Robert Gale Ongley

Tag: Writing

  • TEN ESSENTIALS TO GETTING PUBLISHED

    PART TWO

    In Part One of this post, we covered personal attributes and actions which need to be already present in or soon developed by the writer who wants to be published by a traditional publisher, magazine or some other targeted purveyor of content. This second half on the topic will again touch on some necessary qualities a writer should have, but our focus will shift more to proactive steps that enhance our prospects for publication.

    Research

    There’s hardly a genre or a project that doesn’t require at least some research. It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing non-fiction, fiction, poetry or jokes. You aren’t going to know everything you write about even if you know what you’re writing about very well. You can research before you actually start writing or you can research as you go. I like to do both. I’m currently on my third draft of a novel that contains considerable medical data. Even though I did gather information on the area of medicine involved in the story, I found I had to dig more and more as I went. I would hate to be caught short on necessary detail because I failed to do my research.

    A word of caution. Although research is made much easier with the Internet at our disposal, there’s no way we can get all we need online. I need the reliability of duly published material to ensure accuracy. Also, you may need to interview an expert to obtain a voice of experience or see for yourself what Jupiter looks like through a telescope. Make your research authentic, even if it at least means to get your online information from an impeccable source.

    Study of Publishers

    If you’re simply trying to have an article or poem or some other short piece published in a specific newspaper, journal, newsletter or such, studying a list of publishers isn’t essential. Becoming familiar with their needs and guidelines is still important. Your work will be better received when you know what they publish and how they like it to be presented.

    Making inroads into a broader publishing world means you have to subject yourself to the scrutiny of editors who are seeing high volumes of work descending on their desk throughout any given year. They know what they want, what they don’t want and what they like. You must take it upon yourself to send your creative work to only those compatible with what it is you have to pitch. I don’t know all the sources for publishing houses, magazines, record companies, etc. I find Writer’s Market gives me what I need for my search. As I prepared to market my latest book manuscript, I found almost 200 pages of book publishers listed with contact information and a summary of their needs as well as their exclusions. Out of all those listings, I found 35 I could comfortably send my query letters and/or manuscript to for consideration. Make use of this valuable resource or any other you prefer.

    Excellent Synopsis

    Should your work be long enough to require more than a quick look, a synopsis will be requested early in the process. Quite possibly, you will need to provide one on first contact. This is your big chance. If your creation is worthy of consideration, you have to make that clear in your synopsis. Take the time and put in the effort to make it explode off the page. Make the reader at the publishing house see your vision, feel your enthusiasm. And polish that synopsis until it reflects the quality of your writing prowess. It has to stand out from all the other queries received that day.

    Platform

    You have probably heard this term, but just in case I’ll give you a definition for this context. I’ve borrowed it from the website MasterClass. “An author platform refers to a writer’s ability to market their work, using their overall visibility to reach a target audience of potential readers. A writer’s platform might include the reach of their social media accounts, the connections they have with other published authors or literary influencers, and the writer’s relationship with media outlets. The strength of a writing platform is measured by the author’s ability to use their influence and reach in order to sell books and boost their writing career.”

    The writer’s platform is of huge importance to most publishers. It’s easy to see why. Selling books is what the publisher wants to do. It serves the greater purpose of getting the message of the work out to as many as possible. The platform should be high on the priority list for those seeking to have their book published.

    Patience

    A hungry writer who hasn’t tasted the publication fruit yet craves it like a starving person dreams of a feast. It’s not likely the first book submission is going to be accepted. Exceptional writing with good timing and targeting may result in an early reward, but most writers will be tested as to how much persistence they can muster. It should be understood they will not be recognized immediately. Even when their work is tabbed for publication, they will have to endure a long process of additional editing, book design on the part of the publisher and working their way to the front of the publishing line. It can take up to three years from the date of acceptance to seeing the book in print. Learn patience. You’ll need it in this business.

    Worth the Effort

    If you truly love writing, the joy and feeling of accomplishment that comes with having your creation published is definitely worth the blood, sweat and tears. Starting with an article in a local newspaper or magazine can be an easier way to break in and the satisfaction is sweet as well. At any level, the key is to savor the writing and embrace the process.

    Passion for Writing

  • TEN ESSENTIALS TO GETTING PUBLISHED

    PART ONE

    Realizing the dream of having a publisher invest in you and your work isn’t easy. There’s a lot that that goes into it and there’s fierce competition out there. That’s why a lot of authors self-publish or go with a publishing service that requires you to pay for all or part of the costs.

    In this article, I’m going to lay out 10 keys to having your book, story, opus or whatever published by someone who’s not you or who gets paid by you. There are other factors that have to be in place, but these 10 are what come to my mind as basic fundamentals to get you on the road to reaching that big, elusive goal.

    By the way, I’m thinking mostly in terms of publication of a book. However, I’ll try to keep the parameters broad enough to include all publication possibilities. If I can’t, I’ll point it out.

    Belief in Self

    Setting out to accomplish something you’ve never done before is always a daunting task. Having confidence in your ability to make it happen is the mindset to carry you through the phases of the process. A writer isn’t necessarily writing a piece to have it published, but here we’re assuming you are. Whether it’s a poem or an epic novel, you’ll have it hanging over you that your work had better be good to have it considered for publication. Believing in yourself won’t make it so, but when you get to the point when you will sell yourself and your work, your self-esteem will be your starting point.

    Willingness to Put in the Work

    Yes, it’s safe to assume you need to present quality content to see it published. If you’re writing a full book-length piece, there is a lot of planning involved. Once you have an outline or a plan of some kind, then the real work begins. Even on a short essay, the heart of it is saying what you have to say and presenting it in such a way that it’s compelling to read. Whatever the volume, it takes dedication to the cause and a strong effort to write professional sentences as well as well-constructed paragraphs. When it’s done, the part comes which many writers like least. Marketing to publishers can feel almost like punishment for having brought the ship into the bay. Letters and bios and proof of a following can all enter into it. There’s a lot for a writer to confront in this process and it’s not going to happen without a full-throttle assault on your goal.

    Skills

    Not everyone is an award-winning, bestselling author. Some major skills are needed for that level. Yet, I’ve heard it said, “Everyone’s a writer.” Lots of us think we can shine in this medium. It’s not hard to write, but it’s not easy to excel. I feel as though we’re born with certain aptitudes. We all have our talents. Writing can be one of them and it’s definitely an ingredient that puts a writer in the game when it comes to getting published. Polishing that skill is what increases your odds. Part of the skill of writing is recognizing poor writing when you’ve put it in print. Take the time to hone your work as well as your skills.

    Editing

    This brings us to editing. You can’t just bang out an article, poem or post (let alone a book) without careful proofreading and editing. I’ve read many quotes by writers who say their first draft is terrible. This is apparently a mere acceptance of reality. A writer pushes to get the manuscript completed and then goes about molding it as a sculptor would rework the wet clay into beautiful shape. Personally, I edit as I go on the first draft. Each day, I read what I did in the previous writing session and make corrections. Sometimes they’re a typo or a misuse of one word, but sometimes an overhaul of an idea or a paragraph is in order. Editing yourself is important, but most recommend that on a long work a professional be used.

    Write, Right?

    Unless you’re famous and/or rich, you won’t get a book deal without being a writer. And you won’t be a writer without writing…and writing…and writing. You learn how to be a publishable writer by writing. Learning your craft, fine tuning your craft–that’s what it takes. Love it. Immerse yourself in it.

    Wait! There’s More!

    In the next post, we’ll cover some of the tangible actions that improve your chances of having your creation chosen over the myriad that aren’t. Coming soon…Part Two.

  • WRITING: DO WE REALLY NEED IT?

    When the first set of symbols took hold to bring a city or kingdom the written word in Sumer around 3500 BCE, it was likely met with resistance. “What do we need this for? This is going too far. We’re going to lose our oral tradition, and then where will we be? Our civil order will be destroyed.” Sounds ridiculous, you say? Well, reactions by communities then weren’t that different from citizenry now to media we have made part of our everyday lives.

    Before Language Was Written

    Obviously, humans used speech to communicate prior to written language. From its humble beginnings of grunts and defensive yelling, language became sophisticated to the point of being a medium of education. In Will Durant’s masterpiece, The Story of Civilization, he refers to primitive peoples as the natural man. Education among those folks was mainly “the transmission of skills and the training of character.” By the age of 10, in the Omaha tribes, a boy had learned all he needed for life. Among the Aleuts, the boy of 10 had moved out of the parents’ sod-covered house, found his own place and sometimes a wife.

    Children were taught verbally and by showing. Their memories were strong, learning happened and the information they needed was retained for the sake of survival. The people recited the stories of their culture and personal history, passing them on to generation after generation. Presumably, they didn’t forget what they needed to know and they didn’t lack for knowledge. At least, that’s how they felt about it.


    And Along Came the Writer

    Durant speculates on the possibilities of writing’s origin. Pottery was being crafted before language sought a tangible medium, so perhaps the potter needed to identify his work with “trade-marks.” Commerce and trade very well may have created the necessity to label the work and make records of transactions and such. Numerals may have been among the earliest intentional markings. Fingers drawn to denote numbers may have led to a symbol for a hand showing five fingers that eventually became a “V” in Roman numerals. Two “V’s” made ten, thus an “X.”

    Durant wrote, “Doubtless the invention of writing was met with a long and holy opposition, as something calculated to undermine morals and the race. An Egyptian legend relates that when the god Thoth revealed his discovery of the art of writing to King Thamos, the good King denounced it as an enemy of civilization. ‘Children and young people,’ protested the monarch, ‘who had hitherto been forced to apply themselves diligently to learn and retain whatever was taught them, would cease to apply themselves, and would neglect to exercise their memories.’ ” Sounds like parents’ concerns over TV, video games and screens in general.

    Attitudes were not all negative, though. Written material was thought to have magical powers. There’s a story about Naneferkaptah, who was a son of Pharaoh Mernebptah, in which Naneferkaptah uses a method for memorization of content of a book. To start, he obtained a sheet of new papyrus. The following quote is a from a later book titled, Setne Khamwas and Naneferkaptah. “He wrote on it every word that was in the book before him. He soaked it in beer, he dissolved it in water. When he knew it had dissolved, he drank it and knew what had been in it.” This was not an uncommon belief that ingesting the written word was how to fully internalize its power.

    Sumerian Writing

    The theory that writing was invented by gods or God has been quite popular down through the centuries. Some would say that Moses was the first to introduce it with his tablet containing the Ten Commandments. The Israelites passed it on to the Canaanites or Phoenicians north of them and the Egyptians to the south and it was spread throughout the world from there. Interestingly, some of these gods were identified as the world’s first scribes. I like that. It’s such a lofty position for a writer back in the day.

    Languages With No Writing Today

    I find it surprising that there are approximately 7000 languages spoken on this planet currently. Approximately 50 percent of them have no written form. Half the population speaks 23 of those languages. Nearly 3000 are considered endangered. In areas where there are many languages used among a relatively small number of people, it is found they also have tremendous biodiversity. It would seem these are tropical climates and industry has not really flourished there. In those places, writing has not been found necessary. They have a great deal of impressive knowledge about their plant life and habitat that has not been recorded. Each generation is trusted to pass the information down to the next one orally. From all indications, they have been doing an outstanding job of it.

    Conclusions

    As commerce grows, there is a bigger need for keeping track of your stuff. Markings identified merchants’ stuff. Numerals and pictographs and symbols all helped get writing started. Communication across distance became appealing and chronicles lent importance as well as status to individuals right on up to kingdoms. For a piece of clay or stone or parchment to convey ideas was seen as magical. Later, it was considered a foundation of civilization and later still a form of lofty art. Where would we be without it? I’m not sure about that, but I would be missing one huge purpose in life.