Writing is the easy part

Briony Noh

You don't need to be a genius to write and even a modicum of research will show that it doesn't even need to be good writing that you ultimately produce, but does anyone know how one is supposed to get oneself published once one has finished one's writing and one is ready to one day address one's unsuspecting public?

Keep sending, we're told. Don't give up, we're told. Is tenacity the only answer, or is being tenacious about something that's actually no good (though you don't realise it) just digging a grave for later use by your self esteem?

Six ones and a half dozen others? Who's keeping count?

Everybody needs their own personal agent, that's what I think. That or their own second cousin twice removed in the entertainment/news media. Or their own scandal - preferably a tightly controlled and legally acceptable one. (Never felt more like giving Max Clifford a call than I do today. Just shoot me now)

God bless us, every one...

PurpleFistMixer

What?

Are you asking 'How does one get published'?
Agents can help. In fact, an agent is a good thing. Other than that, I have little experience.

Also, what standard/style of writing you're doing is heavily dependent of what kind of writing you're doing. Yes, commercial writing does not have to be of a good standard. I've read stuff that my little amateurish writing group would scoff at, and yet, it's sold really well, so it's a bit of a different game if you're writing for commercial purposes.

luckat

You get published by writing something that people want to read.

Sure, you can get published once or twice if you have pull or an agent - but unless readers are rushing and panting and grabbing your work with their tongues hanging out slavering for more, no publisher is going to want it more than once.

Capt'n Midnight

you could try to get short stories published in freebie / special interest magazines
write short articles for papers, or long letters to a periodical that publishes such things so you have a portfolio to call upon.

become famous somehow, famous people get published all the time
or at least become known

luckat

The other thing, Briony, is that publication is kind of a useless goal if you want to write well. Write for the enjoyment of telling the story, first and foremost. Keep writing. Focus on the story, and not on whether it's published or not.

Don't tangle your ego up in whether something's published, or in whether someone else loves it. Sure, it's important that your work - or your playful enjoyment - gives pleasure to others. But it shouldn't be your *main* focus.

If it is, you're inviting big ego damage, and you won't find it as pleasurable to write, which means that practising your craft won't be enjoyable, and you won't do it. You'll write in mad rushes, full of fear.

Instead, just write in your head all the time, and get to the paper as soon as you can and just *play*.

HST

They are really wise words Luckat. Write for the love of doing so if you happen to be able to make a living from it, then thats an added bonus.

On the subject of trying to get published your best bet is to get some contacts within the style of writing you do whether it's short stories or poetry and then if they like your material they will bring it to other people.

luckat

And read the kind of stuff you like to write as well. For instance, if you like literary fiction, take a look at www.carvezine.com (I think that's it) - Carve magazine. Read it for a bit, maybe submit a story, see how they like it.

You can always start your own small publication among friends, too. Get a bunch of people together to "publish" a small magazine that you circulate among maybe 10 or 15 people, everyone contributing stuff and reading it and talking about it, and talking about what they're writing.

Blush_01

Am I the only one who read that as a prose piece, and not a mini-rant on the difficulty of getting published? I thought it was pretty well written too...