Val Dumond

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Articles on Writing, Grammar, and Publishing
by Val Dumond

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Val writes articles on grammar, the art and science of writing, and publishing, for budding writers and seasoned authors alike. These articles are not only informative and educational, they're entertaining - written as only Val can. Enjoy this latest of her articles:

Writers at Wrisk
by Val Dumond
©Copyright 2011 - Val Dumond

This busy month has been full of panicked phone calls and emails from anxious writers who have spent weeks, months, years even, writing their stories. Every one - well, almost every one - believed the writing was the hard part and expected to send in the manuscript... somewhere... to someone... who would magically publish it and mail a huge check to them.

More often, my mailbox is full of questions and misinformation.

For you who are first-time writers, unfamiliar with the publishing world, here are a few basic bits of information that may lead you in a productive direction.

There is no magic.
Writing is hard work, albeit one heckuva good time! Writing is pleasant; writing is fulfilling; writing is therapeutic; writing is expressive. Everyone who has that writer's itch can understand the excitement of planting words on a piece of paper or computer screen and reading them back. Wow! What a rush.

The "work" part comes after the good time - sort of a morning-after syndrome. You've had your fun; now it's time to knuckle down and do the work. This is rewrite time. Every - emphasize every - manuscript can be made better. Some writers spend months, years even, rewriting and polishing a completed (they thought) manuscript.

When you have every word clearly placed, it's time to find an editor, another pair of eyes, to go over your work and point out some places you could make it better. An editor also finds those little word gremlins that mess up "perfect" text.

After the editing comes the moment of decision: what do you want to do with your masterpiece?

What do you want from your writing?
Some writers spend lifetimes writing their journals, notes, stories, and never give thought to making them public. Other writers approach writing as a money-maker.

I know hundreds of writers. Some make comfortable livings with their writing; some are employed as writers with business firms; and I can count the big money-makers on one hand with fingers left over. Your competition numbers in the thousands of thousands. Consider that everyone has access to computers; everyone has a story; and nearly everyone is writing theirs.

While keeping your dream alive is worthwhile, reality needs to be part of it. Face it: you may not produce a best-seller, but you can produce a work you are proud of, and you can share that work with others - very economically these days.

Do you know who (and where) your readers are?
The bane of most writers is "what to do with my work now that it's finished". Once upon a time, writers (there were very few of them) bundled off their manuscript to a publisher and waited for the check in the return mail.

Believe it or not, it's almost that easy now - when you know how. You can print your story on your own website or blog; you can engage a Print On Demand (POD) publisher who will publish your book free or at very low cost. You can find a printer to work with you in getting your book into in-hand copies.

A note of clarification: printing and publishing are two separate processes. The publisher is the overseer of a project, providing the means to prepare, print, and circulate your book. The printer is the outfit that places your manuscript on a press, pushes the "ink" button, and runs off a few (thousand) copies. Presses have been developed that specialize printing books; you can hire them to print yours.

In these economic times you may opt to publish your book without incurring a large debt. But you need to do this with your eyes wide open and your cynicism in full bore.

Getting published for free
Taking great care to fine-tune your manuscript and design a dynamic cover, you can submit those materials to a POD, who will print copies upon your request (or the request of bookstores, friends, and customers). If you have ever googled anything with the word "publisher" in it, you already are inundated with offers to publish your book from these PODs. While gratifying, you have to ask "why are they so eager?"

The offer to publish your book contains many little obstacles that could cost you dearly in the end.

You will sign a contract; look it over with a magnifying glass.

• Know what rights you are consigning
• Kknow how to regain your rights
• Know how you can terminate the contract, if you want
• Know how you will be paid for book sales, when and how much
• Know exactly what services will be performed free.

Promises to "market" your book have drawn many a writer to sign on the dotted line, only to learn that "marketing" means announcing your book on Amazon (and you can do that yourself).

Marketing 101
Finding your customers requires knowledge of where they hang out and how you can reach them. That, in short, is the marketing business. Many a writer sells their books without ever bothering the bookstores (they have their own troubles).

Do not expect someone else to market your book for you. No one - hear that? NO ONE - has the heart or knowledge of your book that you do. No one will put their lives on the line for your book.

If you have a good database of people who would be interested in your book, prepare a friendly poster-like email and send it out. Be sure to SEND in small numbers so you aren't tagged as "spam".

Place reviews and information about your book on your website, and link your site to as many likely sales places as possible.

Write articles about your book subject, or offer excerpts for print in magazines that "your readers" are likely to see. Sometimes a magazine will print such articles without paying you, or you may be sent a modest check.

Talk up your book. Don't be afraid that someone will learn too much and not buy it. Tease prospective readers; tell them what the book is "about" rather than telling your story; give readers ideas that can only be answered by reading your book.

How much time, money, and energy are you willing to spend?
This is the big question. If you are a weekend or casual writer, you don't have to worry. Keep on writing and enjoying the process.

If, however, you...

1) have dreams of a writing career,
2) have a ton of stories to tell or some helpful information to impart, and
3) want to spend the major part of your working days writing for a living

... you have some planning to do.

At first, you need a subsistence job, preferably one that doesn't wear you out too much.

You need specified time set aside for your writing, time to relax your head and let the words flow.

You need a space just for you, whether it's the closet in your bedroom, a corner of the basement, or a well-equipped den/studio.

You need the freedom to read your work aloud, walk off and leave notes strewn about, comfortable amenities to keep up your body's needs, and the quiet to dream.

The "sometime" writer:
As a professional writer (I've earned my living writing since I was a schoolgirl), I admire and often envy the writer who sits down when time permits, pulls out a journal or yellow pad and starts to write down thoughts and stories and opinions and stories and poems and stories and...

Oh the freedom from anxiety about "who will read this?" or "how can I attract a publisher?" or "am I any good at this writing stuff?"

Now that I mention it, I think I'll take the afternoon off and... just write! You do the same.

How much time, money, and energy are you willing to spend?

For more fun with choices and opportunities to ask your questions, check into my blog: The Anarchist's Guide to Grammar.

Val has two soon-to-be-published books: The Anarchist's Guide to Grammar and The Creative Instinct. Meanwhile, check her new books on Kindle:

Ahlam's Stories - Stories of life in Iraq as you haven’t seen it. —Love, marriage, children, work and play, pleasures and tragedies, hope and … life— as told through the eyes of a woman who dearly wants the West to know the real Iraq and its people the way it was before…

Elements of Inclusive Language - How to write without excluding others

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Please feel free to contact me. I welcome your comments and any specific questions you may have.