Coffee Conversation

During a recent afternoon coffee stop at Starbucks, I happened to overhear snippets of the following conversation:

Guy #1: I sent my book manuscript to publishers, but it was like they could care less about my idea. No one even responded.

Guy# 2: Wouldn't you have to know someone to get your foot in the door? Maybe you should call and talk to someone.

Surprisingly, I overhear many conversations like this (I must have writer's antennas). Rarely, if ever, do I interrupt and interject my own thoughts (well-meaning and helpful). Why? Because I've learned to mind my own business, and secondly, most folks (especially Hoosiers) don't appreciate help from a wise guy who says he actually works with publishers every day. They assume I'm one nut shy of a full can of cashews.

Still, I know rookie mistakes when I overhear them. And there are many. These are the mistakes that keep most writers unpublished (if they want to be published) and drive publishers crazy (as most writers do, because they don't know protocol).

I could talk long on these mistakes, but the largest mistake most writers make is simply this: they don't write enough. Publishers will say it. Editors lament it. Sloppy manuscripts, typos, wrong manuscript style, and bad protocol toward an editor or a publishing house always tops the list of pet peeves among the people who make decisions. And most of these could be corrected if the writer took the time to read and research "how", "why" and "when" . . .and then spent a lot more time casting words onto the page. A lot more time. A LOT MORE TIME!

Once, I recall another writer telling me, "You have to get your work copyrighted before you send it to a publisher, or someone can steal it!" Another writer I know puts a copyright mark on the bottom of a every page submitted. Huge mistakes. But I could never convince these writers that their lack of success was tied to these rookie practices.

Of course it really helps to talk to a writer who has been around the block a time or two. Every time I meet a writer who is more successful than I am, I don't want to talk about my work and the beautiful gems I'm creating (who cares?), I want to ask "how", "why", and "when" questions. And I'm all ears. I want to learn. I'm there to learn.

And then I go home and write until my fingers bleed.