Committing to a Story

Two months ago, I made a stupid promise.  I responded to a query from my publisher to submit an erotic romance story to a recent submission call by saying "yes", I would write a story to fit their guidelines.  That meant agreeing to write at least 10,000 words (and as much as 15,000) in a month.  Was this promise feasible?  Yes.  Was it wise?  Probably not.

You see, having published with this romance publisher many times before, I had already seen this specific submission call, thought about the theme and decided not to submit a story.  You read that right.  I decided against it.

I had many reasons not to write a piece for this call.  First of all, I have published in several of their anthologies and thought it might not be wise to submit to too many, which might lead to a de facto rejection simply based on volume.  Another thing, I wasn't too sure what the theme meant and hadn't written a lot of stories in this vein.  So, unfamiliar territory.

Of course, as always, there are other calls on my time.  I am currently in the middle of about a dozen erotic romance stories, many of which are clamouring to be finished.  (Yes, I can hear them clamour).  Plus, between work, family, and school, I already have plenty of deadlines I may or may not meet.  I didn't need another one to add to my list.

So why did I agree to write this story?

The personal query flattered me.  I write ménage erotic romances (among other kinds) and the idea that my editor would have thought of my other stories while reviewing this submission call made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Pandering to my ego works, people!

I agreed to submit a story, worked my ass off for weeks to draft and edit it, and finally submitted it in early October.  A few weeks later, I got the news that my story was accepted for the anthology!  Yay!

Bottom line: I stretched myself thin to write this story.  I think it's a pretty good one, with a non-hero character I might end up using in a future tale.  Because I tend to write according to mood, I often didn't feel like writing this story, but in the end I finished it and it turned out well.

Don't believe what people tell you.  Writing is hard work.  It isn't always up to your inclination what you write about.  It was worth more to me to please my publisher, to push aside my other projects, and to finish this story.  I gave up something to gain something.

When you commit to a story, what do you give up?  What do you gain?

New Year...Same Resolutions

Last year, I wrote about tackling the same resolutions as the year before.  And this year...well, same thing.

Don't mess with a winning formula, right?

That isn't to say that I met my goals last year.  I didn't.  Not by a long shot.  I wanted to write more, blog more and send out submissions.  I wrote a lot.  I blogged a little.  I sent out even fewer submissions.

But end result?  I published more.  I got more of my erotic romance stories published in 2013 than 2012.  And I hope that 2014 will offer more opportunities.  At this point, I already have four stories scheduled for publication in 2014 (one is due out in a few days, my first with Ellora's Cave) and that's not too shabby.

I set huge goals.  I wanted to send out 100 submissions last year and I ended up doing about ten percent of that.  But I like making the big goals and I really like striving for them.  Every time I chalked up a submission, I rejoiced--and that feeling was worth it.

So strive for the big goals this year.  You might just make it.  And if you fail, well, you'll have failed trying.

Erotic Romance Calls for Submission - Spring Edition

This week, I broke out my spring dresses for the first time in the year.  It was still a little chilly up here but it felt great to wear a dress again, even if it was with tights.

Bring on the warm weather!

Of course, with spring comes thoughts of love (and sex), so here are a few erotic romance publishers who are looking for your stories.

Loose Id is looking for hot stories about the new boss, whether that's in an office setting or the "new Dom at the club" -- wow.  Submissions should be novella-length, so 20,000 or more words.  Deadline for writers who aren't already working with this publisher is May 25th so get writing!

Entangled wants stories with moderate to high heat levels set in exotic locales.  Story lengths can range from 10,000 to 40,000 words.  Not sure about the deadline for these but the call went out earlier this month so get those pens working.

Ellora's Cave has two calls for submission for 2013: Boys Will Do Boys (deadline: May 1st) and sweet Regencies for a Christmas collection (deadline: May 15th if you don't already write for them).

Lastly, Entranced Publishing is seeking novel length winter and holiday-themed romance fiction.  Deadline is May 1st so this is perfect for any of you who already have a manuscript gathering dust (like me).  Get editing, folks!

Calls for Erotic Romance and Getting Published

Last year, I released my first erotic romance stories, Captive Angel and Country Hearts with Total-E-Bound publishing.  Total-E-Bound produces incredible erotic (and other) romance e-books in a myriad of subgenres.  They have been a real pleasure to work with and, partly for that reason, I have two more erotic romances coming out this year.

Previously, I've posted about Total-E-Bound's calls for submission.

I thought, since I have benefited from these same calls, I would show my work by letting you know that I've used those very same postings to review the guidelines for stories, to submit and, ultimately, to be published.  Yes, really.

In August, 2012, for instance, I posted the following:

Total-E-Bound accepts erotic romance manuscripts between 10,000 and 100,000+ words and has specific calls for submissions going on right now. These include - At Your Service (short stories about domestic staff) deadline: November 1, 2012, Whip It Up (BDSM, obviously) deadline: March 1, 2013, and my favourite, Wanton Witches (Halloween themed for next year's season) deadline: April 1, 2013.

I submitted a story called "A Lady for Two" for the At Your Service anthology since I've had good sales with the other anthology piece I submitted to them.  I sent in my historical piece the day before the deadline, on October 31, 2012, and I received an acceptance about seven weeks later on December 11, 2012.  Pre-ordering starts later this month and general release is scheduled for June 10th.

That means, all together, it's taken about a year to write, submit, edit and otherwise get my story ready for publication.  Total-E-Bound staff has made this a smooth process but, don't get me wrong, the creative process can also be fraught with difficulty.

The message: it's hard work to be a writer.  Keep on top of general calls for submission and try out my publisher.  If you don't send your stories out there, you will never be published.

Take a deep breath, write like crazy, and submit your work.

Why I've Received No Writing Rejections This Year

I haven't received a rejection letter in a long time.

Why?

Because I haven't been sending out any writing submissions.

See how that works?

In order to be published, you need to send your work out into the cold harsh world.  If you're good (or talented, or lucky, or connected...whatever adjective describes your world view), you have your work published, it sells thousands of copies and you make a name for yourself (and a little cash too).

If your work is rejected, does it mean that it wasn't good/talented/etc.?  No way.  It could be any host of reasons.  You might be sending the right work to the wrong publisher or agent.  You might be sending it out a day after you finished writing the first draft, with no more than a bare spellcheck to get you through.  (Don't do that, by the way).  It might be okay but needs work.  Or it might be good and needs the right audience.

When you send the work out, you take your chances.  Without sending it out, there is no chance that it will be published.  Got that?  NO CHANCE IT WILL BE PUBLISHED.

That's what I've got right now.  No chance.  No hope of selling those thousands and thousands of copies and getting my name heard.

Yes, I keep writing every day.  But writing is about more than that (if you want to be read by anyone other than your family members).

I have to suck it up and get my work out there.  So should you.  We'll hold each other's hands, I promise.

Erotic Romance: Calls for Submission - 2013 Edition

So you want to write erotic romance?  2013 may be your year to finish that sexy manuscript and snag a publisher for it.

As for myself, I had the idea of hitting this new year running but so far I've only been jogging a little.  Certainly not enough to work up a sweat.  I should get down to it.  And so should you!  Come on...we'll do it together.

In the meantime, find some motivation from the erotic romance publishers out there who are eagerly awaiting your masterpieces.  Check them out.

Total-E-Bound: This is my erotic romance publisher and they are lovely to work with.  Plus, they are looking for stories for some fantastic themed anthologies coming up.  How about an all male story about men in uniform?  (Deadline July 1, 2013). Or a cowboy menage story? (Deadline November 1, 2013). That's definitely my kinda thing.

This publisher also has a host of seasonal holiday themed calls for submissions that are tickling my fancy.  Valentine's Day 2014 is all about cougars--and the submission deadline is August 2013, which gives us all time to work on that manuscript to our heart's content.  And, last but not least, pirates!  We have a whole year to come up with a M/F "Jolly Rogered" story.

Ellora's Cave is also looking for stories about big beautiful women (BBW) and M/M erotic romance.

Happy New Year and happy writing!

Happy New Year!

Another year over...and a new one just begun - John Lennon

Yes, it is 2013, already.  Yikes!  To show you how unprepared I was for the new year, I spent time on the first morning of the year printing a calendar.  Even though, according to my family, I ought to have known the year was coming.  Let's just say I hadn't completely written off the idea of a Mayan apocalypse.

But, having survived to see a new year, I am left with the task of deciding on my new year's writing resolutions.  Again.

See, last year, I was ambitious.  Some may say, too ambitions.  I set out a series of writing resolutions and I charted my progress throughout the beginning of 2012.

Okay, so I did one progress report on my resolutions last year...and that was in January.  Anecdoctal evidence suggests that I am in the majority.  Most people do seem to forget about their new year's resolutions very early on.

So why I am making new resolutions?  Because I am ambitious.  I want to be the best writer I can be and I want to try to show the world some of my writing.  But more than that, I know myself, and I feel better about me when I write and send out submissions.  If you write, you probably feel the exact same way.

So what are my resolutions for 2013?  Write more.  Blog more.  Send out more submissions.  That's all.

Good luck to you and me!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Erotic Romance Calls for Submission

I would like to think the title of this post is a funny double entendre...or maybe I'm just writing this too early in the morning.

Anyway, I have been going through an odd stretch of writer's block that is a combination of a strong desire to write, coupled with ideas to write about and, amazingly, the time to write, with a complete inability to write.  All of metaphorical ducks are in a row, yet I'm not writing.  It's almost like I'm spoiled for choice.  Or lazy.  Maybe, really, just lazy.

Well, here's hoping it passes and quickly.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some recent calls for submission by erotic romance publishers that might help you (and me) get our fingers moving.  Typing, I meant.  Geez, get your mind out of the gutter.  Or in, as the case may be.

Entangled: I'm really bummed about missing this publisher's zombie call but there's a Valentine's Day theme that gives us all until the last week in November to come up with a sexy book-length story.  Complete manuscripts only.

Carina Press: This publisher is always seek erotic romance as well as erotica but they also have a special call for holiday themed romance and erotic romance with a deadline in March 2013.  Plenty of time to get those pencils moving!  Bonus: there's also a military "home for the holidays" collection they are seeking stories for.

Ellora's Cave: They're looking for stories about bounty hunters and also expanding their Fusion line (multicultural and interracial stories).  They also have a EC for Men line that was launched this year that is currently seeking submisisons.

Bonus: Forever Yours is a new digital publisher on the block which is seeking all kinds of romance, so they may certainly be worth a query.

Success and Failure

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill

Today, I was toting up my writing career.  To date, I've published two erotic romance short stories/ novellas and I have a full length contemporary novel forthcoming in January 2013.

Not too shabby, right?

Well, I've been writing romances for about fifteen years.  Yes, you read that right.  Fifteen...years.

I've completed about a dozen full manuscripts and have countless short stories, chapters, first pages and scraps written.  Again, not too bad, right?

In my sums today, I realized that I have sent out each of these manuscripts at least two or three times to publishers.  I've spent a fortune on ink, paper and stamps.  So far, I've had the three publications I mention above.

That's a lot of failure.

Fifteen years of trying and three publications.  Is it worth it?  Yes!

Seeing my work in print (okay, e-print) ranked right up there with one of the best feelings ever.  And you know what, without sending out my work over and over, I would have never gotten here.

So, a la Alanis Morrisette, thank you Failure.  Without you, I wouldn't have achieved success.

Vote for my Romance: The Dating Lesson

The voting portion of the So You Think You Can Write contest is now open!

Vote for my Harlequin Romance, The Dating Lesson.

Just a word of warning, the voting works differently than in past years for this contest.  Instead of rating each entry as you read them, you can now only vote for your favourite -- one per day.  Trust me, I learned the hard way and voted for an entry that did not really impress me.  Oh well, tomorrow is another voting day.

First Chapter of The Dating Lesson Now Available!

I've done it!

I just submitted my first chapter of a Harlequin Romance to the So You Think You Can Write Contest.

Read my first chapter of The Dating Lesson! And remember to vote for my entry beginning October 2.

Good luck to my fellow writers who have taking the plunge and submitted to the contest.  Fingers crossed for us all :)

Belated New Year's Resolutions from Writers

Over at Writer's Digest, Brian Klems has also been working on his New Year's Resolutions for 2012.  I had fun reading his resolution and those of the commentators, all writers who have similar goals to mine this year.

I love that Brian's main resolution (#8 on his list) is to put himself out there.  That's what I'm trying to do with my goal of sending out one hundred query letters this year.  Get out there, writers - that's the only way to get published and get read!

Resolutions - Send Out More Query Letters

One of my Writing Resolutions for this year is to "Send 100 Queries".  Here is how I plan to do it.

So the hard part is already completed: I've written my novel, I've created my query letter and I've researched dozens of literary agents to send both of these to.

The thing is that I've tried submitting for publication before but I've never been able to maintain a regular pace.  My pattern has been to send out a few queries, rest on my laurels, and wait for the rejections to come rolling in.  I don't send out a significant number of other queries until months pass.

The question, then, is why haven't I been sending out queries to literary agents and publishers at a scorching pace?

The answer: fear.

It takes an emotional toll to send out well-crafted and well-researched submissions only to have them returned (sometimes cruelly swiftly) with a form rejection or no response at all.  The non-responses are arguably worse because they keep hope alive.  If my pattern, as I've recently noticed, is to wait until most or all of my old queries are rejected before I send out new ones, then I am effectively handcuffing myself according to the whims of others.

It's time for me to take charge.

That's why, this year, I have vowed to send out 100 query letters.  Period.  End of story.

If they all get returned with form rejections in two days, so be it.  If none of them even get a response, oh well.  In either case, I've tried.  And what's more, I've given it a real sustained effort, not a haphazard Hail Mary shot.

Having a concrete goal has already made a difference.  Without the practice of sitting down in front of the computer and saying 'maybe I'll send out five queries today' and not revisiting them for five months, I am less concerned with the results and more concerned with the part of the process I can control -- getting my work out there.

It's a cruel world.  Rejections have already started to come in from the first nine queries I've submitted so far this year.  But I will press on.  Only 91 more to go.

My Writing Resolutions for 2012

Everyone does it.  It's our dirty little secret.  Some of us share it with a few close friends and family members.  Some of us, myself included, never tell another living soul.

I'm talking about our New Year's Resolutions.

We've all made them.  We've all broken them.  That's why we don't like to display them for public consumption.

I don't mind failure.  In other words, it hurts, but it won't crush me or destroy my ambition to try again.  Granted, it took me a long time to get to this point.  When I was younger, my confidence was more fragile and I resisted trying to achieve anything I wasn't already sure I would succeed at.  Let me tell you, that attitude is very limiting.  And immature.  Thankfully, most of us grow out of it in time.

I make many of the same resolutions every year.  Eat healthy.  Exercise.  Watch less television.  I don't keep my resolutions for the entire year but the spirit of them lives on and I often go back to them and give it another go.  For instance, in the fall of 2011, I was taking my lunch to work every day in an effort to eat healthier, which was one of my resolutions for the year.  If you can believe it, I got better results in September than I ever did in January.  Go figure.

So, here are my New Year's Resolutions for 2012.  I will be tracking my progress over the course of the year(!).  Join me.  Make some of your own.  And keep track.  That's the only way to know what to do better next time.  'Cuz if you're like me, there will be a next time.

1) Write more (a perennial favourite)

2) Establish a regular blogging schedule (I'm thinking weekly)

3) Send out 100 queries to publishers and/or literary agents for my completed manuscripts

Easy, right?  I'll do my best.

2011: A Writer's Retrospective

Happy New Year!

Before we turn the page completely over on 2011, I wanted to share with you my amazing writing year.

As you may know, I spent a lot of time on my writing this past year.  But, unlike other years, I shifted part of my focus from production to submission--that is, trying to get published.

It was hard work.  I polished my manuscripts 'til they shone with an eerie light of their own.  I drafted and re-drafted several query letters, which took a lot longer than I would have thought possible.  If you think writing is difficult...whoa.

I researched and submitted to literary agents, publishers and periodicals, all in the hope of getting that all important nibble of interest from anyone, anywhere.  Of course, getting a nibble from someone whose interests you've researched and analyzed is worth so much more than a 'you'll hear from us in six months' auto-reply from another market.

My strategy this past year was to pay attention to calls for submissions from romance publishers and writing specific pieces targeting these publishers.  This strategy really paid off.

Pushing that send button on your email can be the most stressful action in a writer's life.  It puts your work out there in the cold hard world.

This year, I got several nibbles--people actually interested enough in my writing to want to read whole manuscripts!  I was thrilled.

I am pleased to report that my hard work paid off in 2011.  But my plans didn't start generating results in January or even by May.  I got my first showing of interest in the summer and signed my two publishing contracts in the last few months of the year.  Definitely worth the wait!

So, this year, I would urge you to take a little bit of time away from your writing and polish up those completed manuscripts--or do some looking and write a new piece specifically for a publisher's call.  Send your work out there.  That's the only want it will ever be read.

Photo courtesy of dream designs at freedigitalphotos.net

New Calls for Romance Submissions

Hi all.  It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog (I still love you, though) so I thought I would start up again with what I've been busy with these last few months - researching and answering publishers' calls for romance submissions.

Yes, I submitted two stories to Total-E-Bound in the last several months and I have now signed two contracts with them.  I am still sort of reeling over that!

I wish you the best of luck in submitting your romance stories.  From personal experience, my best advice is to keep at it.

Total-E-Bound:  My publisher.  (How sweet that sounds!)  They're always looking for shorter stories or novellas so try one out.  The current themes include bodices and boudoir (historicals), domestic staff, and immortal love, among others.  Something for every taste.

Samhain: Romance with some horror, erotic and "regular".  Again, shorter stories are welcomed as is any story up to 120,000 words.

Entangled: Geek love!  I think of myself more as a nerd than a geek (the difference is subtle) but I would love to take a stab at this call for "geek submissions" - romance stories with a geek as a primary character.

Good luck!

Road to Publication - My First Revision Request

This summer, I received my very first revision request.  I was over the moon!

It may not sound like a lot but this was the first time anyone in the romance publishing industry had taken notice of my writing enough to say: hey, why don't you work on this story and get back to us.  It helped that the editor also said that she loved my story. I was literally grinning for days.

But then came the hard part -- actually making the revisions.

Some stuff was fairly easy: fixing a few typos and so on.  The hard part was changing several of my scenes that were guilty of "head hopping" or switching between the points of view of more than one character.  In one scene, I found that I had switched back and forth at least three times!  Ouch.

It was the first time I became aware of my technical writing habits (read: flaws).  Head hopping appeared to be my favourite technique.

It took me weeks to change the scenes to my liking and to ensure that each scene was structurally sound, which meant going through my story line by line, word by word.  It meant re-reading my work over and over, turning a task I usually find enjoyable into a labour of love.

Labour, I did and eventually I succeeded in producing a manuscript that met with my editor's liking.  Let me tell you, those few days' wait between sending off the corrected story and waiting for her to say it was good were a killer!

The process of revising taught me a great deal.  With someone else watching over my shoulder, I recognized my common mistakes and was able to develop a technique for fixing them.  Yes, it's painstaking but it was well worth it to get back that email saying my story looked good.

Journey to My First Romance Publication

This is my first blog post in over a month and I am pleased to share a bit of good news that has kept me occupied for that period of time...I have had my first romance short story accepted for publication!

I am thrilled!  And busy!

When I last left this blog, I was deep into the process of preparing and editing my short story for submission into the Total-E-Bound erotic romance call for submissions.  This was, in fact, my very first attempt at writing an erotic romance story, a task I struggled with.

Apparently, I succeeded.

I received a request to make revisions to my story late in July and, after a few weeks of revisions, I resubmitted the story and had it accepted for publication.  I am now in the process of signing forms, giving some input into the cover art process(!), etc.

But, never fear, I will be back on these pages to chart my journey towards this first erotic romance submission, revision process, and acceptance.  I want to share my good fortune with everyone out there and remind you all that success is possible if you just keep at it.  Okay, I will stop myself from breaking into song.

(PS: I am now working on my second erotic romance story...I will keep you posted on that as well).

Elevator Pitches: How to Create Them and When to Bust One Out

I’ve never been fortunate enough to share an elevator with a famous literary agent or editor. In fact, as far as I know, I’ve never ridden the elevator with any agent or editor, famous or not.

(I did once speak to a famous musician as he tried to get on the elevator with me – he was heading in the opposite direction from the one my elevator was pursuing – but that’s another story. Okay, that’s pretty much the whole story).

Popular opinion seems to say that I should have a little speech ready for just such an occasion – the run in with the agent, not the musician. These short but snappy sound bites for your work are called elevator pitches and every writer with a manuscript worth selling should have one.

I don’t. But I intend to work on that. Right now.

Some tips I’ve compiled for my elevator pitch are:

The pitch:
The pitch itself should be a concise statement of your book and what it can offer readers that makes it interesting and unique. A tall order, for certain.

But think back to your synopsis and blurb writing. Many editors or agents want these types of short statements about your book in writing so consider this good practice for when you start submitting your manuscript. If you’ve already created a synopsis or blurb of your book then start there when you write your elevator pitch. Play around with the wording and order of the words. What looks great on paper may not sound smooth coming out of your mouth.

Make it your own:
The internet is littered with elevator pitch templates. Don’t just grab one and stick your name in the place of “Jane Smith” and your manuscript title in the spot that says “Your Amazing Idea Here”. Your idea may very well be amazing but you won’t do justice to it by using someone else’s words. Particularly if you are a writer and need to inject your voice into your writing. So too should you make the pitch you create in your voice.

Keep it short:
Well, duh. How long does it take you to ride the elevator? Not a heck of a lot of time. The basic rule is to keep your elevator pitch under 30 seconds in length. Don’t know how long yours will be? Practice it. Perform it a few times in front of a mirror and then a few times before an audience (even if it’s only a single person and that person is your mother). This will help to get the jitters out and also to accustom you to spitting that pitch out.

Try rehearsing your pitch in a public place. Try it out the next time you ride the elevator alone. Yes, it will give the security guards a laugh when they see you in their monitors talking to yourself, but it will also give you valuable practice.

Don’t forget your name!
Remember that the first part of your brief elevator conversation starts with you introducing yourself.

Example: “Hi, my name is Nan Comargue and I’ve written a book I think might interest you…”

Then go into your pitch.

There’s no point making a pitch as the Anonymous Woman. Part of the purpose of the elevator pitch is to get your name and book out there. There’s a possibility that your target agent or editor won’t be interested in your pitch but may mention it to someone who would be.

Now to get cracking on my elevator pitch. Someone point me to the nearest tall building.

Photo courtesy of Gregory Szarkiewicz at freedigitalphotos.net

Writing for Yourself vs. Writing for Your Reader

For years, I told myself that the only person I needed to write for was myself. I was my own best audience, not to my easiest critic (well, some of the time) and number one fan.

During these years, I wrote a great many historical romance manuscripts and, contrary perhaps to your first assumption, I did spend a lot of time revising and editing my work. But I also spent a lot of time re-reading my novels for pleasure. That was a BIG mistake.

When I stopped reading my own writing critically, I stopped being a writer and started being a reader. I was my only audience for a good reason. Those manuscripts stagnated. But no problem, I told myself. I could always write another. And another. And another. I also treated all of these manuscripts in the same disastrous way.

I was, in other words, a doting and smothering parent to my little darlings. It wasn’t good for them. In fact, it spoiled them rotten.

In the last few years, I have shifted my focus. I did this in a few ways.

Start with your target audience

I started writing contemporary romances with a specific series in mind. Fortunately, during the same period, I read literally hundreds of titles in this series and by the same publisher so I was well versed in what worked and what the editors would be expecting from a successful submission.

Yes, I know, the audience is really the reader, not the publisher but this is the necessary first step. Besides, who knows their reader better than the people at the publishing house? They spend the big bucks on research and marketing so why not take advantage of their expertise, albeit secondhand?

Do the research

Read everything your target publisher has put out about their audience. Read what other writers in the genre are saying about their readers. Read what the readers are saying on their blogs.

Get into the mindset of your ideal reader before you even put a word down on the page.

Keep your reader on your shoulder 

Think of that cartoon devil and angel who sit on a character’s shoulder and tell them what they should (and shouldn’t) do. That’s your reader. She (or he) sits on your shoulder (or on top of your head) and reads your work assessingly. The keyword is “assessingly”.

Periodically throughout your writing, say at the end of each chapter, think clearly about how the chapter has progressed and where the story is heading next. Think about your research and evaluate whether your writing style, language, voice, characters, behaviours of the characters and plot is in keeping with what you’ve learned about your target audience.

In this way, you can catch any digressions from your main purpose of pleasing your target reader before you travel too far off course. This can save you time and heartache later when you find yourself at the end of a manuscript that started going off the rails in chapter three.

Look at your draft as a reader

Perform your initial revisions and edits as normal.

Then, after you’ve cleaned up and re-worked your manuscript to get it into workable shape, put it away for a few days. Yes, that’s right, hands off the pages and step away from the computer. Finger off of that delete key, buster!

Let the manuscript slip out of your consciousness.

In a few days, come back to it and read it again, all the way through, without doing any edits. This should be done with a hard copy, coming as close to possible to the experience your reader will have.

After you’ve read it, set the manuscript aside. Ask yourself the kind of questions a book reviewer or book club might ask. Did this book grab your attention? Was it paced well? Were the characters believable? Did they engage your emotions?

If you, as the pretend reader, answered No to any of these questions, it’s time to go back and revise or rewrite.

Share your manuscript with a "real" reader

Get a friend or acquaintance who you know reads your genre to look at your manuscript, asking themselves the same questions as above. Ask them to write down their responses. You may even want to give them a template sheet to fill out their responses to the printed questions.

There’s no question about it: it’s harder to write for an audience than for yourself. If you’re happy writing for just yourself, great! But if you, like me, have gotten sick of that particular cycle, try some of these tips and write your story with a reader in mind. Your future reader will thank you for sharing your story with them.