HOW DO I GET PUBLISHED? THEN WHAT DO I DO?
by Kathy Fieler
There are two elements to writing, says Charlie Patton, Book
Review Editor for the _Florida Times Union_; aptitude and diligence.
“There has to be some innate talent, or at least some level of talent.
There are great geniuses and there are competent, hard-working writers.
Your talent will carry you to different levels, but you learn by talking
to people who are good writers.”
Writing for hire teaches skills necessary for consistently turning
out publishable material, according to Patton. A writers who is trying
to sell an article will research the market before investing time in
the writing process. When the goal is a paycheck, the writers must be
disciplined and realistic.
“Another nice thing is you have to write to deadlines,” he says.
Patton works best against a deadline, because it forces him to concentrate.
He suspects most writers are like this. “I think most writers tend to
procrastinate,” he says. “Certainly writers working in the newspaper
business do. No one ever turns things in six weeks ahead of deadline.
It’s always more like six minutes before, of six minutes after.”
Start by writing what interests you, because you’ll have a passion
for the subject, he advises. Then write any time an opportunity
presents itself. “I began writing about sports, not because I wanted
to write, but because I liked sports,” he said. “If you’re in high
school or college, write for the school newspaper. You have to begin
the writing process to learn it.”
Reference books, particularly a good thesaurus, a good dictionary,
and a manual of style, are important to both the beginning writer and
the seasoned pro. “I’ve got lots of reference books and have access to
lots of good ones at the newspaper,” says Patton, “but I’m in the
unusual position as the editor of a newspaper. I get sent hundreds of
books a year.” He advocates going to your public library if you’re on
a budget.
Electronic reference books are becoming ever more available to
people with home computers and Patton believes writers should take
advantage of it. “We’re on the leading edge of the electronic age,” he
says. “In my house, we don’t have encyclopedias on paper any more. We
have them on CD ROM and that’s just the beginning of what’s available.
A newspaper called the _San Jose Mercury_ has taken a leading role,
publishing by computer, and is available on one of the on-line
services.”
Beware of short cuts, he warns. “Writers should seek publication,
but anybody that pays to get their stuff published is not a professional,”
he says. With all the scams out there, it’s easy to succumb to impatience
and get caught up in vanity publishing. Likewise, it’s easy to concede to
giving work away, just to see your name in print. And make sure your read
up on copyright laws. Know which rights you are selling or seek the
advice of a good copyright attorney before signing any contract.
That is not to say Patton thinks self-publishing is always bad. “I
encounter lots of people who want to be writers, who don’t have the
talent or haven’t put in the effort, but think they are deserving of
the attention because they aspire to be a writer,” he said. Patton
doesn’t have a problem with someone publishing his own book, if it’s
for the right reason, such as it has a niche market and may not sell
in the mainstream.
If you intend to self-publish, you should seek qualified critiques
of your material in order to avoid embarrassing mistakes the pros
would never miss. Patton says writers’ groups, lead by properly
qualified individuals, are good places to have work inexpensively
edited and learn the writing process.
Once you’ve been published, publicity is the next concern. Patton
says it’s really up to the author to see that the book is aggressively
promoted. “It doesn’t hurt to promote your own book,” he says. “Authors
do that all the time. If someone calls me up and offers some aspect that
is germane to my column, I’ll write about it.” The trick, he says, is
to find a story angle for the publication you’re contacting.
Patton likens the successful writer to a great athlete. First you
have to learn the game. Then you have to go to practice, then try-outs,
and finally you make the team. In the end, though, it’s up to you to find
— those photo opportunities.
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Copyright 1994 Kathy Fieler
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Kathy is a Jacksonville based freelance writer and publicist. Her works
appeared in FLORIDA TIMES UNION, SUWANNEE DEMOCRAT, CLAY TODAY, NASSAU
COUNTY RECORD, SEE magazines, and others. She is an editor of the THE
PENCHANT, Public Relations Director for the Florida First Coast Writer’s
Festival, and production staff member at STATE STREET REVIEW (a biannual
literary magazine). She’s married, has two children, and various pets.
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