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Walls on the Path to Publication: a Necessity or a Nuisance?

How can writers know when they’re ready for publication? How can they know when their writing skill has reached a quality that rises above amateur? And likewise, how can they know if they have a story that will resonate with readers?

These are age-old and very sage questions. I wrestled with them back in the days when I was querying. I think any wise writer will wrestle with such questions—trying to gauge their readiness and show caution before plunging into publication.

In the past, particularly with traditional publication, writers would hit brick walls that would cause us to evaluate our readiness. And those walls usually came in the form of rejection letters or agent or editor passes. The rejections would force us to work harder, challenge us to learn more about writing fiction, and push us to take our stories from mediocre to standout quality. If we had any hope of breaking through, we had to strive really hard to become better.

But nowadays, with so many writers opting to self epublish, the traditional wall of rejection has crumbled. The walls of waiting, persevering, and the pain of the journey are no longer barriers either.

The road to publication is wide open. Anyone, anywhere can publish anything without any barriers. Writers no longer have to push through the walls that once stood in the way.

Some would claim that’s a good thing, that the wall prevented too many good writers with good stories from having the chance of publication. Others would claim that the crumbling wall is now contributing to a new problem—a flood of poorly written self-published manuscripts crowding virtual shelves making it difficult for those good books to stand out.

Whatever the case, we would all do well to remember the mantras: Nothing good ever comes easy. No pain no gain. There are no shortcuts to any place worth going (thanks Christy Farmer for that one!).

In other words, walls of some kind or another are worthwhile to each of us. Whether those walls come externally or internally or both, we’re usually better off for having scaled them rather than skirted them.

I liked how my agent Rachelle Gardner recently described walls. She said, “Obstacles to our dreams are like brick walls, put there to test how badly we really want something . . . those brick walls stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.” And the brick walls strengthen those who persevere.

So, back to the original question: How can writers know when they’re ready for publication?

My answer: Set up a few walls.

What do I mean?

Before rushing into publication, put into place some barriers or trials that can test your writing skill and story-telling ability.

Of course, those heading toward traditional publication will still hit the walls of rejection from agents and publishers. But even so, all of us, no matter our publishing venue can put into place walls that will help us test our work and abilities. Instead of rushing to put something out there whether on Smashwords or CreateSpace or in a query to an agent, first we should evaluate if we’re ready.

Here are just a few ways we can do that:

Hire a freelance editor. This is a must for anyone self-publishing. But even those seeking traditional publication can benefit from the skillful eyes of an editor. The lists of freelance editors has exploded over the past year. I suggest beginning with recommendations from other writers you trust. I also suggest my agent’s list of editors as a place to start.

Get into a critique partnership or group with other skilled writers who can give qualified and objective feedback about the writing craft.

Give the book to beta readers who can test your story-telling ability. They may not be qualified to catch editing mistakes or writing craft issues. But they can give feedback on the story.

Enter writing contests that offer written feedback from judges. Sometimes the contest scoring can let us know how we’re doing compared with other writers.

Give ourselves some distance from our manuscripts. After completing the first draft of a book, I edit it, but then I usually wait several months before I go back to it and do my in-house rewrites. The time and distance help me approach my book with a fresh perspective. I’m usually able to see the story more objectively.

Use a how-to-edit book during our self-editing. I highly recommend Revision And Self-Editing by James Scott Bell and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King.

The point is to establish some walls that keep us from rushing headlong into publication, some bumps that slow us down, some checks that help us evaluate more clearly just how ready we really are.

What’s your opinion? Are walls a necessity or a nuisance? Do you think the road to publication has become too easy? Or do you think the crumbling wall has been a good thing for writers overall?

36 comments:

  1. Hi Jody
    thanks for another interesting post. Yes, I do think we writers should set up a few walls before publication. I think distance is especially important. I know when I'm deeply immersed in a writing project it's hard for me to see the forest for the tress. Time allows us to see our work with fresh, objective, eyes and revise, and revise again ;) And an"editor" is invaluable - someone who can present your work to show it at its best and in a professional manner, is worth their weight in gold for someone like me, who is downright sloppy when it comes to the nitty-gritty of copy editing and proof reading etc
    PS thanks for the link to book on Self Editing and to editors. BTW do you (or anyone else?) know on average what a free lance editor charges - and how they charge?
    ps thought you may enjoy this quote by Isak Dinesen "Revising is hellish, I do it over and over again. Then when I think I am finished, and Clara copies them out to send to the publishers, I look over them again, and have a fit, and rewrite again."

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  2. Such a great post! When I finished my book in August of 2010 I sent it to Writer's Edge and received some wonderful feedback. Of course, I sent in the best parts of the book - in my own, unguided, ignorant opinion. I immediately began hearing from publishers - all from self publishing companies and was flattered and discouraged at the same time. It was great to have so many people like what I wrote. It was also frustrating because I could not afford the several thousand dollars it would cost to self-publish. I thank God for that every day!!! Over the course of 2011 I became involved with ACFW, starting reading blogs on writing and began to read books about the craft of writing. I have entered some contests and received feedback on things I never knew about before (headhopping!! ) I started editing and immediately scrapped the first three chapters. Those three chapters would have been in my book if I had self published. Ugh! I am just getting started and have so much to learn. I really, really, REALLY want to write and be published, but I want to write with excellence as I write for the Lord. Thank God for the struggle and the work and other writers who are willing to share and teach and correct! Thank God for the wall.

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  3. Good morning, everyone! If you're a regular commentor you will notice that I'm attempting to change the format of commenting to allow for blogger's new threaded comment system. I don't have the system running yet this morning, but hope to have it going today! So if things seem a bit funky, that's why!

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  4. "In other words, walls of some kind or another are worthwhile to each of us. Whether those walls come externally or internally or both, we’re usually better off for having scaled them rather than skirted them."

    Love, love, love!

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  5. Marianne, every freelance editor will charge differently according to what kind of edit you want (how detailed, how many pages, etc.) as well as how much experience they have. A newer editor may not charge as much as someone who is busy and in demand. On average, I think you could expect to pay anywhere from $500 to a couple thousand.

    And Sherri, thanks for sharing your experience. It's amazing how much objectivity time and distance can give us. If I were to pull my first few manuscripts out of the closet and read them, I know I'd probably roll with laughter. I'm so glad self-publishing didn't exist way back when I wrote them! :-)

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  6. Every time I see it, I'll swing by to echo no shortcuts. Cheers!

    Another solid post, Jody!
    ~ Wendy

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  7. Walls are definitely a necessity. They are there to challenge us on a path to be the best we can be.

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  8. Great blog!! I think the walls DO help us grow stronger as a writer. And critique partners and beta readers are a MUST nowadays.

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  9. Great post Jody,in which I think every writer should read. Thank you so much for the mention, though I must defer to Beverly Sills for the quote!

    In my humble opinion, walls and barriers are important. They get us out of our comfort zones and drive us to do our best.

    In my humble opinion, this is also why writers should have blogs. A blog is a great way for a writer to test if they can build and maintain an audience/fan base before they need to pay for editorial services, etc.

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  10. I have no intention of submitting anything longer than a poem for a while and reading all the best books out there on craft. It's hard to think of submitting during month of poetry, but I feel so much more objective than last year and I hope I can improve on self-editing too. I love Plot and Structure so I think I'll get that editing one you suggest. Thanks Jodie!

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  11. A very appropriate post for where I am in my journey. I can't say I've done everything you've mention or put up the same walls, but you have to put up some walls if you want to rise above the rest. Self-publishing is fabulous, and I'm so glad there's such easy access to it. But it's also scary because it allows ANYone with a little bit of tech. knowledge to put their scribblings outu there. We may not have to compete with an agent's slushpile, but now we have to compete with a whole mess of slush piles from all over the world. Thanks for the post!

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  12. I've got my first wall up...I'm in the "giving it a rest" stage. I linked to a post by editor Jodie Renner in my blog this week. It gives a wonderful and thorough list of steps to take before submitting your work. You can find the list here. http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2011/09/revision-process.html#comment-form

    Thanks for another great post Jody.

    Liza@Middle Passages

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    1. Thanks for the link, Liza! I will definitely check it out! I really think that "rest" stage is critical. I usually start a new book during that stage and then when I return to my resting book I can view it so much more objectively. All the best!

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  13. I love these informative posts, Jody! I'd venture to say the crumbling wall has been a good thing for writers overall. Yes, there might be more "garbage" out there (in quotes b/c one man's trash is another man's treasure), but I hope self-publishing levels the playing field a bit more. It seems in the end, it all comes down to story, and those who tell the stories that readers want to read are the ones whose books will be high up on the lists!

    p.s. re: your commenting format... strangely, last night blogger just changed my comments over to the threaded-style. It happened out of the blue, and I wondered if everyone on blogger had it happen to them.

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  14. "walls of some kind or another are worthwhile to each of us. Whether those walls come externally or internally or both, we’re usually better off for having scaled them rather than skirted them." I love this part and shared it on my facebook. People want to skirt their personal walls, be it in writing or whatever their current path leads to ... but you are right! We are usually so much better after climbing the walls that we look back and can't believe how much we still had to learn before our first step up the wall.

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  15. Great post, Jody. I'm totally on track with you. I think there are still walls up for me because I want to go the traditional agent and publication route. Right now my plan is to enter some contests, keep blogging, and work on editing my ms and starting to write another. Then we will see where things go from there!

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  16. Great post! I think walls are great! It's just like why it hurts an egg-laying species in general to help them break out of their shell as they're hatching. The shells are a test to make sure the hatchling is strong enough to make it in the world. I personally want those walls (while I may curse them as I hit them) as I want to be challenged. I'm also suspicious if things come to easily to me... Anyway, I like you're idea of self-imposing walls. I guess I've been doing that unconsciously by joining critiquecircle.com and entering contests (still waiting for my first contest feedback) and the former has paid dividends. I'm MUCH further along in my writing craft from this time last year. I think I need to be careful though of continuing to put up walls. At some point I need to take a leap of faith and query ;)

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  17. Hi Jody, what a great post!

    I planned to begin the query process this past December. However, I could not ignore the advice and sharing of experiences from other writers and authors who provided a checklist (much like you did in this post) of things to do before submitting one's work. It was a "wall" of sorts. It certainly slowed me down. But, because I accepted this wall to climb (instead of ignoring it) I've had the opportunity to share my ms with other writers and to make it better. Each "wall" that comes up in the form of “did you do this?” information has benefitted me immensely. Turns out this writer needs walls. They've slowed me down and allowed me to polish my story. I’m grateful for them.

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  18. Definitely--I agree with all of this. I've had to work hard over the last five years to improve my craft, and I still work at it. I think it's easy to get into a "I'll show them all that I'm the greatest writer ever" state of mind without having earned it. We're smart to evaluate our work. :)

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  19. Nice perspective, Jody. It is especially meaningful because you have walked the road. :-)

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  20. thanks Jody:) Finishing my historical romance...almost time for the beta readers:) I know I'll have to grow through a lot of "Walls"....but I guess that the whole thing of 'what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger":) Thanks for the post...really helpful!

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  21. I like the idea of Beta readers but I don't like to ask. Everyone is so busy these days it seems like a huge favor but I'll keep that idea on the back burner.

    I've seen quite a few writers [well two actually] hit it big on the self publishing e-reader track but I'm not going that route myself precisely because of what you describe.

    I'm tempted by the professional editor option but it's very expensive and it's difficult to know who is reputable and who is not.

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  22. For me, the walls have been a blessing. I've sharpened my skills and thickened my skin. Thanks so much for another wonderful post.

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  23. Very good post, Jody!

    I'm not convinced the walls are really that different today than they were a few years ago.

    Sure they're arranged differently in the self-pub/e-pub world than they were in the mostly conventional-pub world. But the basic obstacles are really the same.

    Regardless of the publishing choice the fundamental goal of the author is to get the book into the hands of lots of readers.

    Self-publishing does not make the barriers to that goal disappear. It just rearranges them a bit, and, in some ways, may make them more difficult to scale than with the aid of experienced marketing experts.

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  24. Yes the walls are necessary. I'd rather have the walls so I have something to aspire to, work for, climb up and over. Everybody needs feedback, even constructive criticism. Otherwise how are they going to learn and grow. I consider the whole writing process an educational adventure. Great post!

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  25. Yet another fantastic post, thank you for that. As many have already said, I think the walls work both ways and depend entirely on the skill and imagination of each writer. Sometimes wonderful books never see print because they can't get past the so-called Gatekeepers of Agents and publishers. But, equally, there is some drivel out there in selfpub e-book land. (Also some gems too!) It's never going to be a perfect system.

    I think the system is at its purest when the agent and publisher are working in tight partnership with the author so that everyone benefits: The author improves their skills, the agent nurtures the book and future career of the author, and the publisher maximizes its appeal and visibility. In this scenario, the system is less of a wall and more of a well-oiled machine. I only hope that I find such an agent, because right now I'm editing like crazy and flip-flopping between loving and hating my book. :( Only the knowledge that this is a normal response, keeps me sane.

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  26. Scaling walls has taught me so much. I'm a better writer for having done so. I shudder to think of my earliest works being in print. I had so much to learn. Of course, the learning never ends, does it? I'm grateful for the many, like you, who are imparting valuable information.

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  27. Hi Jody,
    This post was so succinct and apropos. I'm starting to read self-published ebooks (since I have made the decision to go that route), and so often I see multiple grammatical errors and sloppy prose. I found your post so timely that I linked to it on my blog.
    Thanks for putting it all so well!

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  28. I fully intend on putting my first novel to bed for a while after I finish it. I know that when I re-read things from a few months to a year ago, my reaction is "wow that's terrible" so it might be a WHILE before I feel ready to submit anything. For me, walls are excellent for climbing over.

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  29. Jody, thanks for another great post and good advice. I think walls are necessary for good writing like exercise is for a healthy body. No, I don't like it but it keep me moving in the "write" direction.

    With the wave of self-publishing, I believe it comes down to heart. My heart says to work at producing quality work, to learn all that I can by practicing craft and listening to the advice of published authors and other professionals. After all, whether I want to self-publish or take traditional route my work is representing me to the world.

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  30. So much good advice here, Jody! We like to complain about rejections, but they force us to take a second (and third and fourth...) look at the work we thought was ready to publish. Granted, we might blame rejection on the agent's or publisher's lack of interest in or passion for our story, but sometimes times a rejection is because the writing just isn't *there* yet. So yes, I think the walls are a good thing.

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  31. Excellent advice, Jody! I've recently decided to enter the ACFW Genesis Contest. I hope the feedback will answer some of these questions.

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    1. Hi Susan! Great to see you! Hope all has been well for you! Glad to hear you're branching out into the Genesis Contest. As you know that particular contest was instrumental in launching my writing career. I wish you all the best! :-)

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  32. Thanks, Jody, for this extremely helpful post. I will be sticking it a folder for further use!!

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  33. This was a great post, Jody. I agree that the walls help strengthen a writer's skills. That's definitely one aspect, and I'd hate to see the walls crumble entirely. On the other hand, some of the big box stores looking to the bottom line have influenced what a lot of agents and editors look for, and so a lot of good writers are overlooked who might have been picked up in an earlier era. In this new era, I like the idea of writers giving themselves some of the above hurdles to strengthen their writing before they jump the gun; but I'm glad they have other alternatives these days if they aren't writing a block buster novel.

    Thanks for all the sources and good reads. Like patti.mallett, I'm puting this in a folder for further reference.

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  34. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the self-pub topic. The more I research how to get my words out into the world, the more I'm reminded that every path has roadblocks. Just throwing some rubbish out in front of the world doesn't guarantee readers. Always good to keep it all in mind. Thanks again for your insight.

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