Ericka Scott - Things I Wish I'd Known

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Ericka Scott - Things I Wish I'd Known

May 17th, 2011 was not my birthday, but was a significant milestone. That was the day I celebrated my fourth anniversary as a published author. I wasn’t a publishing novice by the time that first novella was accepted. In fact, I’d had over thirty short stories published in various print and electronic formats. However, I had never thought of my writing as anything but a hobby up until 2006 when I decided that for the next chapter of my life, I was going to ‘be an author.’ It’s been a wild ride, one I wouldn’t trade for the world, and I’m glad to say that it’s not over yet. Still, there are some things I wished I had known (and am still learning), that I’d like to pass along.

• All publishers are not created equal

Crystal Clear, my first novella, was released by Cobblestone Press. I was very lucky to stumble upon them and have their shining example as to what a publisher should be like. They are author-friendly, have prompt and open communications with their employees, have fantastic cover art, and pay regularly and on-time each and every month without fail.

With some of my other publishers, I haven’t been so lucky. Several of them disappeared almost overnight. In addition, one of my past publishers kept such shoddy book keeping that I was paid royalties before my book was even released (explain that one?!?) and never received a clear accounting of what books were actually sold. Communication with a few other publishers has been hit or miss.

I thought I had learned what to look for and where to go to ask questions (Writers Beware, Absolute Write Water Cooler, Piers Anthony) but even with all that information, it’s still possible to leap without looking. For instance, did you know that not all publishers edit the books before they are released? I didn’t realize that until I received the galleys for one of my books and found out it’s the exact file I sent them (forehead slap).

• Do your research.

Even if you’ve sold once, it takes just as much work to sell again.
It may sound silly, but I honestly thought that once I’d sold a book, it would be a breeze to sell the next one. Nope. Even after three years, eighteen novellas, two full-length novels, and a handful of short stories, I still garner a healthy number of rejections. At times it’s discouraging and the waiting never gets any easier.

What I have learned is that if I’m lucky enough for an agent or editor to give me feedback, I take a step back and apply a critical eye to the story before I send it out again. Although it’s only one opinion and I may not agree with their criticism, there is usually truth in their remarks. Thankfully, almost all of my manuscripts have found a home, but it’s never been the easy road I envisioned.

• Goals and deadlines

Writing a book is hard work. Many authors have a 9-5 job, families, friends and a writing career. Often the time to write has to be crowbarred into the day, either early in the morning or late at night. For many, there is no real sense of urgency to create that first or second draft. Then, the manuscript sells.

The mistake is to think that simply because the book sold, there will be no further work. Ha! There are forms to be filled out, edits to complete, and galleys to review. Make those deadlines a priority. The difficulty arises when life intervenes, kids get sick, the paying job’s projects are due. It’s easy to let it all slide, especially if the book won’t be released for months. But don’t do it. Your editor and publisher will thank you.

Even if your book hasn’t been sold, even if the manuscript is still in the beginning stages, set goals and deadlines and make every effort to meet them. It’ll be good practice for when you sell.

• Being an author is like running a marathon, not dashing a sprint.

Every year, there are more and more published books competing for a reader’s attention. Although I was sure my first novella would be a bestseller (thankfully, it was), some of my other books, that I believed in just as strongly, haven’t been. For each title I took out the same number and type of ads, promoted them much the same way, and I know the publisher has done their job to promote the title as well. What went wrong? Your guess is as good as mine.

Sadly, we can all look at the flaws in the latest bestsellers and even I fall into the pit of wondering why my book, which didn’t have cardboard characters, a predictable plot, and a heroine who is too stupid to live, didn’t hit the NY Times Bestseller List. Still, a close look at those writers who appear to be ‘overnight successes’ reveals that the reality is far from the truth. They, too, put in the long hours (or years) of writing, garnered drawers full of rejections, and paid their dues to get where they are. That doesn’t say I don’t believe that there is an element of luck or magic involved. Being in the right place and the right time certainly doesn’t hurt. However, I remind myself daily that I’m in this business for the long run.

• And the most important thing to remember -- there is only one rule for Authors. Keep writing!

Ericka Scott is a multi-published, bestselling author of seductive suspense. She's written stories for as long as she can remember and reads anything under the sun (including the back of cereal boxes in a pinch). She got hooked on romantic suspense in her college days, when reading anything but a textbook was a guilty pleasure. Now, when she’s not chauffeuring children around, wishing she had more than 24 hours in a day, or lurking at the library, she’s spinning her own web of fantasy and penning tales of seduction and suspense. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.

Ericka’s latest release, Wild Ghost Chase, is currently available at Barnes and Noble as well as at Amazon.com in both Kindle and Paperback editions.

Ericka loves friends, so come friend her at http://myspace.com/erickascott

She's also on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ericka.scott and Twitter @ErickaScott

You can find out more about her books at www.erickascott.com

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