*Informal Photography by Sue Tanian

A Writers Journey… how to get from manuscript to book?

Gee, now, there’s a good question. I bet it’s one of the most asked questions by writers trying to get published.

The Answer - there is no one sure fired answer. Sorry!!

But I can tell you what I did and hopefully you may gain something from this and be able to apply it and make your own dream come true.

I spent money!! Aarrh I hear you say. I spent it - I didn’t waste it!!

After I finished the ms I drifted in la la land for months. I was so chuffed with my work of art that I did nothing for a while. When I decided to do something with it, I knew I needed an experienced eye to look over it. Fortunately my Mum had a writing group. Mum and one of the ladies (Lynda Taylor) took a look at my manuscript to give me some feedback. Lynda had no paid experience editing but was certainly knowledgeable. So I decided to give her a few chapters to look at. With pen in hand, she edited them. I could immediately see that I could learn much from her and asked if she could do all 39 chapters. Our next step was to figure out how to edit on the computer!! It took some figuring out but we can now both use Track Change and make Comments.

Was it money well spent? Heck, yes!! I learned so much over the next few months, all of which I applied to my writing. I think it actually crept up on me (the learning) and my writing improved.

So What Next?

Now I had this ‘baby’ all primed and ready to go - but what should I do with it? It was suggested I join Romance Writers of Australia - romance who? Best thing I could have done!! I had no idea there was this large organisation, full of romance writers, many of whom are multi published.

For the next weeks (after I joined) I surfed their web-site, looking at all the links, learning what I needed to do to take the next step towards my goal. Competitions!! I entered the 2006 Emerald Award. Just getting my entry together taught me so much about formatting. Anyway, I entered and came 6th. I was wrapped. If I hadn’t learnt what I did from Lynda, I don’t think I’d have done so well. But … there were a few comments from judges about the first 2 chapters being an ‘information dump’?? Lynda had mentioned this to me but being stubborn, I thought the chaps were still good, so left them.

RWA Conference

Armed with my one and only completed manuscript, I decided to spend more money ….aarrh…not more money!! I spent it - I didn’t waste it. I flew to Sydney for the annual three day, RWA conference. Wow! Was it good. I learned so much and got to put a few faces to names. But you know what - I felt very lonely there. I didn’t know a single person at the conference. I spoke to some nice people but I envied those I saw who obviously had writing friends attending with them. I felt very isolated and continued to feel this way when I got home. I wanted writing friends - to share ideas with, to run things by, and to have fun with.

RWA’s E-Group - ROMAUS

It was suggested to me at the conference, by a couple of the fabulous RWA Committee members, that I join ROMAUS.

Now, every day, I am involved in this supportive, e-group network. Questions are asked and answered, good news shared and celebrated and bad new consoled and commiserated. It’s a wonderful group I enjoy being involved in. It’s also a great channel to keep up with what’s happening within the industry.

ROMAUS enabled me to contact a fellow writer I'd met on the bus heading back to the airport after the RWA conference. Now there’s hardly a day goes by that we don’t email each other. You rock Suz!! Thanks for all your help - and convincing me to dump my first 2 chapters …lol

Critiquing Partners and Writing Friends

But wait, there’s more!!

Rachel Robinson, you legend!!

I still felt isolated with my writing and disconnected from the industry. It was as if there was something great going on, but I was missing out on it.

Rachel runs the Critique Partner Register for RWA. She matches up writers who have no contact with other like-minded writers.

I applied. I now have 3 fabulous crit partners that I can learn from, share ideas with and run my new chapters by for critiquing. It has changed my writing life - no, seriously. I feel I am now a part of this business, linked into the industry. Thanks Rachel, Chelle, Pam and Bron, you are all part of my writing journey.

Now what?

So, I have everything in place …I have my polished manuscript

I’ve practiced writing a 1, 2, 3 and 4 page synopsis.

I’ve done a query letter template

Ok … it’s time to do some surfing and research publishing houses. Who are some of our Ozzie authors published with? Which houses take romance genre? Who takes historical romances with a time travel theme? What are their submission guidelines? Is it query only by email? Is it query only by snail mail? Do they want the first three chapters as well? Do they want the whole ms? What format would they prefer it in?

Every publishing house is different so you need to be prepared to do some re-formatting (easy once you practice it), and follow their rules/guidelines.

What next?

If you’ve followed all the rules

You put it all in an envelope or email

Close your eyes

Drop it in the letter box or

Press the send key!!

Have a stiff drink and think about all the things you probably stuffed up!!

But it’s too late - you’ve just taken the next big step to getting published. There’s no turning back now!!

What do you do while you wait for a response??

Start writing that next best seller!!

And wait and wait and wait …

But then one day when you least expect it an email pops up from a publishing house - ‘We have received your Query and would like to see your full manuscript’ Eeeekkk!!!

You’ve just taken another huge step in the right direction. Sure it may be rejected, but hey, you know you’ve got a winning query letter and synopsis!!

And when you get ‘the e-mail’ that says we’d like to offer you a contract………..well - that’s a satisfaction you have to experience for yourself!!

Thank you for spending a bit of your precious time with me.

I wish you all the best with your writing.

May your dreams come true.

Gail

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