LIFE-WRITES: Exercise of the Intellect

“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.” Orson Scott Card

Having dispensed with the nuts and bolts side of creative writing, we are now going to study the intuitive, imaginative and off-beat aspects. We are going to explore what I’ve called:

Creative Pathways For Writers – the 10 Secret Steps

1. There are more ideas locked away in your unconscious mind than you could ever write about in a whole lifetime – but how can they influence your creative writing. The secret is finding the key to access them.

2. There is a story (article or poem) behind everything you encounter during your daily routine in both inner and outer worlds if you have the courage to experience and explore. The secret is learning to look behind the obvious.

3. No matter how mundane and/or familiar a scene, there are countless different angles from which to view it. The secret is thinking ‘sideways’.

4. You are unique: no one can access the same experiences and memories, which means you have the ability to generate unique responses to situations. The secret is knowing how to express yourself.

5. Creative energy fuels creativity, so immerse yourself with creative images and stimulating art forms to give fresh ideas and ignite the creative flame. The secret is tapping into whatever can unleash creative energy.

6. Encourage the flow of creative energy from your unconscious mind through visualisation, meditation and relaxation. The secret is drawing energy from other sources.

7. Use your imagination when exploring other artistic mediums such as painting, sculpture, music, etc., because creativity is a state of mind. The secret is allowing other influences to stimulate the creative impulse.

8. Give your imagination free rein and open up your unconscious mind to the creative possibilities around you; if necessary do the opposite of what is considered the norm. The secret is having the strength to dream.

9. By connecting to your unconscious mind you can explore the wealth of universal memories of myth, fantasy and symbolism – but don’t be embarrassed by your ability to travel to the ‘hidden’ world. The secret is channelling your favourite childhood images.

10. Certain images or symbols open the door to the collective unconscious; try working with these mind pictures to stimulate your creativity no matter how ridiculous or outrageous at the beginning. The secret is focussing the mind on those things that will encourage creative energy.

Multiple & Simultaneous Submissions

Let’s have a word about multiple and simultaneous submissions. The only instance when it’s permissible to make multiple submissions is for poetry, when editors will often request that

writers send up to six poems at a time. Send two or three unsolicited short stories or articles in the same envelope and they will probably go straight in the bin.

The question of simultaneous submissions is a lot more complex, so let’s use an analogy before we start. Just suppose a market gardener was told that he could only sell one box of lettuce to Tesco or Wal-Mart at a time; and that these would have to be sold and eaten before he could sell another box to another supermarket chain. It wouldn’t make for good business and his stock would be well past its sell-by date by the time he could offer it elsewhere. The same applies to writers’ submissions. Some editors state quite openly that it can take between 3-6 months before they will give a decision, so what are our options?

• All submissions should be tailored-made for the appropriate market and shouldn’t automatically suit another editor’s requirements. All typescripts would need some tinkering before being sent to another editor, so simultaneous submissions are not a good idea from the writer’s point of view.

• By rule of thumb, give short stories, poems and articles a month before offering them elsewhere. Novels and nonfiction book proposals should be given between six to eight weeks before sending them off to the next publisher/agent on your list. Give them the courtesy of another six weeks to

respond.

• A ‘perhaps’ ‘later’ ‘maybe’ response is no good to a writer. Keep your options open by all means, but a piece isn’t sold until you have a formal confirmation.

The ‘no simultaneous submissions’ rule was put in place over two decades ago by publishers and editors, and has become another of those urban myths within the creative writing industry. It’s dog in the manger stuff and if you’ve been waiting for weeks, or even months, for a reply, then it’s hardly ‘simultaneous’ if you decide to submit to someone else after a reasonable delay. If your submission is accepted, do send a polite letter to any editor who’s ‘kept it on file’ and explain that the piece has now been sold. And thank them for their time. You never know when you want to submit to them again.  One response I’ve noticed that it relatively new is: “If you have a request from another agent/publisher for the full manuscript, please email us and let us know.”  In other words, we might have overlooked something good and it gives us the opportunity to steal a march on the other agent/publisher who might not realise there’s competition in the offing!

The only real no-no for simultaneous submissions is when submitting material for a writing competition. Because there is often a 3-6 month lapse between the competition being announced and the closing date, be prepared for your entry to be on-hold until after the judging process has taken place. Generally speaking, however, material entered for competition, particularly short stories, would not be the sort of fiction normally written for commercial publication, since it tends to be more adventurous and non-genre specific.

Every submission should be tailor-made for its intended market.

Standard Operating Procedure

Having edited a writers’ magazine for over 20 years, and acted as commissioning editor for a small, independent publisher for a decade, I think it’s safe to say that generally speaking, most submissions are rejected because the writer has:

• had an idea, and not bothered to develop it into something out of the ordinary.

• not attempted to find the right marketplace.

• completely ignored the submission guidelines.

• not made a study of other publications on the back list, or previous issues of the magazine

If it hadn’t been for indulging in a bit of serious market research one wet Irish afternoon, none of my non-fiction books would have been under contract by the end of 2015. “Who’s the most popular publisher for my sort of stuff, these days?” I asked a friend who runs one of the more interesting bookshops in London. She gave me two names. The first, and despite the rather uninspiring entry in The Writer’s Handbook, I went to the website ... made a telephone call and 48 hours later I had the emailed contract in my possession! Two months later I had the contract for a second book., which developed into a series of six. The other publisher mentioned has never bothered to respond. In all fairness there had been a change of commissioning editor and that may have accounted for the silence. I may try them again when I have written something else that suits their list … but then again, I may not.

Another book was sold to a publishing company who does not appear in any of the writers’ handbooks, and neither does its sister publishing venture, a monthly magazine. Another friend who advertises in the magazine told me to have a look at it for a possible article outlet. In trawling through the website I discovered the link for books and back issues ... and five weeks later the contract for Signposts For Country Living was signed and sealed, and the first part of the advance paid.

 Don’t rely on existing sources to provide you with a marketplace – go out and find your own.

The moral of this story is that although writers’ handbooks list hundreds of publications, there are much wider publishing opportunities that do not always appear in these hallowed pages. If you have a specialist subject, it might pay to do as I did and check through trade or professional publications governing that subject, or ask people with similar interests: “Which publisher or magazines do you read/recommend?”

My experiences as a commissioning editor has also shown that writers will work through A-Z of the handbooks, regardless of whether their material is compatible with the publisher’s guidelines.

They literally start at ‘A’ and send proposals to every publishing company listed — even when the entry states quite categorically that the publisher does not want to receive the type of material they’re proposing. I am aware that I’ve banged on ad nauseaum over the years about the importance of market research, but it’s still as vital as ever, if not more so, in today’s computerised publishing climate. Especially as I now have a sneaking suspicion that many smaller publishers deliberately don’t include their details in the handbooks, and thus avoid having to deal with hundreds of unsolicited typescripts from unreasonable people.

We should also be aware that time and publishers’ fads wait for no writer, and that books appearing in the shops and literary supplements in July, were contracted up to 18 months previously. And usually the bigger the publisher, the longer the wait for the book to be produced. Of course, it isn’t possible to second guess what publishers see as next year’s potential bestsellers, but there will be little point in submitting a proposal for what was being commissioned 18 months previously. Like all areas of business, publishing trends move fast, and as authors we need to use more than just our imaginations to get ahead of the game.

• Begin by making a list of all the publishing houses that accept titles in your genre, and make a point of regularly logging onto their respective websites to check for forthcoming titles and up-and-coming authors.

• Set time aside each month to devote to updating your potential market outlets and discover the subtle differences between each publisher’s requirements – regardless of where you live in the world!

A writer’s income derives from material sent out weeks, months, or even a year, previously and so there needs to be a continuous stream of work under consideration and/or acceptance to provide a regular financial return. A large proportion of freelancers earn considerably less than £4000 per year from their writing alone, and the competition gets fiercer with each passing year. Which is why it is said that professional writing is roughly 60% forward planning and 40% talent; and why successful writers always work with an eye on the calendar, not the clock.

For example: As I sit here wondering what to write about in the next magazine editorial, the sun is shining and bathing the Galtee mountains in a misty blue autumnal haze. It’s the weekend that the clocks alter. By the time our subscribers read about it, we will have been plunged into the gloom that usually follows the festive season and my mountain view will probably be shrouded in dense fog and darkness. January and February are gloomy months but the writer can’t afford the New Year blues ... if you’re not already doing it, resolve to send out one proposal or submission per week. Needless to say, much depends on career/domestic commitments but you should soon be able to increase your target to two or even three proposals/submissions per week once you get into the habit.

I appreciate that it’s often difficult to conjure up images of summer in the middle of winter, or offering new ways to celebrate Christmas around Midsummer Day but that’s exactly what editors are doing. Any seasonally themed piece, whether fact or fiction, needs to be submitted some 6-12 months ahead of the publication date. And, at risk of repeating myself, there needs to be an original slant on the traditional offerings, not the same tired old ‘how to survive Christmas/summer holidays with relations’ etc. This is why Chambers Book of Days: A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities in connection with the Calendar is such a ‘must-have’ because it acts as a great seasonal reminder, and focuses the attention on distant points in the calendar with a flick of the pages.

 Don’t get left behind … plan ahead

This extract was taken from Life-Writes: Where do writers get their Ideas from?  It’s called life is published by Compass Books – www.compass-books.net

EXTRACT: Life-Writes: Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas From?

What the How-To Books Don’t Tell You

Since creative writing became one of the largest growth industries in the hobbies market, there have been countless how-to books written advising new writers on the best way to get their work into print. So here’s a simple A-Z checklist of some of the do’s and don’ts to get out of the way before we start:

Agent

A semi-mythical creature that inhabits the twilight world of publishing. Everyone seeks them but they remain elusive and shy, avoiding new and not-so-new writers like a cat avoids water.

Can only be attracted by the smell of success ... when the writer has already hooked a publisher’s interest ... after the author has done all the work.

Book

The Holy Grail of all publishing ambition and a must-have for all serious writers, both old and new. If unable to place the typescript with a mainstream or small, independent publisher, many writers go for self-publication, regardless of the cost or quality of the content.

Clichés

A no-go area according to the how-to books but they form an integral part of our daily speech, are easily identifiable, and appear constantly as the basis for hundreds of titles in

magazines. If uncomfortable with using an old-fashioned cliché — invent your own.

Discipline

Try to write something every day during a set time period. Great idea in a perfect world. Most house holds don’t function like that and it is almost impossible to set aside a daily creative period when football is on TV; the cat’s just been sick on the mat, or the dog needs to be rushed to the vet; a child has found an exciting new way of attempting to eliminate itself; and the boiler’s packed in. Self proclaimed discipline is a smug person’s way of letting you know that they’re a more serious writer than you are.

Email Submissions

Easy to lose and/or ignore. Not always viewed as serious contact if the office is busy and can therefore be deleted with a flick of the little finger. Whoops! Make sure this is an acceptable means of contact before submitting your work via this medium.

Frustration

A permanent condition that hampers a writer’s every attempt to get things done. Like trying to get some sense out of the ‘girl on the switchboard’ when you’re trying to find out the correct editor to whom you wish to send your material. The jury is still out on whether she’s being deliberately awkward, or just plain thick.

Good Advice

Ignore it! As Oscar Wilde said: “I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never any good to oneself.” But still lots of it around, and everyone’s an expert on getting published these days.

Humour

An absolute minefield for the fledgling writer. Never state that you are submitting a humorous piece as ten to one it will fail to amuse the editor. If they read it and it makes them laugh, it’s humour and stands by itself - telling an editor they are about to be amused seldom works. Most humour pieces that arrive on an editor’s desk usually mean instant rejection, simply because they don’t even raise a chuckle.

Ideas

Let’s get one thing straight - there’s no such thing as an original idea in publishing. “Ahhh!” I hear you cry. “What about Harry Potter?” Been done before ... what about all those Enid Blyton boarding school adventures? It’s a highly original slant on an old (and in its time, very popular) theme. JKR had the imagination to extend that theme into the world of fantasy and came up with a winner. And that’s exactly what we’re talking about!

Jam on the Bread

In other words, getting paid for your work. OK ... agreed it’s exciting to see your by-line in the initial stages of a writing career but just how long are you willing to carry on churning out

material for free? How-to books will guide the novice towards a diversity of publications but hardly ever state that very few of the mags listed will stump up with cold, hard cash in return for your well-crafted piece. Expecting to earn a living from the written word is a very precarious situation indeed.

Karma

Or putting it another way, ‘don’t piss off the editor’. Editors move around from mag to mag or between publishing houses - and have very long memories, so any altercation may single out a writer as a person who’s too much trouble to deal with. This isn’t to say that all editors are good guys, but your ‘trouble’ may still come back to haunt you several years down the line.

Letters

Accompanying letters need to be short, concise and to the point, rather than some rambling discourse that gives everything from your blood group to your grandmother’s maiden name. This style of letter may just convince an editor, agent or publisher that they couldn’t possibly work with you, no matter how much they might like your work.

Muse

A pretentious referral to some perceived guardian/creative angel, who hasn’t got anything better to do, other than sit around feeding ideas to wannabe writers. Also used as an excuse

for not writing, because the creative Muse has gone AWOL (see Writer’s Block).

No Word Count

All magazine submissions, both fiction and non-fiction, have to fit into a slot in the publication’s layout. If this information isn’t included on the title page you risk having your otherwise excellent piece being discarded because everyone’s too busy to sit down and

work out whether it’s going to fit the pre-allocated space.

Opinions

Never have one! The majority of editors dislike ‘opinion pieces’, so if you want to make a political or controversial statement get quotes from both sides of the argument before you begin. The writer’s voice is merely the channel for other people’s viewpoints. A good journalist, however, can always get the intended message across by knowing when, where and how to use the quotes. Leave yourself out of the picture.

Publishers

The Olympians of the publishing industry are almost as difficult to corner as Agents. These lofty creatures aren’t looking for the next Dan Brown or JKR, they’re looking for someone new. No matter how good your presentation, there’s got to be much more to catch their eye. Study publisher’s catalogues and become familiar with the type of material they are looking for ... and try to pre-empt them!

Quirks and Foibles

Every editor has them ... silly little things that please or annoy, which can lead to rejection as quick as [insert appropriate cliché or simile]. Quirks and foibles have little to do with the actual presentation of a typescript ... it’s more to do with a writer’s personal style. Twee address stickers … signature in pink ink …coloured/fancy paper ... spelling a name incorrectly ... Don’t leave yourself open to an editor’s personal dislikes by not submitting a totally professional package.

Rejection Slips

Possibly the most boring subject in the whole field of creative writing but the same old stories circulate about how many times [insert name of famous writer of your choice] had a MS rejected, together with personal tales of having received enough rejection slips to paper the lavatory. Every writer receives rejection slips ... just the same as everyone receives an electricity bill. It’s just not worth commenting on, never mind writing tedious articles about

them.

Stamped-Addressed Envelopes

There has been a great deal of speculation over the fate of the SAE in publishing circles. Often comes under the same heading as ‘Where do flies go in the winter?’ No matter how many SAEs a writer encloses with submissions, there is very little chance that the ‘girl in the office’ will be able to marry a SAE to a submission, so no chance of a reply. And you do have to stick the right amount of stamps on if you want a reply, because SAE means

‘stamped-addressed’ not self-addressed envelope. And IRC means International Reply Coupon.

Typing

Nice old-fashioned concept in this age of computers but you’d be surprised how many experienced writers don’t observe the basic rudiments of the typing class. Such as changing the ‘ribbon’ (i.e. ink cartridge) when printing off a finished typescript. Editors still receive pale (and therefore not interesting), single-spaced sheets that are extremely difficult to read, and often from experienced writers who should know better.

Under Pressure

Professional writers are always under pressure. Once you have your proposal accepted, whether for a full-length book, magazine feature or regular column in a local newspaper, you will be under pressure to supply on time. Once you miss that deadline the opportunity will be gone and someone else will step in. This is why it is essential to understand that it’s not a good idea to give up the day job if part-time writing finances your living expenses. The pressures on a writer are great enough without having to worry about the mortgage, paying off the car, or covering the monthly direct debits.

Vulneratus Non Victus

Literally meaning ‘wounded but not conquered’ and an ideal motto for a beginner writer. Beware of using foreign words and phrases without clarification, otherwise you’ll come across as trying to be too clever.

Writer’s Block

One of the most popular urban myths of all. Only amateurs refer to it as though it is some form of obligatory childhood complaint such as chicken pox or measles - professional writers can’t afford to have it, and don’t get it. They work on something else until the ideas start to flow again.

X-Factor

The sign that all the chemicals have blended well enough to turn dross into gold. It can’t be defined but everyone can recognise it when they read it. Aim to give the performance of a lifetime but don’t be too devastated if someone else is declared the winner. When all is said and done, the final decision will always go to the item that appeals personally to the editor or competition judge.

Yearbook

Every writer has their favourite version but do bear in mind that a lot of information can be out of date before publication comes around. This is because yearbooks are compiled a year in advance, so all details should be checked before submitting material.

Zany

Can be initially appealing but wears thin after a while. Use in your writing but not in your covering letter to an editor.

Keep these do’s and don’ts in mind and, with an added emphasis on originality, we’re ready to pursue another shy and elusive creature, the commissioning editor ... to be continued:

Life-Writes: Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas From? It’s Called Life is published by Compass Books – www.compass-books.net  Available in paperback or e-book.

BOOK REVIEW: The Angel's Lamp

For all lovers of Irish history ...

“The purpose of a good novel is to encourage the reader to suspend disbelief ... with historical fiction it is also necessary to transport the reader back in time so they taste, see, smell, hear and taste the era in which the story takes place.   Right from the opening paragraph, ‘The Angel’s Lamp’ takes us to the horrors of the execution yard during Ireland’s troubles as seen through the eyes of a Irish-born, British soldier, Johnny Flynn.   Ashby Jones has written a powerful story that often sees both sides of ‘the Cause’ and will appeal to all those who have a passion for Irish history with a touch of doomed romance.”

Suzanne Ruthven

The Angel’s Lamp by Ashby Jones is published by Top Hat Books www.tophat-books.com

First part of Life-Writes: Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas From? It’s called Life

 Chapter One: Part One - Absence of Thought

“Within the space of fifteen minutes, the horse escaped from the paddock and went down with colic … two swallows flew into the cottage and got trapped in the sitting room … three large dogs pitched in to help expel the invaders … and in the midst of all this mayhem, the magazine deadline was looming ...”

The second most common question a writer is asked, is ‘where do your ideas come from?’ [The first is: ‘Do you make any money from it?’] Experienced writers don’t go looking for ideas; ideas come to them. An experienced writer just has the knack of spotting what makes a good story (in this case, an editorial) … or what will make a good story once it’s been given the right spin … because none of us, if we’re honest, will let reality get in the way of a saleable piece of work.

The opening dramas really did happen, but they took place over several hours without any of the fauna involved suffering adverse side effects. The horse had an injection; one swallow escaped without help, while the other required an open window before it made its exit. The greyhounds had a Bonio apiece and went back to sleep; and The New Writer was duly despatch via www.mailbigfile.com on schedule. Condense the story into a 15-minute drama and it gives a thumb-nail sketch of the hectic domestic life of a freelance writer and editor. Tell it like it really was and the reader response would be: ‘So what!’

All editors are looking for an element of action, drama or surprise, even in non-fiction. It’s what catches their attention and makes them pause to read further; and the key to any editor’s heart is originality. Not necessarily a new departure in style or genre, but a refreshing and original slant on a popular theme. The writers whose work has been accepted for publication, managed to spark the editor’s interest because those particular typescripts stood out from the rest on a dull, wet Monday morning.

It’s not always easy to be objective about our own work, but the first question we need to ask is: why did those other writers stand out? What was so special about that particular piece of writing? What made the editor decide to published them over the hundreds of others (including our own submission) arriving in the office during that month?

• It may have been brilliantly written – but so are hundreds of others.

• It was probably topical – but so are hundreds of others.

• It probably met every point in the contributors’ guidelines – but so did hundreds of others.

The answer, without doubt, was that particular writer’s approach to a common or popular theme was so fresh and appealing that it was almost as if the editor was reading about the subject for the first time. In other words – originality!

One of the first instructions I usually give at a writers’ workshop is to always discard the first idea that comes into your head. And while you’re at it, discard the second … and third idea,

too. This is because a hundred other writers will have had an identical thought for an article (poem or short story) stimulated by something seen on television, read in a magazine or newspaper, or heard on the radio. We may not consciously realise that this has been the source of our inspiration but the seed has been planted firmly in the deep recesses of the brain.

In fact, running the annual TNW Prose & Poetry Prizes we can usually predict the predominant theme(s) for competition entries and, more often than not, the approach to the subject itself, will also be repetitive. Here the only difference between a good and bad submission is the standard of writing and use of language. And the thing that makes a submission stand apart from the rest is where the writer has thought outside the box and developed the idea laterally. Linear thinking rarely wins prizes or editorial selection.

Let’s say, for example, that a national scandal has erupted in the news involving key players in the horse-racing world, and the question is raised as to whether they will be present at Aintree some months down the line. You may have a passion for the geegees and think that there will be a market somewhere for a piece on the Grand National … but so will hundreds of other writers. The collective subconscious has been busy and already thousands of fingers will be busy typing out a history of the race, with or without a list of past runners and riders.

Stop and think for a moment: The editor of The Racing Post, won’t be interested; top equestrian magazines such as Horse & Hound will have seen it all before, and publications aimed at other horsey disciplines will not be featuring a historical article on the ‘sport of kings’. Unless you’re a known name in sporting journalism, it’s doubtful whether any of the top trainers or jockeys will be willing to talk to you; and unless you have some fabulous, previously unpublished racing photographs of Royalty, there’s little scope for anything by a freelance. Or is there … several ideas spring immediately to mind:

• The groundsman responsible for the maintenance of the hallowed turf, or all-weather track, providing an interview doesn’t infringe on race day and you are capable of asking intelligent questions.

• The private owner is always good for a story – like the couple who had a runner in the 2010 Grand National, which they kept stabled on their allotment!

• Work riders and/or stable staff grow very attached to their charges and although you won’t get any inside information on the horses, there’s scope for a career piece on what it takes to work in a busy racing yard.

• Ladies’ Day sees the women competing for the best dressed prize and some fashion tips on how to jazz up an existing outfit for the occasion might appeal to a fashion editor in these times of recession. Exactly what do you wear for a race meeting?

• Everyone is interested in food these days and an insight into the catering arrangements provided for the hospitality suites, with suitable adaptations for home cooking might just make an editor’s mouth water. Find out the name of the caterer and obtain some sample menus if no one is available to talk to you.

• Former apprentice jockey Jim Anderson turned his hand to poetry and paid this homage to the great dual Derby winner and 1981 champion, who was stolen from his stable by the IRA and never seen again, after their demands for ransom were refused:

SHERGAR

So that was it old friend. So much for men.

The Crowns and laurels count for nothing now

And those who came like sneak-thieves in the night,

Have Cain’s eternal mark upon their brow.

They did their master’s bidding; made their name;

Not as you did in battle’s glorious fire.

No courage, spirit, heart or talent asked.

Just worthless souls which cheaply were for hire.

Reprinted by the kind permission of SportsBooks Limited of Cheltenham

Shergar & Other Friends: An anthology of horseracing poetry

Added to that, there are several possible target markets here that wouldn’t normally be interested in horse-racing, including regional magazines if there is a local connection. Equine publications aimed at the young rider might accept a career article, even though they may not usually feature horse racing. Women’s magazines could feature an Aintree, Ascot, Kentucky Derby or Melbourne Cup luncheon for the ladies, while the men are glued to the television, or off watching the race. Trade or professional papers catering for park-keepers and groundsmen might consider an interview with the man responsible for keeping the course looking good. And even if you miss Aintree, there are dozens of premier race meetings taking place all over the world, throughout the year that might adapt themselves to this kind of spin.

Learn to think outside the box.

Life Writes is available from Compass Books at www.compass-books.net.

Kick-Start the Novel: Session 6

The End Is The Beginning

These sessions are now complete, and those of you who have worked through it from the beginning are now at the stage where you need to bring your own critical judgement into play and decide whether your novels will stand up to the scrutiny of a publisher’s reader or literary agent.

Because this is a first novel, it is advisable to complete the type­script before approaching a publisher or agent, simply because these days few are willing to work with a new novelist on the basis of a synopsis and sample chapters. Writing a novel always takes much longer than planned, especially when there are other aspects of life to get in the way, and you need to be in a position to come up with the goods if a publisher likes what he sees. If there are still months of work before the typescript is finished, the offer might be withdrawn if the publisher has to wait — or the commissioning editor moves on to another company.

In an article published in The Author, the quarterly journal of the Society of Authors, a commissioning editor admitted that if she wasn’t sold on an idea in five minutes, then the proposal was rejected because this was the length of time she had to sell the idea at the monthly commissioning meeting. This is why it is essential to make every word count and why a great deal of time and effort should be made when putting together your submission package.

For the purpose of this exercise, you are asked to prepare a covering letter, synopsis and two-three sample chapters. Admittedly, most of those taking part will have a long way to go before their novels are finished and ready to go but it’s an exercise that might just tip the balance in your favour when the time comes. Most publishers have very strict rules about whether they will, or will not, accept submissions via email, so make a point of studying the websites of those who publish in your genre as they usually include detailed submission guidelines.

The Synopsis

Any successful author will tell you that preparing a synopsis is almost as difficult as writing the whole damned book! It’s the ultimate test in editing skills and every word must count in terms of conveying an overview of both plot and characters. For such an important element of the creative writing process, however, there are no ‘carved in stone’ guidelines as to the correct length of the thing, and individual editor’s requirements can differ quite considerably: as can the instructions given in the various how-to books.

Popular writing tutor, Chriss McCallum, gives the following advice, which is pretty standard throughout the industry. She tells us to send: “A concise synopsis of the whole novel, written in the present tense . Touch on key scenes, making it clear who is your main character, what their ultimate goal is, who and what stands between them and that goal. Show how the story ends. New writers often try to conceal the ending in an attempt to intrigue. This is a big mis­take. The agent or editor needs to be able to assess the story as a whole.”

Generally speaking, the synopsis should be no longer than one A4 page and single spaced, al­though it is not uncommon for some to be anything from 5-10 pages! Keep it short, sharp and concise; make every word count and spend some time in getting it right. Don’t leave it until the last minute. In fact, think of it as a job application and give it your best shot.

Ask yourself: ‘Would this tempt me into buying the book?’ If in doubt ask someone else

The Sample Chapters

The sample should consist of the first two-three chapters, not a random selection from the middle of the book. It is not uncommon for a publisher to receive Chapters 35 and 54 with the explanation that these are considered to be the best example of the writer’s work!  As we’ve said before, the story must hook the attention from the first page and if it doesn’t, no one is going to bother turning to page two. Every­thing hinges on that opening but once hooked, the reader will, hopefully, go on to judge your writing style and story-telling ability.

Make sure that the presentation is crisp and readable (no fading ink cartridges if submitting by post), double-spaced and runs to approx 50-pages in order to give a fair representation of the plot/storyline. Attach a cover sheet stating title, author’s name contact details, together with a word count.

The Covering Letter

Again, keep it sharp and concise. Do not include details not pertinent to the novel since your contri­bution to the parish magazine doesn’t interest a professional editor … unless the plot revolves around such a scenario. Do include any profes­sional credit as this gives the indication that you are able to work to a deadline.

Check on the commissioning editor’s name and address the letter/email to them personally. This shows you’ve not merely stuck a pin in the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, al­though it does give good advice on the preferred method of approach for each publish­ing house or agent … ignore this at your peril. Bear in mind that personnel change, so phone the switchboard and ask for the name of the editor in charge of, for example, romantic fiction.

Lastly, and most important, don’t forget to in­clude adequate return envelope and postage if submitting by post.

Publishers & Agents

Hopefully, all the time you’ve been working on your typescript, you’ll have been keeping an eve on who’s publishing your sort of story and will have an idea of who’s going to be the recipient of your prized baby. Again, there is little point leaving this until the last minute … successful authors should know as much about the marketplace as they do about writing.

It’s often been said that it takes twice as long to sell a piece of writing as it does to write it. The road to publication is a long one and fraught with disappointments and pitfalls and it helps to under­stand a little of what goes on behind the scenes. Remember that an agent doesn’t receive a penny until your book has been sold and fewer are taking on new writers, simply because the time and effort spent trying to market the typescript may be more than its worth in terms of commission. You may be pleased with an offer of a £2,000 advance but the agent will have only earned £200, which may not cover the expense of selling it.

Whilst it is now generally considered permissi­ble to simultaneously submit your typescript to several publishers, it is not considered good form to try to hook more than one agent at a time. They do talk to each other and will not be best pleased to find that you’ve been dealing with a competitor. Both agents and publishers are notoriously slow in getting back to the author, who is nervously chewing their fingernails and anxiously waiting for a reply. So how long do we give them to respond?

Someone should manage to make some sort of response within a month. If you haven’t heard back within that time, send the typescript off to the next one on your list. Some publishers state they don’t want to receive simultaneous submissions and this is fine if they get back to you by return. One writer of our acquaintance has been waiting over a year for a re­ply, having been asked to submit the full typescript and does not want to jeopardise her chances by sending it to someone else. Personally, I wouldn’t have given it six weeks — but then this is where personal choice comes into the equation.

Starting on the Next One

Once you’ve finished your novel and it’s been bagged up and shipped off to its first destination, start thinking about the next one. Publishers like to think you’ve got something else in the pipeline because these days they are not interested in one-off novelists, so make sure you mention Number Two in your covering letter, even if it’s only in the planning stages.

Be prepared for the second novel being more difficult to write than the first. This is probably because you will have temporarily emptied your store of spontaneous creativity. Don’t worry, it will come back if you use the same formula for plotting but you may have to work a little harder to come up with new thoughts rather than simply re­hashing ideas from your first book.

DIY – DTP

There is an alternative to consider in publishing your novel yourself – and nothing could be easier.  Have a look at Amazon.Kindle and the various on-line companies that can produce the book on a ‘print on demand’ basis.  You won’t earn a fortune but your novel will be out there.  It is important to have it professionally proof-checked because no matter how thorough we think we are, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and typos always slip through the net.

Exercise – Session 6

• Prepare a synopsis as per the brief given in Session 6.  And take your time – this is an important part of the submission process.
• Prepare the new first three opening chapters even if the rest of the novel hasn’t been proof-checked.
• Prepare a covering letter that includes any information pertinent to the novel submission.
• Make a list of where you intend sending your novel, either direct to a publisher or via a literary agent.  And list your reasons for selecting this route.
• Think carefully. Have you any plans for a second novel at this stage?  If so, is it a fresh idea, or will you be attempting to breathe new life into an old one?
• Do you feel that the sessions has been beneficial in helping you to understand what is required by today’s publishing industry?  Is there any aspect that you feel should have been included that we haven’t discussed?  Any comments would be appreciated.