How hard is it really to be a writer \ published author?

Question

Hello. I am a young writer and I believe I have potential to make it big. I have wanted to write and publish my own books for as long as I can reflect on, and whenever I post some of my writing on the internet, (Facebook, Twitter, or personal blog), I get many comments from people saying how talented I am, although I do not want to dwell too much on those considering I do have many followers who could just be saying those things for a follow or shout out. I guess what I am trying to ask is, is writing really as hard as everyone makes it out to be, or could creating a best selling novel be possible for someone who has a more natural ability to write great things and succeeds through the publishing process, like myself? I love to write and believe I possess greater ability\creativity than even some published authors.

Answer 1

Not really hard at all.

Now, to be a good one, or to get anything published by a real company, that is another question.



The thing is, why do you think you have "potential" and what do you mean by "making it big" ? Even most published writers cannot make a living on their writing alone.



So, again, the question becomes, why a writer?



Writers are story tellers. Do you have a story to tell? Do you have what it takes to sit and write 6-8 hours a day, six days a week?

Sure you have talent, but there are a lot of talented ditch diggers, as my father would say. However it takes more than talent to be successful at anything. MOST successful people have the drive, not necessarily the most talent.



I have a feeling you are one of those people who wants to be a movie star, not an actor. You want the fame and bright lights, just not the work.



Do yourself a favor and look into that ditch digging thing.



Good luck.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I would like to remind you that books such as Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey managed to get published (and become a phenomenon) and they are not only riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, but are also two of the most poorly written novels I have ever had the misfortune of opening. So if you're asking "is it difficult to become a published author?" the answer is 'No'. It is entirely too easy. What you should focus on is being a GOOD author. Be impassioned, be bold, be expressive. And for the love of all that is holy, have someone proof-read and edit your work, because so many mistakes can be avoided if you have a second pair of eyes and a fresh perspective.



No job is easy, writing is no exception. But as with any passion, if you are talented and you apply yourself, there is no reason that you shouldn't be successful at what you do. I would caution against writing simply to "make it big", because often when people do that, they end up losing what they love about writing: the artistry and the passion.



If you honestly think that you've written something worthwhile, then you need to take it off the internet, have it proofread multiple times, edit it until you think it's damn near perfection, and then send it off to a publisher. Please keep in mind that some of the greatest writers in history have been rejected multiple times by respected publishers, so please don't allow that to deter you in any way. Create something you're proud of, and then keep sending it to publishers until someone agrees to publish it. If you work hard, write well and avoid pages upon pages of pages of unnecessary descriptions of Edward's "marble, Adonis-like" face, then I'm sure you'll be very pleased with the results.



Best of luck to you. Stay imaginative, stay passionate, stay positive.

Answer 4

'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work' - Stephen King.



Writing a book that anyone would want to publish is not something that comes about through sheer 'natural talent'. Writing is a craft and, like any craft, it takes time to learn and develop. Having people on the internet praise your blog posts does not mean that you have what it takes to write a novel.



Whatever is right. In the nicest possible way, you need to stop thinking that you're better than everyone else. People who think that tend to be blind to criticism when it comes to their writing, and anyone that is blind to criticism won't develop their writing to a point where it would be considered publishable.



There's a saying in the writing world that the first million words is practice. Putting stuff on Facebook doesn't count.



Learning to write to a publishable standard is not easy. There is far more to it than most people realise - certainly more than they teach you in school. It takes years for most writers to really learn the craft. It's not enough to possess great creativity - imagination is worth less than you think. What matters is the ability to actually invest several years in learning to write, to seek out proper criticism - not friends or family - and learn from that criticism, however harsh it might be, and to pick yourself up each time you get knocked down.



If you have never written a novel before - and your question implies that you haven't - then you are a long way from publishable standard. Forget about publishing for the time being and just focus on actually learning to write.

Answer 5

The actual writing depends on what you THINK you should be doing and how your brain actually wants to write your novel. The hardest part, in my opinion, is not really the actual writing but getting published. It takes time and effort to find a literary agent who believes your book is worth there time and not all agents are made the same, so although you've been looking for a year the first agent that accepts your work isn't always going to be the best. But some of the most famous authors out there took a long time before they could get published like Dr. Seuss and J.K. Rowling. As for making a living on it, unless you're knocking on Rowling's selling record you're going to need to push books out like James Patterson.

Answer 6

If you believe in yourself, sure, go for and it and try. But you have to consider the following.

In the beginning, you WILL suck. There's no maybe about it. It takes years to hone your craft. You might think you're great, and maybe you are, but the publishing industry standards are very different from what you're used to. Everything from grammar to punctuation, to how many times you use adverbs or verbs, or your sentence structure... And that is not even starting on the actual structure of the story. Basically, even if you're a natural story teller, it's nowhere near enough.

Second, even presuming you have your manuscript ready, we go to publishing. These days there are a lot of options. If you're looking for fame, being an author is probably not for you, because only like 0.0001% of authors make it big, if that, and they're not always the best ones. But there are niches that sell - for example in the ebook industry. Ebook publishers are more open than mainstream publishers and you're also more liable to learn things from ebook editors. Also, from a financial perspective, mainstream publishers are a rip off. The royalties an author gets paid from big publishing houses aren't impressive.

Third, there's self-publishing. Now, selfing is tricky because these days anyone can do it - but if you don't have the product up to the quality of an actual published book, it'll be pointless. Another thing to consider in self-publishing is cover art - if you don't have a publisher to do that for you, you have to go to an artist. Alternately, you can do it yourself if you have talent at Photoshop, but remember you need to buy the photos you use off sites like BigStock.

Fourth, it is very true that these days it's hard to make a living as a writer. Not impossible, but hard. My advice for you is that, if you pursue this, don't leave other options off the table. For example, while you learn and submit and write, get a day job or continue your studies. Read a lot. That's very very important. Look up things from other writers. I recommend the Absolute Write Water Cooler for information on publishers, agents, etc. Before you submit your work, read up on the publishing house - there are some that are sketchy or have been known to rip authors off. For self-publishing platforms, All Romance/Omnilit, Smashwords and Draft2Digital. And if you do get picked, remember to read every contract carefully and consider the implications of what they ask of you. (Don't ever sign things that ask you for copyright for life or anything like that).

Additionally, I recommend getting a beta reader, someone who actually knows what they're talking about. If you don't want to pay for editing services, try through friends.

It can be done - but it'll take a lot of work.

Answer 7

How hard is it to be a writer?

If you're dedicated, not hard at all. The people who really, really want to tell a story will find it easier than those who just want to have written something. They're the people we often get on here asking for plots or how they should end their story - they want to have written a story, but they don't have a story to tell. So if you have a story burning to get out, and you are willing to dedicate several hours a day, you will find it a lot easier.



Being published is another matter. A lot of people think that receiving glowing compliments off family and friends means that they're a dead cert to be published. That is not true. You need to spend several months working closely with a beta reader, editor or critique circle (or all three) to ensure your manuscript is spot on. Don't stick something in an envelope and send it off just because your mum/friend/teacher said you've got talent. Talent for your age maybe, but perhaps not enough talent to impress a publisher.



So don't get ahead of yourself. Write first, get feedback, worry about publishing later.

Answer 8

It's hard. Like, really, really, really hard. I totally know what you mean; I'm in a similar boat! It's totally, absolutely possible, but it's tough. As all of the other people on here have already said (a little redundantly, but go ahead :), it takes more than talent. It takes hard work. It takes drive. If you have that, then you're on your way. Not *there*, certainly, but on your way. Make sure you really want to be a writer. Consider all the pros and cons. Then, and *only* then, can you start with the actual process.



Read a lot. Read bestsellers over and over again. See what techniques they use, and make a smoothie of what you think the best are. Take a lot of different skills from a lot of different people. Check out the less popular (but still well-written) books and compare them to the bestsellers; what seems to set them apart? Try to capture this.



Then you've got to write. A LOT. The more you write, the better you get. Create your "bestseller!" It's totally possible for someone like you to make a bestseller. J.K.Rowling, Stephen King, and Brandon Sanderson were all normal, boring citizens once, but then they wrote something that the whole world thought was worth reading. If it's possible for them, then it's possible for you. But you've got to dedicate a TON to it. Write. Edit. Revise. Delete. Write. Throw at wall. Write. Revise. Over and over and over again.



Then, once you've got your basic manuscript, you'll want to put yourself out there. Send in copies to everywhere you can. Do your research. I've heard that having an agent is a big plus. I'm not a regular with the publishing world, but I've done my fair share of research on it.



And if you get rejected once, twice, four hundred and fifty-seven times, *keep trying*. Start something fresh and new. Keep trying with your old story. DON'T give up! Nearly every single bestseller out there was rejected over and over again, and look where they are now! =)

Answer 9

I won't deny that there are people with greater or lesser aptitudes for writing, just as there are with woodworking or musicianship, but writing is a craft, and unless you are a prodigy unlike the world has ever seen, you will need to spend a lot of time learning the craft. You hear about writers who "made it" on their debut novel, but that debut novel is just the first one published, not the first one they wrote. Can you "make it?" Of course. I'm not saying this to be a wet blanket, as people in Y!A are often accused of, but rather to be realistic. It's easy to write. You sit down and type. It's hard to consistently produce stories other people buy, and it just plain takes time. If you have an aptitude, it might take slightly less time than someone else, but there are generally no quick tickets to stardom in writing. It takes work, like any other craft. Having an aptitude just means you might choose this craft over another one.

Answer 10

It is very hard. Often talent is not enough. Many well known authors have been rejected multiple times early in their career. Becoming a published author involves talent, luck and finding the right publisher who is willing to take a chance on an unknown voice.

Answer 11

Any fool can write a book. The hard part is writing one that other people will pay to read. I don't know if anybody bothers to compile statistics on how many people start by saying "I want to write a book" and end by seeing their book in bookshops. But of the people who try to get published the traditional way, about one in a thousand will succeed. Nowadays anyone can self-publish and say they're a "published author", but again, writing something that will sell to people other than the author's friends and family is hard. Convincing those people to buy it can be harder still.



If you want to write, then write. Do it for the enjoyment, or because you find it's easier than not writing. Look on any fame or money that comes your way as a bonus.

Answer 12

I did a PhD to improve my promotion chances (it worked) but as I thought there was a market for it as abook, I chose an appropriate style (not too academic). That was in 1975. I got it published in 1982, and met a need on the market, and its 4th edition came out in 2012, and is still producing royalties. You need a gift for writing, which only really needs a good education, and a love of reading (so you can find a suitable style to imitate). . For a novel, however, you also need the creative ability to invent stories, which you are either blessed with or you are not.. And any sort of a book requires persistence. But what you need above all is the quality Napoleon regarded as the most important one for his generals to possess: LUCK. .

Answer 13

You can believe that you'll fly when you jump off a building. All the belief in the world won't save you from spattering all over a taxicab. It's nice to believe in yourself. But kid, writing is hard work if you want to be published. I was a better writer in school than the teachers. I still don't make a living from writing today.

Answer 14

The issue is that of research, realistic narrative and building characters, in truth there are probably too many books for readers today and the reason for that is we get to sit down and watch repeats or reboots while tweets on current events probably hold better attention, you're saying you're a good person, you're saying you've got a hit novel waiting to be written and read, consider you've got a load of litter waiting for yourself to stack and finally throw away, I'd recommend that be the correct attitude to take forward the at times painful task of storytelling.

Answer 15

Extremely hard. Every major publisher has a waiting list up to a year to even review your novel summary. So many people are trying to write books now and most of them material is not publish worthy. I self-published my erotic novel last summer. If you really want to write a book, I suggest you self-publish.

Answer 16

Well, I'm 27 and I used to write Harry Potter fanfics over the internet when I was about 14 and got encouraged to go into writing.



I majored in Creative Writing in college, was praised by many of my teachers and classmates, was determined to become a writer to the point I didn't have any Plan B.



When I graduated from college in 2010, I struggled hard to find a job. Really hard. It was hard enough for anyone at the time, and being a creative writing major with no other skill sets was terrible. I submitted my resume to 200 places and only got 2 interviews. One place that interviewed me only wanted me for a contract position, but then my background check took too long (it passed, but it took over 10 days) and they wanted someone who would start right away so they told me they changed their mind.



I was living with my mom at the time and constantly got screamed at for being useless. I felt so useless I hated myself--there were times when I seriously contemplated suicide because I felt I had made a mess of my life and couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. I did find some freelance work online, writing mortgage articles at $25 per article...but each article took me about 4 hours to write.



I spent 6 months not being able to find a job, and during the same time I tried to get a novel published...a children's "middle grade" novel that I had posted over the internet and had many kids who kept asking for a sequel and saying it was one of the best stories they'd ever read. It got rejected by over 100 literary agents, and on top of that they didn't even read the book--I never even sent it to them because query letters are mainly about who you are and what the story is about--they rejected it based on the query letter alone and didn't give it a chance.



Eventually I worked all sorts of odd editing jobs, and 3 years after college I finally got my first full time job proofreading manuals for a technical company--they made me take a writing test and I had the best writing of all the people they interviewed. After a while, they noticed I was good with calculating numbers so my company moved me from a manual proofreader position to a business analyst position. I still work as a business analyst for 9 hours a day and come back home and write.



I kept editing that novel I wrote when I was 21/22 and right now I have an agent looking at it and I'm crossing my fingers but the past disappointments have made me feel pummeled a bit, but yeah. It's rough. If I could go back and do it again, I would have probably majored in something "useful" and gotten a safe job and still work on my writing at night.



Oh, and as a Creative Writing major I had many fellow Creative Writing majors who also aspired to write a book. Most gave up: one became a homemaker, some became editors of local newspapers, some I have no idea what they're doing, etc. Two got poetry books published, but after they went on to get Master's degrees so maybe you're taken more seriously if you get a Master's.



Now, I'm not saying you can't do it. If you have the drive, maybe one day you can. But I'm saying to brace yourself for some rough moments. Even a lot of well-known, popular authors had to deal with countless rejections before they finally got their works published.

Answer 17

Writing is the easy part. It's the getting published that's the hard part.



Any published author can attest to that.

Answer 18

As long as you can write using a variety of techniques and can write a good structured book then it's not that hard. A friend of a friend published a book.

Answer 19

Every publisher has their dislikes and likes. And even though, your manuscript might be worthy of their guidelines, in your thought, they might not actually like it, so you have to keep submitting to different publishers, until it gets accepted, or you run out of publishers to send it, to. If nobody accepts it you have to do a little rewriting, and try again.

Answer 20

If you love it and are dedicated then No it isn't hard. Have you ever thought of self publishing like I books and Amazon?

Answer 21

Well, I think the hardness level varies from individual to individual, and even from book to book. So, don't overthink it, just do it. You know what's hard? Watching your children starve to death. Aliens invading your mother and taking over her personality. Having your hero die just when he gets everything.



Writing is as hard as you make it. Have a dayjob, of course, to tide you over and provide fodder for your writing. But otherwise, don't worry (or whine or moan) over the hardness of it all.

Answer 22

Kid, kill the ego. One of the things that will kill you as a writer is thinking you are better and more important than you really are. Your ego and arrogance is astounding and disturbing.



Writing IS hard and it takes time, effort, dedication and a lot of hard work to become successful. You are naive if you think talent alone will guarantee or lead to success.

Answer 23

" I believe I have potential to make it big"



If this is your goal, give up now. Well over half the published authors never even make enough off their book to support themselves.



It isn't the big payday or stardom you seem to think it might be.

Answer 24

Think of being published at all regularly (or in self-publishing, selling a couple books every day) as getting the scholarship.

Answer 25

Strongly suggest that you talk to your English instructor. Mine was the primary why I got published the first time. She is also the one who recommended a Literary Agent who knew how to get my manuscript to a publisher and to get it read.

Answer 26

to writes ok but you have to be lucky to get the first one or even a second published unless you pay to have it done... lots of writers only so many can be lucky

Answer 27

Imagine being a writer, imagine how hard it is to do write, multiply your expectations by 99.

Answer 28

Easy

What's hard is to be successful at it and make any money

Answer 29

I was a better writer in school than the teachers. I still don't make a living from writing today.

Answer 30

Its not hard but its the matter to be continuing the same work for days together and doing it regularly. Once its habit. nothing is impossible.

Answer 31

Hard

Answer 32

No, but it's hard to market yourself well.

Answer 33

If you naively think you can "make it big," you don't have the realistic thinking necessary to create great writing.

Answer 34

DISCLAIMER: I have NOT had a real fiction book published by a major publisher

like Random House, Simon and Schuster or Hachette. But I've done some reading

on the subject and I've got some ideas for you if you want to try and be the next "Twilight" author:



My ideas are NOT gospel, so these are not carved in stone; but they are worth a read.

...........................................

IF YOU WANT TO BE PUBLISHED...



As far as I can tell, pro writers have a two-track mind. One track is thinking of

story ideas and gathering information about different stories and types of conflict;

the other is learning about the industry, book promotion, genres,

different agencies and new developments like Kindles and blogs to

promote their work. So, I have some ideas for you.



PLOT, STORY STRUCTURE, etc.



1. There is a good step-by-step book called

THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING.

It'll help you get your novel structured well.

It'll also get you thinking about which genre your book is in.

Even a really weird book like "Slaughterhouse Five," which

defies categorization, has to be sold under a certain genre.



1b. Visit websites like WRITER's DIGEST and get

some ideas for breaking writer's block and for developing

your own style as a novelist. They give other tips as well...



http://www.writersdigest.com/



Stephen King, who was once one of the top five best-selling authors in the world,

said the worst thing about writing was getting up at 5 a.m. and cranking out a few

thousand words, whether he felt like it or not. (I have no idea if J.K. Rowling does

the same thing.)



HOWEVER, King is implying that your writing should come before

everything else, while your brain is still fresh.



ALSO, some of the most successful books in modern history, such as

Harry Potter and Twilight, are tailor-made for sequels. In the industry,

they say that such a book -- one that can be expanded to include sequels

and offshoots -- is a FRANCHISE. Technically, Lord of the Rings was a

franchise, and so are the stories set in the "STAR WARS" universe.

If you can think up a franchise, by all means, get started...



So, after you've written it, edited it, and maybe gotten

a pro to read it, you finally have a manuscript that you think

is good enough to be submitted. But to whom??



Once your manuscript is ready, and you think it needs to be published,

you need to find an AGENT to represent you.



2. Visit the WGA website -- the Writers'

Guild of America. Look for a list of AGENTS.



(I assume that, sooner or later, you will end up moving to NYC or

London England to become part of the publishing industry.

I highly advise you NOT to move there unless you have at

least three finished manuscripts that are ready to present to

an agent.)



In the business, you *DON'T* send your

finished manuscript to a publisher or a

printer. You send your manuscript to an AGENCY.



***********************************************************

I DON'T think you should send your book to a publisher directly,

because PUBLISHERS count on agents to sift through manuscripts

to find out which ones are good enough to attract a reading audience.

If you think that you can "beat the system" by sending your finished

manuscript directly to a publisher instead of an agent, they will assume

that you know NOTHING about the publishing industry and they will toss

your manuscript into the garbage can, unread.

*****************************************************************

If a LITERARY AGENT thinks it's a great book,

they will contact you about making a deal.



The agent will "sign you" as a client.



When you get signed to an agent, that agent will

direct your book -- horror, young adult, mystery, etc. --

to a publisher who specializes in selling those kinds of books.



It is an agent's job to know what publisher specializes in what

genre of book. Agents do not send World War II novels to publishers

who specialize in publishing modern romances like "Sex and the City,"

for example.



When the agent asks to LEGALLY represent you as a client,

you'll have to sign a

CONTRACT.



*************WHAT DOES A CONTRACT LOOK LIKE?



3. CONTRACTS -- YOU CAN READ A BLANK

SAMPLE CONTRACT in a book called

"How to be your own Literary Agent" by

Richard Curtis ( I think). The first time you read it, it was confusing and

complicated. The second and third time, it's not so bad.



http://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Own-Liter...



4. You'll have to schmooze with people at

cocktail parties in Manhattan. But, if you can't just

up and go to Manhattan, I recommend that you start

making inquiries once you get into university. (Personally,

I think that university professors can give you good feedback

IF YOU ARE AT LEAST A UNIVERSITY STUDENT,

but they don't take high school students very seriously.)



You might even meet an agent at a cocktail party.



But first; get focused on making your manuscript professional

and presentable.



Read magazines that have high-profile authors writing at them,

such as THE NEW YORKER:



http://www.newyorker.com/



Also, read some book reviews (online) from The New York Times.



That way you'll become familiar with the style of writing that they expect

and you won't be making mistakes like "buding" when you meant to say

"budding" author....





YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE OLD...



From what I've read, author Norman Mailer was ONLY 23 when his novel

"The Naked and the Dead" was published; E.M. Forster was 27

when his first novel was published. You DON'T have to wait until

you're 50.



AND... here's an interview with a New York City assistant literary agent.

It's a few years old, but it's a short interview and she works in the industry,

so give it a shot.



http://gawker.com/19876/the-5x5-intervie...



http://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Own-Liter...



And good luck. It's not easy, but once you have developed an audience

in a popular genre, you'll have Hollywood calling your agent for a meeting.

Answer 35

Easy. Write your book. Use Calibre to format it. Self-publish it on Amazon. Costs you nothing. If it's good, you make $$. I do it. So can you.

Answer 36

hard for some

Answer 37

i heard a good way to get noticed is to enter competitions...

Answer 38

very. don't quit your day job.

Answer 39

U got it