OUT OF THE DITCH AND INTO PRINT
Having one's novel published is not as glamorous an affair as the media make readers believe. The would-be author should start by convincing himself that this is it; this is what I want to do; I must write I must tell a story or do nothing else. It is novel-writing for me, no matter how long it takes, no matter whether I'm published or not. Write I must, and a novel it must be. There follows that secret joyous state of the actual writing...
The next stage of the would-be author's life is the most cruel and disheartening, the end of the road for many. This is the endless trip to the publishers, letters to newspapers and magazine editors. In my case, for example, not a typical one, by any means, as I happened to be one of the unluckiest would -be authors that ever lived- I spent almost every week for three years trying to persuade publishers just to read my work. I did not care whether I was paid or not; my only wish was that someone would share in my dreams, someone would tell me where it was that I was wrong. I soon got used to the sound of returned manuscripts on the lino-covered store of my council flat. The plop sound of the fat envelope dug an immediate pit in my stomach. I would leave the manuscript there, knowing perfectly how the letter, a nicely worded photocopied rejection slip would go. 'Thank you for letting us read your Ms which we have enjoyed enormously.... but.. it cannot be published at the moment...'
moment...'
Then one evening I tried to read one of my 'observations' aloud to a friend. He said 'Don't read me that stuff- send it to a radical paper like the New Statesman or something..' He said it by way of ridicule. Me, whose work was still being considered by some local newspapers! I had nothing to lose. I typed out my first three 'observations' and sent one every Tuesday when I went to the post office to collect the children's family allowance. The first week, nothing happened, not even a rejection slip. That was odd. The next one, nothing haappened. After the third one, I think the poor man got tired of seeing the, and he sent me a short note saying that he was amused and interested in my observations of life in London. I screamed until I almost lost my voice. I was going to be a success at last
ADVICE TO WOULD-BE WRITERS So you want to become a writer? It is often erroneously, thought that anyone can become a writer: This is not true. People who want to become successful writers need two qualities- a lot of talent, and a great deal of determination. However, on their own, these are not sufficient, you also need luck-or if you prefer, opportunity.
So what advice can we give to would-be authors? First, write! Even if the words you write never get ready by anyone apart from yourself, writers improve by practice.
Secondly, almost equally important, read! Ben Okri, the prize winning novelist, says that he was always been a voracious reader throughout his life, both classical and modern books as well as timeless classics from around the world- Tolstoy, Dickens, Mark twain.
Thirdly, never give up. Catherine Cookson, who was very poorly educated, and spent much of her working life as a domestic servant, did not start writing till she was forty; she is now a millionaire. Mary Wesley had her first book published when she was seventy!
There are a number of other important points that would-be authors should bear in mind. One of the most important is that publishers only publish books that people want, or have, to read. Writers of educational books have to be expert in their subjects- and have the knack of writing in a way that appeals to both teachers and learners. It follows that would-be authors should therefore bear in mind the reading public, and make sure that readers will be willing to pay toy have written. Lastly, authors do need the services provided by reputable publishers- companies that are trustworthy and have the technical expertise to produce and market the books in the right way, at the right time and to the right markets. Not every publishing company can claim to possess these essential qualities, so authors should choose their publisher with care: if in doubt, seek advice.
Abstract by:
Kehinde Hassan
[email protected] 