuss our stories. I found working with writing friends helped me achieve my aim of publishing a book on Amazon.
3. What do you think a new author should most be wary about?
A new author should be most wary about not getting enough feedback from other writers. We all need encouragement but it also important to get feedback so our writing improves. We can learn a lot from other writers.
Many thanks, everyone. More invaluable advice next week.
Related Posts:-
Books On The Radio – Local Author News – Richard Hardie/Allison Symes
Local Author News: Richard Hardie and Introducing Francesca Tyer
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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Here’s an activity I find useful. I belong to a group which has a monthly competition. I try to submit something most months. Those who submit are also asked to judge the best piece (other than your own, of course). This makes you read critically and compare other pieces with your own work.
We send in our feedback, pick a winner and then receive all the feedback and the democratically elected winner.
Then we can ask why that piece was a winner, why was it considered better than yours and how could yours have been improved?
That’s a great idea, Mike. I’ve taken part in a creative writing workshop via Zoom over the last week or so. Writing to a “live” challenge is good fun too. All good writing exercises will encourage you to “up your game” and that is always a good thing.