Ten Things to Remember if You Want to Be a Published Author

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Publishing is a crazy business, with both joys and sorrows at all levels. If you want to survive, it's important to keep things in perspective.

With computers, the physical exercise of writing has never been easier. You open a file, start typing and wham! You’re writing. Literally anyone can write and publish a book these days.

This can shine an unrealistic light on the whole process, and make writing a compelling novel look easy. Anyone who’s ever struggled over a stalled plot line or a character who didn't work can tell you writing isn't easy at all--or at least, writing a good novel isn't.

It takes work, craft, skill, and imagination. Most of all, it takes dedication and perseverance, and a faith that you will make it one day.

For those starting out (or those struggling) here are ten things to remember if you want to be a published author:

1. Writing is hard.

Don’t get me wrong, it has its easy moments, but constructing a publishable novel is not an easy task. There’s a reason most people who want to publish a novel never do. And why around 95% of all novels published don't sell more than 500 copies (this includes Big 5 Publishers, not just indies).

Every writer at every stage struggles from time to time.

(Here's more on 5 Ways to Survive Rejection as a Writer)

2. You need to learn the craft.

You wouldn’t expect to race in the Indy 500 the day after you got your driver’s license, would you? Then why would you expect to sell a novel without putting in the work?

Writing is a skill like any other, and there are rules to learn and muscles to develop. 

Even those born with natural storytelling skills still need to learn the technical aspects of writing a novel. Talent gets you so far, but training pushes you over the top. Allow yourself the freedom to suck at first (we all do) while you build your writing skills. Don't feel like a failure just because your first submission gets rejected or you get a bad critique.

(Here's more on Grammar and You: What You Need to Know to Write)

3. Your first book will probably not sell.

Writing is a skill we learn by doing, and our first attempts are quite often...not great. Even if they're decent, they're typically filled with flaws that keep us from reaching a professional level. We all have to learn by doing, and our next book or draft will be better.

Enjoy the satisfaction of finishing your first novel. It only comes once. 

But don’t get so hung up on the need to publish that novel that you spend all your time revising and never write anything new. If you're lucky enough to sell your first novel? Then enjoy the win and remember that feeling for the days when things don't go so well.

4. Revision is part of writing. A major part.

Much as we love our words, they aren’t set in stone. When and how you revise is up to you, but revision is part of the business and part of the process to crafting a great novel.

Being open to feedback and learning the skills needed to use that feedback will serve you well in publishing. 

If you refuse to ever change a word, then there’s a good chance no one but your friends and family will ever read those words. Keyboards have a delete key for a reason. Use it.

(Here's more on First Look at a First Draft: How to Revise Your Manuscript)

5. It’s all about the story.

With so many books on how to write, it’s easy to forget why we write–and read–in the first place. We want a good story, and a good story is just interesting people solving interesting problems in interesting ways.

Don’t let yourself get so sidetracked by the mechanics that you forget why people read. 

As important as good craft is, a great story is what matters most. Yes, aim for elegant prose and beautiful writing, but not at the expense of good storytelling.

Cut yourself a little slack when a technical aspect has you banging your head against the keyboard. It's not the end of your career, it's just a bump in the road.

(Here's more on What Matters More? Story Execution or the Idea?)

6. Whatever works, works.

There’s a lot of information out there about how to write, what makes a good plot, the rules that “must never be broken.” But there are also plenty of successful novels that broke those rules.

Truth is, all rules can be broken in the right situation, and if it works, it works. 

This can be frustrating when you're struggling to understand a technical aspect or analyzing why a particular novel is doing well. Remember it's not about that rule, it's what breaking that rule allowed the author to do.

Something in that novel connected to readers in a profound way and made breaking that rule work. To quote Pirates of the Caribbean, the rules are more like guidelines. Forcing your story to a set of rules because “everyone says so” might not be the best thing for your novel. However…

(Here's more on Writers: Ignore This Writing Advice. If You Want.)

7. Rules are rules for a reason.

Guidelines are part of the business, so ignoring them because you don't like or understand them is a bad idea. Ignoring the rules of grammar or doing twice the average word count rarely says "creative genius," it says "unprofessional writer who doesn’t know their craft."

Breaking a rule typically works when it's not obvious a rule was broken, because it fits the story so well. 

It also works when it's clear how and why the rule was broken, and that knowledge actually makes the story better. When you break a rule, make sure you have a solid legitimate reason, and not just because you want to, or you can point to one book as an example. Which brings me to…

(Here's more on Breaking the Rules of Writing)

8. Famous authors can do it, even if they did it before they were famous.

Name any rule, and there will be books that successfully broke it and writers using them as a reason why they can do it too. Usually, those books are by famous authors or unknowns who because famous because of that one rule-breaking book.

These books are exceptions for a reason. Understand why a book is an exception, but don’t use it as a free pass to do the same. 

You might be an exception as well, but odds are you’re not. It’s hard enough to sell a first novel, so why make it harder on yourself if you don’t have to? But if you admire a famous book that breaks a rule you also really want to break, then determine why it works for that story and figure out how to make it work for yours.

9. Not all feedback is good feedback.

One of the hardest things to do when you’re just starting out is to sift through comments about your work. It's natural to be unsure about your skill, and any negative comment can send you into a tailspin, same as any positive comment can inflate your head like Macy’s Day Parade balloons.

Learn to evaluate criticism and trust your gut on what will help your work and what will hurt it. 

Even a good idea might be the wrong idea for a story. If your gut is telling you not to do it, listen.

(Here's more on The Difference Between a Writing Problem, and a “Not For Me” Issue)

10. Don’t give up if being an author is your dream.

If being a published author is your dream, then stick with it. It’s not easy, it will beat you down as often as it lifts you up, but if you work at it, keep improving and keep trying, you can make it.

However...if trying to get published is making you miserable, and hurting your mental, emotional, or physical health...maybe set it aside for a while. No career is worth hurting yourself over. Try re-evaluating your expectations, or take a different path to success.

Writers have so many options these days to get their stories to readers, with paths for every personality and career goal. If one path doesn't feel right, try another, or even forge your own.

What rules do you break in your writing journey? 

Originally published November 2009. Last updated October 2019.

For more help on plotting or writing a novel check out my Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure.

Go step-by-step through plotting and writing a novel. Learn how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration, develop the right characters, setting, plots and subplots, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Learn how to:

• Create compelling characters readers will love
• Choose the right point of view for your story
• Determine the conflicts that will drive your plot (and hook readers!)
• Find the best writing process for your writing style
• Create a solid plot from the spark of your idea

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure also helps you develop the critical elements for submitting and selling your novel once it’s finished. You’ll find exercises on how to:

• Craft your one-sentence pitch
• Create your summary hook blurb
• Develop a solid working synopsis And so much more!

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure is an easy-to-follow guide to writing your novel or fixing a novel that isn’t quite working. 

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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