Are You Bitter That You Haven’t Published Yet?

Most writers want to publish. They want to see their name on a book, but more importantly, they want to get their message out into the world. They believe they have a story to tell and something important to say, and I believe that you do, too. 

I hear a lot of writers say that they’re bitter about seeing others publish, because they feel like they haven’t been chosen yet.

I recently got off the phone with someone who’s been trying to publish for five years, and she’s bitter. She looks at all the stuff that’s coming out, sees the novels that are getting published, and she thinks, “Why is all this terrible stuff getting published?”

I’ve heard other people echo that same sentiment:

“Why does that get published and I’m not getting published?”

So, I took a look at this woman’s manuscript after our conversation today, and to be honest with all of you, it was filled with really long, difficult to read, gratuitous descriptions. There were several moments in the novel where there was overly-academic phrasing no one was going to understand or want to look at.

What happened is the way she was looking at the book, her own work, wasn’t in line with what the publishing industry is looking for. 

Here’s the bottom line: at the end of the day, bitterness, resentment, envy, or jealousy are not going to serve you. They’re not going to move you forward.

If you want to get published, if you’re serious about getting published, you have to give people what they want. You have to know how to write books that are going to sell.  

That doesn’t mean compromising your artistic vision, or that you have to be a sellout. 

What it means is that you need to take your ideas and present them in a way that excites agents, editors, publishers, and readers. Whether you traditionally publish or self-publish, if you want to sell books, you’ve got to have appeal.

Do you know what the industry standards are? Do you know what’s trending now?  

I speak with industry professionals every day, and have my hand on the pulse of the publishing industry. I’d love to talk with you about your manuscript, and how you can move it toward publishable. 

Let’s chat. Drop yourself right into my calendar.