Well, here's the deal. First, you have to actually write something. Sit your ass in the chair, or on the sofa or in the bed and write. I mean, you can't publish what's not out of your head. They don't sell mind reading subscriptions in Kindle, Nook or Kobo format. So far as I know. When the first story took hold, I wrote at night after I'd put my daughter to bed. I wrote on breaks at work (dangerous business though cause it's easy to get wrapped up in it and lose track of time). I wrote in the car while waiting to get her from school. I finished and breathed a sigh of relief and set it aside. When someone asked how it was going, when I was going to publish, I'd give vague answers "I'm looking into it...", "When my daughter is older and I can focus on it". What they were, in truth, were scaredy cat answers. Publish? No one wants to read this. Then I let someone read it...they liked it. I started doing a little research, asking questions online of people who were published or about to be.
You must have an agent! You must have a compelling query letter! You must have your manuscript polished before anyone will look at it. You must not expect your first submissions to be accepted! It will suck and it will be rejected! If it's your first attempt, throw it in a drawer and do something different. It won't be good enough because it's your first time out of the gate! And be warned, there's a good chance your second submission won't be accepted either! (Insert doubt, broken heart and tears at this point)
One author offered to read my query letter. Sweet! Then broke it down line by line, and sent back "here's how I would write this" and "I would change that" and then maybe someone will take a look at it. I thought, okay, I'll take her advice. After all, she's published numerous times. She must know what she's talking about. So I re-wrote it and hated it. It didn't sound like me at all. It sounded like her. So I threw it away and tried to make it me. Then I heard from an agency. Super exciting but I'd read enough about agents and such that a little warning bell went off in the back of my brain. I did a little online search and learned they were probably shysters. Great, they only wanted my money. I shoved the whole publishing thing in the back of the desk and worked on finishing the trilogy. After all, maybe someone would be more likely to want it if they new I'd finished it.
Fast forward to 2013...my step mom takes me with her to a book signing here in Vegas. It was fabulous but she kept telling people I'd written a book and was going to publish. SHHH!!! Don't tell people that! Then they'll ask questions I can't answer and...and...hang on. These ladies (there were no male authors at this signing) started offering tips and advice. They're asking about my story as if they care. They're giving me cards and websites and email addresses to look at and ask questions and telling me to call or message them if I have any questions. I was ready to cry with joy. I had people backing me. I had people I could ask for help from. I was hooked. I knew I could do this. Then I went home and doubt set in again. Of course they said that, they were nice people. They wanted to encourage but really, I was a first time writer. Or was I?
I found an old notebook that was a complete story I had written in high school. It was terrible and I cringed reading it but it lit a small fire. I had completed something before. It sucked but I knew what I had written now was better than what I had done then. Maybe the new stuff just needed tweaking. A couple months later, I attended an conference with my mom. I walked up behind her and heard her telling someone her daughter was an author and that I was trying to publish. My mom was totally pimping me to everyone she met! I had people approaching me and asking questions and offering advice. It was wonderful. When it was over, I started in on the rewrite of the first one. Another conference in May nearly ended my aspirations but I met a fabulous lady that re-inflated my hope. In nine months, the first book saw two complete rewrites and three rounds of edits.
Now, on the 25th, my book will meet the world. It's terrifying. Not everyone will like it but not everyone will hate it either. My family is jazzed and my friends are waiting to click "buy". My author friends are supporting me by attending my online party and nominating my beautiful cover for an Indie cover award. They are sending me lists of stuff I need to do because I don't know how or know that I need to do certain things. It turns out, you don't need to know everything or have everything perfect before pursuing your dreams. You just have to pursue them. <3 font="">
-Lynn
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