You’re reading the My News Biz newsletter, which I will be sending you every other Thursday. My goal is to help you and other digital media entrepreneurs to find a viable business model that works for you. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up here. How to get your book published, Part 1A journalist turned novelist describes how he uncovers his creative spark
This is the first of two guest posts by my friend and former journalism colleague Robin Yocum. He has published eight novels and two works of non-fiction. Here is a list of his books available on Goodreads.— JB
By Robin YocumThe two most frequent questions I get concerning my life as an author are: 1) Where do you get your story ideas? And 2) How did you get published? (Translation: Can you give me the secret to getting published?) I feel ill equipped to answer either. Where do I get my ideas? I have no idea. How do you explain your imagination? When I’m working on a book, I simply brainstorm until I come up with something I like. Explaining the path to getting published is a more difficult question. The answer is like snowflakes and autobiographies. No two are alike. Every published author has taken a different path to publication. I’m no expert on how to get published, but I can tell you what has worked for me. Two different paths to followI’ve published both non-fiction and fiction. The path to publication forks at this early juncture. If you’re a subject matter expert, you can create a proposal for your non-fiction project, which will include a description of why you’re the best person to write the book, an outline and a couple of sample chapters. (You may be a subject matter expert, but editors still want to make sure you can put together a comprehensible sentence.) If an editor likes your proposal, you could receive a nice advance and be given a year to write your book. If you’re writing fiction, however, you have to drop the finished product on the publisher’s desk and hope they like it. (Note: If your last name is Patterson or Grisham, this rule does not apply.) You may hear “no” a hundred times, but you only have to hear one “yes”. Thick skin is essential. If I had to give just one bit of advice, it would be to continue to believe in yourself, and be prepared to hear the word “no”. A lot. You hear “no” a lot in the publishing business, so a thick skin is essential. You may hear “no” a hundred times, but you only have to hear one “yes.” The key is finding that person out there who believes in your writing as much as you do. It could be an agent or an editor, but they’re out there . . . somewhere. Once you find that person, your life is going to change. If you believe you have something to say, if you want to have a voice, keep grinding. Lived experience mattersWrite what you know. That seems like such simple advice, but it’s true. My novels are all set in the Ohio River Valley and on the edges of Appalachia Ohio, and the primary reason is because that is where I grew up. I know the area, and I know the people, so it makes for a very familiar surrounding for me when I’m writing. When I mentally immerse myself in the surroundings of the Ohio Valley, I’m back home and comfortable, and the words flow smoothly onto the screen. I don’t have to do a lot of research, because I’ve lived it. If I was going to try to write an international spy thriller, and I didn’t want to travel to Europe to get the lay of the land, I would have to do a lot of research. I don’t have the time, the money or the desire to do that. So why not stick with what I know? Also, most of my books involve some sort of mystery. I was a crime reporter for years, and I know how police operate – the procedures, the language, the attitudes. Again, it’s all familiar to me. I’m writing what I know. Read, read and read some more. I would never steal another author’s ideas, but by reading the works of others, fiction and nonfiction, I get ideas of my own. I would strongly recommend Stephen King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. It’s excellent. Pro tipBy reading and browsing at the bookstore, you can see what other people are doing to get published. Also, this is a good way to find out what agents are interested in reading. Look at the acknowledgements in the front of the book. Authors always thank their agents. If you’ve written a book of historical fiction, pick up the historical fiction books and see which agents are interested in that genre. And with that, you’re one step closer to getting published. +++ My next novel: “The Last Hitman,” from Crooked Lane Books, is now available for preorder. The tentative release date is Dec. 2, but that could be moved up. I’m providing a link to my website where you can read the synopsis of “The Last Hitman.” www.robinyocum.net/novels +++
 Coming next week: Inspiration doesn’t come magically. You make it happen. +++
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How to get your book published, Part 1
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