Writing That Novel, Just Do It! Part 2

As I mentioned, I wrote the stories on my computer and saved them on a disk. The original idea was to have them to pass down to my grandchildren and the other little ones in the family. I know most people would have thought that was enough, but I'm really not like everyone else so I decided the stories should be printed into a book.

My first idea was to have a few books printed up for the family. I did a lot of research on the Internet and found many websites that would make my book but the cost was more than I had expected. It just wasn't something I could afford to do on my own. For some that might be a reason to give up, but I'm not that easily stopped. I had finally brought my writing out of the closet and I wouldn't let it be lost again. In my research, I came across a wonderful website with a lot of very good information for finding a publisher. Unfortunately, the website is no longer available but I'd be glad to pass on the advice she so graciously shared.

The first and most important thing she stressed was the need to believe in yourself. If you don't believe your work is worth reading, you won't be able to convince anyone else to read what you've written. It's hard to let someone read your work for fear of rejection, but you'll never know unless you put it out there. Relatives are sometimes not the best to judge the quality of your writing because they may not want to hurt your feelings, so they won't really give you constructive criticism. It might be best to have someone read it who will be able to be honest and objective. The hardest thing for you may be to hear suggestions to improve your writing because it's so personal.

When looking for a publisher, you have to be realistic. Now that's a strange word for me because I sometimes get crazy and caught up in my dream. Even I had to realize my book was special to me, but the well known publishers aren't going to take a chance on an unknown. If you think that was enough to stop me, think again because I did check out their websites to see if they were accepting new authors. Most of them don't accept manuscripts unless you have an agent, and most agents won't represent you unless you pay them upfront. Paying anyone to get my book published was not an option, so I had to keep looking. Besides, the website I used for advice said you should never have to put out any of your own money. She said a reputable publisher would pay you. Easy for her to say, she wasn't getting the rejection notices for my book.

I was so excited when I finally received an email saying someone was interested in my stories. I sent them off a few stories and waited anxiously for their reply. When I received the reply, they were very interested, however, they wanted me to make some small changes. My stories used animals living at the Lily Pond learning how to deal with everyday problems. The changes they wanted was for me to use real children in these situations. Sounds like a small thing, but it would have actually changed the whole feel and idea of the stories. It would have no longer been my book. Regretfully, I had to decline their offer. The search for a publisher to accept my work the way I wrote it continued.

Come back tomorrow for part 3 of this post to see if I found a publisher, and I've decided to put out a challenge to all of you. Are you up for a challenge? Want to know what it is? Did I peak your curiosity?