The Stepping Stones to Publishing Write

By: Julie Ann Howell

            I find it to be certainly notable that when I chat with my fellow colleagues about writing, all of them seem to have diverse strategies for doing what they love best. Some writers have a specific time of day that is set aside to write, and some write at random or whenever they feel inspired. They might use an outline or put their notes on index cards and place them on a bulletin board so ideas can be organized and visual before they go to paper. Depending on the genre, for some writers, extensive research needs to be obtained before any writing can begin. And [there are] those lucky ones out there can just sit down at their favorite writing place, and it all simply pours out of them without notes, those awe-inspiring words spilling out onto paper. No matter what your technique is for writing brilliantly, you might want to ask yourself, How do I know when to stop writing, editing, and adding paragraphs, and prepare my manuscript for publication? Authors might feel that they are never really done. There is always one more paragraph to tweak or a line to add somewhere in those many black and white pages staring back at us. How do we know when to put the pen down or stop clicking those keys on the computer?

As a publisher of a book publishing company and a literary magazine, I have noticed that preparing a manuscript for its final journey to go to print, is an emotional task for most writers, especially after working on a project for many years. In one instance, an author that I met just recently shared with me that the project she was about to hand over was a work in progress for more than ten years. That is not only a remarkable accomplishment, but an emotional one as well. No matter how long we writers work on a project, we do become attached and very protective of our words. To hand over a manuscript to a complete stranger sort of feels like you are handing over your own child, and when you walk away, you might feel lost and not quite sure what to do with yourself. I can remember her asking me just one more question before the big moment: “Now what do I do?”

            My advice to all authors is to immediately begin another project. It is simply imperative to set a goal for yourself if your heart and soul are about writing. Whether you write for fun or you are planning to pursue a writing career, always have more than one project under way. Perhaps you have never had the opportunity to write a magazine article. If so, grasp this opportunity in both hands and investigate online magazines as well as print media. It is a great experience. As they all have deadlines attached to them, it most definitely will keep you focused and on task. You might have one finished project on the editor’s desk; another could be under construction. I know for myself, I keep a great deal of information stored in my head, and it is sort of stirring around until it is ready to go to paper. The more you write, the better you get. The more pieces that are recognized and published, the better you feel about letting go of the one going to print. It is truly an amazing feeling to see your byline in ink for the first time, or even the tenth time. For those of you who have experienced it, I am sure you will agree, there are no words.

One of the many steps to prepare your manuscript for publishing is to make certain a professional editor edits your work. It is your responsibility as the author to ensure your work has been copyedited for the integrity of your words and your readers. One never knows who will be reading and why. It is a must to find an editor who is qualified to do the work. Please do not have your Aunt Tilley or your neighbor who just so happened to teach language arts thirty years ago edit your work, even if this person says he or she will do it for free. The word “free” does sound tempting, but it could set you back many months when it comes to turning out a successful novel or article. Do your homework and search for a professional editor and pay someone to edit for spelling errors, sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar. It most definitely will be worthwhile down the road. It is ultimately your responsibility once the editor is finished to go over your manuscript to accept or reject any changes or suggestions the editor might have addressed. Realize that editors use a variety of styles, so make sure you ask what style they use before you commission them to begin the process, and that it is acceptable to you, the writer.

Expressing yourself with the written word is a powerful tool, and having many projects literally on all four burners is a must in my book. This will keep your creativity at its highest level. So whatever your specialty, get inspired, write, write, and, oh yes, write some more. A writer’s business is words, and therefore, we are always in business.

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