[MidNight*~*]

Well, I don't.
Hello everyone!
First of all,
this is all new to me.I love to write stories(like we all do,lol)but how...(pauses)how do you even begin to write a book?Not that I mean to write one...i have alot of time.
But lets just say i wanted to publish something in the future(guilty face)...how would I do that?and what are the publishing companieslooking for?how could I contact them?Gosh, i have too many questions...
ok, maybe we could squeeze in a last one..
Have YOU acually published something?
Oh, oh,I would love you to death, if you could just help answer my questions!
So i'll wait here with a pretty pretty please
and sugar on top.
thanks *~*

[Erebus]

Hi MidNight,

Welcome to our shores! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

Well, I guess the easiest answer to your questions is that you really need to write soemthing first! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif A book is really like a really large short story - just how long that book will be depends on just how long it takes you to tell the story you have to tell! Obviously, it must be readable and with direction so that the reader will want to keep reading!

As far as publishing goes (and yes,I have have had 4 books published now, as have others here!) starting with some short stories to gain some recognition is usually a good place to begin. The advent of online publishing has certainly aided new authors like myself and maybe this would be a good avenue for you to persue if you find mainstream publishing too difficult to break into, (and believe me, it is!) especially until you have something out there!

No doubt this thread will be flooded with tips and advice for you (plus you may find some interesting tidbits in older topics here as well), so I'll step aside and make way for them!

Cheers, Neil

[KATS]

What does your English teacher say? Perhaps your school has a creative writing club or perhaps you could start one?

As much as I would like to believe that all teachers would encourage young people, I know that is not the case. So, . . .

Unfortunately most novelist can NOT make a living on writing alone. Keep in mind that publishing books is a business. There are books that list the various publishing houses and what they are looking for, look in the reference section of you local bookstore (2002 Writer’s Market is my personal favorite). These books will also have guidelines addresses and sometimes they will have tips.

Also, if there are science fiction/fantasy conventions in your area, attend them. Often they will have authors and publishing houses present and they may be willing to answer some of your questions.

Hope this helps & welcome to the forum.

By the way, I’m not published, yet. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Bardos]

Welcome, Midnight!

I really like your nick --for a female characters in my stories is named Night. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

But lets just say i wanted to publish something in the future(guilty face)...how would I do that?and what are the publishing companieslooking for?how could I contact them?

I would suggest that you write hip, if you want to get published. It sells!

But I would even more suggest that you first write what you like most, what comes from your soul. That'll surely be more worthwhile.

[MidNight*~*]

Hey,
Thanks everyone for replying.Its definatly helped me alot.
Erebus, thanks for the advice.I will look into the whole online publishing thing.Just curious, what are the names of the books you have published?
KATS,also thanks for the advice.i have'nt asked my english treacher anything.. much less mentioned it to anyone,yet.hehe, o well.thanks for the name of the book too,i might get it.
Bardos, heres another thanks to you too.
you all are the best
*~*MidNight

[Peregrine]

Here is the best advice I can give you from an (unpublished) struggling author myself.

Write

That sounds crazy but I mean it. Churn the stuff out. Work on it. Think about it. ANd do it. So many people I have met say they would like to be a novelist - someday, but have never so much as turned out a short story.

Read

Again seems logical? But again read, not just fantasy but everything. Read all sorts of stuff, prose, poetry, song lyrics, TV scripts, whatever. Reading for an author is I think a little like a painter looking closely at the brushstrokes of a good Raphael.

Take advice and don't take advice

Most struggling authors seem to predisposed to one of two roads - either take every shred of advise given as gospel OR ignore it all, I know what I like. I think I was (am?) the former. Thing is, advice is of infinite value, criticism is great but, realise that anything said is subjective. Mull it over, consider it, and then use your own intellegence to decide if said advice is right for you...

Having said that look up some writing articles on the web. A good place to start is www.sfwa.org. (http://www.sfwa.org.)

Peregrine

[MidNight*~*]

Thanks sooo much for the advice. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

I've been looking things up on the web, and I have another question for anyone.
If you were going to submit a book to a publisher(just curious) would you just write them a letter or something....?
I know, I'm pretty clueless,lol
I have'nt had a chance to go to the book store yet to look for myself, so sorry!
and thanks again*~*

[KATS]

The letter is called a "query letter". Definitely send a letter first. Different publishing houses will have different procedures. Some do NOT accept unsolicited manuscripts. In other words if they didn’t ask to read your story, they don’t want it. Some only want the first 3 chapters with a synopses of the entire book.

You might check with your teachers, you might get some extra credit for this. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

[nicba]

Also, read this (http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000279.html) thread. Follow the links mentioned in the thread, starting with erebus's excellent article on submitting work to publishers.

[This message has been edited by nicba (edited January 14, 2002).]

[MidNight*~*]

Hey and thanks so much for the info http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif