What I want to achieve as a "published" novelist

[rynling]

1. A cool cover design. And maybe illustrations!

2. My book in my hands so I can read it myself as a paper copy. I am the target audience after all.

3. Having enough "prior publication cred" that I can pitch graphic novel projects.

4. Being given opportunities to promote other writers in professional venues.

5. This is difficult to express, but basically: I'd like to have an achievement that people respect enough so that I'm not immediately shut out of most publication opportunities for essays and short stories (which I love writing) by default. I know it's a tough market, but I wish I could spend more time and energy writing and less time and energy submitting and being rejected. Once you get published, editors start coming to you with custom projects, and that's what I want to happen. I know some people think this is annoying, but I love writing on spec and working with editors!

I think I can achieve the first four on my own; but, for the fifth, self-publishing really isn't going to cut it. Unfortunately, that’s not up to me, so it’s definitely worth focusing on what I can do without the approval of gatekeepers.

Comments

[lassarina]

*cheering you on*

Enjoying writing to spec makes sense to me; you are doing something that preemptively has a place, and you begin with a narrowed set of options that gives a better starting point than "idk write a story." It's why I enjoyed fic exchanges so much. There was an audience (my recipient) and an idea - but it would still be mine, within that framework, and also a deadline. Deadlines are key.

[rynling]

"An audience and an idea" are two incredibly effective sparks, it's true! For me at least, "a guarantee of a good reception" is the magical third piece of the creative Triforce that makes wishes come true. Back when I first started writing original fiction, I sent out a lot of work that I'd custom-tailored to a particular call for submissions only to be swiftly rejected. It was such a bummer that I completely stopped trying to be so specific, but I'm with you in that I still really appreciate fic exchanges.

The problem with fic exchanges, though... I wish exchanges would provide a clearer set of guidelines regarding the sort of minimum response expected from the recipient. I often find myself doing deep research on who the recipient is, what their interests are, what sort of work they create themselves, what sort of tropes and characterizations they like, etc etc - only to write and post a story (or a comic, or an illustration) that they never even leave kudos for.

Idk man. Usually the responsive is very appreciative! But taste in fiction and art is so subjective that I guess you just never can tell.

[lassarina]

Most of the exchanges I used to do had an explicit rule that if you did not at the barest minimum leave a comment saying "thank you" (kudos button was not an acceptable substitute), you were banned from future instances of that exchange, and frankly I think that's a good rule!