Recent conversation:

Acquaintance:  “I have a great idea for a story.  Will you write it for me, you know, like ghostwriting?”

Me: “Sorry, but I have too many ideas of my own to develop.  However, I know someone who does ghostwriting if you’re willing to pay up to $10,000.”  

She: “Will it get published?”

Me: “There’s no guarantee.”

She: “But the ghostwriter would submit it to publishers, wouldn’t they?”

Me: “Not necessarily.  A ghostwriter’s job is to write the book.  Your job is to market it.  To do that, you have to learn the submission process, how to write a query letter, etc. In other words, you have to be willing to put time and effort into learning the business.  It’s best if you learn how to write the book yourself, too, because publishers don’t want one-book wonders. Writing is a career like anything else that requires a training period, and this may take years.  You can’t just write a book and expect it to be published overnight.”

This subject really ticks me off, because I hear it so often. Another variation is, “I have a great idea for a story.  How about if you write it, and we can split the money?”  

Why do people think it’s so easy to get published? Or that writers lack their own inspiration and need ideas from outsiders?  Their questions show that they have no clue how a writer works.

Have YOU tried to write and publish a novel? Have you taken writing courses, honed your craft, joined a critique group, belonged to professional writers groups, submitted your work, revised, and pushed on through numerous rejections?  No?  Then you don’t have what it takes to be a professional writer, and don’t think that hiring someone else to do the job means your book will sell, either. If it were so easy, everyone who ever thought about writing a novel would be published. And I’m not talking about self-pubs here, but people who are paid for their work.

Do you have dreams of fame as a novelist? Keep the dream but forget about the fame. If you’re an avid reader who is driven to write your own stories, get started. Below are some online classes to move you in the right direction.

ONLINE WRITER'S CLASSES
Romance Writing: www.theromancewriterslife.com
Story Magic: www.discoveringstorymagic.com
Mystery: www.rwamysterysuspense.org
Science Fiction: www.sfwa.org/links/workshops.htm
New York Writers Workshop: http://nycpitchconference.com
Writers Workshops Guide: http://writing.shawguides.com
Writer’s Digest: www.writersonlineworkshops.com
American Writers & Artists: www.awaionline.com

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