No Fast Road to Publication

Many published authors have a story of how ultimately it took fate or divine intervention to get published. Everyone needs a foot in the door, so it seems, and all the powers that be must come together at just the right moment to create the much coveted Writing Contract.

As writers who are also Christians, we do believe God intervenes for us, but that doesn’t mean we can skate along and expect our books to write themselves.

One thing all published authors have in common is how ready they were for their big moment. And I don’t mean how surprised they were or how unprepared they felt. I’m talking about how hard they worked on their book before it was discovered. They weren’t just dreamers. They didn’t just have a foot in the door. They were prepared.

Going way back, have you heard the story about Mary Shelley and how Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus was first published anonymously in 1818 by the author’s father, William Godwin? Certainly, Shelley was exposed early on to writing by her writer parents and eventually even married a writer, but connections aside, she first and foremost wrote a good book.

Frankenstein became a classic piece of literature because the story was amazing, not just because Mary Shelley was lucky enough to have a famous family. She didn’t say, “I think I could write some kind of book. Will you publish it, Dad?” Actually, since she wrote the book as part of a game within her family, she probably had no idea at the time it would ever be published.

Have you finished that manuscript yet? Are you sticking to your writing routine? Don’t wait for the magical moment or for when you make the right connection at a conference. While it’s important to have ideas and make connections, they won’t matter if your book isn’t written. They wouldn’t have mattered for Shelley and they probably won’t matter for you if you aren’t ready. Write the book. Perfect the book.

Write the best book you can. Put it out there. Then while you’re waiting for the big moment (when God may open a door), start working on your next big manuscript. The important thing is to have a great manuscript ready before doors open.

There is no quick road to publication. It’s like losing weight. No matter how many people want to profit off telling you there’s a magic diet pill, there is no shortcut to health. There’s only the next step on the treadmill or the next bite of healthy food.

With writing, there’s only the next word. Eventually those words form a novel. It’s an organic process, not magical.