"The importance of novels and short stories in our society is great. Fiction supplies the only philosophy that many readers know; it establishes their ethical, social and material standards; it confirms them in their prejudices or opens their minds to a wider world. The influence of any widely read book can hardly be overestimated. If it is sentimental, shoddy or vulgar our lives are the poorer for the cheap ideals which it sets in circulation; if, as so rarely happens, it is a thoroughly good book, honestly conceived and honestly executed, we are all indebted to it."

Dorothy Brande - Becoming a Writer

So you want to be a writer.

Good idea. The writer, of course, leads an idyllic life, jetting first class to international writer symposiums, staying in luxury hotels (paid for, of course, by a fawning publisher), meeting A list celebrities (and becoming one herself), attending functions where she is the star in a sequined gown; she lives in a Georgian mansion where every day in a sun-lit attic studio, surrounded by bookshelves filled with leather-bound classics, she pens a few words of wisdom for her adoring fans.

Luckily for me, very little of the above appeals to me; because very little applies to me, or to any writer. The romance of a writer’s life is mostly myth.

Still interested? Then read on.

Maybe you have just read about a five-figure advance given to some unknown new novelist for her first book, and you think, hey, I was pretty good in English Composition, I write amusing emails, why don’t I give it a shot.

The truth is: despite what you may have read, finishing a full length novel (80000 words and more) is pretty hard work, and there’s a big leap between the desire to write a book, and actually finishing one. Do you have the determinations and the sheer patience to finish one? Yes? Then read on.

So you’ve actually finished your novel; now all you have to do is choose a publisher and/or an agent (don’t all writers have agents?) send it in, and in a few months you’ll see it in the bookshelves.

Right? Wrong!

The truth is: everyone seems to be writing a novel these days. Publishers and agents are overwhelmed with manuscripts: several hundreds fall into their mailboxes every day, and most of this end on what they call the slush pile. Yes, it really is a pile, tottering over, from which occasionally they will take one at random and look at the first few pages.

One editor made the following estimate: of all submissions arriving in her office, 99% are rejected - on the spot. Of the 1% that isn’t rejected, 97% are rejected after further reading.

In other words, 3% of 1% of all those hundreds of manuscripts is finally published.

In other words, getting published is a damn hard process. The odds are against you from the start. You may find yourself a beggar, wandering from one agent to the next, from one publisher to the next, all of whom refuse to even glance at what you KNOW is a masterpiece.

Can you take that much rejection? That much frustration? Is your desire to write a book more than a desire, but a need? (Or do you just want to BE KNOWN as a writer, because writers are cool?)

Are you a writer with heart and soul, perseverance and a good thick skin?

If your answer to all these questions are yes, then read on.

This website is not the place to tell you how to go about it; but if you want to be a writer, then start writing. That’s the first thing, the first rule: Bum In Chair, better known as BIC in writing circles.

Write your book, revise it to the best of your ability, and then think about getting it published.

All of the above, of course, are easier said than done, but I’m not going to go into the details here.

The long and the short of it is there is no direct route into publication, no university course you can pursue that will get you there. It’s trial and error; you learn as you go.

Read books. Search the internet. Inform yourself. Join groups. Study your craft. Meditate. But above all: WRITE!

A good beginning would be these two websites, both of which can provide you with a wealth of writing tips, links, warnings, as well discussion forums where other writers can advise and support you:

Based in the UK:

www.writewords.org.uk

Based in the USA:

www.absolutewrite.com

Or perhaps there is a local writers’ group you’d like to join. Or maybe you prefer to go it alone, in which case you might like to read a few books to get started.

I recommend the following:

First and foremost (to inspire you!)

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

Other favourite writing books:

Character and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card

Plot – Elements of Fiction Writing by Ansen Dibell

Plus: A good dictionary, a good Thesaurus, and The Elements of Style by Strunk and White

For published writers aiming for the next level, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

So you want to get published?

Maybe you have already finished your book and are hoping to get published.

The books you should read are:

From Pitch to Publication by Carole Blake

The Writer’s Handbook

The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook

Most of all: be careful. There are many unscrupulous so-called agents and publishers out there who will use your dreams for their own profit. Here is the Writer Beware list of the 20 worst agents.

Remember the cardinal rule in publishing: Money Flows to the Author.

You do not pay agents and publishers to get published. They pay you: the publisher pays you an advance on royalties and royalties, and the agent takes his commission once you are published. Not before.

If an agent or publisher mails you saying they are eager for your book, be careful. Check up on them; who are they, who are their clients, which authors have the dealt with? Do your research.

Check the following sites before you sign anything:

Preditors and Editors

Writer Beware

An article about preditors:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/find_a_book_publisher.htm

So: remember: Bum In Chair, and Good Luck!

Favourite Blog:

In which the anonymous literary agent Miss Snark vents her wrath on the hapless world of writers and crushes them to sand beneath her T.Rexual heels of stiletto snark. Highly recommended!

Links for Booklovers:

LiteraryMoose.info - author information, book reviews, recommendations, small essays, selective bibliographies, and all things literature.  157 authors discussed, 240 books reviewed

ThemisAthena.info - The website of Themis-Athena, bibliophile, music lover and movie addict. Here you find biographies, career overviews and other information about authors (both contemporary and literary classics), musicians, actors and directors, as well as (in a growing number of cases), in-depth reviews of their major works.

Do you belong to a reading group? There is a reading guide to Of Marriageable Age here. If you want more specific guidance you can contact Sharon via the guestbook. Sharon may be available for personal appearances and signings subject to her schedule.

If you have any suggestions for this page, please feel free to contact Sharon with them.