Things To Remember When You’re Actively Unpublished or Writing the Next Bestseller or Simply Thinking About a Book, or quite frankly, All Three ©
By Mary Beth Lee

1. Just because a multi-published author and her editor sit in a room at national conference and tell you sex and sex alone is good enough for the conflict, doesn’t mean it’s so.

Okay, seriously think about that statement. And then think about the books you’ve read based on that premise. Sex does not a great book make. It takes something more, or as Jane Graves said, write it over the top! Miss Multi-Published can often pretty much do whatever the heck she wants in a book.

2. Just because Nora, John, Nicholas, Linda or Jennifer did it doesn’t mean you can.

Think about it. I read a book a couple years ago where Nora had the squirrel’s viewpoint. That’s because she’s Nora. We are not Nora. Squirrel viewpoints should never be in our books. Look at what the new kids on the block are doing. The Nora’s of the world can do anything and still sell their books. They make their publishers lots of money. And this is a business.

3. This is a business.

It is. Books make billions of dollars. Publishing companies are traded on the market. And like all businesses, the book business has trends. But those trends are dated. By the time you write the next great trendy book, a new trend has taken over. Write the books you want to write, the books you love to write. That doesn’t mean ignore the market. Above all know your target audience. Know their wants and needs. And write for them.

4. Finish the book.

Don’t think about it, do it. Don’t talk about, write it. Goals are great, but they don’t lead to sales if there’s nothing to back them up.

5. Learn from rejections.

If an editor takes the time to tell you the problem they had with the story, give those comments real thought. If they don’t, realize rejections aren’t personal. They’re about the story, and they could stem from any number of reasons.

6. Mourn your losses, celebrate your gains, and realize sometimes they’re the same thing.

Rejections hurt. Give yourself time to get sad, get mad, get downright angry. But then get over it.

Requests exhilarate. They lead to visions of million dollar checks, RITA awards for best (fill in the blank), multi-book contracts. Let yourself get excited, but don’t forget your job: Write MORE!

7. Surround yourself with writers.

Let’s face it. No one else gets why a simple letter leads to screams of joy or tears of sadness. No one else understand the muse tapping you on the shoulder, dragging you out of bed to the computer for a late night dialogue session with your hero, heroine, villain. No one else understands the true thrill of finishing that first manuscript. Without your writing friends, this job is too hard! If you don’t have writing friends, join a group—even if it has to be online.

8. Don’t forget to feed your soul. Read.

Before you were a writer, you were a reader. Don’t lose your love of words by making everything about the business. Find a new author you like or grab all the books you can find by an old favorite and just read.

9. Don’t forget life outside the computer, notebook or office exists.

As with any job, you can overdo. Don’t lose your love of life, your experiences as a slave to the written word.

10. If you really mean it, don’t stop dreaming.

If publishing, writing the next best seller, earning multi-book contracts were easy, everyone would be doing it. They’re not. And very rarely will someone stumble into any of these activities. Make a plan and stick to it. Devise a mission statement, stick it over your computer and work toward that mission. And whatever you do, don’t stop dreaming about what might happen with that next manuscript. But don’t let yourself dream so much you never work. Dreams are essential, but when you boil it all down one simple rule holds true.

Above all, you must write!

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