Greetings from Moab, Utah!
My name is Adrienne Davenport; I’m a writer of historical and contemporary romance. These days what I do is pretty routine (don’t laugh please). I get ready for the day, drink my coffee, get my son off to school, and either work on writing or promoting a book. It wasn’t always like that. When I first started writing I knew I wanted to be a published author, but like so many I didn’t have the first clue where to begin. I hope by writing this I can help make that journey easier on other aspiring authors.
People often ask me how I keep track of all the ideas and information. Character maps are a beautiful thing. A chart of characters, places, and times they serve as a guide brief guide to follow. Not to say you can change things around. But this way at least you’ll have something to fall back on. Once your book is written comes the editing. Personally, I dread this part the worst. Always have someone else look over your manuscript before submitting it. I can’t stress this enough. Whether it’s a hired editor or a friend, do this. It’s easy to miss mistakes when you stare at something for such a prolonged period of time as it takes to write a book. On the other hand, a person who hasn’t done this will have a much easier time finding those mistakes.
Next in line is the query letter, a letter written to the publisher to request they consider your manuscript. You can find many examples of these on the internet. You can also find templates in Microsoft Word. At the top of the page you will want to include your name, phone number, email address, and physical address. Include the date and address the letter to the person by Mr./Ms. Within the body of the text explain what it is that makes your work a good investment. Include any credentials as well as a short explanation of your marketing plan.
Finally, you must consider the marketing end of writing. Being a writer is much like owning a small business, not only do you produce a product but you must also sell it. For this I would suggest the book “From Book to Bestseller” by Penny Sansevieri. This book has been a great help to me in learning how to navigate the ins and outs of book marketing. Make your name as visible as possible. If you don’t have a webpage you should get one. Also, create accounts at social sites like Twitter and Facebook. Book signings are a good idea, but try to think outside the box. Seek out reviews for your book. Guest blogs and interviews are an also an excellent means of getting your name around.
I hope this article will help those of you who are just beginning their journey to become a published author. Best of luck to all of you. If you have any questions feel free to contact me by email at: Adrienne_davenport@hotmail.com. I will do my best to return your email in a timely fashion. Good Luck!
Adrienne Davenport
