How to get published

Guest Blog by Saoirse Morrigan

As an author I am in a strange space of having an agent but not yet having a published book. Whilst I have taken some steps along the road which have given me a peek behind the curtain of the publishing industry, I am not so far along the road that I forget all of those pre-agented feelings.

Here is the bit when you roll your eyes and stop reading. My querying journey was brief. I was signed with my wonderful agent, in the midst of a flurry of agent interest and offers, just two weeks after I sent my first query. Amazing? Yes. I was not prepared for such an accelerated timeline. I didn’t sleep. I was really anxious. I thought that I was going to be outed as some imposter. This is not meant as a humble brag but to emphasise that you must be ready to send your full manuscript the minute that query letter leaves your inbox.

It is easy to say I was lucky. But I worked really hard on two Historical Romances before I pivoted to Romantasy, so behind that quick flurry was two years of hard work on other projects. This included experience working with editors at two different ‘Big Five’ direct submission imprints who had interest in my writing but ultimately concerns about the market. So, I completely understand rejection on something you’ve worked really hard on.

This crazy journey into the landscape of publishing was aided by taking time to learn about the industry as well as the craft of writing, and I hope the advice below from my publishing steps so far helps!

How to Get Published STEP ONE

Write, even when it is hard or you are blocked. Discipline beats inspiration every time.

STEP TWO

Querying. It is tough in the trenches. In my opinion, nailing the query letter is essential. Agents are so oversubscribed that if you hit the right notes in the first few seconds they will pay attention! I LOVE writing letters and being good at it is a weird cornerstone of my identity (don’t dig too deep – it’s based on a charming incident from my primary school years). So, I rolled my sleeves up and, with a great deal of tea and hyperfocus, I studied what makes a query letter sparkle.

The crux of the query is understanding the letter’s purpose is not only to get agents to love your book, but to convince them they can sell it if they do. It is a business letter. I could wax lyrical about query letters – in fact, I am currently writing a free workbook to help writers put together a solid query, so follow me on Instagram if you want access when that lands.

I will keep it brief with my top three recommendations for your query letter.

·         Include your title, genre, wordcount and tropes, if applicable. For Romance subgenres indicate spice level.

·         Keep your word length within industry standards for that genre. There are so many reasons for this but published word lengths of super successful authors shouldn’t be your benchmark. Don’t try to be the exception to the rule, be exceptional within the rules. I had so much more world, and so much more story that I deliberately left out so I could query a Romantasy that was (just) under 100k.

·         Know your comparison titles and keep them current. Saying ‘there are no other books like mine’ is not a flex. It is telling agents there is no existing market for your book – so who will buy it? You need to know what section of the bookstore it will be in and what else your potential readers enjoy. I queried an adult Romantasy and I made sure I reflected where my book fitted into the current Romantasy market and why its hook made it stand out.

Be selective when querying and if you do get the call only accept if it feels right. It is a business relationship – hopefully one for the long haul.

It is probably wise to point out that I write commercial fiction, specifically Romantasy and Romance so if you write literary or non-fiction there may be differences in query letter expectations.

STEP THREE

Being an agented author. Ah the dream…but you know that song when the bear kept going over the mountain and seeing other mountains? It is a bit like that.

There will be edits to your manuscript. The draft you polished and perfected in order to query the most perfect version of it until the thought of looking at again made you want to gouge out your eyeballs …yes, that one – and maybe multiple rounds after that. It is for this reason that having an agent whose vision aligns with yours is essential. You are forming a team with the purpose of selling this book. I also wanted an agent who had a vision for my career, for the other books and subgenres I wanted to write and I am so lucky to have that.

STEP FOUR

Going on Submission. This is basically your agent going through a process that is similar to querying but they are sending your manuscript to editors and they have a tonne of rules to follow. I don’t think I understood just what slow meant when I started on this journey but effectively…there is lots of waiting. That doesn’t end when you leave the querying trenches. If you aren’t good at waiting – like me – you need to develop coping strategies. For me that involves focusing on an entirely new writing project and reading lots. 

Publishing is sloooowww. So slow. Like snail’s pace slow. There are times when it is fast, if editors want to act quickly on a hot new book or, in my case, when one agent acted quickly and everyone else followed suit, but these are really very rare occasions.

Yet, these scenarios are what most of us see because it is the type of deal or situation that grabs a headline or gets reposted on social media, and can make us feel like everyone around us is flying ahead. But, I promise, even when people love your manuscript it is slow. Editors have to fit their reading in around their lives, then when that is done they have to get second reads i.e. sharing it with other trusted editors on their team. Then, if they are considering acquiring it, they will have other people read it or parts of it too – like sales and marketing. Then they have to wait on meeting slots, the timings of which are all kept vague. Usually your agent will be updated at different milestones but, for authors, being out of control is tough.

For now this is as far up the steps as I can share, you’ll need to follow me and see what happens next in my journey! I do post a lot on Instagram.

Follow me here!

If you are waiting to hear back from agents or publishers know that silence can more difficult than rejection because with rejection you can decide on the next step and move forward but, in the vacuum of waiting, a writer’s imagination might spiral in the most catastrophic of directions. That is why I believe community is so important. There is so much to be gained from sharing your journey, and listening to other writers share theirs. I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association and have made some genuine friends who understand what I am going through and can offer support and advice. I have made connections through social media that help too. So, find your people.

Remember to always be professional. By this I mean thread professionalism through all aspects of your work. Make your drafts clean and well formatted. Ensure communications are polite. Learn industry etiquette for things like chasing responses. However, this extends further. In wanting your book traditionally published you are turning your art into a product that will have multiple stakeholders, so you need to bring that professionalism into your approach to edits, cover design, deadlines, social media, marketing etc.

Finally, resilience and persistence are essential; a black belt is simply a white belt that did not quit. You just need to keep learning and keep writing.

You’ve got this.

Saoirse Morrigan is an Irish author of character-driven, spicy Romantasy inspired by the darker side of Irish folklore, fairytales and mythology. She is passionate about telling culturally sensitve stories with with women and Romance at their core. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romantic Novelists' Association and was recently awarded the prestigious Cill Rialaig Residency. She is represented by Liza DeBlock of Greenstone Literary Agency. When not reading, writing or wrangling kids, you can find her on her Instagram @saoirse_morrigan sharing her journey.