Can I be a Writer

Almsot anyone CAN be a writer.

Should they? 

Question # 5. What advice would you give to someone writing their very first novel, especially when they have very limited resources? 

In answering this question I’m talking about fiction that is entertaining and strong enough for the reader to read several times and still be entertained. There is fiction that can be produced in a couple of months and upon publication excite some good revenue for a week or two and then dop off and disappear. A year later the same reader might not get all the way through it. Depending upon what you produce, you’ll always do better with an agent.

And that damn sure isn’t me!

 

But this is me.

If you want to receive some remuneration for your work, the artistic creation, the work or both, you will need an agent. Every reputable publishing house wants to deal through an agent. Traditional publishing houses have the distribution networks to sell your work.

Send out inquiries to every agent you can find listed and keep track of what you sent, to where, and any return you may --- pay attention here --- any return you MAY get.

If you wish to publish independently you will be doing your own editing, cover creation and distribution. Yes, you can find contractors to do all that for you but they charge a fee and none of them are cheap, including the ones that are ineffective. The good ones cost more.

https://books2read.com/GLW

All the covers on this posting were created by Samantha Zwicker
of  https://hojanueva.org/

First, plan on writing and re-writing at least 3 times. If you’re happy doing it 10 times, that’s up to you but you MUST do it 3 times.

After you’ve done your rewrites go though it again as an editor. EIDTIING AND READING ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

About this time, you can again send out inquiries to every agent you can find listed and keep track of what you sent, to where, and any return you may --- pay attention here --- any return you MAY get.

https://books2read.com/Homestead

If you’re happy at this point you can look toward publishing.

There are several publishers who will charge you a great deal to publish, somewhere between $1500.00 and $5000.00 plus a specific price for “author copies” of the book you’ve written which will vary by the number of pages requires. Some of them offer services that have already been mentioned such as editing and cover design. If the initial cost was low on the 15 to 50 scale I mentioned above then the editing might cost anywhere over a thousand dollars. In the case of covers, most of those I’ve seen, even for those charging five grand for their services, are about as attention grabbing as a rainy day.

About this time, you can again send out inquiries to every agent you can find listed and keep track of what you sent, to where, and any return you may --- pay attention here --- any return you MAY get.

 

https://books2read.com/BarkervillePartners

Publishers that I recommend, as long as you can find the other services, (which you can) are Amazon, (yeah, I know, a bully), Draft2Digital and Lulu. My sone uses Lulu and likes them but I know not a thing about them. For the other two it costs you close to nothing for digital (ebook) with an ISBN but print will cost you per book printed.

https://books2read.com/P-o-t-W

In all cases, with a traditional publisher or independent publishing, plan on reading over what is offered for at least a week before making any commitment. With the vanity publishing, those who charge an up-front fee, give it a lot more thought, such as a month.

If you plan on audio books, either simple narration, with a small cast or with a full blown “sound-track audio”, that’s a whole different subject.

Oh, yes. About this time, you can again send out inquiries to every agent you can find listed and keep track of what you sent, to where, and any return you may --- pay attention here --- any return you MAY get.

https://books2read.com/GTandL

If you don’t have an agent you probably won’t make much of a living from your writing, but then it depends, like many things, on what you expect. Even with an agent and without a film deal of some type you’ll be doing well to survive.

Leave a comment or take a look at a few slide-shows with some dialogue at https://www.youtube.com/@davemcgowan6231

 Look at some entertainment with a longer life at

www.Books2Read.com/DM-McGowan

 OR

https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B004V9WZVI

A book should be good for at lest three reads over the years.

Or if you don’t have much of a memory, indefinitely.

https://books2read.com/The-Fence

All the covers on this posting were created by Samantha Zwicker

of  https://hojanueva.org/


 


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