Trish Morey - Harlequin romance author

The Upside of Not Selling...

...or at least, not selling as quickly as you'd hoped...

How many of us have been there - desperately working towards getting that call, deep in the umpteenth wip, buoyed by a myriad of people telling us after a clutch of contest wins or finals that we're "sooooooo close" or that we're "next" and believing with all your heart that *this* ms will be the one that the editors snap up - and what happens? Some joany-come-lately sells in a two book deal to the line you're targeting - with maybe their very first book or after they've been writing for an entire ten minutes!!

Well, if it hasn't happened to you yet, don't be surprised when it does. Because, like rejections, it happens. A lot more often than we'd like.

And while you will no doubt slap a smile on your face and join in the round of public congratulations, because you are sincerely happy for them, it's enough to make you chuck your keyboard at the wall. I mean, you've been at this for years and it's just not fair!

Well hey, I've got news for you, life's not fair!

But just as Karina Bliss told us last month in her D&P Article that we should celebrate our rejections, I'm going to tell you that it's not necessarily a bad thing to take a long time to sell, not necessarily a bad thing at all.

In fact there are a lot of positives for taking your time - (and hey, I should know:)

Apprenticeship

Yes, we're all desperate to be published, but do you really want to sell that first manuscript and realize years later how bad it really was? Alison Stuart, whose journey to publication took 13 years, had this to say - "My first manuscript gained a lot of interest from publishers as well as being shortlisted for the Catherine Cookson Transworld Fiction Prize, coming 2nd in the EDA and getting me an agent! I really believed that publication was right around the corner.

"I've just finished a total rewrite of that first manuscript. My toes curled when I shook the dust off it and I realised how much I have learned in the years since I first wrote 'The End' with such confidence in immediate publication. Imagine if it had been published....!!!"

You see, those years spent in what feels like the unpublished wilderness aren't wasted. On the contrary, all that time you're waiting to make that breakthrough, you're learning your craft. It's just like an apprenticeship! And if we accept that a plumber or builder or heaven help us, a brain surgeon needs a few years of study and practicals before we trust them enough to be let loose on society, what is it about writing that makes people believe they have a divine right to publication without doing the hard yards first?

And as far as apprenticeships go, we have a good one. Admittedly the pay is crap, but what you do learn is pure gold dust. Because you're reading the books that are being published right now, you're reading how-to books and letting their gems work their way into your psyche, you're reading articles and magazine stories that will spark off a lightbulb somewhere in the back of your brain for use sometime, you're attending conferences and/or participating on supportive e-loops and you're listening and studying, and all that while you're doing the best thing you can possibly do by continuing to write and practice your craft.

You'll learn how to work with editors during revisions and maybe revisions on revisions. You learn that it's not about you, but it's all about the book.

And believe me, you'll learn how to cope with rejection and develop a thick skin.

Yvonne Lindsay, new Desire author who also took thirteen years from putting fingers to keyboard to selling her first book says this of her long lead time to sale - "I think it gives you some distance and perhaps even a thicker veneer of professionalism when you do sell. You've done the yards, and you know exactly what you're capable of."

The Industry

What happens during all those years reading and writing and soaking up knowledge? You don't just improve your writing skills, you also get to know about and understand your genre and the industry that supports it. If you're writing romance, you learn the differences between category and single title and whether you really need an agent and how to get one if you do. You learn the difference between the category lines - what does "Sexy" mean and how does that differ from say, a Desire or a Sweet? You learn about the different publishers and what they want. You learn to understand your own voice, and where it fits. You learn how to write a query letter and synopsis and a whiz bang opening chapter and you have time and the contests to practice it! You learn (somewhat sadly) that writing for publication is by no means a get rich quick scheme.

In fact, keep your eyes open and you can't help but learn all about this crazy publishing industry we're so keen to be part of!

The Best Friends You'll Ever Make

I may be mentioning this last, but it's by no means least. In any profession you can make friends, good friends and sometimes even friends for life. But I've never known a profession where it is possible to meet so many wonderfully positive and upbeat people all over the world. Nowhere will you meet nicer, more generous people. Nowhere will you find a support network like that which your fellow romance writers provide.

Maxine Sullivan, who worked doggedly away for 20 years before getting the call, had this to say - "One of the best things about not selling for a long time is the wonderfully supportive friendships you make with other writers over the years - friendships that stand the test of time."

What a bonus! The longer it takes you to get published, the more conferences you attend, the more you get involved, then the more friends you'll make, and the stronger those bonds you'll forge with those going through the same struggles, experiencing the same highs and suffering the same setbacks.

Truly, the best friends you'll ever make.

The Pay Off

You've practiced your craft, you've learned about the industry, and it might be 5, it might be 10 or 15 or even 20 years down the track from when you started, but when that magical call comes, you've got a big advantage over someone who sold their first manuscript within ten minutes of deciding to become a writer. Why? Because after that call it's a completely new ball game and you're going to need all the time you have in establishing your writing career and not on playing catch up with how the industry works.

You've worked at your craft and built your confidence in your own writing abilities and you've learned what you have to do to stay published. Plus you've built a support crew around you for the hard times - because there's no doubt you'll still need a shoulder to cry on from time to time.

And the very best thing about it all is that as soon as you get that call, your career is set to take off like a firecracker!

Alison Stuart already has another book under consideration at her publisher, Wings e-Press, and has a host of short story anthologies to her credit. Yvonne Lindsay has sold five books since getting that call in April 2005. Maxine Sullivan has sold two books with another approved and one more on the way, and all since February this year!

And my story? It took me 11 years of writing and submitting before that first sale in June 2003. Since then I've sold nine books to Presents with two more contracted, the first two US releases becoming Waldenbooks #1 Bestsellers and my third book winning the 2006 RWA Romantic Book of the Year. Was that 11 year apprenticeship a waste of time? What do you reckon?

So don't feel disheartened if that call is proving elusive. Don't let yourself feel bad about your writing if other writers sell before you do. And whatever you do, don't underestimate the value of that time spent while unpublished. It's not wasted - not if you use that time productively to develop your writing and voice, to learn about the industry, and to build up networks and friendships.

And then hold onto your hats, because when you do sell, you and your career are set to go straight into orbit.

(this article appeared first in RWAustralia's Hearts Talk newsletter - October 2006)