Writing and publishing: a beginner's guide

I have had loads of emails from people who want to know about the long hard road to getting a book published. So, I thought that perhaps it might be useful for me to describe the painful process that I went through. If it doesn't put you off, you might even find it useful…

The obvious thing is that you have to write a book. The first step is to write the thing, or if you haven't written it, have a good plan. I wrote my book before trying to get an agent, but some people have sold in an idea by doing a synopsis of the story. I think my way is better, but then I would wouldn't I?

I can't tell you how long it takes to write a book, or how long it should be. It takes as long as it takes and it is as long as it is. I am not trying to be unhelpful but the first thing to understand is that very book, every author is different which makes it harder to give advice, because there aren't too many guidelines to follow. The advice I will give you when writing a book is that you shouldn't worry about word counts, or how long it takes you to write ten pages, you should worry about content.

It might help you to have a plan before you start, that way you will have some idea of where the story is going. You don't have to plan every detail and you might not want a plan at all, I just find that if I have some idea what is going to happen it helps.
I also write a description (both looks and their personalities) of my main characters before I start. That way they are already alive when I start writing the book and I can picture them, which helps me to know how they would react to situations. This is no way a necessity, just something I like to do.

People tell you to write about what you know, but in some cases it could make the book very short. So if you need to add things you don't know about, make sure that you do some research. I will secretly admit to you that I have an aversion for research, but people notice if you get things wrong. If you're going to write about diving equipment, make sure you know about diving equipment. If you are talking about a place, make sure that if the place is real the descriptions are to. I think you get the general idea.

Self-discipline is horrid but unfortunately as a first time writer, you have to impose some sort of control over yourself when it comes to writing. If you set aside an hour a day, or one day a week, it doesn't matter but you will have to motivate yourself. It is one of the most difficult aspects but also one of the most important.

At times you'll feel frustrated. At times flummoxed maybe, writing a book inevitably involves an amount of pain and suffering. There will be times when the plot doesn't seem to be working; times when you might not know how to get from A to B, and times when your characters seem to lose their personalities. This is all part of the process, so don't worry too much. If you do finish a book the sense of achievement is overwhelming, and it is a great achievement. You have finally distanced yourself from the people that say 'yeah, I could write a book,' but never ever will. Be very proud and take the opportunity to gloat.

Once the celebrations are over, it is time to bite the bullet and try to find an agent.

You need to buy or borrow a copy of 'Writers and Artists' Yearbook. In it you will find a list of agents, publishers, as well as advice. My advice would be to look for an agent rather than sending your manuscript to a publisher. It is the way that you hear most writers actually achieve publication, and certainly everyone I know has done it this way.

Choose Your Agent Carefully: There are a lot of agents, and some specialise in certain areas. Go through all of them and make a short list of the ones that deal with your type of book. Then note what each requires, (it will normally be a synopsis and the first few chapters), but it is important to send them exactly what they want. Most will ask for return postage to be sent with it. Basically, just follow instructions.

Standard presentation issues: Most agents will prefer double spacing, a font size that doesn't require squinting to see it, and paragraph indentation. Start a new page for a new chapter and make sure the pages are numbered. If this all sounds like common sense, then I am lacking in it because believe me, I sent single-spaced, un-numbered pages with no indentation.

Good Luck: I have a box full of rejection letters; unfortunately rejection is something you need to learn to deal with. It is part of the process. But then someone took me on and I got my first book published.
So, if you do go down this path, all I can say is that I wish you success, and I look forward to seeing you in all good bookshops soon!

What the Editor says...

Getting something published isn't easy. Richard Adams (Watership Down), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) and other talented and now successful authors were turned down repeatedly before finally getting picked up. To begin with, you have to be as determined as you are talented. Getting rejected is never pleasant, but to have to haul yourself up afterwards and send off your masterpiece for even more criticism and possible rejection takes some guts. But its worth it, if writers didn't do this bookshops would be an empty place.

The book world is a competetive arena, there are vast amounts of talented people out there with a story to tell, but everyone has as much right as the next to be published. Most publishing houses read unsolicited manuscripts - these are un-agented scripts sent in directly by the author, others do not. Check in The Writer's and Artists' Yearbook - this is the publishing bible - it has all the information you need to understand the publishing process as new writers. Some publisher's have people specifically hired to read the scripts and pass them on to the relevant editors. This can take time as every script gets read by one or more people, so the trick is here to patient, as long as you send in a stamped addressed envelope they will get back to you with a response. Always send in three chapters and a synopsis, that is all we need at this stage and will save you money on postage. If we want to read more, we will request it. Don't be too down hearted if it is a turn down, and pay attention to any feed back you may get from it. Sometimes it is all too easy to become so involved in a story that you are snow blind to any problems with it. A fresh eye - even if it is a critical one - is a good thing.

It is definitely a more effective route to get an agent to approach publishing houses for you. Agents will fight your battles for you, ensure that you get the very best deal and not be phased by any technical jargon. They will also often help you shape your script. Of course first you have to get an agent. Avoid vanity publisher's, it's just not worth it. You shouldn't have to pay for your books to be published. The good, established, recognised agents will be found in the Writer's and Artists' Yearbook. It will tell you all you need to know in terms of the most suitable agent to send your work in to. Again, send in three chapters, a synopsis and a letter telling them a little about you.

Make sure that your finished script has been checked for spelling, gramma and punctuation. It should be double-spaced and paginated. If the script you send in is easy to read and free of careless mistakes, you've already scored ten Brownie points. Editors receive piles of scripts to read every week, you want yours to stand out in regards to story and presentation.

Be persistent - but not a stalker, listen to advice and be ruthless with your work and keep writing - it can take a million words to find your voice, but when you do you'll know it was worth all the blood, sweat and tears.

Good luck.