Successful Procedures

I wanted to know what is everyone's writing procedure. I mean of course there is the writing, and edit and write and edit. Then afterward we post the piece online somewhere or share it with a few friends or just shove it in a notebook or save to disk and leave it. Then there are the bigger projects, novels, collections, etc. After they are written and edited what is the next step you take as a writer to push yourself further up the ladders of success?

I finished my Nano novel and did the first round of editing and I am now very excited about maybe querying agents for representation. The query letter is a pain the my ass as it isn't perfect and may never be. So this is where I am right now and was wondering where everyone is and where exactly are they going.

Writing
Editing
Querying
Publishing

? Is this the standard of success?

Kellycakes wrote:

Writing
Editing
Querying
Publishing

? Is this the standard of success?

The answer is no. The standard of success is SELLING. If you sell a lot, you are a success. Most people thus skip steps 2-4 and jump directly to SELLING. A few have succeeded, so now many more are skipping 2-4, which is why so much crap is being produced.

I am setting my standard otherwise. Call me silly. I understand that selling is important, but here is my ladder.

I did self-publishing. Whoopee.
I did Pseudo-publishing (PublishAmerica). Hurray.
I am now looking at small, but real, publisher. Fingers crossed.
The next step is big, BIGGER, GIGANTIC publisher. Dream.

Such is my 2 cents.

You mean some people don't even bother to edit at all? Sounds good, but I have a very hard time believing that anyone has succeeded in this industry without doing at least some simple editing.If they don't want to read over their own work, what makes them think that someone else wants to read it?

I am currently looking at small publishers as well. Good luck in your search Terish!

I agree with Kelly. I wouldn't want my work published until I haven't gone over it at least once. I mean isn't it important how your writing looks like when you send it in? Doesn't that show how good of a writer you actually are?

I honestly doubt that there are writers out there that write a perfect book without editing it. Do you?

Oh and Terish, you said you did self-publishing. Have you had any success with it and where did you publish it?

I don't think there are any perfect books. There are classics but even those have flaws.

Gad, Snacker and Kellycakes, buy some books from independent publishers. Purchase a few books from ANY publisher that you consider. I have bought from Metier Books, Dorrance, PublishAmerica, and a number of others. You would be surprised at the crap you will receive. That is actually what drives me to get published by a better company; I don't want to be associated with crap. When people see PublishAmerica, they think of crap. Yes, I am proud to show of my books - they did a fine job - but I know for a fact that my books are roses in a pile of manure.

My fear with a better company is that they will want me to change my stuff to fit their generic vision. I have to say again that I don't enjoy books from the bookstore. At least, not fiction. I find hard science books to have more creativity than the fiction section. My friends will discuss political books, mathematical treatises, and such with much more depth than fiction. A fiction book is often tossed out with the words, "Hey, it was all right." A non-fiction book is however tossed out with a flow of thought that often has us wanting to read just so we can comprehend something new. Truth is stranger than fiction is usually true, even in the bookstore.