hemingwaywantabes

Imagine walking through a bookstore during Ernest Hemingway’s era and seeing the giant of a man sitting quietly in a cushy chair reading a new copy of James Joyce’s new book. What would you do? Go up and introduce yourself, ask him if he’d like to share a nice cool lemonade, or perhaps see if he might give you a tip or two about how to become a published author or poet.

Any of these is possible, but my bet would be that if you asked him where you might learn a great deal about the publishing world, he would have said, “Right here,” meaning the bookstore. For there is a wealth of information available if you look in the right places.

First, you would want to say to yourself that you are no longer a potential customer but instead working on a research mission. Wander around, tiny notebook and pencil in hand, and take a look at the bestseller tables. There you may learn what books are selling, who wrote them, who published them, and what they are all about. Jot down a few thoughts, perhaps a title or two in the genre that interests you since you may want to check out that book from the local library since books are two damn expensive to buy.

Next, head for the magazine and newspaper rack. Pick up the Thursday edition of USA Today and turn to the book page where all the bestsellers are listed. Do the same with the New York Times Book Review. Then find Publisher’s Weekly, Poets and Writers, Writer’s Digest and other publications with the latest news about the publishing industry. Scan the articles, the ads, and the reviews. It is amazing what you may learn in an hour or two.

Before you leave, check the shelves for books like the one you are writing. Read the book jacket copy, the author bio, and perhaps a bit of the Prologue or first chapter. Gain a sense of the storytelling strategy, the word usage, the way the author weaves together his or her characters. Once again, take notes so that you may reference them later.

Hemingwaywantabes, the world of publishing is right there before you, and best of all, unless you buy a book, it is free. You’ll be fascinated with what you learn, and if Ernest isn’t there, take a look around and see if his ghost might be.