The Shortlist....

Cause I still don't feel I've learned that much, though I know I'm practically an expert compared to the newbie I was when I attended my first RWA National Conference back in 2005. Okay, here it comes, what I've learned in my first nearly three years as a full time fiction writer:

1. Don't be afraid to bend some rules. Sometimes this will help you make friends and influence people and get your story looked at 5-6 months ahead of the other people in line.

2. Be careful about bending the rules. Sometimes this will get you on someone's shitlist, no matter how nice you try to be. If you're lucky, however, the person who didn't like your rule-bending will go apeshit crazy and bankrupt their publishing company. (Not naming any names here, but...yeah...)

3. Ditto what Kelly said about editing and *that*. I still battle that, that damned that!

4. Don't give up. If ten people say your manuscript sucks but you still honestly believe it to be solid, send it out again. This is how I finally landed my agent.....of course, we've yet to see if that book will sell, lol, but I have great hopes.

5. Keep your mind on the process, the writing, not on the finish line. Sure we all want to be best-selling authors--though just making a living wage would rock the kasbah in my book--but concentrating on that goal isn't the way to be a happy writer. Try to enjoy the day to day grind of pumping out those words, getting through your edits, and perfecting your craft. The rest of it, I believe, will come if its going to come. If you're stars are aligned and all that because...see #6

6. The best woman/man/writer doesn't always win. There's an element of luck in this writing game as there is every career. And there's also a hell of a lot of subjectivity and competition which makes it even harder to break out, get noticed, etc. That why you need #5 to keep you grounded and fight off any defeated feelings that may arise.

7. Getting an email from someone who's actually paid for and read your books and enjoyed them is one of the best feelings in the world. Better than any professional review (thought those are nice too :)).

I'm sure I could go on, but I've got kids to wake up and words to make--see #5.

Happy Wednesday!

Anna J. Evans

http://annajevans.com