how to get published

Scottie Bowman (rbowman@indigo.ie)
Thu, 23 Sep 1999 20:29:27 +0100

    I don't wish to rattle on endlessly like Jimmy Durante 
    about the day I wrote a book.  But I think Colin is being 
    unduly cynical about the publishing business.

    I was given very much the same advice thirty years ago - 
    yet when that unforgettable letter arrived from Longman's 
    it was out of the blue & without benefit of any 'inside' 
    contacts whatever.  I can't believe that things have really 
    changed all that much.  

    As with everything in life luck, plays its part.  Unfortunately, 
    at least 80% of luck consists in making yourself superb 
    at whatever it is you're offering.  On the bright side, 
    one should never forget that most people are absolutely 
    useless.  

    Things look different from the other side of the rejection 
    slip (which EVERYONE has to learn to take).  Once 
    I'd broken that barrier I could see very clearly that 
    the vast majority of them - readers, agents, publishers - 
    are crazy about books & are all absolutely dying to find 
    the next contender.  Publishing is far too serious a business 
    to waste one's time indulging one's buddies.   

    Jim's advice is the best.  Try to find the right agent for 
    your particular line of goods, send a careful letter & try 
    to present your stuff in legible, ATTRACTIVE form 
    (that's right, as Camille would mockingly suggest, with 
    a nice border & paper that's not ringed with coffee 
    stains & with capitals in the appropriate places & no 
    obvious spelling mistakes & ....) 

    The market will always be queen of the battle.  
    The agent knows he will make money if you're 
    even half way good.   He is ever on the beady-eyed 
    lookout for likely lads & good looking girls.  

    The sad truth remains that if you wish to win 
    the lottery you must at least buy a ticket - 
    which, in this context, means write something publishable.   
    That's much more difficult than finding a publisher.

    Scottie B.