Help! I want to write a book
Great, you have a book idea. Where next?
Recently we’ve had a number of queries in from very new writers seeking advice on getting published and/or accessing funding, and we hope the following is useful.
How do I get published?
We’re going to start this post with a cold dose of reality: not everyone does get published. Many thousands of books are published in the UK each year, but many, many thousands more are written and many, many, many thousands more are begun and never finished. Writing is a tough gig, and the book market is a place of tight margins and limited shelf space. Which brings us to our first piece of advice:
Do your research on the books…
Your local bookshop provides an immediate intro to the realities of the book industry. On the shelves you’ll see what publishers are getting behind and readers are buying. There is serious quality out there because in order to make a living for publishers, writers, booksellers, cover designers and all the many people involved in bringing a book to market, the book has to have big appeal. Most books need to sell strongly both in their ‘local’ market (the UK in the case of books written in Scotland) and also in a global marketplace of translation rights, audio deals, media adaptations and myriad other contexts such as licensing for soft toys, babygros and more.
… and on the industry
The publishing industry and associated structures such as literary agents can look a bit labyrinthine from the outside, but there’s a lot of information and support available.
A useful place to start is The Writers and Artists’ Yearbook, which is updated annually. Most local libraries stock the latest edition if you don’t want to buy a copy. There’s also a specific version if you write for younger audiences.
Writers’ networks are also great places to start. You might find you live near a writers’ group — your local library noticeboard is a great place to find information, or have a look through this list of Scottish groups online — or a ‘literary salon’ (which sounds a bit terrifying but is generally a friendly occasion with beverages and book chat) such as the Edinburgh Literary Salon or the Highland Literary Salon. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a specific children’s literature network, and The Society of Authors offers Associate membership for unpublished writers, offering access to newsletters, courses and more. The National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) website and newsletters are also an excellent resource.
Building editorial experience and networks
Many emergent writers build their knowledge and networks through activities including writing groups and events, new writing magazines, mentoring programmes, competitions (more often for poetry than other forms) and more. Opportunities range from informal local groups where work may be shared with fellow writers to commercially-minded national programmes from publishers such as Penguin Random House or Hachette (the former offered the ‘WriteNow’ programme in Scotland this year and the latter has just launched a programme aimed at discovering diverse new picture book talent in Scotland and the North of England). Through our funding, Creative Scotland supports Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards, among many more writer development opportunities offered by the literature sector across Scotland.
Getting involved in activity of this type is really beneficial if you are seriously interested in writing as a career — to use an imperfect analogy, it’s a bit like a ‘couch to 5K programme’ for writers. We’re not generally able to fund writers who haven’t written before. Instead we support opportunities and programmes such as the aforementioned New Writers Awards, to support emergent writers to develop their skills and networks in a holistic fashion.
If you’ve done all of the above, and/or have that first book ready to go and are looking for a way to pitch to an agent or publisher, keep an eye out on social media for pitching opportunities. Many publishers open submissions windows for agented and unagented authors at specific times, and pitch events such as XpoNorth’s Tweet Pitch come up relatively regularly. Twitter can be a helpful source of connections and advice: #AskAgent is a great starting space for advice from leading industry figures.
Specific areas of advice
Fiction
It may surprise you to know that despite those blockbuster fiction bestsellers on the front shelves, fiction as a category is nowhere near as strong a seller as non-fiction. If you believe you have an incredible novel in you, make sure you hone your writing, get hold of as much editorial experience as you can (see above) and focus on trying to get your work in front of an agent. An agent who really, really believes in the book is key.
Non-fiction
See under fiction above. Non-fiction — if the writing is right and the topic is right — is very marketable.
Children’s
Children’s books make up about a third of the UK book market, but are something of a Cinderella among other market categories, with limited critical attention. Perhaps for this reason the quality of the offer, competitiveness of the market and highly evolved nature of formats aren’t always understood. Make sure you do your research in this area especially — children’s publishers are highly resistant to approaches which underestimate the serious business of children’s books. A common pitfall is the idea that books should be presented to a publisher ready illustrated with pictures by a friend or family member. In fact, the art really matters; picture books and illustrated books usually need to sell in multiple international ‘co-editions’ in order to make a return as production costs are so high. For this reason publishers match authors and illustrators in almost all instances and are heavily involved in the art direction of their books.
Should I self-publish or seek a traditional publishing deal
We can’t advise you on this question. There are lots of resources available for those considering self-publishing including these from Scottish Book Trust.
I consider myself an established writer, not a very new one. What support is available for me?
If you’re looking for support on an application to the Open Fund then check out our series of FAQs for Writers.
As always, let us know if you have any queries not answered here.
