Book writers of PH

[Roy Lime]

How many of us have, at some point, written a book that we've tried to get published?

I'm sure we'd all like to draw attention to our work, but let's remember the advertising rules.

Pop your username below but please don't mention the name of - or provide a link to - your book.

If there's enough of us, maybe we can ask for a sticky where we are allowed to promote our UNPUBLISHED work.

Anyone interested?

Edited by Roy Lime on Wednesday 17th July 09:40

[Roy Lime]

LSsupercar said:

Starting writing from an idea for one chapter, it's not expanding and going very well so far. Hoping to get it published.

Don't quite understand this. What do you mean?

[Roy Lime]

Xaero said:

ETA: Has anyone come up with a strategy for getting a book published? I've briefly looked into this (although keep telling myself I should finish the book first). I thought of a great title, but the .com address is taken (although not being used) and I'd like bookname.com to help push sales and give a brief intro about the book.

Edited by Xaero on Monday 2nd September 05:46

I've done something very similar to this. It hasn't worked at all.

[Roy Lime]

The other day I had a long phone call with a publisher, he told me my novel had just missed out. I've received a bit of feedback from the readers, quoted as follows:

"Generally the pitch and the book plot were well received. The ideas are topical - but also timeless, ruthless business men trying to claw their way to the top, the bad side of human nature. The book itself was easy to read, but I think the main problem came from the characterisation. Too many of the characters were stereotypes, which always makes them less than believable or realistic as most people are more complex."

They added a bit about forgetting dreams of being the next JK Rowling as it's mostly luck and then said,

"If however, you enjoy writing I say keep going - there is a book there - it just needs more development and a bit more work."

This gives me a couple of problems. The story is a satire; the characters were written to be stereotypes. Secondly, they've suggested I have the book edited prior to submission (not copy edited - there are no particular problems with grammar etc.). I've always wanted it editing, but worry that if I do so before submitting it anywhere else, I'm in exactly the same position - surely editing at that level is highly subjective.

I'm new to all this. What do people think?

[Roy Lime]

LeftmostAardvark said:

Keep going, sub it out to a couple more publishers (carefully picked of course).

There aren't that many left.

[Roy Lime]

andyroo said:

Not sure how much you know about professional editing, but there are three main levels: the developmental/substantive edit, where the plot and characters are discussed in a general sense; the line/copyedit, where flow and and general readability are streamlined; and proofreading, the nitpicking of grammar and spelling. I would suggest the publisher is referring to the middle one, just so the fluff is removed and the book flows as well as it can to give the reader no opportunity to trip up. A professional edit should cost you between £500-£1000, and is well worth it; it will even help you learn what your writing foibles are to improve for your next work.

Fair enough; I know nothing at all about editing. What you seem to be suggesting isn't quite (that was meant to be in italics) what I'm being told. Apparently it reads well but the specific problem, according to that particular publisher, was stereotypical characters. Again, the characters are deliberately stereotypical (PH would love it ). If I have it edited at this stage, who's to say it won't put the next publisher off?

andyroo said:

Some info for you: new authors, even ones taken on by big publishers, are often left to market their own work. If you can't attract a commitment from a publisher, I would suggest that the quality of your work is not the problem, but your marketability.

I completely agree with this. Publishers seem to be looking for a quirk and I'm Mr Normal. It makes me wonder how people used to get published.

By the way, have you read it yet Andy?

[Roy Lime]

Managed to delete my post. That's a nightmare for you. I'm contemplating looking at the agent route again too.

[Roy Lime]

Another publisher is reading my novel at the moment.

Yesterday I received an email stating it was, "really very good" and could be, "a definitive account of our times". I was then asked if I have any ideas about marketing it.

The novel is a satirical thriller. Does anyone have any genius marketing ideas?

[Roy Lime]

robsa said:

Stuff.

Interesting. Mind if I ask your experience - PM is fine if you prefer?

By the way, since posting this I have had a book published, factual though - not my novel.

[Roy Lime]

Quick update to the thread. My novel was published a few months ago and has been on sale in as many independent local bookshops as I've been able to persuade. It wasn't edited in the end as the publisher liked its 'raw' style (it was, however, thoroughly proofread - a necessity that will be glaringly obvious to anyone who has read any of my posts on here).

It's been available to order through the Waterstones.com website for a while but has today been taken on a trial basis by one of their stores. Bad news in that it's only one but good news that it's the Manchester Deansgate store.

Marketing, as ever, remains the killer. As an unknown author the budget is pretty much zilch and, as I'm woefully short of work, I can't afford an advertising spend myself. If anyone has any low-cost ideas I'm all ears.

Best of luck to all.

[Roy Lime]

Just finished the first draft of my second novel.

Phew.

[Roy Lime]

funkyrobot said:

What's it called and what is it about?

I haven't got a name (beyond a working title) yet.

It begins with the shooting of an armed drug dealer during an arrest. A bit of a storm ensues. A spurious community leader and politician-turned-media relations expert find they can make a nice little bit of filthy lucre by fomenting civil unrest, so do their best to whip things up in the media and community as the inquiry unfolds. There's quite a twist at the end.

Hope that makes some sense. I haven't even thought about a synopsis yet.

coppice said:

Good for you- a final edit or are you good to go?
I am 50k words into my current book , my third , but the first on cars and motorsport . I can't tell you the website (As I have found I can't publicise it on PH ) but hopefully I can get a review from them once done.....

Thank you. It's a first draft; I will be leaving it or a few weeks before printing, reading and starting to edit.

Best of luck with your writing and I hope they do give you a review - we all need as many of those as we can get, don't we?

[Roy Lime]

funkyrobot said:

Firstly, how is everyone getting on with their books?

I (eventually) started the first edit last week. I'm just over ten thousand words through (the first draft was just under a hundred).

funkyrobot said:

Secondly, I have started writing my first book. Currently doing the first draft and have actually been able to let myself simply write. Its crap, but I can edit it later.

Good luck with it. In my opinion, you're going about it the right way. As long as it's all down, you can put it in order later.

funkyrobot said:

Even managed to scare myself tonight as I wrote about an event in the dark. I then had to go down to the end of my garden an hour ago to get something out of the shed. Nearly pooped myself.

Get help.

Joking - I can kind of understand that. There's a thoroughly miserable chapter in my first novel and writing it made me feel sorry for myself. Interesting process, isn't it?