How to write (and sell) your novel? Here’s an “eight easy steps” guide.

Step 1) Realize that publishing is a harsh business, maybe the harshest in the world. Professional publishers reject well over 99% of manuscripts submitted to them (most won't even read submissions). Even those very, very few novels that publishers buy usually sell few copies, lose money, and quickly go out of print. You can self-publish of course, but remember: most self-published novels never sell more than a handful of copies. The odds of your novel succeeding aren’t much better than winning the lottery.

Step 2) Accept Step 1 and decide that you’re crazy enough to go for it anyway. After all, some people have done it, so why not you? Odds are, if you’re still here, you will write your novel because you have to; to most writers, writing is as essential as eating or breathing.

Step 3) Find your inner voice. Find the story that inspires you. Find the characters you believe in. Find the book you must share with the world.

Step 4) Read more writing tips and study the craft.

Step 5) Find a good place to write. I take a notebook and pen to a local coffee shop.

Step 6) When your novel is written, revise it. Polish the writing, reorder scenes, rethink characters, cut out boring scenes, write new ones, rewrite where necessary. I repeat this step several times. For me, Step 6 is ten times more work than Step 5. For an hour I spend writing, I can spend a day revising.

Step 7) Submit your novel. Some people start by submitting to literary agents. Others go directly to publishers. Some people will recommend the former approach, others will swear by the latter. Whatever route you choose, your first submissions will be rejected. Trust me on this one. See Step 1. Selling a novel on the first try is like writing a major piece of software, with thousands of lines of code, and compiling it successfully on the first try. Technically it’s possible, but it doesn’t happen. Even bestselling authors like Stephen King or John Grisham received many rejections when peddling their first novels. For most people, Step 7 will take years. If you give up, you can choose to self-publish, but that is a long, hard road to take, and the odds of succeeding this way are slim.

Step 8) While working through Step 7, start writing your second book!


Good luck!



Enjoyed these writing tips? Check out my own writing.
Read chapter one of Firefly Island, an epic fantasy novel.

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