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OCTOBER 15, 2007

The Journey: From Aspiring Writer to Published Author

ByLisa Unger

I used to give this talk with some regularity when I was just starting out as an author. I chose this topicbecause my journey is somewhat unique, because I have a great deal of experience in the publishingindustry, and because initially people werent that interested in hearing from an unknown author whomanaged to get herself published. Sad but true!

I dont give this talk as often any more; my appearances are generally more focused on the book Imhawking at any given moment. But themes from this talk come up again and again. And I hear fromenough aspiring writers here andwww.myspace.com/authorlisaunger with the same thoughts andquestions that I believe this might be of some help.

A word of warning: This is NOT a nuts and bolts guide to getting published, because, frankly, there is nosuch thing. Many books pretend to be that and you might find some good ones out there that tell youhow to seek an agent, write a good query letter, etc. But the truth is, theres no one way toward thiselusive goal. When asked, I always say: Getting published takes a little bit of ability, a little bit of luck,and just sheer, never-say-die tenacity.

However, the following piece does contain some practical advice, some philosophical advice, and a few ofthe things that I learned along the way. I hope my thoughts and experiences help you get closer to yourdream.

Enjoy and good luck!

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I guess what I want to talk about is dreamsdreams that become reality. Im willing to bet that all of youreading this have pretty big dreams, otherwise maybe youd be watching television rather than searchingthe internet about how to get published.

The author Julia Cameron, who wrote a tremendous book called The Artists Way, wrote in anothertremendous book entitled The Right to Write that, we treat unpublished writers as if they have anembarrassing case of unrequited love. But Ill ask you to consider for a moment that there is not apublished author today who has not at one time been an aspiring writer. At one time or another everybestseller on the New York Times list, every critically acclaimed author you can name, had what you haveright now, the dream of becoming a published author.

For me, the dream began when I was just a kid. I have always most naturally expressed myself throughwriting. I have always created stories to entertain myself and others. Ive always dwelled in the land ofmy imagination more comfortably than in the real world. Being a published, full-time writer is the onlydream I ever had for my life. And looking back, I can see clearly that every choice I made, whether I knewit or not at the time, has led me here.

It may be like that for you. Perhaps youve always been a writer. Or perhaps, youve decided justrecently that you have a story to tell. Whatever your experience is, for whatever reason youve come tothe craft, the first step in making your dream come true is very simple: Believe that it actually can cometrue.

For a long time, I didnt really believe that it was possible to make a living as a writer. Mainly, becausethats what people always told me. So, I made it a hobby. All through high school, I won awards and,eventually, a partial scholarship for my writing. In college, I was advised by teachers to pursue my talent,to get an agent, to really go for it. But there was a little voice that told me quietly that it wasnt reallypossible (Actually it was my fathers voice saying, Kid, youre off the payroll. Get a real job!). I didnt

see it as a viable career option as I graduated from Eugene Lang Collegethe undergraduate division ofthe New School for Social Researchand started my first job in publishing.

A real job delivers a regular paycheck, right? So I entered a profession that brought me as close to mydream as possible (without actually risking anything) and paid, if not well, then at least every twoweeks. But this is the second step toward making your dreams come true: Realize that its not about themoney.

If youve come to the craft because you think its a way to get rich, put your pen away. Some people doget rich there are a few celebrity authors that we all can name. And Im not saying you cant or wontget there yourself. But I am saying that if thats your motivation, then you are not a writer. A writerwrites because he or she cant be anything else. Not that were unable to do anything else, only that itsa drive that exists whether theres a paycheck behind it or not. I would be writing even I werent getting

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paid (and did for most of my life). I will still be writing if I never publish another word. If this is true foryou, then you are a writer whether or not youre published, whether or not you are getting paid. Onemust write for the sake of writing, for no other reason.

In my publishing career, I started as a publicity assistant and, eventually, over the next seven years,climbed up the ranks to an associate director of publicity at Penguin Putnam, one of the largestpublishing companies in the world. I booked author tours, media interviews. I traveled the country withauthors. I worked every day with some of the most successful writers in the industry, was intimatelyconnected with every aspect of book publishing and had never been further away from my dream. Iwasnt writing a word; months would go bynothing.

My job was very demanding and drainingfifty, sixty hours a week, late nights at book signings andevents, traveling to conferences, author tours. And all the while, I was stealing time to write my firstnovel, Angel Fire. It took me nearly five years to get serious about it. Thats the next step toward makinga dream come true, COMMITMENT.

You have a million other commitments, of course. Theres your family, your job, your life. But at somepoint, you have to make a commitment to pursue the dream. Maybe that means you get up an hourearlier, or stay up two hours later to write. Maybe that means you eat a sandwich at your desk and useyour lunch hour to get some pages down or claim some time for yourself on the weekends.

There is no other way to be a published writer than to write, no matter what. Maybe its a paragraph,maybe its a page, maybe its ten pages when you can do it. But there is simply no other way to be awriter than to write. There are no short cuts, like anything worth doing. You have to dedicate at leastpart of your energy to accomplishing that goal.

Personally, I had an epiphany. I took a really long hard look at my life. It was pretty good. I was young,

had a great job, a fabulous apartment, fantastic friends, and I was newly liberated from a terriblerelationship. But I realized that I was devoting all my creative energy to a job that I didnt love. And thatif I took 10 percent of my energy and devoted it to my goal of being a published, working writer that IKNEW I could make it happen. And more than that, I realized that if I DIDNT focus fully on my goal thatten years from now, Id have to look back and say to myself, You know what? You never even tried. Icouldnt live with that.

From that point, it took me about another year to finish Angel Fire (my first novel published by St.Martins Minotaur under my maiden name Lisa Miscione). When it was done, I sent it to five agents andwas fortunate enough to get signed on by one of the best in the industry (shes still my agent today).Three months later she had brokered a two-book deal for me with St. Martins Press. This is the abridgedversion of my story, visit me at www.lisaunger.com for more detailsits a pretty interesting story, if I dosay so myself.

Here, Im going to move past the more philosophical ideas about making this particular dream come trueand move into the nuts and bolts aspects of getting published.

Unfortunately, theres no formula. And, of course, my story is not typical. There are not many peoplewho sell the first book theyve ever written. Many successful authors wrote five books or more beforethey were ever published. So that brings me to the other element in making dreams come true.TENACITY. Believe in yourself and never give up. In my experience the following five steps are the bestway to go and they can be repeated over and over again if necessary.

1) Finish your novel.

You may hear about people selling their idea, or their outline for a book they want to write. And thishappens sometimes in the case of non-fiction. An established author might sell by synopsis. But for a first-time novelist, you really need to submit a completed manuscript. Theres more to the writing of a novelthan a good idea and the ability to string a few coherent sentences together. An agent (and well talkabout why you need an agent), needs to see that you can create and resolve a story arc, that you know

about pacing, how to create a strong narrative voice, develop characters, etc. To know that, theyll wantto see your finished book.

2) Find an agent

Congratulations! Youve finished your book. Now, your next step is to find yourself an agent. There areabout a million agents out there (well, not really, but you get my point) all with varying degrees ofcredibility. The Literary Market Place (LMP) lists all agents and publishing houses, offering detailedaccounts of what they represent or publish. Go to the library or visit www.literarymarketplace.com toperuse this industry bible. Some agents like military fiction or legal thrillers, some are more literary,some more commercial. The LMP will help you to compile a list of agents that might be right for you.

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Another way to find an agent to query is to figure out which authors your work is most like. Is it aromance novel in the tradition of Nora Roberts? Then you might call that publisher and find out whorepresents Nora Roberts.

An agent is crucial for many reasons, and I suppose that could be a whole other blog. But the simple truthis that most large publishers dont accept unsolicited manuscripts and theres no other way in the doorexcept to find reputable representation. So get yourself a good one. Easier said then done, of course. Butthe Literary Market Place is the best place I can think of to start.

3) Draft a compelling, professional agent query letter

Once youve decided which agents youd like to approach, send your query letter (DO proofread carefully,correct typos, etc. have someone else look at it, too) to one or two agents at a time. Some people willtell you that you can only query one agent at a time but this is not necessary. If more than one agentrequests your full manuscript and leaps to sign you on, you can make a choice based on who else he or sherepresents, what theyve sold recently, success track record, fee, etc. (BTW Standard agent fee is 15percent of earnings and no reputable agent will charge you anything until your book is sold.)

All you need is a simple business query letter. State briefly what your book is about, what yourcredentials are (education, publications, etc.), a personal statement about why youve chosen to querythat particular agent, and a polite request for representation. (You might also include the first chapter ofyour novel, though some books will advise against this. To my mind, thats what will sell your book or not.But like I said, this is not a nuts-and-bolts guide, so do what feels best.)

While poor grammar, bad spelling, and typos are all the hallmarks of carelessness and a lack ofprofessionalism and need to be very carefully attended to, dont get bogged down with anything else.Sending your work in colored envelopes to catch attention, fancy binding, and/ or stationery are all

totally unnecessary steps. It may catch someones attention but probably not in a good way. Simple,professional, and focused, thats the way to go. The writing is the thing. Your query letter is anintroduction and must walk the line between professionalism and enthusiasm. It must be selling butalso measured. Crazy lines like, Im so much better than John Grisham or Youre looking at your newbestseller will really hurt you to the point that people might just throw your stuff in the trash. Seriously.

4) Prepare for rejection

Look, theres simply no way around. It hurts, every time. Youll feel that crush of disappointment on yourheart, every time. But youll need to get over it and FAST if your dream is going to survive. Its possiblethat the first agent who reads your book, loves it, that the first editor who sees it, loves it and buys it.But more than likely, youll query a couple agents at least before you get signed on. Even when youvefound an agent, there may be rejection from publishers until you find one who thinks youre brilliant.Even when youve found a publisher, there might be reviewers who reject your book, or readers whodont like it for whatever reason. Get tough. Your dream has to be made out of cast iron because the

publishing industry is one hot kitchen. Imagine where wed be if great dreamers let their ideas getquashed by other peoples opinions. It would be a dark, cold world.

5) Keep writing

Just because your manuscript is out there, doesnt mean you should stop writing. Keep at it. Come upwith another idea, and get to work on it. Remember, its not about the selling. Its about the craft. Itsabout being the best writer you can be, every day, without fail. And you cant do that without writingevery day without fail.

It really is the question I get most often: How do I go about getting published? Everything above is thelong answer. The short answer is: Write everyday. Get better every day. Keep getting your work out therein the most professional way possible. And never, ever give up.

Its really that simple and that hard.

Keep writing and good luck!

P.S. These are some of the best books Ive read on the craft. Youll understand more about the businessand yourself if you take the time to read them.

The Forest For the Trees by Betsy LernerOn Writing by Steven KingThe Right to Write and The Artists Way by Julia Cameron

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