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WritersReaders.com Blog 11/15/2010 2:21:19 PM
Writing Comes First
Many times first time writers approach me with questions about marketing, publishing and even distribution before their manuscript is complete. There is nothing wrong with asking the questions but the answers would be for purposes of educating them about the business and not taking direct immediate action. Preparation is important, learning more about the marketplace and business of publishing is highly recommended but the writing always comes first.
Once the writing is complete and editing in progress, that would be the time to have a preliminary discussion about the next step. Once the revising and rewriting is complete and the manuscript is ready to go, then is the time to launch into the next phase. However that next phase is dependent on the personal goals for the writer and whether or not the manuscript is strong enough to meet those goals.
Final marketing, publishing and distribution decisions are highly dependent on the strength of the writing, genre and current market conditions. It might mean writing the query letter and shopping to agents or making independent publishing decisions. However none of that should happen before the manuscript is complete, done, over and finished. I’m all for getting an early start but not too early, the writing comes first.
