Well I've written my book, what do I do now? - Writers Forum

Colwyn Quaffer · 07-10-2007, 02:53 AM

Between shiftwork at the steelworks, building a house, learning how to operate a computer only to lose everything to a virus and being a Dad, I managed to write a book. It took about three years. Not three years solid you understand; but every time I had lateshift, (that's two until ten at night) I'd come home and do a bit more.
Now, sinfully proud and tragically incompetent; I don't know what to do with it.
Any ideas peeps?
Please don't think it was written for any noble ideas about art and the likes; I obviously did the dirty deed to help ease my financial situation. I only do song lyrics and comedic rhymes for free.
So... feel free to bombard me with your thoughts, ideas, distaste and applause.
Reg Jones, AKA, the Colwyn Quaffer.
A Welshman living in Germany

Shawn · 07-10-2007, 02:58 AM

Welcome to the forums... I expect the Ruhr isn't very comfortable at all. I've only stayed in that region once.

I suggest getting an agent... a competent one, mind you. Since you are from the isles, I would suggest querying a British agent.

A few books:

Getting Your Book Published for Dummies
Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published, 3rd Ed

For starters, of course. Also, this forum has quite a few people inside the business that can help you in writing your queries and such.

Of course, me being me, I'm a useless lump.

Good luck.

Voodoo · 07-10-2007, 01:16 PM

Speak to Maia, even Lin. plenty of people.

valeca · 07-10-2007, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Please don't think it was written for any noble ideas about art and the likes; I obviously did the dirty deed to help ease my financial situation.

I really hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but you're going to be in for a rough ride if you think getting published is going to ease your financial situation. Most novelists have day jobs and write on the side--much like you've been doing all along. Very few manage to make enough to support themselves without a second (or third) income.

That's not to say you can't get published. Just that it's a very hard road, and first books don't usually make the cut. Statistically, I believe it's around the 8th or 9th attempt.

Now for the advice on what to do. Before you send out queries to agents, find a circle of writers you trust to give you honest feedback about your work...then edit it up the wazoo. Writing your book was the easy part. Now the real work begins. You only get one chance to make an impression with your work. You really don't want that impression to be full of mistakes or poor writing.

Best of luck with it, and let us know how things go.

Aurasheild · 07-10-2007, 02:59 PM

lol wlecome to the forums

CaptainFreedom · 07-10-2007, 03:31 PM

Hi there,

I go to Salzgitter for work sometimes too.

Valeca is right. Getting published is hard if you're good and impossible if you stink.

If you really don't have any idea what you're doing with getting published - watch out. There are a lot of scam publishers that will totaly screw you if you give them the chance. Don't pay anybody anything to have yor book published.

CF

Colwyn Quaffer · 07-10-2007, 04:50 PM

So what you're all saying is that handing in my notice to the Boss today was a no-no?

Just joshing.
Oh why is life never easy?
Thanks for the advice. Today was my first day researching the issue and I found some very good sites. Everything you guys have put down reinforces what I deduced from my in-depth Google marathon.
Bah!
I will get hold of the books listed; a small outlay towards my new literary empire, eh?
Nil Desperandum.

(In six months I'll probably eat those words...)

Raging_Hopeful · 07-10-2007, 04:55 PM

Congrats on writing a book!! That is a huge feat in of itself, as many writers never get that far

I commend you on your efforts and I hope you find a viable market for your work! Keep us posted on your progress!

Cheers,
Linz

wmd · 07-10-2007, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colwyn Quaffer

Everything you guys have put down reinforces what I deduced from my in-depth Google marathon.

oh my God! Someone that knows how to use google!

sometimes a google marathon will turn up a boat load of research and a little reading will answer all the questions you have.

Good luck with the book. Stick around for a while and you will learn a lot of good things. One thing to remember is that there are a lot of statistics around here about how hard it is to get published... hard work will beat those stats.

SeattleCPA · 07-10-2007, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valeca

I really hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but you're going to be in for a rough ride if you think getting published is going to ease your financial situation. Most novelists have day jobs and write on the side--much like you've been doing all along.

One comment related to this sentiment... even if a book really works well, it takes a while to get paid.

I remember Dan Gookin, who started the whole Dummies thing, telling me over Chinese food one day at lunch, "Man, DOS for Dummies has been at the top of the bestseller lists for months now... and I really haven't seen anything of it." Or something like that.

BTW, reference books (like DOS for Dummies) don't appear on lists like the NY Times, etc.... but Dan's book, which sold millions and millions of copies would have been high on the list for months. Or years.

The mechanics of royalty accounting and reserves and advances mean it can take a couple of years to get paid that first big check.

Orion83 · 07-10-2007, 09:15 PM

Hey Colwyn,

Congrats on finishing your first book, cobber! That's a big achievement in itself. Are they any good literary competitions you could enter in Britain or Europe? That might be a way to get a toe-hole into publishing?

Cheers!
Earl.

mammamaia · 07-10-2007, 10:44 PM

valeca and steve have nailed it!... pay attention to all that and let's hope you're one of the rare exceptions to the rule... but in the meantime, yeah--keep the day job!

if your 'baby' is violence-free, i'll be happy to give it looking over to see if it's really ready to go anywhere... just drop me a line, if i can help in any way...

love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com

Colwyn Quaffer · 07-13-2007, 10:19 AM

Well peeps,
There's been some nice input on this thread and I thank you all for it.
Orion, I like the idea with the competition, I`ll keep my peepers peeled.
mammamaia, unfortunately my book deals with vampires working for the Third Reich so it sort of gravitates towards the meaner side of fiction. Thank you anyway for your kind offer. I've got your website down in my favourite list and I'll see what I can pick up from there.

I am optimistic but I've recently learnt that the writing business is vey much like the music business. There's an awful lot of sharks out there ready to gobble you up if you're not careful. Luckily my firm got the contract at the steelworks until 2013 so there's no rush anymore to make my millions... !

See you around, and probaby soon, lol.
Reg, the Colwyn Bay boy who made good... sort of. Well, he's got a job until 2013 so it's a start.

lin · 07-13-2007, 12:36 PM

Next step?
Let it sit for awhile. Unwind, start another book (since you seem to have a lot of time on your hands). Go back in a few weeks and to a read-over, rewrite, edit, etc.
Meanwhile cut out files of the first 50 pages, more or less, and first three chapters and super polish them. That's what the agents and pubcos you solicit will want to look at if they like your query. (For some reason I am assuming your book was fiction: if not I'd study up on writing a nonfiction proposal)
Learn as much as you can about the whole agent/publisher fiasco. Be prepared.

Good luck

Mister Barfly · 07-13-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

Next step?
Let it sit for awhile. Unwind, start another book (since you seem to have a lot of time on your hands). Go back in a few weeks and to a read-over, rewrite, edit, etc.

I'd take a slightly different tack: I know a lot of people suggest taking a break from the story so that when you come back to edit you'll have achieved some distance and perspective on it, but I think that while the story is still fresh in your mind it's a good idea to go through it straight away and edit out all the little plot points that were supposed to signify a later sub-plot that you'd intended to put in later on but never got around to writing because the story evolved and it was no longer needed.

For example, (and probably not relevant to your Nazi Vampires, but it gives you the idea) if you spent a page explaining or showing that a character is a computer genius because you originally intended him to hack into some sophisticated system but then the character went and died unexpectedly (and don't you hate it when that happens?) or the gang decide to blow up the building instead (so they don't need the skills anyway) kill the page, as its now setting up something that doesn't actually happen so it's no longer really needed.

Once you're cut out all the stuff you know that you (and the story) don't really need, THEN sit back and let it simmer in a drawer for a month or so while you get on with something else before going back for a serious edit/rewrite.