I
was reading the first pages of ‘The Most Secret Memory of Men’ by Mohamed
Mbougar Sarr when I remembered why I wrote ‘Laura Rise – Detained’.
With
the publication of my latest book, I found myself in all sorts of
discussions that piqued my interest or encouraged me to think even more about
what it means to be a writer today.
Writers
just starting out have written to me asking if I have any valuable advice that
might bring them closer to being published.
With
seven books already published (eight, if I count the bilingual edition of ‘Adventures
of tourists’), you might consider me an experienced writer. But I don’t
see myself that way. Or at least, not yet. I still have a lot to learn, and
when you’re not a big name (or even a medium-sized one), you sometimes have to make
sure you climb in through the window when the door is slammed in your face.
These
days, a writer doesn’t just write (perhaps only those who are well-known and
make a living from their writing, since they already have a team handling their
PR, social media pages, blogs, and so on). Thus, now, a writer has to do
marketing, PR, copywriting, and much more. All of this takes up a lot of time
and drains your energy (a heads-up for introverts).
When
I make it big (as a writer), I’d like to just worry about choosing the cover
and making the edits suggested by the editors. To know that I just have to
write and I’ll be published, no matter what, without having to spend time
convincing publishers that my work is worth publishing. I don’t lack
inspiration for writing, so I’m determined to make it big. Until then, I
promise to hold on tight and stay balanced on this carousel I call the writer’s
life.
My
carousel looks something like this, but that doesn’t mean it’s identical to
other writers’—no one fully understands another’s experiences. I’ll break it
down into noteworthy elements and, here or there, I’ll try to offer some
advice.
- Create
social media accounts—Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.—so potential
readers and publishers can find you more easily (some publishers value you
having these accounts).
- If
you’ve published at least one book, create an author account on
Goodreads—readers can rate your work, recommend your book to friends, and you
can connect with reader groups, read books that inspire you, and reach other
readers and authors.
- Do
you have a manuscript? Send it. But before you do, make sure your work fits the
publisher’s portfolio; otherwise, you’ll be wasting your time and theirs. Pay
close attention to the submission guidelines—some publishers want the full
manuscript, while others prefer just a few pages and a synopsis.
- Author’s
CV – While not all publishers require a writer’s CV, it’s a good idea to
include one. Start with your most recently published book, or if you’ve
published in magazines, blogs, etc.
- Pitch
– A pitch is a kind of presentation of your work, except that this presentation
needs to sell—that is, to convince the editor.
- Timing
– This factor is just as important as the ones above. If you send your proposal
on days when they’re off (weekends, public holidays), chances are your email
will get lost in the spam folder. So remember not to send the email on
weekends, public holidays, or two weeks before and after book fairs, when
publishing house staff are working intensely or recovering from events.
- Email
addresses – publishers usually have a dedicated email address for submitting
manuscripts. If you can find the email addresses of the editors who handle your
literary genre, your chances improve (at least that your manuscript will reach
the right person).
- When
should you follow up? Publishers usually have a standard policy: if you don’t
hear back within X months, your manuscript has been tacitly rejected. Make a
note of the date you submitted your manuscript, and if the publisher doesn’t
follow this standard policy, follow up with an email.
- Can
you resubmit the manuscript? Sure, but in my opinion, only if you’ve made
relevant changes.
- Reread
it! Nothing is perfect, and that includes your manuscript. Make sure to take
another look at it after taking a break of at least two months. I guarantee
you’ll find things to correct!
- Ask
for help! It’s hard to ask for help, I know. It means putting yourself in a
vulnerable position. If you have friends who write, ask for their opinion. Take
a creative writing class. Reach out to a writer whose work you admire (there
are plenty of wonderful writers who can help you—the kindness I’ve received
from a few of them still amazes me today)—but please keep in mind that they’re
people too, with plans and projects of their own, and you can’t expect them to
give you an immediate response.
- Build
your shield! Being a writer (or any kind of artist) means facing moments of
disappointment—when your work is rejected or criticized (harshly or not), when
you finally publish and expect to sell thousands of books, but you only managed
to sell two copies (both bought by your mom), when you hold book launches and
only three people show up, and you imagined a whole stadium. Taking the idea a
step further as a joke, there’s a lot of truth in this saying—the life of an
artist is like this: one day happy, one day sad!
- Be
reasonable! Yes, you can’t be objective about your own writing (which is why
it’s recommended to ask friends—and even strangers—to give you as objective an
opinion as possible about your writing), but don’t go thinking you’re the next
.................... (fill in the name of your favorite and/or well-known
writer).
- Take
a breath. Take it one step at a time, and don’t forget that as soon as you
finish a manuscript (whether it’s your first or your tenth), you start the
merry-go-round from scratch in search of a publisher to publish it (now do you
understand why I want to be grand?!)
- Get
better! To be a good writer, you need to read a lot (not necessarily books in
the same genre as what you write) and write a lot. This combination is the most
important exercise. You can’t do one without the other. It’s like having two
dumbbells but deciding to use only one for one hand only. The difference will
be noticeable in your arms.
That’s
about it. Take everything above as guidelines, not certainties. In closing, I
can only wish you lots of patience, self-compassion, and resilience.
What’s
been helping me lately? Remembering the movie Mr. Aznavour and the singer's reaction to those who harshly criticized him, dismissing his
talent or his chance to be known—“From today on, I’ll write a song every day,
I’ll work harder and harder, and I’ll prove that I’m good!”
