Newbie

[Jannie Balliett]

Hello to all. Let me introduce myself to everyone, although I'm not in the classification of most here. I'm a newbie and heard about crimespace through the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and glad I did. This is a great idea for networking and blogging, let alone the invaluable association of like-minded writers.

Who needs a separate blog now that it's combined in the crimespace community? (How many of us will abandon our current blogs or opt to keep them and add this to our yet, another website to maintain?) <-- Just joking, we wouldn't want to loose all our archives, now would we?

I remember the years before the internet offered its vast opportunities for people to network together. What did we do in those olden days to promote our books?

I'm not just a newbie here, but a newbie in the entire field, in general. I've been writing for more years than I want to calculate, (it's sad to take so long) however, that's the easiest part of it, isn't it? But the one factor that changed me from just writing to needing to be published, is my deep love for my WIP. If I were still married, my husband would've killed me by now. I eat with it, sleep with it, go everywhere with it, and could be misconstrued as an adulterated affair. Let's face it, we all have that turning point that kicks us in the ass to jump start our decision to either be ball and chained to a wanna-be writer, or a freedom-fighter as a published writer.

I've been through all the beginning stages, like joining online writer groups only to discover my peers where amatures themselves. Why heed, or take creedence from the as-inexperienced-as-yourself writers? It didn't take long to realize that, and I moved on, joining BBS of strangers, making it easier to post my work for critique, but only to get a gazillion different opinions and "advice" from peers that hid behind anonymous farces. Then once again, I moved on with the paid writing communities. Even though I made some great friends, (and they still are four years later) I watched many become published throughout the years one by one, and did learn in one years time, from the experienced, some of the most valuable lessons that various writing courses and workshops couldn't have provided. No one can buy experience.

After going solo and working on my WIP, I spent time researching successful writers, to learn that many were members of this writer organization or that writer organization. So I mimicked that and joined a few myself. That's the best one thing I've ever done.

Through my association with published writers, the various critique boards they offer, the forums, and the mailing lists, chocked full of the latest what's happening information and the who's who, were the techniques of writing and all the littlest, most tiniest of details, to make one point of your plot real, and a character alive instead of a name on a page, and a factual detail that can not be missed.

So I am now a serious writer, and proudly published three times in a magazine and an one anthology. It's a beginning. (doesn't everyone start somewhere?) No one bothers to tell a new writer that it takes years to write the sellable book, and more years to build your writer's resume so you can get an agent to represent you, (which no one told me is a sell in itself) let alone, years to get published. It all begins with that resume. That's where I'm currently at.

Now, I wanna know, how many times does one need to be published in magazines and ezines to get the attention they need by agents and publishers? How many quality contests does one need to pay to enter in hopes to win, or at minimum place, to get attention? How many credits do you need? And I''ve noticed that some credits carry more weight than others, therefore, select wisely? How many years of this political writer's game does a writer have to play in order to get a foot in the right door? How many names does one have to drop to get a break into the "published" category?

Note: All the above is read at your own risk and not the responsibility of the author for any damages that might occur.

[Jannie Balliett]

Thanks Karen-- I think I truly have that. And the plot and characers and story line are fab. A twist the reader will never figure out until revealed! No one has yet!

Now, if I can find the right publisher for the "paranormal crime thriller" then I'll muster the courage to submit.

[Karen Dionne]

Hi, Jannie -

Good on you for hanging in there! Talent + persistence = publication, in my opinion.

To your question about how many publication credits you need to get an agent's or an editor's attention, or how many names you need to drop, etc. the answer is none. Credits and endorsements certainly don't hurt, but the #1 thing - I'll even go so far as to say the ONLY thing that matters is a fabulous idea, paired with fabulous writing.

Good luck!