On Hope

Okay, so I've been lurking in the blogosphere a bit more lately. I read a ton of posts on Facebook, public and in a plethora of groups I belong to. Reading Facebook is like a full-time job! Am I right, or what?

Anyway, I've noticed a few things these past few weeks, and I wanted to touch on one: Hope.

I know what it's like to hope for something that happens. I know what it's like to hope for something that doesn't happen. And honestly, the word hope can be equated to anxiety. Ha!

But I don't think hope is a bad thing, and often we think of anxiety in a negative way. But hope is well, hopeful. Sometimes things work out the way we'd like. More often than not, they don't. We might get a book deal, but not with the publisher we really wanted, for the amount of money we hoped for, etc. Sometimes we hope for things that never come to fruition.

Does that mean we should stop hoping? I don't think it does. I think having hope is a good thing, a strong motivator for us to keep doing the best we can. That could be that we hope today is going to be a better day than yesterday as far as parenting goes. Maybe tonight I won't burn the chicken (one can hope!). And maybe, just maybe, today will be the day I lay down 1000 words in a book that will one day be published.

Having these hopes in various aspects of our lives motivates us to keep trying. Don't give up. Try something different.

And none of that is bad.

How hopeful are you right now?

Exciting News-ish Items!

Wow, this summer has FLOWN by! F-L-O-W-N. I swear it was just barely the last day of school, and next week I'll be starting a new school year. Cray-zy.

Anyway, there have been things happening, as I'm sure there have been for you as well. I had some lofty summer goals for my writing, and I'm happy to report on them.

1. Write the sequel to my adult romance. Check. I drafted the book in June--the same month I got two offers from publishers on the first book. The same month I signed with a new literary agent for that adult romance. So yeah, maybe writing that sequel was done on a high.

2. Edit the inspirational romance I'd written earlier this year. Check. I actually bought several of Margie Lawson's writing packets, and used her Deep EDITS system. I can't recommend it enough. I worked with highlighters and pen on a hard copy of the book, putting in about 10 hours each day for a solid week. Double check. Then I entered all the handwritten changes into the computer for another week. Triple check. More news about this book below.

3. Write the sequel to the inspirational romance. Check. My goal was to write 5000 words each day for 12 days in July, before my big dance trip to Vegas and my family reunion. I ended up drafting the 50,000-word book in only 7 days. Yes, it has holes. Things that need to be fixed, And 10,000 more words. But it's drafted!

So naturally, after my vacations and whatnot, I made myself a list of writing goals for the fall--my busiest time of the year what with school starting and everything. My son's a senior this year too, which means scholarship apps and all that. (I love paperwork, so I'm super excited about this!)

And I decided to publish my inspirational romance under a pen name. I've never been a fan of pen names, but I have all my YA and New Adult stuff under Elana Johnson, and my adult contemporary romance as well. This is inspirational--religious. I decided it needed to be delineated.

So I'll be releasing the first book in the series, SECOND CHANCE RANCH, on September 8. (You can pre-order here.) The second book is in edits right now, and it'll be out on December 1.  I'm writing this series under the name of Liz Isaacson, and you can follow happenings for it on twitter, Facebook, and my blog.

About SECOND CHANCE RANCH: After his deployment, injured and discharged Major Squire Ackerman returns to Three Rivers Ranch, anxious to prove himself capable of running the cattle operation so his parents can retire. Things would be easier if the ranch wasn’t missing 1.6 million dollars, which forces Squire to hire Kelly, the girl who rejected his high school prom invitation, as his accountant.

She’s back in town with her four-year-old son, living in her parent’s basement until she can get her life back together. With fresh ink on her divorce papers and open gashes on her heart, she’s not ready for much beyond her new job on the ranch.

Squire wants to forgive Kelly for ignoring him a decade ago. He’d like to provide the stable life she needs, but with old wounds opening and a ranch on the brink of financial collapse, it will take patience and faith to make their second chance possible.

I'm toying with publishing my YA fantasy, but I also got an offer on one of my YA sci-fi novels from a publisher, and I'm thinking they might be interested in it. So I might wait on that. Either way, it's been an eventful summer!!

How has your summer been??

Moving Forward After Publishing

Okay, so if you've been around this blog for a while, you might know my journey. For those that don't, a brief outline:

1. I signed with an agent in 2009, and my debut YA novel sold pretty quickly. Possession came out in June, 2011. I only sold one book. My agent sold the sequel in early 2011 and Surrender came out in June 2012.

2. My publisher wouldn't buy the third book in an obvious trilogy until Surrender came out and they could see how it was doing. I think this is an extremely common practice in the industry, as I've heard of it happening to other authors. But it terrified me. What if they didn't buy the third book? What would I do then? Surrender was open-ended, as most middle books in a trilogy are.

3. They ended up buying the third book in July 2012, and Abandon came out in June 2013.

4. My agent and I submitted two more books to my publisher, and they passed on both. We went wide with Elevated, and while it came close at several publishers, ultimately it did not sell.

5. I parted ways with my agent in September 2013. She's lovely, and I still recommend her to other authors. The partnership just wasn't working for me.

6. I self-published Elevated, my futuristic fantasy series, and another novel-in-verse, Something About Love in 2014.

6. I signed with a new agent in November 2013, with a time travel novel. We submitted it widely in the spring of 2014, came close, no sale.

7. This agent didn't like anything else I had in the pipeline, and we parted ways in December 2014. Since last year, I've been moving away from a YA-centric career, focusing on writing clean, contemporary romance.

8. I'm querying again, and while some authors have said it's easier the second or third time around, I'm not finding that to be the case. I still send dozens of queries. I still get lots of requests -- and many rejections.

It's hard for me to feel like a success. I have 10 titles out, and have years of experience in the social media realm. But I still feel like I'm failing.

These feelings make no sense. After all, I just received a large royalty check from the sales of Possession. So my books from 4 years ago are still selling, and I'm still earning money from them -- which means I've earned out my advance. All of that should point to "success."

Right?

Then why don't I feel successful?

I'm not sure, but I think it's because I don't have agents or editors snapping up the books I'm writing now. I don't have title after title coming out from the same publisher. There are a myriad of factors that have contributed to this, but this blog post would become a novella if I went into all of them.

Maybe I need to redefine what makes me as an author a success? Maybe I need to re-evaluate what makes a book successful? I don't know, because I don't know what those parameters are. What makes an author successful? A book, or a series?

Maybe you can help me with this.

How do you define success for yourself as an author? For your books?

No matter what, I've learned that even after you've been published, there's no yellow brick road that takes you directly to a land of wonder. I'm still wandering in unknown paths, writing books I love, and hoping there's someone out there who will love them too. I know this isn't the case for every author, but I think more of us are on this path than we know about. We feel alone, unsuccessful, but really, there's a lot of authors in the same situation.

What I Know About Writing

Okay, so I started writing a while ago. I've learned a lot about writing, the publishing industry, social media, and many more things. Sometimes it's really hard to keep up with everything, and everyone, all the time. (That's one thing I've learned!)

I've been to dozens and dozens of writing conferences. Heck, I sit on library boards that plan writer's classes, as well as committees that organize local, live conferences as well as WriteOnCon. I've learned that writers are fabulous people, who are eager and anxious to learn new things.

I've listened to keynotes, and some are really good. I went to the Teen Author Boot Camp on Saturday, and one of the keynotes was by Brandon Sanderson (there are a lot of perks to living in Utah, where a lot of amazing authors live!).

I've heard Brandon speak before. I always think he's eloquent and intelligent. He said some things that really sang to my soul. Things I've heard before, mostly from my equally amazing husband. But for some reason, to hear them from a really successful author struck my eardrums in a different way.

Now, I didn't record it, so I have to go off my memory, but Brandon said something like this: You are the product of your writing time. Not the book. You.

It doesn't matter if the book doesn't get published. You're "leveling yourself up" when you write. You're the main point of improvement.

It should be okay to spend time working on writing because we love it, and that's it. Writing makes us better than we were before. Not just better writers, but a better person.

I really loved that. And my husband has been telling me that for a while, and I swear I've listened! I know I'm just as valuable unpublished as I am published, and I know it's okay to write just because I love it.

But it was nice to hear from someone as successful as Brandon Sanderson.

What do you know about writing?

It's All About Perspective

Okay, so I think our view of life changes as we get more experiences behind us. I know it has for me. Sometimes in our lives, as well as in publishing, we need to gain more perspective.

Sometimes I find myself becoming impatient. I want things to happen right now, or at least as quickly as possible. Sometimes publishing moves fast, and sometimes I need to step back and gain more perspective.

So here are some things I've learned in the recent past.

1. There's not a ticking clock for getting a book published. It could be this year, or next, or the year after, on in ten years.

2. Maybe you have a book you've already written that will sell, or maybe you're writing one now. But maybe, just maybe, you haven't written the thing that's going to sell. So it's probably best to stop moping about what hasn't sold and write something else. Something you love. Something that's worthwhile whether it sells or not.

Okay, that last paragraph was a pep talk to myself. But I'm not going to erase it, because maybe, just maybe, someone else needs to read that too. And maybe they (or you!) can learn from something I've realized--however painful it may have been--in the recent past.

3. Another's success does not take a "spot" for you. Sometimes there's this underlying frustration that it's not happening for you when it is happening for someone else. We start asking ourselves, "Why? What am I doing wrong? Or what are they doing that's so right, or so much better, than me?"

These are dangerous questions, and if/when you find yourself asking them, I highly suggest reading #2 again and getting back to work on a project you feel passionate about.

Even if it's not writing.

Oh yeah. I said it.

4. Sometimes you need a break from writing. I know, I know. That goes against everything in my impatient core. I want to write the next bestseller NOW. I want my agent to read NOW. I want to query NOW. I want everything NOW! (I feel a bit like Veruca in Willy Wonka!)

But sometimes, just sometimes, it's okay NOT to write. Not to think about it. Not to let your whole life be consumed by it. <<I highly advocate this anyway, but especially during a time when you're trying to gain some perspective on your publishing journey.

So yeah. Those are some things I've realized as I've taken a few steps back and tried to find some perspective on publishing.

Anything you've learned recently? Lay it on me!

Facing Fears

Okay, so this is always hard, isn't it? Facing down that rabid dog or whatever. But though I am terrified of most dogs, rabid or not, that's not really what I'm talking about. Not a physical fear, but an emotional one.

That's not quite right either. More of a creative one.

See, my agent and I parted ways last month. She is a lovely person and a great agent. I have no hard feelings toward her and our split was amicable.

And here I am. Facing a wide-open world of publishing for the first time in years. Well, that's not really true either, because I already have books out. The only way to truly have a wide-open publishing world is to choose a pen name and start over.

I don't think I'll do that, and now I'm exploring all the options. See, I have five full manuscripts that are finished. Like, finished. Like, I could send them to editors and agents and not be embarrassed.

I'm querying a couple of them, actually. Querying is just as painful and demoralizing as I remember from 2009. Rejections are hard--especially when the feedback is at odds from agent to agent.

I have submitted a couple of my manuscripts to small and midsize publishers that take unsolicited submissions.

I have purchased Indie-publishing guides, and I've emailed with friends, and I've discussed options with my husband.

I really do have a ton of choices. The real problem is facing the fear of choosing one over the other. It seems that every publishing model has it's pros and cons.

And of course, I want it all. *wink* But mostly, it's the fear of trying something I've never tried before that's got a grip on me right now. I almost think it would be easier if someone just told me what to do! Anyone? Ha!

Have you faced a fear? How did you overcome it?

Ah, Publishing, How You Have Changed

Okay, so I started writing about 6 years ago. I queried my first book in 2008, and my second in 2009. I got an agent in 2009, and a publishing deal in 2010. My debut novel, Possession, was published in 2011.

And let me tell you, publishing is so much different today than it was in 2009, which was only 3 short years ago.

I've known this, of course, but I don't think it truly sunk in until this past week, when I went to a local book group. See, they were reading Possession, and they'd invited me to come talk about writing, and the book, and whatever.

Someone asked me how I got published, and I started telling the story. As I was speaking, I realized just how different things are today.

See, in 2008, the Kindle was still new. Ebooks were still a novelty. Everything about publishing was wrapped up in print -- and to do what I wanted to do, I needed an agent.

Well, now in 2013, the Kindle (and other eReaders) is not new. A lot of people have them, and digital books are commonplace. It's amazing to me how things can change in a relatively short amount of time.

So I found myself speaking about my publishing journey, and as I was, I realized that one thing has NOT changed. And it's this: No matter what you want to do in publishing - go out on your own, submit to a small press, a medium press, or try to land one of the big New York publishers - you have to first know what you want, and then be willing to work to make it happen.

At least that much hasn't changed.

What do you think? Have you seen publishing evolve over the last 5-6 years? In what ways? Has your perspective of it changed too? In what ways?

The Path You're On

Dude, so publishing these days has about a kajillion different paths an author can take. Every writer needs to stop and breathe for just a second. Take stock of where you are.

Is it where you want to be?

And if not, are you at least on the path that will take you where you want to be?

That's what's important, because we can't get to the Pacific Ocean if we're driving east. You know?

You might not be there yet, but you should be on the right path.

So, what do you want? Are you on the right path?

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Four Years Ago

See, four years ago, I was starting another school year. I was not a writer. I was a teacher. A mom. A wife. A video game player on Monday's. (I don't work on Monday's. I seriously owned every Pinata in Pinata Party. Every variation. Every. Single. Thing. I pwned that game.)

Anyway, I wish someone would've told me the path my life would take, because of this one thing that happened. No one did. I was left to wander through the dark for a few months, teaching but not really there, living but not really awake.

Then one day I began writing. And, now, almost four years later, I really wish someone would've intervened to give me just one piece of advice. I'd still write the books I've written. I'd still try to get them published. That wouldn't change. But I think my attitude toward specific aspects of this industry would be different if I'd had someone to tell me back then what I'm still struggling to learn today.

Are you ready?

All books are not created equal.

Sure, when you look at them on the shelf, they might appear equal. They all have covers, and words inside. Stories, characters, plots. These vary slightly: some are long, some are short, some tall, some short. What I mean by "equal" is the amount of push you get from your publisher.

I had no idea this wasn't equal between books. But it's not.

And you know? That's okay.

THAT'S OKAY.

As authors, if you know this, you'll be fine. And by "know," I mean more than "know intellectually, because I read Elana's blog on the matter." I mean "know" like "I know this, and it doesn't bother me, and I'm not going to worry about it. I'M GETTING MY BOOK PUBLISHED." type of way.

It's advice I wish I'd known four years ago when I was still just a reader. It does no good to compare your book to someone else's, because you're already on unequal ground. So don't even try. Don't play that game. It's a slippery slope, and one you'll always fall down.

So, do you know this? If you don't, make sure you do before your book gets snatched up by that agent and that editor. You'll be happier, I'll be happier, and the world will be happier. Maybe. (*wink*)

I Remember...Someone Remind Me in Four Months

Okay, so whenever something "big" happens with my book, my husband sends out an email to all our family and friends. I like this for two reasons: 1. I don't feel like I'm bragging, and 2. He always says things better than I ever could.

He always sends me a copy of the email too, and then just tells me about the responses people send back. So the latest email went out, and it included some lines that really made me remember. And remember something important.

Here's what he said: Every day she gets more nervous, and more excited. I keep telling her that the goal was to see it on the shelf. Anything else is just gravy. I remind her about that year where we went to the bookstore almost every week to look at the place where her books would be on the shelf in the young adult section if they ever got published. Her dream was to see it there. No matter what happens, her dream is coming true.

And now I'm bawling. At work. I am such a baby.

But anyway, I had forgotten that. I'd forgotten that we used to drive to the bookstore and just stroke spines and finger covers and breathe in the smell of books and wander the aisles and dream about being in the J's of the YA section.

I remember now.

And I hope some of you will remind me of this as I only have FOUR MORE MONTHS before Possession comes out. And it's scary and exciting and overwhelming and I'm sure to forget the weekend trips to the bookstore.

Because it's so easy to get caught up in querying, selling, writing, blogging, twittering, emailing, dancing, reading, living.

What do you need to slow down and remember? I hope you'll do it. But don't cry...I can't have that on my conscience.

Just Admit It

Okay, this is a hard thing for some of us, I think. I know it was for me. And it is for a few other people I know. So I thought it worthy to blog about.

I submit: The first step toward getting what you want is admitting that you want it. Really really really bad. So bad it aches. So bad you think your chest might cave in if you don't get it. You want it so much that the world could stop spinning and you'd still want it.

So have you done that? Do you feel that ache? That shortness of breath when you think, "My book will never be published."? Or that crushing weight when you hear, "You won't be a mother."? Or whatever it is that you desperately want.

Why is it so hard for us to admit to ourselves that we want something? Are we trying to avoid selfishness? Do we think we don't deserve it?

I know for me, it's probably a combination of both. I am happy (very much so) and content with my life. So admitting that I want something more feels like I'm ungrateful and selfish.

But dude, I so want to hold my book in my hands. I want it to be published.

I want it so bad, I ache inside. I can't breathe when I think it might not happen.

There. I admitted it. Whew. I feel better. And I can move forward with my other writing. Sometimes it's this fear of admitting that we want something that holds us back the most. And yeah, I've sort of been floundering for a while. But no more!

I want it, and I don't care who knows!

So what do you need to admit today? Anything to get off your chest so you can breathe properly again? What do you want so bad you ache? Why haven't you admitted it before?

ETA: I did a little interview about writing YA on Valerie's blog today. If you have a couple of extra minutes (ha ha!) go check it out.

The Duration

Okay, so publishing is like this giant roller coaster. And it spans from California (hi Christine!) to Alaska (hey, Paul) to Ohio (hola Lisa and Laura) down to the Carolinas and the deep south (hello Beth and Katie and Sarah and Shelli and Scott). It even crosses oceans (hi Amy).

There's loops. The kind that turn you upside down. Big hills with traction chains. Small hills. Deep drops. Sharp turns. The whole she-bang.

And after you've been on the ride for a while, you realize you're strapped in for the duration. That seatbelt is cinched and you're holding on for dear life.

And there's a lot of screaming.

Some tears.

Some intense chats and flurries of emails.

Lots of anxiety -- especially up those tractioned hills.

But you know what? I've come to learn that the roller coaster isn't always going up or down, but sometimes there's these straight stretches where you're just sitting there, waiting for the next high or the next low.

I hereby declare these straight stretches "The Duration."

And on The Duration, there's screaming. Some tears. Some intense chats and flurries of emails. Sometimes part of the track is missing, and you take a big breath as the car leaps...

And through it all, you're smiling because you're so dang happy to be on the ride at all.

And that is the ride that is publishing.

What do you think? What would you compare publishing to? (And don't say imprisonment. *wink*) How's your journey been so far? So many of you are new here, so take this chance to fill us in.

The Worth of Writing

So I had something else planned for today. Then I read Nathan Bransford's blog yesterday about the possibility of being crazy.

Um, anyone who knows me wouldn't hesitate to use this word to describe me. In fact, I have a T-shirt that says "crazy doesn't even begin to cover it". Really, I do.

But his post was more along the lines of this crazy dream of getting a book published. I definitely feel this kind of crazy. I've spent hours writing. Even more hours researching the business. Even more social networking. Critiquing. Editing. The whole nine yards.

Is it worth it?

Reading through the comments on Nathan's post, I see how other people endure their crazy moments. I've had a few things conspire against me recently, and I've had to make some priorities in my life.

While cleaning the garage: Is this worth keeping?

When my girl kidlet wants a popsicle and I want to say no: Is it worth the fight?

When the guy in front of me is going five under the speed limit: Is he worth passing? Do I even have room? Why is he only going 30??!!

But seriously. Sometimes I find myself in front of the computer late at night. The fan is on, cuz I like the white noise. The house is asleep. I've played my Bejeweled Blitz. I've read my blogs. I am calm.

And I'm writing. I've never asked myself if I'm crazy for aspiring to be a writer. I already know I'm crazy on many levels.

But every now and then, this question enter my mind: Is it worth it?

What do you think? Why is writing, and aspiring to become a published author, worth it? Whatever "it" may be.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

You know how to finish it. Say it. Out loud. (Name that movie! LOLOLOL)

Anyway, I digress. This post is going to be a lot of digression, so I hope you're in the mood for some stream of thought writing from el@n@. That's my new name. My sister is certifiably insane. And she did some tweeting yesterday on her name (which has an i, now replaced with an !). Since I don't have an i, she said I could be el@n@. So here I am.

Anyway, Eric over at Working My Muse gave me this Lemonade Stand blog award. Thanks! I'm supposed to nominate 10 people, and send the award along. I just nominated 15 people for the Premio Dardos award, and I can't even think of 10 more. If I do, I'll post them soon, promise.

So on to lemonade. When life gets you down, what do you do? I try to surround myself with good people. Play a few games (guitar hero) and just forget about whatever is bothering me. Most of my stress is self-inflicted. Do you do this? This self-inflicted stress-inducing?

Ugh. I just get in the way of myself. I have to constantly step back and remind myself that this whole publishing thing is a journey, not a result. Sometimes I find myself frustrated because I'd like to think I'm a pretty smart person. I've worked hard through some stacked odds to get what I want.

And so this whole publishing thing is sort of hard for me. I'm used to working hard, persevering, and ultimately getting what I want. This is a little different than that.

I've decided I'm going to climb into the sidecar of a motorcycle. Remind myself that it's not the end result I'm striving for (but of course, getting published is still The Goal), but it's also the learning experiences along the way. The writerly people I get to interact with. The new novels I get to read. And write. Sometimes I think all I'm focusing on is the lemons and not the lemonade. Being the driver and not the rider. Achieving The Goal and not enjoying the How.

So a new sidecar goal to go with The Goal: enjoy the ride. I'm imagining myself in one of those sidecars on a motorcycle. I don't have to drive. I don't have to watch the speedometer, the upcoming curves in the road, the weather. I can look for those purple blossoms on trees, seagulls flying, deer in the meadow, whatever. I can enjoy the ride.

I've got my helmet on, ready for the rejections and critiques. I've got the goggles strapped in place--hopefully they'll help me see clearly who to listen to, which agents to research and query, and what to write. I've got the leather chaps, waiting to protect me if I happen to crash and burn.

I'm ready to enjoy the ride. Are you?

7 Personality Characteristics You Need to Get Published

by Elana Johnson, Carolyn Kaufman, and Suzette Saxton

Agents and editors deal with hundreds of queries, synopses, proposals, and chapters every month. Whether you realize it or not, your approach to the process has a lot to do with whether or not your work will ever reach publication. Here are the 7 characteristics necessary to achieving your dreams!

Characteristic 1: Commitment to Growth

The first thing every real writer needs is a willingness to learn and grow. All agents or editors—no matter how busy—are interested in quality work. The first step: write the best book you can. That means you’ll probably need to brush up on grammar, syntax, sentence structure, and plotting. Don’t give someone an excuse to reject your work because you’ve either never learned or forgotten how to write in an active voice.

Research local or online writing workshops and sign up for a writing conference or two to jump start your creative juices and brush up on what it takes to become a published author. Join a critique group to help yourself develop a critical eye for grammar, sentence structure and plot in the writing of others. Then apply what you learn to your own writing. When you view writing as a life-long learning experience, you've taken the first step to becoming published.

Characteristic 2: Humility

Completing a project is an accomplishment, and one you should be proud of—just not too proud to miss places you still might be able to improve. Chances are, you did forget a comma somewhere. Or spelled a word wrong. Or didn't tie up that loose end. Or tried to cram in too many subplots. Or something. When you share your work with critique buddies, really listen to their feedback. If an agent is kind enough to offer advice, thank him or her and then consider making the changes to your manuscript.

Characteristic 3: Self-Confidence

On the flip-side of humility is self-confidence; you’ll need both in equal measure.
Not to be confused with arrogance—there is a difference! Getting published is usually an uphill battle. Everyone along the way will have an opinion about your work, and not all of those opinions will be positive! Most agents reject between 95% and 99% of all queries they see, and editors are even harder to win over.

Even after you make it through the gauntlet of agents, editors, and other decision-makers, you’ll have to face book reviewers and bloggers. You must believe in yourself enough not only to go through the whole process, but also to endure the onslaught that follows. Once you've acquired the skills of a writer, a sense of self-confidence will help you recognize that your hours of research, learning, and growing are going to pay off.

Characteristic 4: Perseverance

Once you've produced the very best story you can, built your self-confidence, and balanced it with humility, it’s time to submit. Research agents and editors and only submit to those who are a good match for your project. And don't just submit to one agent or editor. Or two. Or even ten. Keep going until you find one who loves your work!

And don't stop writing while you submit. Maybe your first book won’t make as big of a splash as you’re hoping. Maybe your second—or your fifth—novel will be the one to land that dream agent and publishing contract. Author Dan Brown published three books before he scored a worldwide bestseller with The DaVinci Code.

Characteristic 5: Professionalism

Understand that publishing is a business, and that agents and editors are trying to find books publishers—and eventually readers—will want to spend their hard-earned money to buy. That means you need to conduct yourself like a professional. While this might seem obvious, you must treat everyone you deal with, from agents’ assistants all the way up to publishing heads, with courtesy. Even if you don’t like what they’re telling you.

Never send hate mail back to agents or editors. (You might be surprised how often publishing professionals have to deal with this.) Also realize that form responses are normal — if you had to read hundreds of queries every month, you’d send them too! Don't take rejection as a personal attack—it's just business.

Characteristic 6: Patience

It takes patience to see your dream of being published come true. Not only patience to write the book—which doesn't happen in a single sitting—but patience to wait for responses from beta readers, critique groups, and then agents, editors, and publishers. Some respond immediately. Some are a little slower, but will respond eventually. And some won’t respond at all. In each case, your patience will be tried.

Characteristic 7: Luck

Before you decide that you’re doomed because you’ve never won the lottery (or even a door prize drawing), you need to know that we’re talking about the kind of luck you make for yourself. There is an old Chinese tenet, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” So first, be prepared. And then cultivate your own luck. Lucky writers behave in ways that create good fortune in their lives. For example, they read agent and industry blogs to get a feel for what different agents like. They notice and act upon chance opportunities, follow their intuition, look for the bright side of every situation, and are certain their future is promising. Their outlook becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, creating the perfect environment for “luck” to flourish. Remember, it only takes one positive response!

Plus One: Indomitable Spirit

Incorporating these seven traits will result in the indomitable spirit necessary to succeed in the publishing industry. What is Indomitable Spirit? It’s an attitude or state of mind in which you are impossible to frighten or defeat. Never, never, never give up on your dreams.

“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bio box:
Elana Johnson finished college against nearly-impossible odds, a struggle much like dealing with the publishing world. Visit her at elanajohnson.blogspot.com for more publishing insights. Visit psychologist/writer Carolyn Kaufman at archetypewriting.com and learn more about how to use psychology accurately in your writing. Find “The Bone Setter,” Suzette Saxton’s most recently published work, here: http://www.mindflights.com/item.php?sub_id=4283.