Rani Divine's Blog, page 29

What to Expect

Well, it’s the last week of June. That means it’s the last week of our series, and the last week in which we’ll be talking about how to get yourself from manuscript to published novel. Last week, we picked out our favorite publishers. Today, I have some things I want you to think about, to keep in mind, while you’re sending things out.
Know what to expect
Even though we’ve done a mass of research into the publishers and what to expect from publishing with them, many publishing houses don’t really tell you all that much about the submissions process. I don’t understand why that is. I really don’t. So, I want to explain some of this stuff to you, so you’ll have a better idea of what you can expect once you send your work out, and remind you of some things you probably already know, while you're in this stage. 
Hearing back from someone
Let’s just dispel this one here and now. With the majority of publishers, you won’t hear back once you’ve submitted, nor will you know when they’re reading your work, nor will you know anything at all until you either get a rejection letter or are contacted by someone for contracting purposes. I don’t know why that is, either. There are some publishers out there who will open up a dialogue with you before reading, and even during reading, but they’re few and far between. (RAD Writing is one of them, FYI)
Simultaneous submissions
Nine out of ten publishers don’t want you sending your work to other publishers while they have it in their reading pile. They don’t want to be in direct competition with other publishers over your work. From their point of view, I completely understand. However, I don’t suggest listening to them here. Go ahead and send your manuscript to a few places, and when one of them picks you, just quietly inform the others that you’ll need to pull your submission. You don’t have to tell them why, unless they ask. No point in lying, but no need to give all the facts if you don’t have to, eh?
Submissions windows
Pretty much every publisher out there has a submissions window, a period of time in which they’re accepting submissions. Thing is, they don’t always publicize when that period will be. So keep an eye out, and try to figure out when is the best time to send in your work. Google is your friend, once again. There’s definitely someone out there who can answer your question.
Wait Times
There’s always a wait time, even once an editor starts reading your manuscript. Actually, there’s usually a pretty lengthy one once they start reading. That’s okay. Don’t freak out about it. There’s a lot that has to happen, once your manuscript is read. If they like it, they might pass it to another editor, or they might have to discuss it with a group of editors. If they aren't sure, maybe they need to get a second opinion. There’s a process. And remember, most publishers aren’t going to keep you in the loop during this time. I would tell you that you’ll just need to be patient, but I know how hard that can be. (FYI, RAD Writing keeps you in the loop through the whole wait time)
Competition
There’s always competition. Remember that. Whatever publisher you’ve submitted to, there’s a near guarantee that they have a pile of submissions on their desk. Those are your competition. Don’t forget that you have some. Stay humble. Remember that it’s not all about yourmanuscript, from the point of view of the publisher. They’re looking for a work that suits them, and they only have a certain number of slots to fill in any given year.

There is a publisher out there for you. Just remember that these things take time, and that sometimes you’ll have to wait through four or five publishers, before you find one that fits.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
p.s. RAD Writing accepts submissions all the time, and the waitlist is pretty short right now. Just sayin’

Research... Again

It’s Friday again! I swear, sometimes it’s like the weeks just fly by. There’s just so much to do lately, especially with all this new stuff... Which you'll find out about, soon. ;-)
All right, so this week we’re figuring out what publisher we actually want to go with. I know, it’s been a long road of research and study, but this is where things start to get more interesting. Now, we’re getting close to the point where we can start sending out our manuscripts.
Step 9: Research Publishers
I know, I know, it’s what we’ve been doing for a long time. But until now, we were only trying to study the market, and know the business. Now, we’re decision making.
This week, you’ve figured out whether you’re looking for a self-publisher or a traditional one. You’ve sat down and thought it all through, and figured out what you do and do not need from your publisher. And you’re just about ready to send your work out.
You’re not ready yet though. Trust me.
First, you need to do hone your research. I’m sure you had a few favorites, while you were studying the business. So go to their websites, and look at anything and everything they have listed. Then do a Google search and see what else you can find out about them.
Think of it like Facebook stalking the person you have a crush on. Think of them like a person you’re going to be spending the rest of your life beside, because really, that’s what you’re doing. You’re deciding what company you’ll sign your book over to, and what company you’ll be in bed with for the rest of your (or their) life.
So, here are a few things you need to look at:

Do they have more negative reviews than positive ones, across the web? Do they publish books like yours? Does this company hold to the standards you expect? Is this a company that works well with others? Will they meet every one of your “dos?” Do they contradict any of your “don’ts?”

Using those questions, and any others that happen to pop up during your research phase, narrow it down to your top five. And if you haven’t done enough research to come up with a top five, then you need to do more research. There are hundreds if not thousands of publishers out there. Your options are vast. And trust me, you have time to figure out which one you want to sign with. 
This is a decision that will effect you for the rest of your life. Make sure you make it a good one. 
[love]
{RD}

Determine

Monday, we started trying to figure out whether we want to go with a self-publisher or a traditional one. I’m pretty sure you all know where I stand on this, but I have self-published in the past, and I do have some things for you to keep in mind on that front, as well.
We know what we want now, maybe. At the very least, we should have a leaning. But now, I’m going to ask you a few questions about what you might not want, to make sure you're pointed in the right direction. 
Step 8: Determine what you can do without
We’ve done a lot of researching at this point, and I’d like to think that we have a much better view of the publishing world than we had before. (as a side note, even if this is your fifth book, this process is still valid—the publishing game changes all the time). So now we’ve looked a little bit at both self-publishers and traditional ones, and maybe we’re still not sure which way we’re leaning.
Well, answer me these:
Do you want…
An editor?
Without one, everything in the manuscript will be left up to you. But maybe you have an editor you can work with outside the publisher, someone who will help you get it to the ready stage without having to go through a traditional publisher.
A marketing advisor?
If you have one, they’ll help you know what to do when it comes to getting sales. They’ll help point you in the right direction, at the very least. They’re another set of eyes on the subject, someone who will help you set up book signings and other events. Without them, that’s all on you.
A designer?
How good are you at graphic design, I suppose I should ask. A designer will help you with your cover, and with any illustrations that you might need. They’ll get promotional materials put together for you, they’ll help out with your social media, and they’ll make sure your book looks like it was put together by a professional, even if you've self-published.
A partner?
If you’d rather go it alone, there’s nothing wrong with it. That’s what self-publishers are for. They’ll get you published without you having to deal with anyone else, for the most part. They’re more than willing to let you do the work yourself, or to have to pay them to do it.
Creative control?
A lot of authors don’t understand this part, so I’ll elaborate a bit. Creative control means that you’ll have complete control of your manuscript and what ends up hitting the shelves at the end of the process. Full creative control is only achieved through self-publishers. However, you have to keep in mind that traditional publishers know the market a lot better than you do. They’re the ones who’ll be able to make it attractive to readers, without batting their eyes. So sometimes, it’s okay to release that control. We, as authors, don’t know everything. But if you’d rather stay in control, if you’d rather keep everything in your hands, then you’d better stick with self-publishing.

I hope that gives you enough information to decide which route you’d like to go! Next up, we’re stepping into the big leagues. Time to pick a publisher.
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Decide

Happy Monday!
Sorry I didn’t post many pictures from when I was gone, signal was far more sparse than I anticipated. Colorado Springs was just lovely though, and I had a great time. I’ll try to post some more pictures for you all now that I’m back.
For now, we’re on to the next step in our progress toward picking a publisher and getting published. By now, we’ve finished the manuscript, we’ve done a bunch of research into the market, and it’s finally time to look at ourselves, to get introspective, and see what we want to do.
Step 7: Decide What You Want
After doing all this research, have you figured out exactly what you want in a publisher? Or maybe you’re still unsure between sending your book to a traditional publisher or going the self-publication route? As I’m sure you all know, there’s a lot that you have to consider.
So here's the basics, between self and traditional publication.
Self-Publication
This option leaves literally everything in your hands. There are some pretty good self-publishing and POD companies out there, but the thing is, unless you have a massive pocketbook, that doesn’t really mean anything. They’ll publish your book for you, yes, but you’ll have to pay them. Everything, from editing to designing to marketing, ends up left in your hands—unless you’re willing to pay for it.
But, more than that, a lot of the editors hired by these companies are not first rate. In fact, the editor I had when I self-published, was a woman in India, who didn’t understand the basic tenants of English. So in some cases, all the editing really is completely left in your hands. And if you’re not confident in your self-editing skills, this might not be the right route for you.
Traditional Publication
Unlike self-publishing, this option takes pretty much everything out of your hands. The manuscript is still your property, yes, but you’ll have to accept edits according to the specs of your publisher, and they’ll likely end up doing most of the designing and marketing for you. They’ll publish your book, and they’ll usually pay you up front for the right to do it, as well.
Also unlike self-publishing, the editors at traditional houses really do know what they’re doing. They wouldn’t have been hired for the job if they weren’t good at it. So, you’ll have a better chance of being able to trust who you’re working with (and remember, we already did all that research into their editors, so you know which ones you like).

So what you have to decide is, what do you want? Do you want to be the one pushing out dollars to get your book on every shelf in the country, the one pushing sales everywhere you go, the one editing the manuscript to perfection? Or do you want someone to help you, and potentially lose some of your creative control along the way?
Don’t fret, friends. Some publishers really do let you have a say in what you’re book is going to look like, and what the final product will be. We did all that research already, remember? Every traditional publisher wants the final say, but some of them will make the final say match with what you're looking for.
And don't worry, if you're still not sure (because really, are we ever?), then I have a few more things for your to consider. You know what you want now. But... do you know what you don't want?
[love]
{Rani D.}

Friendly

This week, I have one more recommendation for you, before you get any further. I know, it’s seeming like a lot of work you have to do before you can publish your book, but you know what, if you do all this, you’ll be far ahead of your competition. That’s what you want, in this field. You want to be ahead of the game.
So go ahead and put the time in. Get yourself ahead of the rest. And then get published.
But we’ll get there in a couple weeks. For now…
Step 6: Meet some authors
Well, you’ve been researching them for a while, so you might as well reach out, don’t you think? A lot of the time, authors are more than happy to help point you in the right direction, or give you some tips on where to go from here, with your work. Most of us at least somewhat enjoy being in this field, and we definitely know what it’s like, trying to break into the publishing scene.
Find someone in your genre
This is important. Authors who aren’t in your genre probably won’t have as much of an idea what to do in your genre. Let’s face it, every genre is a little bit different. Romance sells differently than science-fiction, for example. So, make sure the authors you reach out to have at least worked in your genre to some extent. If you can get a dialogue going with them, you might be able to get a lot of great information out of them, to get you started. They might even be able to get you in touch with their editor, who knows?
Find someone mid-level
I don’t recommend going all the way to the top and expecting your chosen author to respond. When you’re a bestseller, you get messages from a million people a day. One new author isn’t going to stand out in the stream, and that’s okay. Reach out to some mid-level authors, authors who are known but aren’t insanely busy with events and book writing and their day job. Plus, mid-level authors are generally a little newer to the scene, and probably a little closer to where you are. They’ll generally have information that’s more what you’re looking for, and less “go find a publisher and get published.”
Find someone who’s worked with one of your top five publishers
You know all that research you’ve been doing, into publishers? Contact some of their authors. Find out what it’s like to work with this publisher, how these people feel about being published through this company. This will tell you two things: how well this company works with their authors, and what you need to do in order to get into the company, should you want to. Do not trust reviews posted on the publisher's website. Obviously, they're only going to show you the good reviews on their website. So, go find them somewhere else.
There are millions of authors out there, in every single genre. And with the addition of Facebook and Twitter and a hundred other social media outlets, you’ll have an easier time getting someone’s attention—and that’s exactly what you need to do.
Get seen.
Get heard.
Get information.
One step closer to getting published.
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Market

It’s Wednesday! And I’m posting from the car, but I’m not going to tell you where I’m going. Watch my Insta for some pics here and there. You know me and pictures. We’re working on being better friends. ;-)
Monday, we discussed how to learn the business of publishing, and why that’s so important to do before you submit your manuscript to a publisher. Today, I have one more thing you really need to learn, something you need to do your homework on, before you submit. It’ll help you have a leg up on the competition, and help you figure out where to send your work.
Step 5: Study the market
I know, it’s not that much fun to do. In fact, this is one of the things I really don’t like doing. But, it’s also something that you should do, and something I keep up to date on, in any way I can.
Look up books similar to yours
This is the part I don’t like doing. I don’t like to see that there are so many books that are similar to mine, so many things on the market that I have to compete with, but this is information that you need to know. Go look up books that are like yours, that follow a similar vein, and see how they’re doing. Stalk those authors, figure out how they interact with their fans, maybe start following some of their methods. But if a publisher asks why they should publish your book, you want to be able to say that you’re like so-and-so, who published such-and-such and did really well. I don’t know why that works, but sometimes it does.
Find some bloggers who focus on your genre
These bloggers will know a lot about what’s going on in your genre, and a lot of what the current market and trends are like. So, they’ll be a good resource for you. Some of them are even willing to chat with new authors, to try to get more hype for the book to come out. Hype is great, from a publisher’s POV. If you already have a thousand fans before you get to a publisher, it's nearly guaranteed you’ll get published with an amazing deal.
Study sales trends in your genre
Find out how other authors in your genre are doing. See how well they’re selling, or where they’re standing on the charts. And don’t just look at the top, look at the middle and the bottom as well. Look at all of it, no matter how disheartening it might be at any given time. This is information you can use to your benefit, later on. You want to know how well you think you can do in sales, and this is a good way to figure it out. Those guys on the bottom? Don’t do what they’re doing.
Stalk the competition
No, I don’t mean authors. I mean publishers. If a publisher is getting really good sales from a book that’s similar to yours, go to one of their competitors. Tell them that you have a book that’s like theirs, and that you think will sell just as well. Give them good reasons why, tell them about your research in sales and how you’re working to build your audience. They’ll be impressed, at the very least.
I guarantee it.
Friday, I have one more thing for you to do, before you start the decision making process. Be sure to check in and see what it is!
[love]
{RD}

Business

Happy Monday, my friends! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, and are ready to face the week with a smile on your face.

As you well know, this month I’m giving you my tips and tricks on how to get yourself from Point A to Point B when it comes to sending your work to publishers, and eventually getting published. How do you get from manuscript to finished work, anyway? How do you find a publisher? How do you even know where to start?
Well, that’s where this month’s series comes in handy. I have a lot of things for you to keep in mind, believe you me.
Last week, we focused on the manuscript itself. Now, you’ve written it, you’ve self-edited, and you’ve had a friend or two look through it as well. The manuscript is done. But then, now that it’s done, how do we know what to do with it?
Step 4: Learn the business
There are a lot of things you need to know and do, before you dive all the way in. This is just the short list, but they’re all things I highly recommend that you do before you even consider sending your manuscript to a publisher.
Figure out your genre
Not knowing this, is a problem. A lot of publishers these days only publish books within a certain genre, so there’s no point in sending your work in to any publisher that doesn't even deal with your genre. So, figure out your genre. If you don’t know for sure, talk to the frienditors who read your work in Step 2—they might have some different opinions from you. The more genre options you have, the more publisher options you’ll have. That’s sometimes a good thing, don’t worry.
Look up publishers in that genre
Google is your friend. Search for publishers who specialize in your genre, as they’ll be better able to market your work in a way that will get it into the most hands. Do your research on every publisher you look at, and don't just look at the big boys. Small presses are great for beginners, and they're better at being one on one with you, which at this point, is probably what you need. Go read through their terms and conditions, check every single section of their website, and don’t be afraid to contact them and ask questions. This is a company you might be contracted with for life—there is no harm in being cautious before you even send them something to look at. You'll appreciate it down the line, believe you me.
Ask for sample contracts, from a few different publishers
There are many publishers out there who have no problem showing you what they expect from an author, upon signing—so ask! Email your top five options, and read through whatever contracts you get back with a fine-tooth comb. Find out everything you can about what you’ll be required to do if you work with them, about what standards they hold themselves to, anything and everything. If you’re working with this company for life, these are things you need to know. Too many authors ignore that, in this phase.
Do a Google search on what publishers and agents are looking for right now
Again, Google is your friend! There are plenty of publishing houses with blogs, or with editors who talk about what they’re looking for these days. So go find them. Look for bloggers who talk about publishing houses, or agents who are looking for new talent. Maybe even see if you can get a consultation with someone, to see if they have any pointers on where to take your work.

The point is, don’t go into it not knowing anything. Make sure you know your stuff, before you ever send your work to a publisher. Know the business, know what’s expected of you, and know what standard you can hold your publisher to.
They’ll respect that you did your homework, if you end up signing. You will, too.
[love]
{Rani D.}

Are you ready?

This week, we’ve finished our manuscripts. We’ve edited, multiple times, we’ve proofread, we’ve sent our work to a friend to have it checked by a second set of eyes, and we’ve edited it yet again.
Our manuscript, therefore, is ready.
We’re ready.
Aren’t we?
Well, let’s see.
Step 3: Are You Publish Ready?
For today, I’ve put together a short list of things I want you to make sure you’ve done, before we even work on getting the thing to a publisher. These are all things you need to do, all things you need to have ready, and if you’re not there yet, then your work isn’t ready to leave your hands. Trust me. I did it the other way, and regretted it.
Okay, so let’s get started.
Have you fixed your plotholes?If you haven’t done this yet, then you’re not done editing. Go back and do that.
Have you edited, at least three times?If you’re only at two edits, then you’re not ready yet. Go back and edit again. 
Have you proofread?Trust me, if you haven’t proofed it, nobody wants to read it. If you haven’t done this, go do it now. And if you can't do it yourself, then get someone to do it for you.
Has someone else read your manuscript?If you’re still too shy to send it to someone, then you’re definitely not ready. Go send it to someone, and see what they think.
Have you written your short and long descriptions? If you’re not done with these, then you don’t have information every publisher will ask you for. Go write those. I recommend starting with the long one, and then shortening it.
Can you describe your book, to anyone who asks? If you can’t do this, then you don’t know your book well enough. If you have your short and long descriptions done, this’ll be easier for you to memorize. You need to be a walking promo for your book.
Do you know what genre you fit into? Honey, you need to know at least three genres your book fits into. You’ll need it, down the line. The basic genre, the narrow genre, and the outlying genre. If you're book doesn't fit into three, that's okay. I've just found that all mine do.
Have you written your bio? Like your book description, go ahead and write a short one and a long one. A detailed one and one to go on the back of the book. Publishers like that.
Have you written a proposal? Some companies only accept proposals. Have you written one? It’s also a good way to get to know your work, better than you already do.
Have you researched books similar to yours?This isn’t as easy as you might think, but go to Goodreads and see what you can find. Check reviews. Maybe even read a couple of them. See how they’re doing. Publishers like you know that you’ve done this, too. 
Do you know what publisher you want? If you don’t, don’t worry about it. Take a deep breath. This is what we’re going to be working on, the rest of the month. I’m here. I’ve got your back. Let’s get you published, shall we?
Have a great weekend, everyone!
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Friendit

Hey guys! Ready to jump into today’s topic? I am :-D
All right. So Monday, we talked about getting your manuscript finished, to the point that it’s considered “final” – or so you thought. There’s another step, before you can really say that your manuscript is done, that you’ve finished what you can do, and that it’s time to send it to a publisher.
Step Two: The Frienditor
I’m guessing that you have no idea what that means, so let me explain. A frienditor is a friend who’s willing to look at your manuscript and give you some pointers about it, so you’ll be able to go through your manuscript yet another time. Yes, frienditor is a mashup of the words friend and editor.
But! There are a few things you need to look for in a frienditor, which is what I want to talk about today.
Preferably, a writer
This is a helpful attribute in a frienditor, because they’ll have a really good idea of what you’re going through and what sort of advice you’re looking for when it comes to your manuscript. Writers know what it’s like to write, and we know a heck of a lot about story. So, look for a frienditor who writes, even one who’s a poet. They’ll really be able to help point you in the right direction, and get your story where it needs to go. They might even find a plot error or two, that you may have missed.
Preferably, a reader
If your frienditor isn’t a reader, they’re not going to be able to help you, at all. They won’t know what makes a good story, or what to look for by way of errors within a story. So make sure you find someone who reads a lot. In fact, if you can’t find anyone else, just find a reader who reads in the genre in which you write. They’ll have a very good idea of what exists within the genre, and they might even have some good ideas for you to make the story better.
Preferably, an editor
I know these are harder to find, but it is possible. If you have a friend who’s an editor, or who is really good at editing but doesn’t do it for a living, ask them for help! We’re not all that rare, honestly, but we’re not always very loud about liking to edit. It’s culturally weird, to like editing. Trust me. I’m an editor.
Anyway, find a frienditor who’s an editor, who knows what it’s like to find errors in any given work, and who’s good at it. This can honestly be the best type of frienditor to find, when push comes to shove. Harder to find, yes, but well worth the hunt. 
And honestly, if you can find one person in each of those categories, it's even better if you send your manuscript to three people. You'll get more pointers, which only helps. 
Definitely, someone you trust
If you don’t trust your frienditor, you’re in trouble. You need to be working with someone you trust, someone who’s not going to go off the deep end, and someone whose advice you can trust. Don’t go with someone who will just tell you that it’s good or that it’s bad, but someone who will give you real, honest advice. Without that, there’s no point to this step at all.
Once your frienditor has read your manuscript and given you their notes, take the time to go through the work one more time and adjust for their comments.
Now, you just might be ready. Next time, we’ll go through our checklist.
[love]
{Rani D.}

Step 1

Happy Monday, everybody! Thanks so much to those of you who came out for the event at Page 1 Books on Saturday—we all had a great time, and I can’t wait to hang out with more of you at our next event.
As you know (or, I hope you do), it’s June! That means it’s time for a new series, and I have just the thing in mind.
I started this blog, initially, to talk to you guys about writing, publishing, reading, and everything to do with this wonderful world of words. That being the case, the best thing I could think to talk about this month is getting from Point A to Point B: getting from manuscript to publisher, step by step.
So, what’s step 1?Finalizing your manuscript
This is often the hardest part for a lot of writers, I’ve found. I’ve spoken with many a writer who was finished writing the book, but didn’t know how to finish the manuscript. Well, I’m here to tell you how to get it done.
First off, finish writing the book
Obviously, yeah? If you want your manuscript to be done, you’ll first have to finish your book, and not just in your head. That means getting it on the page, all the way to the end. But I also mean that you should do an edit, run through it and find your plot holes (I can nearly guarantee you have at least one), and fix everything you can find. Do your basic edits. Get the book to where you think it’s not terrible, but probably still needs some work that you’re not sure how to do. That, my friends, is finishing the book.
Second, self-edit
If you don’t know how to do this, I suggest editing someone else’s work, as practice. Try to read it for errors, to find things that could be worked on and improved. And then go back to your own work, and look at it as though someone else wrote it. To do this, you might need to have a bunch of time to let it sit, to forget a lot of what you’ve done so far. Yeah, it’s okay to not remember what you’ve written. It happens when you’ve written more than five books, let me tell you.
Anyway, make sure you do a decent self-edit. Run through your manuscript at least three times, yourself, before you even consider calling it final. But then, it’s really not final at all, because we have one more step.
Third, proofread
No, I don’t mean running the spellchecker. I mean run through it with a fine-toothed comb and find any errors you can. Don’t worry, you will miss some.
The point of this is to make sure it’s not a mess for the next step, the theme of our next post. See, next we’re going to send it to someone else to read, and we really want it to not be the mess to end all messes, when it finally gets to that stage.
So, write it, edit it, edit it again, and proof it.
If you haven’t done that yet, your manuscript isn’t finalized—although, technically, I’d say that it still isn’t. You’ll see. Don’t worry. :)
[love]
{Rani Divine}