The Next Step

Let’s flashback to that first manuscript I thought was pure gold (the one that now lives in a cyber graveyard). I had a finished book in hand. I was at the peak of writing ecstasy ready to conquer the literary world. I toss the proverbial door open like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, wanting more than this provincial life, and slam to a halt.

Because I had no idea what to do next.

How does one get a literary agent? How does one submit their manuscript to editors? What the heck does one even do to find these mythical people to begin with?

Coming out from behind the screen of my coffee-fueled writing frenzy was a rude awakening. As I began the process of trying to get traditionally published, I realized just how little I knew, not only about writing but about the publishing world in general. I was truly a fish out of water, flopping around and making a fool of myself. I submitted my very unpolished manuscript to some of the biggest named agents in my genre and I guess my work was so bad that they didn’t even deign to respond to my query for representation. It took a few of these mishaps to realize, I needed knowledge.

You would think that after my many years of schooling that I’d learn that one does not go into a test or, in this instance, the publishing world without knowing that I was talking about or even doing. Cue church friend at stage right! Through many a Sunday of working the greeters desk together, she learned that I was writing and suggested I attend a writer’s conference that one of her favorite authors, Karen Kingsbury, was putting on. Now, I had never heard of this writer and had never read any of her books. After a bit of research, I quickly figured out that she writes vastly different material than I do and probably wouldn’t be interested in some quirky YA fantasy, but her conference was offering me what I’d lacked before. Opportunity. If I went, I would not only get some time to hear her feedback on my story, but I would also get the chance to send my manuscript in to possibly get it picked up by her publisher. I thought to myself “What have I got to lose? If anything, I’ll at least get a nice vacation out of it.”

So I went.

And over a period of two days, not only did I realize how much I didn’t know, but I also realized that conferences are not for the faint of heart. They are like literary hurricanes. Information flies at you with torrential speeds. Hand cramps abound as you struggle to write everything down. And then comes the practical writing exercises where (gasp) you have to share your work with other people. Needless to say, I was not prepared for any of it and after those two days, I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.

Mentally because of all the information.

Physically because sleep was optional.

And emotionally because I realized that my manuscript, as it was, was unpublishable.

A bit of me came back broken after that conference. I realized how insurmountable the task of getting published was and everything I had left to do before agents/publishers would even consider publishing me. But I also came back a little braver with a more level head about the realities of what I was trying to accomplish. I once again had options and a direction to go in. I now had choices. To send in my manuscript as is. To edit the manuscript first. Or to finish the other manuscript I had begun a few months prior and send that one instead.

All I had to do was take the next step.