linkablewritingadvice

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If you're a writer you're supposed to write a lot of bullshit. It's part of the gig. You have to write a lot of absolute garbage in order to get to the good bits. Every once in a while you'll be like "Oh, I wish I hadn't wasted all that time writing bullshit," but that's dumb. That's exactly the same as an Olympic runner being like "Oh, I wish I hadn't wasted all that time running all those practice laps"

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Where can I get critiques or feedback for my writing?

Finding someone who understands what you’re trying to do with your writing, is knowledgeable in your genre, and is able and willing to read your writing and give good feedback is difficult! You’re asking someone to get invested in your work and provide you free labor on their own time, so be respectful and responsible.

It’s sort of like finding someone to date or be friends with - you can’t just dump out an “application” and expect the perfect person to fall into your lap. But once you find someone, it’s great! Remember that you really only have to find one or two people, and it’s worth putting in the work.

General advice about giving and getting feedback:

13 Rules To Be a Better Beta Reader

Critical Feedback For Writers

Using A Critique Checklist

How To Deal With Criticism For Writers

The Writer’s Game Plan For Constructive Criticism

Giving Feedback

Giving & Getting Feedback

Before asking for feedback

Be judicious about whose feedback you take. Just because someone has the time and energy to talk to you about your writing doesn’t mean they are the right person to help you hone your craft. Know what you are trying to do with your writing and what specific questions or areas of focus you have for your reviewers. Know where you want to improve and what you are working on. 

Make sure you are in a place in your own work and development to receive feedback. If you are sensitive and will get discouraged or defensive in response to constructive criticism, spend more time with your own work before reaching out for feedback.

Consider spending time giving other people feedback before asking for it yourself, so you understand the process and what it’s like on the other side.

Get your work to a good state before sharing it - read other books in the same genre, read books on craft and style, and polish your writing as much as you can on your own. Don’t ask someone else to do work that you could do yourself, and maximize the benefit of getting outside feedback by fixing any issues you can handle without help first.

Meet them organically in a writing or genre focused community

Get involved in forums, subreddits, discords, Facebook groups, or other places where people who read and write in your genre gather to connect. Be friendly, follow the rules and social norms of that community, and make conversation. Comment on other people’s writing and go with the flow of the community.

Focus on making friends and connections and finding people who vibe with you rather than just dumping a post about your desire for a beta reader, and start meeting people who share your interests.

Use a specific beta-reader finding platform

There are specific websites and forums where you can post looking for someone to be a beta reader for you. Some places to start:

Writing Buddy Link-Up

Beta Readers subreddit

Beta readers Facebook group

NowNovel Beta Reader Network

Always make sure to read and follow the rules in any group you’re posting to!

Offer a swap/be generous

All the websites linked above will also let you browse posts by other people looking for beta readers. Look for someone who seems to be in a similar place as you, looking for similar things, and writing in a similar genre and consider reaching out to offer a swap or ask if they’re interested in you two becoming beta readers for each other. 

Connect with them via critique sites

You can get active on a critique site, giving and receiving feedback. As you engage with the community, you may meet people whose feedback seems to really click with your work or vice versa. Reach out to them to make friends and see if they want to go deeper on a critique partnership. 

Critique Sites:

Scribophile

Destructive Readers

Writing.com

Critique Circle

Go in person

You can look for in-person writing groups in your area on Meetup or Shut Up And Write.

Many colleges, libraries, book stores, or rec centers also host writing groups - look for one near you.

Consider taking a writing class at a community college or through a rec center/adult education organization near you.

Hire them

There are people who offer beta reading, developmental editing, or other feedback services for a price. This is a bit different than finding a critique partner, because you’ve entered into something more like an employee/employer relationship when you contract someone to do this paid work for you. Be prepared to manage this responsibly. If you don’t trust yourself to have uncomfortable conversations or end the contract if they are not giving you what you want, don’t hire someone. 

Remember that since you’re paying them, you can be more explicit about your expectations and requests. And make sure you have the budget to pay them fairly - you get what you pay for!

Always check someone’s credentials - just because someone is charging money for a service doesn’t mean they are worth your money. Make sure you trust the person you’re hiring. Check for reviews and search for them on Writer Beware. Ask them about other authors they’ve worked with.

Places to hire paid beta readers:

Independent Book Review

Fiverr

Reedsy

The Author Buddy

There are also a lot of individual people who run their own beta reading/editing businesses. There’s no way I can link all of them, but try searching for things like “hire a beta reader” or “editor for hire” with keywords related to your genre. Here are some random examples of what you might find:

Fanna For Books

Lyss Em

HorrorSmith Editing

Darling Axe

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Where can I post or share my writing?

First, figure out why you want to post your writing.

Do you just want to put it somewhere, anywhere, on the internet where people could see it? 

Understand that it is rare for readers to look for books or short stories on random people’s blogs, reddit, or social media. It is unlikely that simply sharing your writing online will lead to much attention to it. You’ll need to do other work to drive traffic to your work and encourage people to read, comment, pay, or whatever else you want them to do.

But if you just need a place to host your work for whatever reason, there are tons of options for creating a blog or personal website where you can post your work - here’s an overview of some of the top platforms. 

Some people like to make a personal subreddit to post their work. I don’t recommend this because reddit is not meant to be a static content hosting site, but if that’s what you want to do, go nuts.

Some people suggest using Archive of Our Own to post original works. This is a violation of their TOS. While a lot of people do post non-fandom writing to that website, I absolutely don’t recommend using that website in ways that its creators have explicitly said that it is not for. 

Do you want to monetize your writing and post it somewhere where people can pay for it?

Understand that it is very difficult to monetize (make money on) writing just by posting it online. But there are websites that let you do that, if you can consistently share quality content that readers want, and do the marketing work to attract paying readers.

Some platforms you can use to try this include Substack, Patreon, or Wattpad.

Always be careful to read the terms or contract of any website you upload your writing to. Some platforms that make big promises about helping you profit off your writing can get you stuck in predatory or scammy situations.

See more about making money on fiction writing here.

Do you want constructive feedback from other writers to help you improve your work?

Simply posting your work anywhere you can find, including various writing forums, will not guarantee you quality - or any - constructive feedback. You’ll need to find a community explicitly for this sort of thing, and you’ll need to make sure you are following that community’s rules.

Always polish your work as best you can and make sure it’s the absolute best you can make it before posting for feedback - that ensures that you get more useful feedback and are not wasting people’s time. 

Remember that spending the time to read someone else’s writing and give them helpful feedback, for free, is not something anyone else is obligated to do, and if they do it, it’s a huge favor! Be respectful of communities you’re posting in and follow all their rules. Give critiques in addition to asking for them. 

Places to share writing for constructive feedback:

Scribophile

Destructive Readers

Writing.com

Critique Circle

However, just posting your work to a general critique forum may not get you quality, in depth, helpful feedback from someone who understands your genre. You’ll be better off cultivating one or two close collaborators and friends who are interested in and excited about your work and can help you out with it. If you do happen to find someone on one of those critique sites who seems to get what you’re doing and what you’re trying to do, consider reaching out to them personally to see if they want to be friends and critique partners.

Here’s my post about how to find “beta readers” or critique partners. 

Do you want help attracting readers with a focus on prestige, attention, and portfolio building?

Instead of posting your work on any website or platform that just lets anyone upload their writing, you can submit your work for publication to an online magazine. This means anyone who reads or subscribes to that magazine can find your work, and you get a “publication credit.”

(This really only applies to short work like short stories, poems, or essays - for information about publishing a novel, see here.)

You’ll want to find a magazine or publication that takes writing in the same style, length, and topic that you’re trying to publish. Their website will have instructions for how to submit to them for consideration.

Advice on submitting to lit mags and other magazines:

How To Submit To Literary Journals

Submitting To Literary Magazines

How To Submit To A Magazine

Platforms to search for a place to submit:

Duotrope

Poets & Writers

Submission Grinder

Driftwood

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Self Publishing Promotion Advice

Once you’ve self-published a book, it can be frustrating to try and get eyes on it. How do you direct traffic to your book on Amazon or any other platform?

What NOT To Do

Never pay for “book promo” accounts or reviews.

These accounts do not attract followers that want to buy or read books in any specific genre, and they don’t curate the books they post. They do not send meaningful traffic to your book. They are a scam and a waste of money. 

More info:

Questions To Ask Book Promoters on Instagram

Book Promotion Instagram Scams

Never post a link to your book in an online group or forum without EXPLICIT permission.

The vast majority of forums, subreddits, discords, etc. for writers are constantly getting spammed by people promoting their books. Typically, this is against the rules of that community. Posting in a community in a way that violates their rules is not a good way to build recognition for your name and work. Also, you are not likely to find people who want to read your specific book by shotgun blasting your link around the internet. 

Many places do have weekly self-promo threads or other specific opportunities for writers to self-promote. Look for those and be sure to read and follow all their rules. But know that there is still a very small chance that you will find a meaningful number of readers in the population of people who happen to be skimming these self-promo threads, especially ones that are not genre specific. 

Don’t push friends and family to buy and review your book.

If people who don’t frequently read and buy books in a certain genre all visit your book’s listing right when it launches, it can confuse the algorithm and keep your book from being shown to the right people. Any money you make off people buying your book out of personal obligation will never amount to much and is not a good use of people’s time, money, or good will. 

What TO Do

Make sure your book is attractive

Good cover art and a strong tagline and blurb are critical. No amount of ads, links, swaps, etc. will help you if, once you get that visibility, people don’t like what they see. 

Look at the books that are the top sellers in your categories on Amazon. Notice trends and patterns in their covers and blurbs. Do research on what makes a strong blurb. Many online writing communities will give feedback on blurbs (be sure to read and follow their rules before posting!). 

There are a lot of free resources and courses out there on how to write a compelling blurb. Here are a few to get started:

Reedsy article

Fix My Story

Blue Ink Review

You can also hire a professional cover artist or someone with expertise in your genre to help you with your blurb.

Learn Amazon and Facebook/Meta ads

Amazon and Facebook ads are some of the most powerful ways to get your book seen by people who are likely to be interested. Like any powerful tool, there is a learning curve when it comes to making them work for you. But time spent learning this tool will ultimately be MUCH more effective than just about anything else you could try.

There are lots of people out there selling courses and books on how to use Amazon and Meta ads. My recommendation is that you start with freely available resources and then decide whether you have specific questions or want professional advice in specific areas. Some people understand the data and analytics dashboards but need help writing ad copy that drives clicks while others might need help understanding how to target ads or evaluate their success.

You can watch videos about it, like this one from Michael La Ronn or this one from David Gaughran. 

Or you can follow written tutorials, like this one at Kindlepreneur, this one from Jane Friedman, or this one from Written Word Media.

Start reading and searching around and learn as much as you can. When you are confused about something or find a gap in your knowledge, search for videos or articles that address that particular issue. 

When it comes to paid courses, I have personally enjoyed the Ad School course from Bryan Cohen, and I’ve also heard good things about Mark Dawson’s courses. The Self Publishing Titans have pretty great SEO, for what that’s worth. Always check out someone’s free resources and look at reviews of their course on other platforms before dropping big bucks.

Use Author-Specific Platforms To Attract Readers & Get Reviews

There are a number of websites that cater specifically to self published authors trying to connect with readers. Many of them work by letting you offer free review copies to readers who are interested in your genre. They read your book for free, then post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever else you want them to do so.

These sites do not guarantee readers or purchases just by doing the bare minimum - they are tools to use, and you need to learn how to use them effectively for your purposes. Read their documentation. Join the site as a reader to see what things look like from the other side.

These types of websites often cost money for premium features. Try noodling around with their free version before deciding whether it will be worth it. 

Some websites in this vein to check out:

BookSprout

BookSirens

NetGalley

Reedsy Discovery

Run a BookBub ad or promotion

BookBub is a specific website that lets people browse for books on sale. You can run ads on BookBub or use their platform to promote a sale on your book. More here: BookBub Promotion Tools

Use A Free Reader Magnet To Build A Mailing List

The website BookFunnel lets you upload a free book (or novella, or short story, etc.) that people get to download in exchange for joining your email list. This is called a lead magnet or a reader magnet. If you have a good reader magnet with an attractive cover and blurb, and you join the right swaps and promos, you can very quickly build a mailing list. 

Fun tip: Since having a cool, genre-appropriate cover is key for this, one thing I like to do for a lead magnet is browse through pre-made covers, buy one I like, then write a novella that fits that cover!

Once your lead magnet is up on BookFunnel, you can use their platform to join “swaps” or “group promos,” where your book is promoted by other people or in conjunction with other similar books. You can also post a link to your mailing list signup/book download page on your own social media or wherever else makes sense.

There are other websites that let you do this too - many of the author promo websites linked above have similar features - but I’ve only used BookFunnel, and I find it very easy to use. 

You will also need to use a general newsletter platform like MailChimp to connect to your account, but I find it pretty simple to understand once you’re setting things up. And then, of course, once you’ve built a mailing list, you have to use it effectively!

Resources:

The Ultimate Lead Magnet Guide

How To Use BookFunnel Like A Boss (video)

How To Start & Grow Your Mailing List

Grow An Organic Social Media Presence

This is a tough one, but for some people, can be pretty fun. Figure out which social media platform has the most active readers in your genre - Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, probably, but different genre readerships tend to congregate on different ones. Look at the social media of successful self published and traditionally published authors in your genre. See what they’re doing and figure out what’s working. Then do that. 

Follow and interact with readers and writers in your genre. Create catchy content that fits the vibe of what is working on your feed. Use analytics tools to improve. 

There are lots of tools and guides out there to using social media, from gaming the algorithm, using the best hashtags and keywords, posting at the ideal times, and creating the most ‘viral’ content. You can use a program like Canva to create images and videos. 

You can go deep down the social media rabbit hole. There are third party services and platforms that let you post different content and compare its performance. The best thing to do is tons of research, then noodle around with the different dashboards and tools available.

How Successful Authors Use Social Media

The Ultimate Social Media Guide for Writers

Social Media Writer Guide

Of course, those links above just scratch the surface of what’s out there. Start working on this, and you’ll soon discover what you need to figure out. Then search for tutorials or guides on that. 

Hire Marketing Help

If you are struggling with marketing your book and want to hire a marketing professional specifically to help with this, there are people out there who will lend their expertise to you in exchange for some money. 

Know exactly what you want to hire for - design and copywriting to create effective content? One-on-one coaching and tutoring for you on understanding the back-end of running Amazon ads? A pre-packaged ad campaign they’ll run for you?

Be careful that you are hiring a professional with credentials in exactly what you are trying to do - run Amazon ads, build an Instagram following, create frequent click-worthy videos, etc. Do not fall for scammy “publishing services.” Check someone out on Writer Beware and/or look for reviews on other websites (not just theirs!) Ask to see work they’ve done for other clients and their data on how well it worked. 

You could look for a social media marketing company like this one or this one  - search for digital marketing or social media marketing -, or an author-specific one like the ones listed here. These are all just examples - I don’t vouch for any of these and have never used any of them. 

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funny how “there’s no ownership of ideas” is a prevalent piece of brainstorming advice but then you walk out the door and boy oh boy are people really insistent that the ownership of ideas is something built into the universe itself

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How do I make money writing fiction?

It's difficult, but possible, to be a working writer. There are a few avenues:

1.) Traditional publishing royalties

If you have written a manuscript and successfully queried an agent, they will connect you with a publisher and help you negotiate royalties and other contractual benefits. Most people who make a living writing are being traditionally published like this.

2.) Self publishing profits

If you are a prolific writer who can put out consistent, frequent work in a profitable genre niche, you can make good money in self publishing. This takes a lot of work and know-how in terms of marketing and other skills, but it is possible.

Since the success of a self publishing career relies heavily on consistent output and building an audience, some successful self-publishing "writers" are actually a shared pen name. Multiple writers with a similar style write under the same name, but only take the profits from their books.

3.) Contracted ghostwriting

If you're more focused on making money with your writing skills and less worried about accolades or a career based on your name, you can make money writing for other people based on outlines they provide. You will need to start out with a solid portfolio of sample work in the genre(s) you're selling.

You can find ghostwriting positions listed on websites like Upwork or Fiverr, and there are some companies that specifically hire ghostwriters. Always do your due diligence about any company you get involved in, and make sure you're not taking underpaid gigs.

4.) Commissioned work

If you are able and willing to write erotica and fetish content, you can find lucrative commission opportunities. People will hire you to write a customized story based on whatever they want, and since there is a taboo around this, they are often willing to pay a premium.

It can be complicated to try and market or monetize this sort of content given the current state of internet regulations. You'll need to find the websites and forums where people who sell and buy this sort of work are currently hanging out.

5.) Serialized subscriptions

If you are able to build an audience that wants to read your work, and you're good at putting out consistent work with great cliffhangers, you can get people to sign up for a paid subscription to your work on a platform like Patreon, Substack, or Wattpad.

This is very difficult to do, and requires a lot of skill and discipline around output, marketing, lead magnets, etc.

Note: this all applies only to longform fiction, like novels. There is almost no money in things like poetry and short stories. Even if you were to win lots of contests or get published in paying journals, it is nearly impossible to make a living on things like that.

Check this list or this one for writing contests with cash prizes.

Check this list or this one for literary magazines that pay.

If you are a talented writer who just needs cash, there are lots of other ways to make money writing in the nonfiction sphere, from grant writing to technical writing to blog and SEO content.

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How much should it cost to be a writer?

It depends what route you’re taking. If you are planning to go for traditional publishing, which looks like you finishing a manuscript and then querying agents who will then take your book to publishers, you should be paying for basically nothing. One exception would be if you decide to hire an editor to get a pass over your manuscript and/or query package before sending it off, but this is not required.

If you are in the process of trying to get your manuscript traditionally published, you may be approached by a “publisher” offering to publish your manuscript for a fee. THIS IS A SCAM! An author should never be paying for “publishing services.” Anyone asking you to pay for your own printing, marketing, etc. costs is taking advantage of you. These are called vanity publishers and they will not turn you a profit, help you attract readers, or provide you the prestige of being published. 

Always check on Writer Beware - search for the name of the person or company. You can also just google that name along with the word “scam” or “reviews.” In general, don’t let yourself be blinded by dreams, or let yourself be convinced that something is a good idea because you really want it to be true. Never, ever, ever pay a publisher.

If you are going the self-publishing route, you will be paying for certain things, but none of those should be payment to be published. You are the publisher. Uploading your manuscript to Amazon or other marketplaces is free. However, you will be paying for things that a publisher typically pays for. This could include:

-Cover art - you could do this yourself, though this isn't recommended. A good cover is key to a book's success, so budget to purchase a pre-made book cover, or hire a professional cover artist.

To find pre-made book covers, you can just Google "premade book covers," or check one of these sites: BookCoverZone RockingBookCovers Beetiful

And here's a list of places to buy both custom and pre-made cover designs that's a good start. You can also check Reedsy and Etsy for people listing cover design services. If there is a self-pubbed author whose covers you love, try asking them what artist they use.

-Formatting - you could do this yourself using a formatting program like Atticus, or you could hire someone who does professional e-book formatting.

Here's an article on the turbo-DIY route. Here's a list of formatting programs you can use. To hire someone, you can simply search for book formatting services or look at places where people list such services for hire, like Reedsy, Fiverr, or certain Reddit boards.

-Ad campaigns - you may want to pay for ad campaigns on platforms like Meta or Amazon. More niche, author-specific platforms like BookBub, Book Funnel, or Book Sirens also come with certain costs. 

-Author services - you may wish to hire an expert in things like marketing, blurb copy, social media metrics, newsletter management, etc. You can find information on that here.

Be aware that scam publishers might try to pitch themselves as "author services" - you should be paying someone to help you with specific aspects of your self publishing work, NOT paying to be published.

-Software and platforms - whether it's a subscription to Duotrope, a paid Scribophile account, access to pro Canva features, etc. you may decide to pay for tools that you will use to do your work well.

-Expert advice - some people offer courses, books, or other resources on how to do specific things like write a compelling blurb or run an effective ad campaign. You may notice that a lot of the links I shared here will include upsells from people doing exactly this!

Be very cautious about this, as most of these people claim that they make tons of money on their self published books, but really, they make their money selling this stuff to people like you. Always check out a person’s free resources first, and wait to invest in this sort of thing until you have a specific question you need answered or are trying to do a very particular thing that you need granular guidance on. 

One thing you should NOT pay for is a review, feature, or interview. Self-published authors will be approached by a lot of scammers who claim that, for a nominal fee, they will share information about your book to their huge audiences. These are completely useless and a waste of money. Never spend money on this.

Always keep track of what you are spending on all of this. You may be able to deduct it from taxes you pay on your income from writing, and you will want to really understand what your profit margins look like.

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Where can I find resources to write about experiences that I don’t have? How do I do research for writing about disability, trauma, race and racism, gender and sexuality, violence, etc.?

One way is to ask people who have had those experiences. There are forums for this sort of thing, including:

https://www.reddit.com/r/askreddit or https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/ - you could also poke around more specific “ask a…” subreddits, as well as searching for “AMA” posts with relevant information.

I also like to follow social media accounts run by people who are living with certain conditions or otherwise qualified to talk about their personal experience. Of course, they can only speak for themselves, and take things you find on social media with a grain of salt, but it can be a great window into things like life with a specific disability or after a specific experience. There are people who make content about having grown up in a cult, or living with terminal illness, or having spent most of their time in prison, etc.

Nothing, however, beats good old fashioned research. Visit a library near you. Read books, especially well researched nonfiction by experts, about your topic. Check the “sources” section of relevant Wikipedia pages.

Watch lectures or take online classes from college professors. Learn how to evaluate a source, and be intentional about your goals. Is it perfect historical accuracy? A nuanced, humanizing portrayal within your story? Simply avoiding common misconceptions?

As for online research, here are some places to start:

https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/

https://cripplecharacters.tumblr.com/

writersources.tumblr.com

https://writingtheother.com/

https://its-a-writer-thing.tumblr.com/post/671496173666942977/resources-for-writing-sketchy-topics

https://wordsnstuffblog.com/

https://www.dabblewriter.com/articles/sensitivity-reader

https://little-details.livejournal.com/

https://clevergirlhelps.tumblr.com/

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Writing FAQ Masterpost

Questions About Publishing

Self Publishing Promotion Advice

Where can I get feedback on my writing?

Where can I post or share my writing?

How do I overcome anxiety or perfectionism that is keeping me from writing?

I want to write, but don't know how to get started or get un-stuck.

Where do I get ideas? How do I figure out what to write or write next?

Will my idea be too offensive? Am I allowed to write this?

How do I write about experiences that I don't have, particularly touchy topics?

Is my story idea good? Should I write this?

How much should it cost to be a writer?

How do I make money writing fiction?

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Questions About Publishing

There is a LOT of misinformation and confusion in online writing forums about getting published.

In general, if you are asking a question about publishing before finishing your manuscript, you are getting ahead of yourself and overthinking something. None of this stuff matters in the early stages. Don’t fuss around asking strangers on the internet about random aspects of the publishing world. Spend that time writing. Worry about how publishing works once you’re done.

Even worrying about “if I write XYZ, can that get published?” - if you’re not a working genre fiction writer who is writing to market, don’t worry about it. Read what’s being published in that genre, and spend your energy on your manuscript. 

Note that all this advice is for publishing novels - for info on short stories and poems, see the bottom of this post.

When it comes to publishing a novel, in short, there are two ways to do it. The first one, which is what most people think of when they say “getting published,” is traditional publishing. The way this works is:

Steps To Traditional Publishing

Step One: Author completes a manuscript. The length of this manuscript will be dictated by the realities of what it takes to tell your story, and what the market in general is looking for (basic info here).

Step Two: Author polishes and edits manuscript. This could include developmental editing, which looks at your plot, structure, overall story, etc. and copy editing, which checks for grammar and spelling mistakes.

It is possible to hire services for this, but it’s not generally required. If you can have a trusted friend go over it or find a fellow writer to swap this sort of work with, that’s also fine. Do not believe that in order to have a shot at getting an agent, you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a third party editing service.

Step Three: Author develops a query package. You will need to write a query letter for your book, which explains what your book is about, what genre it’s in, and what currently popular books are similar to it. Some agents also want to see things like a blurb (a teaser/hook for your book) or synopsis (detailed summary of the entire plot).

Query letters are hard! But they are easier to do once your book is done, so don’t fuss about it until you’re done writing. When it’s time, here are resources for writing your query:

Query Shark

How to write an awesome query letter

NY Book Editors query letter advice

Step Four: Author queries agents with their manuscript. There are directories that will tell you what agents are accepting queries, and in what genres, and what type of books they’re looking for. There will be information about what the agent wants to see (query letter, length of synopsis, first few pages), and how they want it to be formatted and sent.

Find agents that seem like a good fit, and take the time to tailor a query package based on what they want to see. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of who you have sent queries to and when. Here are some good sites to find agents:

Manuscript Wish List

Publishers Marketplace

Agent Query

Poets & Writers Agent Database

Step Five: Patience. It takes a while to hear back from agents. Some may turn you down outright, while others might request a full manuscript to read.

If you get an offer of representation from an agent, you do not need to accept it immediately. Look over the contract they would have you sign, and make sure you understand and accept its terms. Chat with them about your career goals and ask lots of questions. Ask if you can speak with other authors they represent. Let any other agents who currently have your query package know right away that you have gotten an offer, and give them time to make a competing offer. 

Step Six: Having an agent. Once you have an agent, they will help you deal with everything from there on out. They will pitch your book to publishers and help represent you when dealing with publishing contracts. Marketing and publicity, launch and debut, cover art, adaptation rights, etc. You will not need to ask people on the internet for advice on this or worry about doing it yourself. 

You may not get an agent! If everyone you send a query to turns you down, you might need to revise your query package or look for different agents. It’s a tough process - but it’s very doable once you have a solid, polished, finished manuscript. And there are some publishers that will accept un-agented submissions - this is called the “slush pile,” and it’s an even rougher go than getting an agent.

Note that at no point during this traditional publishing journey should you need to shell out large amounts of cash. Money flows to the author, never away from the author. You do not need to worry about paying an artist to make you a cover, or paying for things like social media and marketing. 

The other form of publishing is self publishing, sometimes called indie publishing. In this format, you publish your book yourself using a platform like Amazon Kindle. You are then responsible for marketing, publicity, cover art, editing, formatting, etc. There are some people who make a lot of money doing this, but they spend a lot of time putting out frequent, consistent books in very in-demand genres. Self publishing a single novel, especially one in a less commercial genre, will likely not lead to much attention or money.

Steps to Self Publishing

Step One: Complete your manuscript.

Step Two: Edit and polish your manuscript. Since you are not going to have access to the resources of a large publishing company, you may wish to pay for editing services. However, keep track of these costs and be realistic about your choices.

Step Three: Research the market. Look at similar books on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and bookish social media. Notice what types of tags and keywords people are using. Understand how people are presenting and marketing similar books.

Step Four: Develop assets. You will need an ebook cover and a print option cover if you want to make that available. You will also need to format your book for print and e-readers. You will also want to have an author website, possibly a newsletter, and social media presence. Some of this may cost money, especially if you want to hire an artist for your cover or use powerful social media tools. This is not the same as paying a publisher to publish your book. 

Step Five: Build pre-launch buzz for your book. Connect with similar authors and readers on social media. Consider recruiting ARC readers and reviewers using websites like BookSprout or Book Sirens. Again, some of this might cost money for tools or services. Keep track of your costs and don’t go overboard. 

Step Six: Launch your book. Many authors use the Kindle platform for this. There are pros and cons to their Kindle Unlimited program, so do your research. Use well researched keywords, tags, and strong promotional copy. Make sure it is added to Goodreads and BookBub. Consider ad campaigns on social media.

Step Seven: Repeat, repeat, repeat. Making money as a self published author requires consistent output. Write and publish more books. Keep up your social media, blog, or newsletter. Keep an eye on trends in your genre. Participate in online communities and avenues to getting more eyeballs, like BookFunnel promotions.

Resources on self publishing:

Jane Friedman's guide to self publishing

Self publishing vs traditional publishing

How do you successfully self publish?

Dabble Writer self publishing guide

Paying For Publishing

You may see references to “vanity presses” or “hybrid” publishing. THESE ARE A SCAM. Basically, these are companies that pretend to be publishers, and say that they are willing to publish your book, but require you to pay them for things like printing costs, marketing, editing, etc. This is not a good way to get your book published, because you will spend more money than your book will make.

There is no prestige in “getting published” this way, because the publisher isn’t taking the highest quality books, but just whoever can pay them. And they will not be invested in your success, because you have already paid them. It is unlikely that they will get your book into bookstores or have the ability to help you rank high in Amazon and other searches. 

If a publisher reaches out to you rather than you submitting to them, they are a scam. If a publisher asks you to front the costs for putting your book out, they are a scam. And if you do “publish” a book with one of these places, that will kill your ability to get it published elsewhere, because most legitimate publishers require first rights.

Beware, also, of self-styled gurus that will tell you how to make tons of money in self publishing if you only buy their course or sign up for their services on how to run the perfect ad campaign or become a seven figure indie author.

Always check Writer Beware before getting involved with any sort of publishing scheme.

[linkablewritingadvice]

Anxiety and perfectionism make it hard for me to write - how do I overcome this “internal editor” or fear of my writing not being good?

I love this quote from Ira Glass:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

― Ira Glass

Seen this way, that anxiety is actually proof that you have what it takes. You care about your work being good, and you have a natural aversion to work that is “bad,” for whatever definition of bad is most important to you. 

Early on in your drafting, do not imagine anyone else reading your work. Get out of other people’s heads. Do not picture another person’s response to your writing. Keep it private. Don’t research agents or publishers or awards you’d like to win. Write for yourself and only yourself. There will be plenty of time to get feedback later, once you’ve polished it up as best you can.

ESPECIALLY don’t worry about the potential responses of your friends, family, classmates, etc. It is unlikely that the people who happen to be close to you in your life will be on the exact wavelength as you in terms of literature and creative vibes. Do not try to predict whether your mom will like it, or try to picture your buddy reading it. You are writing for yourself, and the right audience for your work. 

Read. A lot. Read in the genre you’d like to write. Read with a curious learner’s mind. Notice how they do things on a structural and stylistic level. Read interviews with authors you like, and check out books on craft. Don’t indulge in thoughts like “I’ll never be this good” - instead, focus on what is working, and why, and how. 

It might help you to give feedback on other people’s writing, on sites like Scribophile and Destructive Readers. You can get a sense for what works and what doesn’t, and how to understand and explain it. You can also see that other people are figuring this out, too, and you’re not the only person working on writing at this level. However, if you find that this does not help your anxiety, don’t do it. 

Give yourself permission to suck. Understand that the sole purpose of a first draft is to exist, so it can be polished later. Focus on word count or time spent writing rather than whether your work is “good.”  Find whatever works best for your anxiety overall. It is unlikely that substance abuse is a solution. The whole “write drunk, edit sober” thing is romanticized, and if you are self medicating your anxiety, this will ultimately cause more problems than it solves. If this sort of perfectionism and fear of not-good-enough is holding you back in other areas of your life, talk with a therapist. Try exercise, meditation, calming music, tidying your workspace, and spending time outdoors.

Do it. Write. Do it anxious, do it scared, do it before you’re ready. Don’t let anxiety become an excuse that convinces you that you can’t write or that you need to solve some nebulous problem in your mind. Don’t wait to feel completely confident before you bother trying. 

Alternatively, if it is really causing you a lot of distress, you don’t need to write. If you don’t enjoy writing and it just triggers anxiety and frustration, that’s okay - it might not be for you. Spend time doing things that you actually enjoy. If you don’t feel a strong desire to write and are just trying to force it, ask yourself why you’re doing that and what your other options might be. 

5 ways perfectionism sabotages your writing

7 ways to silence your inner editor

Writing With Anxiety

Overcome perfectionism to meet your writing goals

Why the internal editor is a problem and what to do about it

[linkablewritingadvice]

How do I get started? How do I overcome writer’s block? I feel stuck or overwhelmed by the blank page - where do I start?

The only way out is through. You’ve got to find a way to get the words down, so you have something to work with, edit, or share later. 

Some people like changing their text editor’s font to something silly or unreadable, so they don’t take what they’re writing as seriously. You can also try turning your screen off or making your text the same color as the background so you can’t see what you’re typing. Experiment with voice to text or handwriting.

There is plenty of advice out there that you might find inspiring. Read that, and if you find a quote or piece of advice that inspires you, keep it somewhere you can see.

Sometimes it’s about getting into the right mindset and avoiding distractions. Make sure your setup is as comfortable and ergonomic as possible. Try turning off your internet or setting your device to “do not disturb.” Find music that helps you focus. Some writers like chewing gum or sucking on hard candies while they work. Some wear a specific hat, scarf, pair of gloves, etc. to signal to their body that “it’s time to work.”

Goals and metrics really help some people. You could try setting a timer for fifteen minutes and committing to just not taking your fingers off the keyboard for that entire time. Or set a goal of 300 words to write before getting up. Even if you just start off writing “I don’t know what to write,” letting the words start to flow will get the habit ingrained and get things moving.

It’s as hard, and as easy, as: just start. Just do it. Type a word. Then another one. Give yourself permission to suck. Focus on quantity over quality at first. Find whatever style gets you flowing - first person, third person, pretending to be your character and write a letter to a friend about what happened to them, writing down a basic summary of what you want to write, etc.

Some people like using writing prompts, which can be a story starter, a snippet of dialogue, a photo, etc. Challenge yourself to write something based on a prompt, or with another restriction, and see what happens.

Resources:

Writing prompts from Art Institute of Chicago

Dialogue prompts

Story A Day writing prompt sites

Short Story Ideas

Random Image Generator

What Happens Next prompts

[linkablewritingadvice]

Where do I get ideas? How can I figure out what happens next, what my character should do, etc.?

Many people write because they have a story in their head that they just want to express. If there is anything in your head that already exists - an image, a snippet of dialogue, a scene, a character description - start with that, and go from there.

If you want to write a story but genuinely can’t think of one that you want to write, try getting bored. Don’t listen to podcasts when you drive or work. Turn the TV off. Ride public transit, go for long walks, watch the leaves on a tree sway. Think about “what if…” scenarios that are interesting to you. Fantasize about things you think would be fun, interesting, sexy, frightening, etc. 

If you are partway through a story but are stuck on a certain point, try skipping that part. You can just put in brackets [THEY DO NEXT THING?] and go to the next part that you have thought of and want to write. You may find later that you didn’t need to worry so much about this bit! I had a writing professor that often said “if it’s boring to write, it’ll be boring to write.” Your stuck-ness might be telling you that this next part doesn’t really need to be written, and you can just do a time skip or brief narration to move past it.

Maybe you’re just burned out on this particular project. Get some space from it and come at it from a different direction. Re-read or watch any other media that you were into when you first started the project or got the idea. Daydream about what might happen next. Make a moodboard or playlist about your story and find ways to get re-inspired. Or, switch to a different project and let this one simmer in the back of your mind for a bit.

If you need more active ways to get un-stuck, try going back a few story beats before the point where you got stuck. The key might be there. Is there something you could turn into a clue, a plot point, or foreshadowing? Is there something that leads to the stuck point that needs to be changed? Make a list of things that definitely don’t happen next. Go back to the basics: what’s at stake? What do the characters want? What’s preventing them from getting that?

If it’s an issue of research, figure out what information you’re missing. Maybe you can’t work out a way for the characters to escape a burning ship without injury, or you need an explanation for how something happened. Use the research tools here. And remember that it’s fiction, and you’re in charge, so you can twist or change things to make it work.

Maybe it’s an issue of anxiety. Maybe you’re overthinking it, or have gotten too focused on one minor detail. Try writing differently - from a new character’s POV, or about an event that took place before your story’s timeline, or as a news article reporting on the events of your story.

Try checking out prompt lists or “what happens next” generators. Find a random photo and decide to include that object or image. Open a dictionary to a random page and commit to using one of those words in your next sentence.

If you have a beta reader who you trust, who understands your vision and your characters, you could ask them to help you brainstorm what might happen next. But be careful about indiscriminately asking people to help you write your story, because you could get overwhelmed or paralyzed by too many options, or you might get caught up chasing something that doesn’t work for your story. Sometimes, even just ruling out other people’s ideas that you don’t like is a way to jumpstart things.

12 techniques for getting un-stuck

Getting un-stuck

How to get un-stuck when writing

Picture prompts to inspire writing from the NYTimes

Picture writing prompts

Six writing prompts to figure out what happens next

Use a random generator to beat writer's block

[linkablewritingadvice]

Can I write this? The work I want to write includes “dark topics,” will I get in trouble? Will people be offended?

You are allowed to write anything you want. 

It’s likely that if you find something interesting, exciting, titillating, or fun, someone else might as well. There are plenty of readers who like horror, gore, tragedy, violence, depictions of trauma, etc. Try reading things with similar content to see how it’s handled and how readers respond.

That said, if you are writing for a specific platform or audience, it’s important to know the limits. Self publishing on Amazon, Wattpad, etc. will require you to adhere to the content requirements of that platform. If you’re hoping to attract “women’s literature/book club fiction” type audiences, but your book has just one wild scene that is unusual for that genre, you may run into trouble.

And if you’re a young person intending to submit work for a class, or if you’re sharing it with friends or a writing group, it’s important to be aware of how certain things might be perceived. Many people who like to write “dark” fiction choose to share it with communities that appreciate that sort of stuff, rather than showing it to their mom and then worrying what she thinks.

You may also offend some people. No piece of art is made for everyone. Some people may find your writing to be in poor taste, crude, unpleasant, etc. You are not writing for those people. Having someone dislike your work will not hurt you, and it is OK to not be for everyone.

One exception would be in very online spaces where people believe that certain content in fiction is deeply dangerous, and could decide to doxx or swat or otherwise attack someone whose work they find offensive. Don’t get involved in those spaces. Watch your opsec with personal information if you are sharing writing online and stay out of arguments about this.

That said, if someone gives you constructive feedback that your work is offensive in the sense of perpetuating harmful stereotypes, or that you have gotten something insensitively wrong, that’s another thing. Examples might be using a character’s fatness to imply laziness or low intelligence, a racialized violent criminal, or a woman overcome with depression and guilt after terminating a pregnancy (depicted in a way that implies that this is just the natural outcome, when in fact most women report feeling relief). It’s good to be open to learning and to want to depict things with nuance and thoughtfulness.

In this case, you should be focused on how to do research, find a sensitivity reader, and get clear on your personal intentions about why you’re writing this story and for whom. But asking people on the internet whether you’re “allowed” to write something, or whether anyone might get offended, will not help.

[linkablewritingadvice]

Is this a good idea? Should I write this? Would anyone read this? Does this sound cool?

This is an impossible to answer question, mostly because almost every great story sounds kind of boring when you try to summarize it. If someone asked “will a book about a kid with dead parents who goes to a magical school, and makes some friends and has powerful enemies after him become globally popular?” that would be a meaningless question, because there are ways to write that premise that would be uninteresting.

If someone said “you have to watch this movie, it’s about a short guy whose uncle gives him a magical artifact that he has to go on a long walk to a volcano to destroy, and there are other taller guys who get up to side adventures along the way” you might not feel immediately compelled to drop everything and watch it. “Three neighbors in a New York apartment building solve complicated murders” could be a total cliche laden snooze fest, or it could be a beloved television series. “Some boys go on a hike to see a dead body and learn about friendship” is a classic film, though it sounds pretty lame when you put it like that. 

Keep in mind that there is a difference between a plot and a premise. A premise is the background or setup for your story, but it doesn’t actually summarize what will happen, what changes, what’s at stake for the characters, etc. A plot is the sequence of events that sets up and resolves the conflict. Most posts asking whether a “story idea” is “good” describe a premise.

A cool premise is a great place to start, but it’s only the first stage. Instead of trying to get confirmation that you’ve come up with a premise that will guarantee an interesting story, keep noodling around with it, daydreaming, imagining what sorts of characters might be relevant, and what sorts of problems they’d encounter.

Don’t worry about whether other people think that a brief overview of your idea. It’s all in the execution. Start writing - no one can give you permission or guarantee that it’s a good idea. Spend time with your world and your characters. Tell a story that you find interesting. Read books in the genre you’re thinking about to get a sense for what works and how.

Resources:

What is a premise in writing?

Idea, premise, plot, and story

Ideas are cheap

It's all in the execution