P.M. Terrell
The best advice I can give to aspiring writers is to learn as much as you can about the publishing industry. This is a complex business and writers today must wear several hats.
The first step is to write the very best book you possibly can. Never make the mistake of thinking the first draft is the final. It's only the beginning. Edit it multiple times; be ruthless. Make sure every scene does double duty, and make sure every sentence is structured in the best possible way.
Consider your audience while you are writing. Develop a persona of the ideal reader; whether it's someone interested in history or suspense, an incurable romantic or one that loves exotic settings... Analyze your major competitors; those New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors that have the audience you want to have. What are they doing to attract their followers? What is their website like? What do they blog about and how often do they blog? What social media are they actively involved in? What do they post to get interaction - shares, likes, comments?
When your book is the very best you can possibly make it, buy a copy of the latest Writers Market (or find it in your local library) and begin querying publishers and literary agents that are interested in your specific genre.
When you have a publishing contract in hand, be sure to ask what the publisher will do to market your book; what their advertising budget is for your work; and expect to be a major player in your promotional campaign. This can range from physical book tours to online blog tours, social media campaigns and Internet advertising.
By learning as much as you can about the industry, you'll understand what it takes to bring a book into the public eye; what it takes to be discovered by your ideal audience; and what will be expected of you from the writing to the editing to marketing and promotion - and everything in between.
The first step is to write the very best book you possibly can. Never make the mistake of thinking the first draft is the final. It's only the beginning. Edit it multiple times; be ruthless. Make sure every scene does double duty, and make sure every sentence is structured in the best possible way.
Consider your audience while you are writing. Develop a persona of the ideal reader; whether it's someone interested in history or suspense, an incurable romantic or one that loves exotic settings... Analyze your major competitors; those New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors that have the audience you want to have. What are they doing to attract their followers? What is their website like? What do they blog about and how often do they blog? What social media are they actively involved in? What do they post to get interaction - shares, likes, comments?
When your book is the very best you can possibly make it, buy a copy of the latest Writers Market (or find it in your local library) and begin querying publishers and literary agents that are interested in your specific genre.
When you have a publishing contract in hand, be sure to ask what the publisher will do to market your book; what their advertising budget is for your work; and expect to be a major player in your promotional campaign. This can range from physical book tours to online blog tours, social media campaigns and Internet advertising.
By learning as much as you can about the industry, you'll understand what it takes to bring a book into the public eye; what it takes to be discovered by your ideal audience; and what will be expected of you from the writing to the editing to marketing and promotion - and everything in between.
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more