Career Plan for Fiction Writers

"By making writing a part of your daily routine--just like brushing your teeth--you'll discipline yourself to work as a writer instead of a hobbyist who only writes when there's some fun to be had." - Theresa Grant

"I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters." - James A. Michener.

"Copyright, publication and the net are hotly debated. Putting something in rec.arts.prose is no more 'publishing' than making a printout of your ms. and letting someone else read it for fun and/or feedback." -Theresa Grant.

"I think it makes no difference any particular way, except perhaps to some on-line, non-pay 'zines' that are in competition with the newsgroups, in a sense. Real publishers wouldn't know or care." - Jack Mingo.

"Don't sell yourself short; dare to dream. You might sell to a top market before you ever sell to a non-paying market - you won't know unless you try. In the same way, it's good to be cooperative, but don't be too humble either." - Rheal Nadeau.

"Start your marketing at the top; that is, with the best magazine that you think has a chance at wanting your story. Work down the list from the top. The 'best' means different things to different writers. If you're writing for money, it means the magazine that pays best. If you're looking to be widely read, it may mean the one with the highest circulation. To some people, 'best' is an intangible; the magazine that you think has the best reputation, the best production values, one that puts you alongside other writers you respect. If you're an academic looking for tenure, it may mean the one that's most respected in the academic world." - Geoffrey A. Landis

"Earmark a day of the week as 'submissions day.' On that day you WILL get out at least one submission. Do it on a regular day of the week. If you pick one solid day to ALWAYS generate a submission or query, you'll start snowballing the effect of acceptance and rejections. As responses pick up you'll get into the 'business' of being a writer, all because you earmarked one day where submissions and queries WILL be done." - Theresa Grant.

"In general, editors don't want to see a floppy with submissions; it clutters up their desk, and, worse, it won't stay paperclipped to the manuscript. It will probably be discarded before the manuscript is read. If editors want an electronic copy, they will ask for one *on acceptance*. (If you want, you can put in your cover letter that you will send a floppy on request.)" - Geoffrey A. Landis

"YES. Sometimes it can really pay off. For example, I read and critique novels on the side. I charge a fee to read, to edit, to critique, etc. Paying a professional to read your work pre-submission is like paying someone to detail your car before you take it in to use as a trade-in for something better. It's a little bit of money, but a shiny car (or manuscript) really does get the better price." - Theresa Grant

"NO. Or, at least, if you do, be very wary. Any agent who charges a reading fee are not making money from selling your stuff, they are making money from accepting manuscript fees. Be especially wary if an 'agent' tells you that you need your manuscript worked on (at a hefty fee) and then gives you the name of a person to do it." - Geoffrey A. Landis

"It's one thing to be meticulous about response times, and even better to realize that the editors are also human, have lousy days, kids with chickenpox and days where we just don't want to deal with a manuscript. - Theresa Grant

"Believe in yourself, even at 2:00 a.m. and surrounded by rejection slips." -Theresa Grant

"If you don't feel enthusiastic about what you are writing, readers (and editors) won't feel that way about it either. I say this to people who talk of having 'writers' block' because they think of writing as drudgery. If they're going to have to slog through it, so will the reader, so the writer may as well just go become an accountant!" - Kim Costello

For detailed studies of punctuation, I recommend The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition, ISBN 0-226-10403-6. The book is a little expensive at $55, but I strongly recommend the investment for any serious writer. It is the most common reference manual used in the novel publishing industry.

1. For an easy to read but very useful book on grammar, I recommend Painless Grammar, 2nd Edition (Painless Series), by Rebecca Elliott, Ph. D., ISBN 0-8120-9781-5, trade paperback, $8.99.
2. Another book that offers correct grammar instruction in some detail is The Writer’s Digest Grammar Desk Reference by Gary Lutz and Diane Stevenson, ISBN 1-58297-335-0, 6 x 9 hardcover, $24.99.
3. A Dash of Style, The Art and Mastery of Punctuation by Noah Lukeman, copyright 2006, ISBN 987-0-393-32980-3, paperback, $13.95, 201 pages. This is a book written for creative writers, not grammarians.

1. “Online English Grammar” at http://www.edunet.com/english/grammar/index.html from the Hampstead School of English, London. Maintained by Anthony Hughes. Searchable. This is an excellent source, well organized. Bear in mind that it came from Great Britain so some American rules may be a little different.
2. “Confusing Words” at http://www.confusingwords.com has a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers, such as affect versus effect, lie versus lay, etc.
3. “Words That Are Often Confused” at http://lbarker.orcon.net.nz/words.html includes many pairs and groups of words that are often confused, such as accept and except.
4. “Common Errors in Englsh” at http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/ describes proper use of common pairs of words that are often misused, such as advice/advise, lay/lie, etc.