Wednesday's Writer's Tip from Elements of the Novel ala Eileen Charbonneau by janet lane walters

Today the adventure with Eileen Charbonneau's Elements of the Novel ends. This has been a fun book and some very vital clues to writing the novel have been touched upon. Market is the theme of this final chapter except for the Afterword that you'll need to read the book if you want that final bit of advice.

Marketing one's book is the final step to go from writer to author. If the book is put in a drawer and never sent out the only thing a writer can say is that they have finished the book. Even when the book is handed over to friends or relatives to read, this is marketing. Can you really trust these people? On one level you can but often those closest to you don't want to hurt your feelings.

The next step would be to find a critique group. These are fellow writers who are striving to reach the same goal as you are. I've been a member of a group that started sometime in the 1990s but I may be the only original member left. People have moved, found other groups, gone on to great success or given up on writing. Finding the right critique group can spur you on to greater success. The wrong one can burst your bubble.

Depending on what kind of stories you write, there are organizations for many genres of fiction writing. Finding one of these can put you on to the path you want to tread.

The last bit of advice is to study the market and find which publisher produces the kind of book you have written. Then learn their rules for submitting and send the story off to face the professional eyes of a publisher.

The last word here is "finish the book and send it flying into the world." Good luck.