I updated my Facebook profile to include "author" as part of my work. For the first time last year, I actually had to make a list of writing-related deductions so my writing income would not increase my taxes. I'm not bragging at all, but it was an important milestone for me. I want to stress that the income increase did NOT result from some amazing novel publication or the optioning of a screenplay -- no, nothing big like that. It resulted from years of plugging away -- years after I gave up my pipe dream of being an overnight millionaire writer -- and finding my niche as a writer. (By the way, isn't niche a cool word? I never know if I should pronounce it in the actual French fashion, which I assume would be something like Neesh or if I should Americanize it and call it Nitch. I prefer the French version. I love the way French sounds. That goes all the way back to this really hot French teacher I had in high school. Ms. Houston - Renee. She was gorgeous. I often wonder what she's doing. Sorry -- got off the subject.)
The vast majority of writers will never become millionaires. I put myself into that category.
Writing is a balance between art and skill. It's a good bet that whatever idea you come up with as a writer, someone else has thought of it before you. So, what can you do? I'll address that some other time -- although I'm not sure if I am qualified to do so. When I think of editors, I don't think of some person who is spending hours upon hours looking at manuscripts trying to find that one gem, he or she can nurse to fruition. Perhaps, cynically, I see an overworked person who is looking for reasons to reject manuscripts. I know what it's like to sit and grade 50 to 60 essays. I can't imagine grading 50 - 60 novels. Do you think an editor is going to read past the first page or so of every novel? You have to give him or her a reason to.
Now, here's my point. Make sure that you do NOT have grammar errors in you manuscript. If you do, it will not get read -- regardless of how brilliant your ideas are. You will not succeed as a writer if you do NOT know the basics of grammar.
End of rant.
The vast majority of writers will never become millionaires. I put myself into that category.
Writing is a balance between art and skill. It's a good bet that whatever idea you come up with as a writer, someone else has thought of it before you. So, what can you do? I'll address that some other time -- although I'm not sure if I am qualified to do so. When I think of editors, I don't think of some person who is spending hours upon hours looking at manuscripts trying to find that one gem, he or she can nurse to fruition. Perhaps, cynically, I see an overworked person who is looking for reasons to reject manuscripts. I know what it's like to sit and grade 50 to 60 essays. I can't imagine grading 50 - 60 novels. Do you think an editor is going to read past the first page or so of every novel? You have to give him or her a reason to.
Now, here's my point. Make sure that you do NOT have grammar errors in you manuscript. If you do, it will not get read -- regardless of how brilliant your ideas are. You will not succeed as a writer if you do NOT know the basics of grammar.
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