by Liyah M.

Created on: June 06, 2009   Last Updated: November 27, 2009

PART ONE

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Advice to give new writers? Well first of all, I, personally, think that you learn the most by doing. You can say you like to write, you sing you like to write, but if you don't actually write then what comes of it?

The most important piece of advice I can offer to anybody who loves to write is this: remember that you're expressing yourself and exercising your brain when you write, read, do. It's not just about putting your mind down on a piece of paper or computer screen, it's about saying how much you love to do what you do.

But let's get to the more professional side of the advice I have.

-NEVER submit a query to an agency/writing house until the manuscript is completely finished. Edited? Not as much. Finished? Yes, not until it is complete!

^You may have submitted that the story is going to end one way, and in truth you haven't even finished it. And so it might be ending another way. When you send it in, the agency might thing you wanted to surprise them with some ultra cool, sassy, classy ending. They don't like surprises (unless you've got the magic touch, but don't count on it)!

^You may have said that it was a certain length (and trust me when I say that they partially look for length, whether it be short or long). It may not be what you said that it was.You're risking the deal; they may think that since you gave then 40,000 words, but submitted 60,000 you want them to pay you for the extra (<<if you were already marketing the piece) or you may gave 50,000 words, but submitted 30,000 they are going to want their money back! Be careful!

-ALWAYS double-check what you have written.

^Sometimes it's okay to just hand it to your editor, but it is also easy for them to change it however they want to. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm an editor myself. But sometimes, when there are more errors, it gives the editor a right to say, "maybe this should be this, and maybe this shouldn't be at all."

^It also helps if you're paying them. Editing yourself and then letting them do the once-over makes the job easier. Don't believe me?

-ALWAYS have new, fresh eyes read the manuscript/story/piece.

^A lot of the time, they catch the things you don't. Because you see the story as one thing, you may have trouble catching the things that don't belong as apposed to someone who doesn't know that catches it.

-Be aware!

^Of course you're new. Of course you want exposure. But don't go looking for the wrong types of people.

^Many of us are anxious to get published

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