Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed this look into the mindset of publishing houses. The single biggest lesson that this book has offered is compromise. I am sure you feel I have rammed it down your throat throughout this book. Please note that my intentions are honourable and meant to give you the best possible chance in your career.
From my point of view, I feel that the publishing industry is incredibly satisfying. For all the work, sweat, and politics, there is nothing like having a copy of the completed book in your hands. From there it can only get better when you see good reviews and the faces of kids light up when they buy your book.
I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been involved with a startup company based in Asia. We were often short-staffed, but for me, that was a fantastic advantage. Although my job title was editor, I also got to write, attend book fairs and perform mall promotions, and get to meet a lot of interesting people.
The purpose of this book has been to try and change your way of thinking. If you have been working very hard, but seeing no return – then I know exactly how that feels. It is frustrating, hard, and can often leave you feeling a little depressed and also lonely. When the gates of the publishers finally do open for you, it can almost be overwhelming.
I previously talked about acting like a diva. Please avoid doing that at all costs, and don’t stick so close to your material that you are unwilling to change anything about it. That will create a lot of problems for you, and also hinder your career.
When I travelled throughout India, a few years ago, I read a great deal about Hinduism. There is a text known as the Bhagavad Gita. One of its messages is that you can love things, but try not to become attached to them. I feel this is a good lesson regarding your writing. By all means, love your work but do not become so attached to it that you will fight anyone who suggests changes.
If you are a good writer, then your next story will always be better than your last. You should learn to let go of a book once you have published it. Move forwards, and don’t complain about what went wrong with your last work but start working on your next project. If you become bitter about the way your work was treated, then you will not be fully concentrating on what is more important – your work today.
You need to keep busy. With the emerging global market, there has never been a better time to be a prolific writer. Despite the impression given in the media, writers are now being paid more than ever. There seems to be more respect for the craft of writing than I can remember in years past.
So, please make compromise your greatest tool and moving on your best idea.
I also want you to make time for life. Please don’t shut yourself into your bedroom and bang away at the keyboard twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That is not how great ideas are born. Innovation of any kind is from looking at the world around you and immersing yourself in it. Make time for your family and your friends. Take the night off from writing if you need it, and grab a beer or watch a good movie.
If you feel that your writing is lacking in one area such as grammar, then identify the books that can help. Don’t lock yourself away to read twenty books back to back. Take your time with such measures, plot out what you will do over three to six months, and how you can do it at a leisurely pace.
Perhaps you have been beaten down by a lot of rejection letters. If this is the case, then take a total time out from your work. Go for a walk; think about your current strategy and the quality of your writing. Is it really good enough? Are you perhaps writing too much? It could simply be a case of quantity over quality. Take a time out, and think it through carefully. Have a break for a month, or even six months, from your writing if you need it.
Whatever you do, don’t work yourself up over it. Make time for life, and your writing will improve significantly.
Thank you for taking the time to read this book.