Tipsy Tuesday

When I first began focusing on starting a new career as an author, I didn't realize completely just how much more there is to writing a book than just the writing part. But I know now that writing the book is just the first step. Because once the book is finished (meaning you've rewritten where necessary and revised, edited, and polished the thing until it's blinding in its shine) there's still a lot to do--and this is where you have to take off your artist hat and put on your business person's cap.

Because it's your responsibility to understand the industry. You need to know

• how to assess the market (who's buying what, and what's selling and what's not),
• how to write a pitch targeted to an appropriate publisher or agent (because you don't want to send, say, a cozy mystery to a publisher that only publishes science fiction and fantasy--it makes you look lazy and, believe it, when it comes right down to it, New York is a small town where everyone knows everyone else and the publishing world is an incestuous one),
• understand contracts (and have someone--a literary agent or literary attorney--who can look them over for you before you sign),
• how to work the Internet to your advantage,

For the most part run your "business" like a savvy CEO. It's all part of being a published writer.

Well, it's all part of being a successful published writer.