Getting Published: Elements of Publishing

I did not expect to address this issue so soon. I believe that was naive on my part. When a writer completes a book (by complete, I mean a story that has a beginning, middle, and end) seeing that book in print is a burning desire.

If I haven't seen your book, I don't know if its ready for publication, you may be brilliant and your book may be perfect. If that is true for you, congratulations.

Most books aren't finished just because they are complete; and many of us believe that if we have a good story and run spell check we are ready for an editor. I myself once believed that editors were happy to take a diamond in the rough and polish it up. That's their job, right?

Not really.

If you have made any kind of foray into the publishing world, you know that they eat their young...and many of them enjoy it. Most, however, can destroy you before lunch, without a second thought-because using their power to welcome you into their world or bar the door is what they do, all day long, every single day.

Okay, If I have you a little intimidated, I mean to. There are thousands of new books on the shelves every year, so obviously someone is breaking through. And I personally have read many books that amount to nothing more than a polished turd, so the crap I am writing should have a chance, right?

Right, It is just best to enter this world armed with what you need to face the professionals. I am going to start a series of posts about publishing and what you really need to know before you jump into it.