Write A Story You Are Passionate About—

But One that is Marketable

Short Stories, Magazine Articles, Essays

“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” is one way to begin the writing process. But just as a baseball player with dreams of playing in the major leagues begins his quest in the minors, a bit of seasoning is warranted before you plunge into the world of writing for publication.

This seasoning involves writing short stories, essays, magazine or newspaper articles, or poetry for mainstream publications. Doing so teaches the discipline of writing with space and word constraint to produce good beginnings, middles, and ends to stories. For poets, it is the opportunity to test their mettle in a single poem or two.

Another benefit of writing short-form material is the ability to test linguistic skills and begin developing a personal writing style. The process may also help you decide whether to write fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

Most important, publication of short stories, essays, newspaper articles or poetry provides a showcase for your talent while earning you a publishing credit. The latter will prove helpful when you seek publication for long-form fiction or non-fiction material.

Many celebrated authors began by writing magazine and newspaper articles, and short stories. Among them was Ernest Hemingway. His talent was recognized while he wrote for publications such as Atlantic Monthly and The Toronto Star.

Several modern-day magazines, including Esquire, GQ, Harper’s, Jane, Playboy, Seventeen, and Zoetrope, print short works of fiction. Publications like Vanity Fair, Atlantic Monthly, and Ladies Home Journal, among others, will consider short works of non-fiction.

One author who gained exposure by writing short stories is Terry McMillan, best selling African-American author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back. She began reading literary works by African-American writers while shelving books at a Port Huron, Michigan library at age sixteen. While majoring in journalism at UC Berkeley, she wrote The End, her first short story. When it was published, it provided a springboard for her long-form efforts.

Mary Higgins Clark, author of several best selling mysteries, jump-started her career by writing short stories. The first sold for $100 to Extension Magazine after six years and more than forty rejection slips. This modest success stimulated Clark, who wrote Aspire To The Heavens, a novel about the life of George Washington. It was a dismal failure, but her second effort, Where Are The Children, proved successful. This book paved the way for such bestsellers as Before I Say Goodbye, Deck The Halls, and The Street Where You Live.

J. K. Rowling, famous for the Harry Potter series, began her career by writing short stories. While attempting to complete two novels, she conceived a “what-if” idea. It focused on a young boy who didn’t realize he was a wizard. The skills she had honed writing short stories enabled her to complete Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It was published a year later to wide acclaim, catapulting Rowling to international fame.

Charles Dickens garnered experience as a newspaper reporter before turning to long-form writing. He then wrote short texts to accompany a series of humorous sport illustrations. Next came The Pickwick Papers. It led to Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, the first of Dickens’ successful Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, and David Copperfield.

Poets gain credentials through publication of their poetry in reputable magazines and journals. Publishers scan these publications searching for new talent.

For me, seasoning occurred when I wrote several columns for USA Today during the Mike Tyson trial. The credit led to a publishing commitment for Down For The Count. To those who scanned my manuscript, I wasn’t a novice writer with little credibility, but one who had been published in a national newspaper.

If you decide to write short stories, educate yourself about this form of writing. The easiest way is to return to the bookstores and focus on the classics. Look for anthologies of short stories by a variety of famed authors. These will expose you to several examples of good writing. Pay attention to how the authors formulated the beginning, middle, and end of their stories.

Celebrated author Elmore Leonard stated “Read and study what the writer is doing. Find a writer you have a rapport with and study the paragraphing, study the punctuation, study everything.” William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, echoes Leonard’s comments. He wrote, “Writing is learned by imitation. If anyone asked me how I learned to write, I’d say I learned by reading the men and women who were doing the kind of writing I wanted to do and trying to figure out how they did it.”

Resource Material For Short Stories, Magazine Articles,

and Poetry

Marketplace information for short stories or magazine articles is easily obtainable. Several books listing publications accepting unsolicited submissions are released each year, but Writer’s Market is the most inclusive. The cover of one edition promised, “75 Literary Agents, 1000+ All New Publishing Opportunities, 1400 Consumer Magazines, 450+ Trade Magazines, 1100 Book Publishers.” There is also Writer’s Market—Online, Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Christian Writer’s Market Guide, and The Writer’s Handbook.

Submitting written work to the outlets in the proper form is critical. Writer’s Market provides battle-tested suggestions. Following the guidelines suggested is key, since editors seek professionals who know the rules.

Once you’ve conceived a short story or magazine article, compile a list of publications most likely to accept it. There are several with outstanding reputations, including The Paris Review, Rosebud, The Magazine For People Who Enjoy Good Writing, Poets and Writers Magazine, Ploughshares, Stone Soup, The American Scholar, and The New Yorker. Being published by them is an honor. A former editor at Simon and Schuster ordered his underlings to scour such publications scouting for potential writers.

Depending on your area of interest, read the above-mentioned magazines as well as Vanity Fair, Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Omni, Rolling Stone, Seventeen, Reader’s Digest, PC Computing, Esquire, Gentleman’s Quarterly, Cigar, Ms., O, Ladies Home Journal, Washingtonian, and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Reading good writing helps you develop good writing skills, and ideas for books abound in the pages of top magazines. From an article in Vanity Fair, I developed an idea for a book about a teenage computer wizard employed by the government to slay cyberspace terrorists.

For those interested in poetry, publications of note include Poets and Writers, Poetry Magazine, the Kenyon Review, Glimmer Train, Atlantic Monthly, and the Atlanta Review. Libraries are good sources for these publications.

Be selective when choosing publications for submission of material. It is unprofessional to submit an article to a magazine that does not publish that genre of material. Sending an article on raising Argentine llamas to Architectural Digest is embarrassing and signals to the publisher that you have not done your homework.

Newspaper Experience

Writing newspaper articles or columns provides another source of education and exposure for aspiring authors. Writing with word-count restrictions forces one to be brief and to the point. Journalists face deadlines, providing a helpful discipline when publishers demand revisions within a certain time frame.

The journalist hones editorial skills and investigative methods that prove worthy when writing long-form. Becoming a competent reporter, columnist, or freelance writer provides credentials that impress publishers, since the successful journalist has name recognition, a proven track record, and a readership that may purchase books.

To gain notice for your writings, consider an op-ed column, letters to the editor, or other means to gain publication. Every time your words reach a readership, you add to your writing credential.

One misconception in literary circles is that writing short stories or articles is inferior to writing long-form. There is an expertise to both, but being restricted by a word count may prove more challenging than writing a book the length of Gone With The Wind.

Fiction Or Non-Fiction

Whether to write fiction or non-fiction is an important decision for the author with publishing aspirations. If you have inclinations toward both, try both. Write a few chapters, a short story, or an article portraying a true-life event. Then let your imagination flow. Decide which provides more satisfaction, since writing with passion is essential to future success.

The decision to write fiction or non-fiction should not be made without considering an important question: Is it easier to become a published author by writing in one genre or the other?

There is no clear consensus as to whether fiction or non-fiction provides a better stepping-stone to a career as an author, but far more works of fiction are presented to literary agents and publishers than non-fiction. With so much competition, the odds of success for a first-time author of fiction are diminished. This is because publishers realize it is normally the author who is the star since readers return to purchase books by authors whom they have enjoyed before.

Non-fiction may provide more opportunity. First-time authors with a “platform” (expertise in a particular subject) abound, since generally the subject matter is as important as the name of the author on the book cover. Publishers recognized that the true story focusing on discharge of chemical waste by a large corporation portrayed in A Civil Action was the star, not the unknown author, Jonathan Harr. A similar situation occurred following the terrorist attacks on the United States when several books by unknown authors about the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, Afghanistan, and chemical warfare became bestsellers.

As with all rules of thumb, there are exceptions. Non-fiction is a broad genre including how-to and instructional books, biography, inspirational books, humor, and what is known as “narrative non-fiction”—true stories unfolding in much the same storytelling pattern as fiction. Authors of narrative non-fiction can also become superstars with a dedicated readership, as did Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air and Into The Wild, or Stephen Ambrose, author of Undaunted Courage. Editors reviewing narrative non-fiction submissions look for many of the same qualities they seek with fiction—a compelling story with unforgettable characters written in page-turning style.

An exception to the author being the star of fiction may occur when the subject matter of the novel focuses on a headline-making topic. During the period following the Washington D.C. area sniper attacks, novels featuring themes about serial killers were popular.

Marie Butler-Knight, former publisher of Alpha Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, believes the genre of non-fiction can make all the difference regarding publishing potential. “Generalizations can be dangerous because there are different types of non-fiction,” she says. “How-to/informational books are easier to break in with if you have subject matter expertise. If you’re a generalist author, you’d better have a subject matter expert as a co-author or you’ll have a hard time convincing a publisher to publish you.”

Regarding biographies and narrative non-fiction, Butler-Knight disagrees with those who believe the genres are totally story-driven. “In order to succeed, these types of books need to tell compelling stories,” she states. “They require the same sort of writing skills as fiction. To a publisher, this sort of work is totally author-driven and every bit as risky as publishing fiction.”

The publishing world’s view toward fiction and non-fiction is symbolized through the comments of Jane von Mehren, former executive editor of Penguin Books. She told Writer’s Digest, “Non-fiction has become a strong, sophisticated area . . . In many ways, non-fiction is easier to publish than fiction because it targets a very definable audience, and it’s easier to package books and target them to specific readers.” She added, “It’s a booming area. In non-fiction, we look for books that will have a long shelf life, offering solid information and advice useful for years to come. It really helps when a non-fiction author is already an expert in his or her field, and the book builds on an existing platform.”

Von Mehren stated, “In fiction, we’re looking for a breakthrough story that will have a long life in trade paperback . . . Trade paperback fiction is gaining momentum, with excellent literary titles getting broader exposure . . . An unknown writer can break through with a great story. For an editor, that discovery is still an incomparable thrill.”

Whether to attempt to dent the traditional publishing industry with works of fiction or non-fiction is the writer’s choice, but John Baker, a fixture at Publisher’s Weekly for years and a noted expert on the book industry, reveals interesting statistics he learned from a top literary agent. “I’m told that 95% of the material that agents receive is fiction,” he said. “And that they sell 5%. Of the 5% of non-fiction that lands on their desk, they sell 95%.”

The First Book

Launch of a first book is critical to planning a professional writing career. Combining passion for the subject matter with marketability is a key.

Developing a work of fiction demands that you investigate the marketplace. Your story must provide a unique perspective on a topic that will titillate the reader. “What if” scenarios are a popular launching pad for aspiring novelists. They permit creative speculation that can stir a reader’s imagination.

One author in favor of this method is John Irving. Creator of such classics as Hotel New Hampshire, The Cider House Rules, and The World According To Garp, Irving discusses the “What if” scenario in the Acknowledgments section of The Fourth Hand, a fascinating tale about a television newscaster whose left hand is eaten by a lion. After stating that it was his wife Janet who asked the compelling question, “What if the donor’s widow demands visitation rights with the [donated] hand?” Irving admits, “Every novel I have written has begun with a ‘What if . . .?’”

A common thread in successful novels is the inclusion of a love story. It can be between man and woman, man and man, woman and woman, parent and child, human and animal, or patriot and country. Writers are strongly advised to include this element because few novels prove successful if they don’t weave a terrific love story into the mix.

A staple for aspiring authors to consider in the non-fiction arena is the biography. Well-researched books chronicling the lives of famous people have launched many a writing career.

If the subject is still alive, permission may be required unless this person is a public figure. Publishers prefer “authorized biographies” of living subjects as preferable, but “unauthorized biographies” are commonplace.

Before proceeding with a biography, or any book, consult Books in Print, Amazon.com, publisher’s websites, and other sources to discover whether a similar book on the same topic has been published. If it has, read a copy to explore storytelling methods and determine how you can differentiate your book from others already on the market.

If a novel or biography on your subject has already been published, don’t be deterred from pursuing the subject if you can present a fresh slant on the story. Attempt to provide a fresh look at the subject, one that provides a new twist perhaps – one not targeted in any other book published. There may have also have been a time lapse between publications on a certain subject, or perhaps a personality has not been written about for many years triggering a new focus about that person.

Remember, passion for the material you write is paramount, but understanding publishing trends will enhance the opportunity for you to secure the first publishing commitment. Write from the heart, but with an eye toward marketability.

Book Scope

Many beginning writers with traditional publishing aspirations decide to write a book about a subject too small in scope. One writer told me his book idea about a cyberspace killer stalking fellow players of a video game. The idea was unique, but the stakes weren’t high enough to garner interest from agents or publishers. I suggested one of the players be the son of the Secretary of Defense. The twist elevated the story to provide a national scope, one affecting an official of the United States government.

The non-fiction arena provides similar challenges. Whether your work is a biography, chronicle of an event, or debate of an important issue, the scope must be of significant importance to gain national interest. Otherwise, agents or publishers will pass, believing the book audience is limited.

Many aspiring authors want to write an autobiographical story about special events occurring in their life. There are exceptions, but most often the scope of such a story is too limited to interest a literary agent or publisher. One writer focused his book on a youth summer camp he attended where a tragic death occurred. The story was important to him, but too personal to interest a broad readership. I suggested he write about another topic. When he becomes well established, perhaps the summer camp story will have a greater chance of success. Once again, uniqueness is the key – will readers really be interested in your story?

Assessing the market potential for any book you contemplate is essential. Literary agent Caroline Carney suggests aspiring authors estimate anticipated sales before contacting a literary agent or publisher. “One of the easiest benchmarks,” she states, “is to look at the size of the most popular association in your field (or, in the case of fiction, in a field reflecting the enthusiasm of your main character).” Carney further advises writers to visit the library and consult Bacon’s Magazine Directory to discover the circulation size of the largest magazine catering to their primary reader’s particular interest, or to note sales figures listed on paperback reprints of popular titles in a particular genre.

Carney believes the aspiring author must pay attention to guidelines within his or her field of interest. “Those contemplating a sports book,” she explains, “should adhere to the old saying, ‘the smaller the ball, the higher the sales.’” This means literary agents and/or publishers, based on past sales figures, will be more interested in books about golf, tennis, and baseball than they will about football or basketball.

Book Ideas

Book concepts spring into the mind from all directions. Remember Muhammad Ali’s famous quote, “The man who has no imagination has no wings.”

Writers must develop strong antennae to avoid missing an idea or event that may provide fodder for a book. Ideas are everywhere (H. L. Menchen wrote, “There are no dull subjects. There are only dull writers.”), and success can strike like a lightning bolt out of the blue.

Asked how he decided to write Ragtime, E. L. Doctorow stated, “[Inspiration] can be anything. It can be a voice, an image; it can be a deep moment of personal desperation. With Ragtime, I was facing the wall of my study in my house in New Rochelle, and so I started to write about the wall. Then I wrote about the house that was attached to the wall. It was built in 1906, you see, so I thought about the era . . . And one thing led to another and that’s the way the book began.”

William Faulkner’s classic, The Sound and the Fury was inspired, he swore, “with a mental picture.” The picture, he wrote, “was of the muddy seat of a little girl’s drawers in a pear tree, where she could see through a window where her grandmother’s funeral was taking place.”

Author Simon Garfield provides a good example of someone birthing a unique idea. His book, Mauve, is the history of the purplish color invented by English teenager William Perkin in 1856. Another is the writings of Richard Hamblyn. His book, The Invention of Clouds, surveys the landscape with a passionate tone.

Best-selling author James Patterson (Along Came A Spider, Kiss The Girls), a former advertising executive at J. Walter Thompson, uses a creative pattern. He told Writer’s Digest, “I have a big folder of ideas, and when it comes time for me to write a new book, I’ll pull it out and go over everything that’s in there.” Patterson then picks two or three ideas from the folder and writes them down. “Then I write a page or two on each to begin to see if there is a story I like,” he says.

In addition to an “idea folder,” I keep a small green notebook in my pocket. It contains a “book idea” page, and pages listing books in progress. When an idea pops into my head, I write it down. In August of 2001, I was consumed with a “what if” idea regarding an invasion of the United States. I note it in my notebook. A month later, much to my sorrow, the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occurred. The “what if” had become reality.

Some ideas take longer to develop than others. I met the legendary San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli in the mid-1980s. He was a swashbuckling character right out of a romance novel—the Ernest Hemingway of the legal profession. Even though we lost contact after I left California, I was fascinated with “The King of Torts” and his role in defending Lee Harvey Oswald’s killer, Jack Ruby. The idea to write about Mr. Belli and the Ruby case ruminated for fifteen years, but finally the time was right and Melvin Belli, King of the Courtroom, was published.

The search-for-the-truth path to non-fiction presents many great opportunities for the writer. The book can be investigative, featuring little known, fresh facts about a subject. Other non-fiction areas of interest might be “How-To” books, inspirational material, straight interview books, and satirical material poking fun at politicians or sports figures.

Novelists, such as nine-year-old Sam Spahn, author of Krill-Guy, The Adventures of an Invincible Penguin, discover ideas from true stories, personal experiences, or the “what if” scenarios. Although personal experiences may fuel your inspiration, remember to give your story a universal twist so others can relate to it. A useful reference is Novel Ideas, penned by Barbara Shoup and Margaret Love Denman. The book features information about the creative process and the thoughts and ideas of twenty-four prominent authors.

For young writers, Writing For Children & Teenagers by Lee Wyndham is a useful reference book. The book promises to “tackle the special problems of writing for the young, and of writing for the look ‘n’ listen age.”

All aspiring authors will benefit from a daily dose of Publishers Lunch, the Internet publication that details every deal completed in the publishing industry. By perusing the featured blurbs that include a short overview or synopsis of the book, ideas are generated for similar themes or messages that are marketable. Taking an idea and giving it another angle or twist can proved successful for many authors.

Person

Books can be written in first, second, or third person. When you are deciding which writing tool to employ, the question is whether you will be the participant in the story (first person: “I ran down the street after the dump truck”), an observer (third person – “Alfred directed the motion picture based on the best-selling book.”), or speak directly to the reader (second person – “You should never try this at home.”). Using more than one person can be confusing, particularly in fiction or narrative non-fiction.

There should be unity to your presentation. Utilizing a mix of first, second, and third person as is this book, is most common in instructional writing. Since writing a book is like having a conversation with the reader even though you are not present, decide how best to “address the reader” with the message being conveyed.

If you write in first person, you must portray the actions of subordinate characters through the voice of the main character. Third person permits you to describe the action as the characters interact. Second person is good for advising or instructing the reader directly, as if you are speaking intimately, one-to-one.

Celebrity memoirs are normally written in first person. Biographies and books chronicling events or issues generally employ third person.

Positive and negative factors affect the “person” chosen. Writing novels in first person lets you spin a tale and display a distinctive voice similar to that utilized by well-recognized author Elmore Leonard. Employing this method is often suggested for seasoned writers, since weaving the story through the main character is challenging.

Writing in third person allows you to write “about” characters, an event, or an issue. Many authors of non-fiction are inclined to choose this method.

The choice of a person for writing poetry is only restricted by your imagination. Deciding on a particular person dictates word usage, but you are free to spill your words on the page as you choose. Once again, a distinctive voice is the key.

Built-In Promotion

Writing short stories, magazine articles, or a book linked with a memorable event provides a built-in promotional angle. An example might be releasing a book about landing on the moon in 2009, the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s remarkable achievement.

Providing a promotional angle increases your chances of being published. Instead of having to create a marketing strategy, the publisher is presented with a ready-made publicity campaign.

A reference book titled The Timetables of History: A Horizontal Linkage of People and Events is helpful to any aspiring author. The book, written by Bernard Grun, presents information about history-making events in chronological order. It offers useful information under such headings as History/Politics, Literature/ Theater, Religion/Philosophy, Visual Arts, Music, Science/Technology, and Daily Life.

Reading The Timetables of History or similar publications may trigger book ideas. Those who decide to pursue writing non-fiction as a career should consult the latest edition on a regular basis.

Two of my books, The Perfect Yankee (released during the 40^th anniversary of Don Larsen’s World Series perfect game), and Nicklaus, A Biography (published on the 25^th anniversary of Jack’s greatest year), received additional media coverage by being linked with an event. Testament To Courage, the memoir of Holocaust victim Cecelia Rexin, was released on the Day of the Holocaust.

In future years, books chronicling the tragic events of September 11, 2001, will be released on various anniversary dates. They will include tributes to those who lost their lives in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, portrayals of New York City police and fire department heroes, and biographies of President George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, Rudy Giuliani, and other historical figures.

Literary agent Susan Gleason warns that publishers may be leery of “event-oriented” books believing that once the event has passed, interest in the book will wane. But many of these books have proven worthy, providing a strong shelf life long after the event.

Motivation and Writing Credentials

Before choosing a book topic, ask yourself a critical question: Why am I the one person in the world to write this book? The answer is relevant whether you are contemplating a novel, writing non-fiction solo, or considering collaboration and ghostwriting opportunities.

Being qualified to write a book is linked with motivation. Literary agents and publishers are curious about why you believe you can provide a fresh voice or unique information. You must convince the agent or publisher of your passion for the material and that you possess the credentials to write a book that will succeed.

Motivation appears in many forms. James Baldwin (Go Tell It On The Mountain) stated, “[The subject] must be something that irritates you and won’t let you go. That’s the anguish of it. Do this book, or die. You have to go through that. Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but most of all, endurance.”

Prospective agents and publishers will assess whether you possess the endurance Baldwin mentions to complete a book. Many aspire to write a novel, a work of non-fiction, or a collection of poetry, but many fail since they cannot sustain momentum through the rigors of the writing process. Publishers want those who are “finishers,” writers who will fight the fight to complete a book on schedule.

Agents and publishers seek authors possessing proper credentials (a platform). Credibility is the issue. A history professor will be more likely to write a credible Civil War epic than will a heart surgeon. And an investigative reporter for the New York Times is more qualified to write about the Iraqi war than the owner of a health food store in Topeka.

With this in mind, review your credentials and consider a subject that will impress an agent or publisher. While submitting the manuscript chronicling the Mike Tyson trial, publishers were reminded that I was a former criminal defense attorney; head of the media committee assigned to oversee coverage of Tyson’s trial, had been a legal analyst for major networks, and had written several columns for USA Today. Answering the question as to why I was the one person in the world to write a historical book about Tyson and the trial was easy.

An aspiring novelist client faced a significant challenge since he had not been published. He was a business lawyer and intended to use this credential in his Query Letter to agents and publishers. After some probing, I learned he was born in Nova Scotia. He also told me he was an amateur astrologist and a stamp collector. More important, he stated that the novel he had written was based on a nightmare incident he experienced while playing an Internet video game. His Book Proposal and Query Letter incorporated these unique characteristics into the text. He had been transformed from being a business lawyer to a writer with a fascinating background and experience with his chosen genre, one intriguing to any agent or publisher.

An example of writing about an experience involves the book, A Trial By Jury. D. Graham Burnett, a Princeton historian of science, was the jury foreman for a murder trial in New York City. Though his expertise had not been seeded in the law, experience as a juror permitted him to be an authority. In the tone of Twelve Angry Men, the great film directed by Sydney Lumet, A Trial by Jury is a compelling book.

John Grisham used his credential as an attorney to advantage while writing his first novel, A Time To Kill. Deciding it was important to chronicle a case disturbing to him, Grisham began to write. With his wife as editor, he completed the novel and promoted the book himself. Selling it out of the trunk of his automobile, Grisham was determined to succeed. The book was a modest success, but it led to The Firm, an international bestseller later produced as a film. A multitude of bestsellers followed, but none would have been published if Grisham had not possessed the credibility of having been an attorney with a talent for storytelling.

Stephen Coonts, author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, was an Ensign in the United States Navy. After receiving his flight wings in 1969, he served aboard the USS Enterprise during the final few months of the Vietnam War. This was followed by two years as a flight instructor aboard the USS Nimitz.

The result of Coonts’ love for aviation and recollections of his days as a Naval aviator provided a publisher with sufficient credentials to interest them in his first novel, Flight of the Intruder. Final Flight, The Minotaur, and Under Siege followed, rocketing Coonts to international acclaim.

The renowned author Tom Clancy earned his credentials through old-fashioned hard work. When the Maryland-based insurance broker heard the story of a Russian frigate attempting to defect to Sweden, he was mesmerized. Though he possessed no background as a naval or intelligence officer, or writing experience, he researched the subject and began to write a novel. The result was The Hunt For Red October, a spellbinding thriller. Future bestsellers Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger followed, causing Clancy to become a frequent guest aboard jets, submarines, and destroyers.

Being qualified to write a story provides confidence, an essential characteristic for any aspiring author. Knowing your subject matter will help you to press ahead on those days when your brain refuses to cooperate and the page is empty.

Above all, agents and editors at publishing companies seek qualified writers with the imagination to create a fresh idea resulting in a book that will entertain or inform like none before it. Your challenge is to provide that concept, one causing the agent or editor to throw their hands in the air and shout, “Yes!” When that occurs, you will hear the magic words, “We will publish your book.”

Copyright

To ensure no one steals your book concept, copyright the material. This is essential even if you believe it will never be seen by anyone but Aunt Myrtle.

First consider copyrighting your material when you have a satisfactory draft of your book. Book Proposals and Query Letters may also be copyrighted.

A copyright protects literary work under United States law for the life of the author or poet plus seventy years. Copyrighting material is easy. For details, consult the Library of Congress web site. The necessary documents can be downloaded.

Proper authentication of the literary material is required. After a few questions are answered, the completed document and a copy of the literary material, accompanied by a filing fee, are mailed to the address provided. Within weeks, a letter is forwarded designating a copyright number. File this document in a safe deposit box.

A terrific reference source regarding copyright is Kirsch’s Guide To The Book Contract, by attorney Jonathan Kirsch. In simple language, he explains why you should protect your writings.

When a book is traditionally published, the copyright continues in the name of the author even though the publishing company obtained specified rights to publish it. The book will be assigned an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) to distinguish it. Internationally recognized, this ten-digit number (1^st digit—country of origin, 2^nd digit—publisher designation, 3^rd set of digits—title of book, last digit—self-check) identifies the book for purposes of commerce and supply chains. If you self-publish, you can obtain, for a fee, an ISBN number at www.bowker.com. Once it is issued, you should register the number with Books In Print to ensure the book information is available to major retailers, librarians, and independent booksellers across the country. Book titles can be registered at www.bowkerlink.com.

A barcode used by bookstores and other retailers to record sales and price will be printed on the book. Most popular is the 10-digit ISBN. Other barcodes may be printed on the cover or jacket, including UPC and EAN numbers. A traditional publisher will handle this for you.

There is one barcode per book. More information can be obtained at the Bowker web site.

Protecting your writings is essential. You have worked hard to conceive a terrific book idea, one that is marketable. Now you are ready to make certain the writing is the very best it can be.

Summary

Hone writing skills by penning short stories, magazine articles, newspaper articles, essays, short poems, etc.

Read prestigious magazines to understand the literary marketplace.

Consider whether fiction, non-fiction, or poetry is your passion.

Research the genre and category of the book being contemplated to discover similar books.

Provide a wide scope for your book to attract a broad potential audience.

Decide whether to write in first, second, or third person.

Choose a book subject with a built-in promotion.

Ask yourself—“Why am I the one person in the world best qualified to write this book?”

Copyright your material for protection.