Struggling writer's moaning thread

[Xplosives]

Also publishers like trends and what's hot right now. As we can see poorly written books about vampires and S&M get published, mainly by luck of the draw. But if that's whats selling right now and you come out with some pretentious sociopolitical bullcrap they're gonna pass.

you gotta top that now to make it, I would suggest gay BDSM sodomy books to get published.

 

[CrazyJHL]

you gotta top that now to make it, I would suggest gay BDSM sodomy books to get published.

Did you purposefully use the word "top," or was it purely coincidental?

 

[touchedbyjab]

Write something controversial, like a young boy's chronicles with his handsy pastor.

or, write something with racist subtleties hidden between the lines ala Mark Twain.

 

[ZroC]

I feel ya TS. I've written four novels. Could've published two through a subsidiary, but I chose to wait for a literary agent. Still waiting. :redface:

Question: Are you submitting to agents and publishers? At least on the fantasy side of things I know a lot of agents only accept email queries. I don't submit to publishers straight forward anymore because 1. they take months to reply back and 2. you can only query one at a time, whereas literary agents take multiple submissions and respond very quickly.

It's not an easy business to try and get your foot in, but keep working at it. Statistics say you'll eventually find a publisher or agent if you keep trying and writing.

Maybe in the US more of them accept email queries but in the UK and Ireland not many do. I've stopped querying since and decided to focus on sorting out an ebook instead. I have my brother making the covers for my books right now which is pretty handy - he's an art grad.

 

[Diktaattori]

Start your book like this "They said that raping a giraffe was impossible, they were wrong.." or "It was my brothers baby, but I kept thinking, will it blend.."

I bet that would sell, especially on sherdog.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Thought I'd make a thread some of you writers out there could moan in. All are welcome to join. What bugs you most about trying to get published. I'll start...

Having to print and post off three chapters worth of pages. I tend to do this in bulk so I send about 10 copies every month, costing me ink, paper and the mail price. Too much money for a poor man's job.

Spending a lot of my time trying to think up original stories only to realise the industry itself doesn't want originality, it wants the same old thing because originality is risky and not guaranteed to sell.

Being asked to supply a C.V/resume. Why would they want that? Why would a resume tell them if my story is good or bad when they're just supposed to read the story.

Waiting at least 3 months for any sort of reply even when it's email. If any other industry worked like that it would collapse within 3 months.

It's 2012 and 90% of publishers and agents don't accept email submissions. Get with the times you morons.

Traditional publishers belittling and bashing ebooks only to go publishing 50 shades the moment it gets popular.

I feel your pain, brother. Just getting a Literary Agent seems an impossible task...:icon_evil

 

[Robert L Evans]

I got picked up by a publisher, that only published eBooks, and left most if not all the of the marketing to me. I realized if I have to do all the marketing myself, I may as well publish it on my own. So my next book was published by me, and once again I'm left to do all the marketing.

Lesson from all this.

If Hemingway were alive today and he wasn't a social media monster, he would die a never read author. IMHO.

 

[adavis]

If Hemingway were alive today and he wasn't a social media monster, he would die a never read author. IMHO.

Ernest gets picked up either way, no doubt.

That said, keep throwing shit at the wall, eventually something will stick. It took me six novels and a few dozen short stories to get a look, and that was after over 400 query and partial submissions. Not to mention, I never got a real look, I got picked up from ABNA. You need luck to get there, but you have to keep writing to get in the door. I have three novels coming out in 2013, and am working full time as a writer now. It can be done, just don't give up.

 

[Grooboggle]

I got picked up by a publisher, that only published eBooks, and left most if not all the of the marketing to me. I realized if I have to do all the marketing myself, I may as well publish it on my own. So my next book was published by me, and once again I'm left to do all the marketing.

Lesson from all this.

If Hemingway were alive today and he wasn't a social media monster, he would die a never read author. IMHO.

Some of this is true and is the nature of society today. I read a lot and I never thought I'd move to ebooks and now I pretty much read nothing else unless its a nonfiction text that hasn't been moved over in a good format yet...ie no adobe shit.

I got my mother a kindle and now she's hooked as well. I imagine paper books as we know them are largely gone in the next 20 to 30 years.

People generally speaking don't want anything challenging in their reading. This is what pushes popular publishing. That being said there is some terrible schlock out there even in the genre areas. Take the disdain for oh lets call it supernatural romance. You can get someone like Charlaine Harris who was prolific in cozy's and other mysteries who moved into supernatural fiction and creates solid fiction worth even a spin off TV show. But the vast majority of the genre is at the level of Harlequin romance.

Hemingway wasn't very wordy so he'd get read today over someone like Joyce is a a goddamn pain in the ass and almost too much for lit majors to stomach.


It is too easy to publish and self publish in some areas. Look at Edward Lee, a terrible author, who has managed to stake out a successful career in writing stories that say nothing that feature things like hermaphrodite angels with a relatively rabid fan base.

 

[Robert L Evans]

My Hemingway comment was a slap at the modern world of publish. I really hope he would get published regardless. But I still keep wondering if another Hemingway, or other notable author exists out there, and are being missed because they are unable to or will not embrace the "new" way of publishing.

I have been saying for years that eBooks are the same as the 1930's and 1940's pulps. Some of the stuff was crap, but some of the stuff was on the cutting edge. Take Robert E. Howard for instance, and incredible writer and amazing imagination.

 

[Deleted member 407839]

great thread, guys. I really enjoy reading about people fighting to make their dreams come true.

My goal for 2013 is to sell a book. I got to get serious about it though. I have so many ideas but it's about choosing the right one so that I can get published for the first time. I feel like once the flood gates are opened there'll be no looking back.

What I got from Aric Davis's thread is that you just have to write like a madman and have your loved ones critique your work harshly.

For those that are in the process of writing. How much do you write a day? And how long did it take you to get that stamina and focus for writing that much?

Also, without giving away the plot what are the kinds of things you're writing about? I am leaning heavily towards the Bible since it's technical and doesn't give me much room to go wrong.

Peace out, sherdoggers. I am going to go pay the bills, workout, and then write a bit before the world ends.

 

[IIIIIIII]

i think the threadstarter is trying to say that the father didn't love his child, or something along those lines.

i would put it down to a type of coping mechanism. i can't imagine a parent not being in absolute grief after something like this.

 

[Cicero**]

Are you any good at waiting tables?

 

[ZroC]

I feel your pain, brother. Just getting a Literary Agent seems an impossible task...:icon_evil

First agent that ever replied to me:

"I don't understand why you would make them brother and sister and not lovers?"

second

"I'm not really a fan of dialogue or much talking scenes. I think they drag down the book. If you removed the dialogue from you fantasy novel it would look better"

I looked at his other clients and most of them are non-fiction. No wonder.

 

[Deleted member 407839]

For those that are in the process of writing. How much do you write a day? And how long did it take you to get that stamina and focus for writing that much?

Also, without giving away the plot what are the kinds of things you're writing about? I am leaning heavily towards the Bible since it's technical and doesn't give me much room to go wrong.

any answers to my questions? I'm really eager to know.

 

[AncientEnemy]

Stephen king says he wrote at least 1000 words a day, every day. Seinfeld said he used a calendar to mark off the days he wrote and keep him motivated.

 

[Grooboggle]

Stephen king says he wrote at least 1000 words a day, every day. Seinfeld said he used a calendar to mark off the days he wrote and keep him motivated.

I think if you check out most well known authors they'd say the same thing.
Robert Parker wrote at least 5 pages a day no matter what. Like anything it can be your passion but you need to treat it seriously and write consistently.

I think there's a quote from some author to the effect of everyone wants to be a writer few want to write.

 

[Gaeric]

Well, I believe I've said on here before that I take care of my parents. They're getting old and can't do as much for themselves anymore, though one of them still works a reduced schedule.

Last year the bank foreclosed on the house. I managed to get a loan from a bank my friend worked at (yay connections) and I bought it back at auction. Now it's my house, and I have a hell of a time paying back the loan & covering utilities and such with money from writing so I'm doing all sorts of odd jobs as well.

On the plus side I managed to buy it at auction for less than my parents had owed on it, which was quite amazing.

But yeah... hard as fuck to keep it going with writing alone.

 

[dawnignited]

Stephen king says he wrote at least 1000 words a day, every day. Seinfeld said he used a calendar to mark off the days he wrote and keep him motivated.

I always try sticking to this, even if it's not for an idea I plan on publishing and just want to get the creative juices flowing. The hardest part for me though has always been the starting point.

any answers to my questions? I'm really eager to know.

I myself have been going back and forth between a few different types of ideas. One is set in high fantasy, while the other is more of a deconstruction on stuff like the Twilight books (though as I've progressed on it, the story feels more inspired by Shaun of the Dead than anything else). It's just a challenge staying motivated by trying to come up with things that go against what people would expect out of the books that I compare my stuff to, while also being aware that original doesn't = an instant sell. I might just try going the self-publishing road.

 

[Deleted member 407839]

Stephen king says he wrote at least 1000 words a day, every day. Seinfeld said he used a calendar to mark off the days he wrote and keep him motivated.

Nice. Good to know. I am going to write everyday.

I think if you check out most well known authors they'd say the same thing.
Robert Parker wrote at least 5 pages a day no matter what. Like anything it can be your passion but you need to treat it seriously and write consistently.

I think there's a quote from some author to the effect of everyone wants to be a writer few want to write.

So true. And it applies to everything really. Few want to put in the reps but everyone wants the glory.