While there are some staple and general tips that you should always keep in mind when writing, whether you are attempting some poetry, fiction, historic or sci fi, there are a number of things to bear in mind when it comes to getting your work out there and chasing that elsuvie publishing deal. Writing is often only half the battle, as making sure you make some useful connections and contacts can go a long way to helping you relaise the dream of being a pubished writer.
Research
This can be a tricky subject, and will vary depending on what you are writing about, what genre you are writing in, and so on. If you are planning an historical thriller for example, you will want to make sure you have some key facts about the time period you plan to set your story in. Remember, you want to make your world as believable as possible, and while you certainly have more leeway when it comes to fiction writing, especially science fiction or fantasy, it can be very helpful for you and the reader to flesh out your world with some research. You may well find that obstacles dissolve once you have done some digging, or characters and ideas come thick and fast that help you develop the intricacies of your setting in ways you may not have initially approached. That is perhaps the key: UUse your research as inspiration, especially if you are felling stuck. Conversly, you don’t want to let research take over or stifle your writing. Again, this is very dependent on what you are writing, as of course any factual work will be heavily dependent on factual research, but for fiction, it can be helpful to simply get your idea down first, and add research as needed to flesh things out during a read through or editing.
Networking
As writers, we may not particularly like the idea of networking, often preferring our own solitude in which to explore the written word and ideas, but it can be a very valuable investment of time, not to mention inspiration. There are a number of groups that run writing events and workshops through out the UK which can be great for picking up advice, tips and feedback on your writing, as well as making connections with people that could help you out in the future. Often, these events are not particularly glamorous, but you never know who you will meet, and sometimes bouncing your ideas around a number of other people can help give you a better focus and insight into your own work. These things can often be very valuable, and if it can also be worthwhile investing in business cards or other tailored and personalised items that you can use as promotional and networking tools to help get your name out there and spark interest in your work.
Presence
In the online age, getting yourself out there has never been easier, and it’s a good idea to set yourself up with a website, blog, and on as many other forms of social media as you can manage. This has a number of advantages. First of all, you can start showcasing some of your work and keep people updated on what you’re doing. The internet is an unpredictable thing, so you never know if or when that short story snippet or poem could go viral. It also helps to have all your work collected in one pace online, as many publishers or editors like to be able to get a sense of what you’re about quickly and easily, and online content is becoming the modus operandi these days. Additionally, starting to build up readers early can be beneficial in the long run, as many publishers will want evidence that you can market your writing to an audience, and that you can prove to some extent that there is a market for your writing. When it comes to approaching publishers, it is often worth taking the time out to learn about the genre you are writing in. The more information you have that supports your manuscript financially, the better, so while it may not have been the first thing you thought you might be doing as a writer, is can certainly help you stand out when you make a pitch. For some useful advice and further tips, this site has some useful information too.
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