My Road to Getting Published: James Guiney

Here at authonomy, we often like to pop onto the forums. It's a great way for us to quickly see what's working for you, what you'd like to see changed and see your veiws on every aspect of publishing (and writing, and life - and everything really). It's also a good place for authors to share knowledge, which brings me to the subject of today's blog. Earlier today, James Guiney started a really interesting post detailing his story so far. We felt it deserved a wider audience so, with James's permission - here it is in full. authonomy.

I want to share this with you all as it gives some insight to the business that might be of some help. I am no more qualified than anyone else to offer advice, but I have done it anyway because my experiences so far might help some of you along that same road. So I completed my novel A MAN IN GREY SHOES in 2007, or so I thought, and began sending it out to Literary Agents. Thankfully I was quite reserved in this, and only sent it to 10 or so. Once the rejections came back I knew that the tiny niggle way back in my mind couldn’t be ignored – my novel wasn’t polished enough. I couldn’t say hand on heart that it was 100% as good as I could make it and it was “truly” finished. It was close mind, but not all the way there.

Advice – Don’t send your work out to publishers or agents unless you can say with 100% confidence that your work is the best you can make it. Remember once they say no, that’s another one you have alienated and it’s very difficult to get them to agree to reread it in the future.

So after polishing and finishing in early 2008, I was now confident I had a finished novel, ready to be published. Sent it out to more Literary Agents and a few publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts and after a few rejections, got a voice mail one evening from a literary agent who had just that minute finished reading 7 chapters and loved it! Hurray!

Advice – remember at this point you have full confidence in your MS, so there’s nothing to lose. Send it out to agents, and also publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts. Literary Agents can be a decent bunch, as can publishers – if you can get talking to them, and once they agree to read some of your work – chance your arm and say “so how about I send you five chapters?” – what have you got to lose? Always try and get them to read more of your work than the standard 3 chapters.

So now I have an agent interested in representation. I send him the full manuscript and enter the biggest frustration of this whole business – the waiting game. Eventually he finishes it, we meet and agree representation. Contracts etc signed formally in further meetings.

Now for the really exciting bit – sending it out to publishers! Hurray!
September 2008 sample chapters go out to 6 publishers and here we go again……the waiting game.

Also in September 2008 by pure chance, I take a notion I could get some funding from the NI Arts Council. My work is good, I have confidence in it…why not? They only accept applications twice per year from individual artists and as luck would have it, the deadline for this round of applications is next week! So hastily, I knock together a synopsis for a proposed second novel, and send it off with my application and a copy of my completed (still unpublished) first novel.
Arts Council eventually come back in November 2008 with good news of funding to help write a second novel! Hurray! Now I have some new writing to concentrate on whilst searching for a publisher for novel one.

Advice – there are plenty of sources of funding out there, always explore these avenues. As long as you have some evidence to show them that you can write well, you have as good a chance as everyone else.

Joined authonomy in Sept 2008, uploaded my work and got some great feedback. Managed to reach Rank 25 in the charts before finally getting really fed up with the site, taking up WAY too much of my time and not getting any new writing done.
Interestingly having only been on authonomy for 2 months (Sep/Oct 2008) another writer (who shall remain nameless) read my work and was so impressed, they passed on my details to a publisher they know. What happened next? My work ended up with another publisher, totally unexpectedly. More of the waiting game and eventually the publisher came back asking to see the full manuscript. FEB 2009 – they read the whole thing and said no, but gave me some great feedback and positives to take away from the experience. Usually publishers like to just say NO, so very interesting and encouraging that they offered some feedback and advice too.

Advice – you never know who has a contact or friend who is an editor, so remember you are a writer and always watch out for opportunities. There are people on authonomy who have been published before, have great contacts or have an agent – you never know what can happen if one of them likes your work!

So here we are, April 2009. Have had 3 other rejections from publishers. Out of the 4 rejections, one read the full MS then said no - 3 of the 4 didn’t just say no, but offered feedback that I was a very talented writer but [insert random excuse here] which both I and my agent feel is encouraging. We just need the right editor to read my work and fall in love with it – so will keep trying. Have sent out to another 6 publishers.
I am about halfway into writing a second novel and exploring other writing projects.
I am booked onto the Faber and Faber Writing Academy next week in Dublin, hoping this will help my writing and my literary CV.

Advice – don’t rule out writing courses, if you get a good one it can only help you as a writer.

So far, things appear to be going good, but the waiting, oh don’t talk to me about the bloody waiting!!! Is so frustrating!!
I’m still on the road to getting published, I may never make it, very few do, but at least I can say I gave it one hell of a try.

Regards,
James.

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