User blog comment:RexGThurstan/Anyone here ever publish a novel?/@comment-4715955-20170512075137

Have you completed any works of short fiction prior to starting a novel?

If not, don't bother just yet. Start small and get the hang of plot and character development through a series of short works. And finish them, even if you aren't happy with them. Give yourself deadlines, and allow plenty of time for editing, editing, editing. Doing this teaches you a number of things:

1) You improve your craft by producing a large and varied body of work, rather than spending half your life on a single, arduous, and very clunky work that you will hate by the time it's finished. Start with microfiction and work your way up when you feel comfortable with larger works.

2) A novel is usually a short story with lots of filler, or an anthology of short stories that are all directly connected. Each chapter needs to push the story forward and hopefully end with a question that makes the reader want to start the next chapter. How do you get good at writing chapters? Writing short stories.

3) You won't publish your first novel. You MIGHT publish your fourth or fifth.

4) Writing lots of small works gets you in the habit of finishing what you start. Fixing what you already wrote is a hell of a lot easier than figuring out what to put on a blank page.

5) 90% of the writing process is editing.

My new year's resolution is to finish one book a month until 2018. I can do this 'cos I have 20+ competent short stories and novellas on the 'net, and even more rotting in my hard drive / recycle bin. Many of the latter will stay there forever, but they still count as practice. There are even more I deleted because I got better and couldn't stand the sight of them anymore.

I recommend the same challenge to you pertaining to short fiction. Write a new story every month. Use the first couple weeks for finishing, and the rest of the month for editing and polishing. Use the writer's workshop if you like, or another writing workshop forum of your choice. Ask for any feedback at all, and ask for recommended reading related to the genres you're writing in.

If and when you decide you're ready to try writing and publishing a novel, remember the following:

1) Peer reviews are your friend. Find a place with reliable readers who will actually read your work, and give feedback that's worth a shit. A lot of the feedback you'll get on the net is useless, whether or not it's well-meaning. Some people have no idea how to critique. Others might, but completely miss the point of what you wrote. Even if it's useless, give it a little consideration because it might still inspire a positive change.

2) Follow submission guidelines to the letter, personalize your cover letter, and never, EVER send the full manuscript unless asked. The same applies to literary agents (fyi if a publisher says "no unsolicited manuscripts", that's lit speak for "only contact us through an agent"). Also don't submit to people who have reading fees: no legit agents or publishers will ask for money up front.

3) Whether you go through a publisher or self-publish the book yourself, you're going to do all the work. You have to find ways to promote the book. You have to network with other writers and bloggers. You have to invest money in giveaway copies and other promotional events and materials. You have to accept the fact that you may very well put more money into the book than you'll ever GET out of it. But you shouldn't be taking this route if you're in it for the money anyway, because you can count on your fingers the total number of authors who make a living off their writing. The rest of us have day jobs and do it because we can't help it.