5 Characteristics: Hard Work

For my MA we had to submit only 30,000 words of a novel to get the qualification. I remember walking with another student along to a reading the MA year group were doing as part of the Bath Lit Fest and asking how she was getting on with her book (that I greatly admired). 'Oh,' she said airily. 'I'm going to wait and see if anyone wants it before I write any more. I can't be bothered to do anything more on it unless it's going to be published.'

There were quite a few people on the course who felt the same way it turned out. I was amazed. And cheered, because at least I'd finished my first draft. It meant I was in the race instead of polishing my shoes on the side lines. However, because I'd done enough work to enter the race, I relaxed a little. Okay, a lot. When I sent the first draft out I knew that there were things that weren't quite right, but I didn't do the work to fix them. Deep in my heart, I hoped someone else would do the work for me. An editor perhaps, or the publishing pixies. Fat chance.

I don't think people really appreciate how much work goes into that first novel. I'm sure it's not a cost effective enterprise for most people, although deeply, deeply satisfying. My first draft was turned down. It took me two years to take my first novel from idea to a publishing deal and I worked harder on it than I'd worked on anything before. I worked on it when I didn't want to. I worked on it when I was tired. I worked on it when I was angry that no one loved it. I re-wrote and re-wrote, ditching about 90% of the first draft before the book got published.

The truth is, there are no publishing pixies. If you don't do the work, no one else will.

5 Characteristics: Feedback

When you're writing you have a very clear idea of what the characters are like, from their attitudes and motives to what they look like. You can see quite clearly the places they visit, the roads they drive down. This one is charming, that one is self-deprecating, the other is witty. What a shock it is to discover that readers find the charmer a pain in the neck, the diffident one aloof and stuck up and the witty one a complete pillock. No, no, no, you cry. That's not what I meant at all.

It happens a lot in class, particularly with people who are new to the workshopping process. They like to explain what they meant by their writing. This is fine for class, but it won't work when they send their writing out. Afterall, they can't tag along, making sure the reader gets that that comment was meant to be ironic, not taken seriously, or explain the reason they suddenly turned left - it was the complicated one-way system.

More experienced workshoppers listen quietly making notes. They know what they meant by their words; they want to make sure that the readers understood that. Recently someone wrote something so subtly that everyone was baffled by what had actually happened. All it needed was a few extra words and all became clear.

Feedback gives you access to what readers get from your work, and the chance to make sure it tallies with what you want them to get. No one need ever know if you take feedback on board, there is no obligation to make changes, but you should at least listen to what people say. I'm a big fan of feedback and don't think I'd be published without it.

5 Characteristics: Networking

I am sure there are writers who never socialise with other writers, who never go on Twitter, Facebook or any other social media sites, who don't join writing organisations and classes, who simply write a book and get it published. I'm sure they exist. But it's so much easier to get published if you network. In my opinion a would-be writer ought to be involved with most of the following...

Writing classes - you meet other would-be writers who may become your critiquing partners. The tutor should be published, have regular contact with the publishing world and be also to pass on some inside info.

Writing magazines - sources of information on courses, agents, writing tips etc.

Writing societies - offer chances to meet with other authors, agents and publishers

Writing conferences - there are usually chances to meet with other authors, agents and publishers and have 1-2-1's about your work

Literary festivals - most festivals have speakers from the publishing world, whether agents or publishers. It's very bad form to thrust your ms under their noses; however, you can write to them later mentioning their talk.

E-newsletters - you can sign up to The Bookseller or book2book and get all the publishing news into your inbox.

Twitter - follow agents and authors, start making contacts.

Facebook - the same, although Twitter seems easier to make contact.

Blogging - establish a web presence early.

I wasn't internet aware when I was looking to get published so I didn't use the last four, although I use all of them now. Of the others, I joined classes, went to lit fests and conferences, did everything I could. By the time I was looking for an agent I'd already met about ten at various events and signed with one of them. I'm always amazed when people act as if I have a hotline to special info - I don't. I subscribe to the newsletters, read the magazines, and generally stay connected.

5 Characteristics: Persistence

Persistence manifests itself in different ways. I know of two writers who got published with novel No 7. I also know that I would never have persisted that far. My form of persistence meant I was prepared to write and re-write repeatedly until I ended up with a publishing deal.

I persisted because...

a) I'd told myself that if I didn't write a novel in my MA year then I obviously didn't really want to write enough and should give it up. I have to admit that I got through all the taught modules of the MA without writing a word of my novel, only starting it in the last weeks of the course.

b) I'd got enough money to last two years. After that, it was the check out at Sainsburys. The thought of the checkout motivated me to write when I didn't feel like it, and to keep re-writing. I got my deal 1 year 11 months later.

c) I 100% believed that I was going to get published. I'm not sure how or why I believed that - there was no evidence back it up - but I did. It helped.

d) I was told it was very difficult to get published, which just made me even more determined to succeed.

Apart from a few lucky or well connected people, most writers have to persist to get published, and sometimes persist when all sane people would have given up and done something else. I don't know how you can make yourself keep on in the face of rejection, I just know it has to be done if you want to be published.