One of the most famous lines in all of fiction was the opening of Charles Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times...”As a debut novelist, I couldn’t have said it better. The dire reports abound. If we’re not hearing about the inability of the humble book to compete with a proliferating variety of electronic entertainment, or the closing of beloved independent bookstores, then it’s the authors themselves who are complaining.
The howl heard in the publishing world is from new writers who quickly realize that years of dreaming and hard work often result in a “product” that has a shorter shelf-life than a box of Cheerios, and that most of their publishers’ resources are concentrated on a small number of blockbuster books.
Undoubtedly, there’s some truth to all the gloomy news. And yet, for this first-time author, the glass is definitely half-full. I believe there has never been a more exciting, empowering, or democratic time to be a writer.
When I first began writing more than twenty years ago, I didn’t just want to create poems and stories for myself; I wanted to connect with real readers. A hopeful unknown like me had few options. I could enter an MFA program if I wanted camaraderie or feedback; but with a house full of kids and a pile of bills to match, that was out of the question. And even if I could have, I probably wouldn’t have chosen that route. Instead, I wrote whenever I had a spare moment, and submited to literary magazines. I addressed self-addressed stamped envelopes till my wrist ached and spent half the tip money I earned as a waitress on postage.
For my trouble, I collected an impressive collection of rejection slips, some even bearing an encouraging message. Please try us again. You have no idea how many hours a hungry writer, living on the thin gruel of hope, can analyze those four words. Please try us again! Did they mean it? Would tomorrow be too soon?
I also got the occasional acceptance. Quietly, often in literary journals with a circulation of about a thousand, a career had begun. I will always be grateful to those editors who were willing to give a new writer a chance. Still, it was a lonely, and frequently frustrating time.
In my daily life as wife, mother and waitress, I didn’t know a single other writer. Everything I wanted to know about the industry, I had to find out myself--from how to write a query letter to the names of agents worth querying. I still have my battered copy of The Guide to Literary Agents. It is marked with eager underlinings and exclamation points that signified an agent agreed to take a look at a manuscript. Later, I would add the disappointed cross-outs when they declined representation.
The internet changed everything. Now a writer doesn’t have to invest thousands of dollars in a graduate program to find feedback or the friendship of other readers and writers. It’s right here in communities like Gather, it's on the blogosphere; it's available in varioius writing forums where seasoned authors generously answer the questions of newcomers.
A writer no longer has to wait for the editor of a literary journal to publish their work. We can now press the publish button ourselves, and the size of the audience we reach is not limited to a press run. It will be determined not only by the quality of our work, but by our willingness to reach out to readers and writers. When I was published in literary magazines, I never knew how readers reacted to my work, or even if it was being read. But here , feedback is candid, direct, and frequently instantaneous.
The friendships I’ve made have have altered my life and made my work infinitely stronger. I now understand what readers respond to--and what they don’t; and though I still don’t know any authors in my hometown, I have become part of a thriving community of writers, some published, others not, some accomplished and some just beginning to learn their craft--but all united by our obsession with the power of words.
For this writer, it is clearly the best of times.
Patry Francis, Books Correspondent:
Patry's column, Diary of a First Novelist, published every Wednesday (or Thursday when she's got a writing deadline) to Gather Essentials: Books. It will detail all she knows--and is in the process of learning--about writing and publishing.
To learn more about Patry and her debut novel, The Liar's Diary, visit her Website.
You can find all of Patry's articles, Diary of a First Novelist, at www.gather.com/patryfrancis
Keep up with Patry’s other postings and Gather activity by joining her Gather network -- just click here and select the orange “Connect” button on the left-hand side of the page
You’ll find Patry and other Book Correspondents, plus celebrity author content and plenty of other bibliophiles at Books.gather.com
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Comments: 39
Great article. Thank you. I look forward to your weekly installements of your diary. They encourage me to keep on, keep on and not get distracted from my avowed purpose.
Funny, I almost didn't join. I thought it was an adult myspace. Quite a wonderful surprise to find real writers, and some of them willing to read my work! I suppose when they figure out I can take an honest critique, I'll be on my way.
Kathryn: Thanks so much--especially for remembering my father's storytelling. (P.S.
Love your toast metaphor! And you're right, I still burn it many mornings.)
Charles D: Thank you! Love the dogs!
Tomi: I'm having so much fun doing this! Thanks for reading along--
Dawn: Most of the criticism I've read on Gather has been very constructive and good. I think it's a fabulous place for a new writer to be.
Great story and very informative. I still have my guides to getting published but I don't have any marks in them!
I find hope in your sticking it out and your success evidenced in being chosen as a 'Correspondent.' How's the weather on ol' Cape Cod? Peace! Ken
Bonnie: That's the best thing a reader can say to me: I'll be back. Thank you!
Ken: Good points, especially about the shelf-life of posts. But what I like is the possibilities
to be pro-active. You can put the work out there, and then slowly build an audience. The weather here? Still no snow. Nothing but a couple of flurries all year.
Richard: If you love the writing process--and you obviously do--you will keep going no matter how long it takes. Fortunately, most published novelists seem to take a much more direct route than I did.
Debra: I've never thought of myself as a determined person, but I guess I was. Thank ou for your kind words.
It was encouraging to read your article. Our journeys sound strikingly similar. I have been pretty much working in a void, myself, writing my first novel for the past five years. Last summer, I attended my first writer's conference and yesterday, I entered Gather's First Chapters Competition for unpublished authors, a very exciting way to get feedback. (It's entitled Something Resembling Hope if you are interested in checking it out.) I, too, would love to get my master's degree but time and money prohibit. I am a stay-at-home mom and went back to waiting tables after nine years to make ends meet while I try to start a career as a fiction writer. I am now wondering why I took so long to reach out to other writers. It was good to hear from you and great to see that you "made it." I would like to get a copy of your novel. Are you planning any appearances in the Detroit area?
Krs M.: Thanks so much for buying the book! I hope you'll come back and let me know how you like it. Meanwhile, I love your spirit! (And your icon, too!)
Most anyone with something to say and people who will listen can publish. Which makes it more difficult for writers to make a splash.
Good article -- I look forward to more from the diary of a first novelist!
David: Thank you! Once a book is published, you realize that it's going to take more hard work and determination to make the reading world aware it exists.
Dolphi: Thank you! Accessibility and clarity is important to me.
Lydia: There are so many possibilities; it truly is an exciting time.
I'll get more coffee now!