All are original contributions to the St Rose Press website from the author.

No copying in any form electronically or by any given means without the expressed written consent of the author and the St Rose Press website.

Rosalyn Alsobrook (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Tomorrow's Treasures (St. Martin's Press) "Keep rejection letters in proper perspective. Never give them more importance than they deserve. A rejection letter usually the result of just one person's opinion. Granted it is an important person, but still, just one person. Occasionally two. The trick is to keep polishing and sending the work out until you find that one person who will love your work."

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Suzanne Barrett (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Taming Rowan (Kensington) "Writing is a lonely, time-consuming but infinitely rewarding profession. Practice it every day, and then practice some more. Emulate the best, but retain your own creativity. Believe in yourself, and take your writing seriously. If you do not, then neither will anyone else. Love what you do so others may also love what you do."

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Carole Bellacera (multi-published) Author / Screenwriter Homepage /// Current release : Spotlight (Forge) "The best advice I can give is to tell aspiring writers to NEVER GIVE UP! Perseverance. That's the key. Believe in yourself and write from the heart. Never allow rejection to make you quit. I should know. I've written four novels, had four agents (presently with my fourth) and I've still yet to snag that publishing contract that will make me a published novelist. (Yes, I have a novel online, but I'm talking traditional publishing here.) But I won't give up. Not ever. Why? Because I know I was meant to be a writer. It's all I've ever wanted to do. And I'm good at it."

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Rosanne Bittner (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Mystic Dreamers (Forge) "I wrote and submitted nine novels before one was published, but I KNEW I had good stories and that it would be just a matter of time before a publisher realized it, too. I now have 45 stories in print. "I am frequently asked how I got started writing. Well, I couldn't NOT write. I have so many stories to tell, I just HAVE to write. It was tough finding time in the beginning, with a family and a full-time job,  and sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night with my head on the keyboard. "If you recognize yourself here, the best advice I can give you is, if youbelieve in your story, be determined. "I have included many more practical details in the Advice To Writers section of my web page. Good luck!"

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Stella Cameron (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : All Smiles (Mira) "I get very tired of hearing people say, "Never give up." But Never Give Up! Always have a manuscript in the mail. Beware of the critique group that sends you away in tears to rewrite the same chapter for the tenth time. Write your own story and ignore comments about what "can," or "cannot," be submitted, or what various houses are buying. Treat tip sheets with extreme suspicion. Read and study widely among the books you like to read. Don't waste time writing what you think may be most easy to sell if you hate the stuff. Always remember, it's tough to write and hold your nose at the same time. . . Also beware of "authorities" on your genre. Would you have your appendix removed by someone who knew roughly where it was but had never been to medical school? Start every story as close to the end as possible without leaving out anything important. Welcome to the best business in the world."

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Daphne Clair aka : Daphne de Jong (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Huntersford (New Concepts Publishing) Every writer should always know there is still much to learn about life, about writing and about the publishing business. Luck plays a part in publication, but savvy is more likely to get you there. So study craft, find out about how publishing works and what changes are taking place that affect writers, and remember to have a life - otherwise you will have nothing to write about.

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Charlotte Boyett-Compo (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Windchance (Dark Star Publications)    "One of the most often asked questions I get about writing is: "How do you write dialogue and make it sound natural?" That's a tough question and that's the reason why some writers do more description in their novels than dialogue. Writing good dialogue that isn't stilted, doesn't come across as being something inserted for the heck or it, and that will grab the reader's interest, has to be one of the toughest things for a writer to master. I use to read a certain romance novelist's works because they were interesting and very sensual. After the third book, I began to see a pattern that started to irritate me. She had, and still has, an annoying habit of having her characters ask questions almost constantly and throughout the entire book, she asks questions of the reader such as: How was he to know she didn't like to be kissed? or What reason could she give for not wanting to go with him? Over and over again, I began to pick out question after question after question and it became a distraction I could not overlook. Consequently, I stopped reading her novels. When the dialogue is stilted, forced, and unbelievable, you're going to turn your reader off just as that novelist turned me off with her incessant questions. There is a very simple way to write dialogue. You do it with a tape recorder. Tape recorders are God's greatest gift to the absentminded. In the middle of the night, rather than wake your significant other by turning on the light, hunting for pen and paper and scribbling away, you can reach over, pick up the tape recorder and very quietly record your thoughts. Most writers will tell you their best dialogue comes while they're either in the shower, in bed, or out of ink. A handy tape recorder kept at hand will not only record your thoughts and memos, it can be an invaluable tool in doing dialogue. Pretend you are your characters. Play act. Ham it up. Inject what you are feeling while in your character's persona. Most of what you record will be rubbish, but among the throwaways may be a jewel of rare value. Take that and use it. Make your tape recorder an extension of yourself and your characters. Be sure to take it with you when you go to the mall, the movies, or the beauty shop. Sometimes conversations you overhear can be a wealth of inspiration and start a dialogue thread. And more often than not when people see you talking into your tape recorder, they get curious and some will even come up and ask what you're doing. That's a good excuse to promote yourself. "Oh, I'm a writer and I'm doing research for my next novel." "Really?" they'll exclaim with varying degrees of enthusiasm, or lack thereof. "What's it about?" Tape recorders: A writer's best friend."

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Millie Criswell (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : The Wedding Planner (Harlequin) "Patience and persistence is everything in this business. My advice to unpublished writers is to read extensively in the genre you wish to be published in, write every day if possible, edit then re-edit your work with a very critical eye, take constructive criticism when offered, and stick with it. Those who succeed in fulfilling their dream of becoming a published author are those with the tenacity and willingness to perservere. Patience, persistence, perserverence. Take the three "P's" to heart and never give up your dream."

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Patricia Crossley (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : A Suitable Father (New Concepts Publishing) "I read a quote not too long ago and made a note of it. "A writer is someone who has taught his or her mind to misbehave." Isn’t that wonderful? As we’re caught up with jobs in the home and outside, with children and grandchildren, with bank accounts, vacuuming and husbands, wives or significant others, our minds can misbehave because we’re writers and it’s allowed, it’s expected of us. Not only that, we train our minds to take leaps and detours, to follow fantastic paths. What an idea! Usually we train ourselves to behave properly; this suggests training for being different, for being non conforming, for taking risks, for letting our minds envisage the fantastic. Let go, and let your mind misbehave all it wants.."

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Debra Dier (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Beyond Forever (Leisure) "If you can be satisfied without writing, don't write. Walk away from it. Now. Writing is difficult, even after you are published. You will have your words dissected by reviewers, readers who may love you one day and hate you the next, hours of agonizing over just the right phrase, and a market that may swing up or down at any time. You will also face rejection, before and after that first book is published. Your editor will not love every idea. In short, writing is a difficult profession. If you can find satisfaction in another career, then find it. If you know how difficult the profession is and you still cannot walk away from your stories, if you love putting words on paper, creating worlds and breathing life into characters, then you are destined to write. You will overcome every obstacle, because this is your love. You will keep writing your stories, seeking perfection, long after you receive rejection after rejection. You will persevere through every turn in the market. You will succeed."

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Marie Dillon  Author Homepage /// Current release : Wilder than Ever (Press-Tige) "It started out with little stories on paper when I was twelve years old, By the time I hit high school 'the pile' had grown in leaps and bounds. Even my English teacher (Ms. Tricket, Cobleskill High) knew what I was destined to become even when I had my doubts. I don't know when I started to take this 'hobby' into a serious light, all I know is it always was a part of me, and without the fellow support of people out there (which are to numerous to name) I am at long last going to view my name on a cover this year. I say to you don't give up, there are people out there waiting for your stories, and I look forward to seeing it on the book shelf."

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Alice Duncan (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Spirit Of Love / Writing as Rachel Wilson (Jove) "My three favorite quotes are: "Use what talents you possess. The woods would be very silent if only those birds sang there that sang best." Henry Van Dyke. "Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration." Thomas Edison. "Don't ever give up." I don't know who said that first, but it's the only way to approach the writing biz if you want to be (and keep being) published! I have those three taped up next to my computer, and they've kept me going more than once."

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Kathy Lynn Emerson (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Face Down beneath the Eleanor Cross (St. Martin's Press) "The first book I sold was rejected forty-seven times. On the forty-eighth try, it found a home. That was in 1980. The book (a non-fiction study of sixteenth century women) was published in hardcover in 1984, reissued in 1996, and is still in print as a trade paperback. So, if there is any wisdom I have to pass on it is this: never give up. A book cannot sell sitting on a shelf or in a drawer. It only has a chance if you send it out. Since 1980, I have sold over twenty more books, all but two of them novels. In some cases, the book which finally sold was a version of an earlier novel which did not. I "recycle" everything. The first novel I ever wrote (way back in 1976) did not sell, but it formed the basis of two later sales, one book published as historical romance by Harper Paperbacks (Winter Tapestry, 1991) and my current historical mystery series featuring Susanna, Lady Appleton (Face Down in the Marrow-Bone Pie, 1997 and Face Down Upon an Herbal, 1998). So once again, I say: never give up. "

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Lynn Emery (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : One Love (BET Books) "I won't repeat the previous words of wisdom that are so dead on (write, never give up, write from the heart). I will say writers should join a writers organization. If you have a chance, get to know published authors (not badger them with unreasonable requests to read your manuscript or hook you up with their agent and/or editor). Work with them on committees, talk to them or just listen, observe and learn from their example. Following advice from published authors- advice they volunteered after we got to know each other- helped me to get published. But don't expect this to be a guarantee. Also, remember that when an editor or agent says "Send me the manuscript, that sounds like a good story", what they really mean is "I've got to see how it plays on the page, chapter after chapter. I have to see if it holds together or if the whole book fits our line". They can't tell that from a ten minute verbal description, a query letter, a synopsis or even a proposal. A request is no guarantee either, it can't be. Could you buy a car based on four tires, the battery and a hood ornament?"

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Connie Flynn (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : The Dragon Hour (Onyx) "Tell yourself over and over again that you can make it. Never criticize your writing during the first draft; it cripples creativity. Don't listen to all the industry tales of gloom and doom; it's always the best of times and the worst of times, and new writers get published in both. Don't be a slave to the rules of your genre, but learn them well; you need to know the rules before you break them. There is no perfect way to write a book, so stop looking for it. Treat your writing like a job; make a regular date with yourself to write and do it. Learn your craft and keep learning even when you're published; talent isn't everything. Submit regularly. Never make a decision about a rejection letter when it first arrives; set it aside a day or so then re-read it. If an editor takes the time to write a detailed rejection and says she wants to see the book again, she means it. Keep submitting no matter how big your rejection pile grows. Last but not least, 6 rules to getting published: Write, write, write, and submit, submit, submit."

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Gwynne Forster (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Against The Wind (Genesis Press) "The best advice I received as a fledgeling writer of fiction was write what you know, what you like to read, and what you feel comfortable saying. In that way, one easily find's one's voice. Don't imitate other writers. Put your ideas forth as you feel them and express them in the way in which they have meaning for you. If you read a thousand Linda Howard or Donna Hill books, you'll never write as they do, but you'll be a poor imitation if you try to imitate them. Dig deep into yourself until you find crevices of your being that you didn't know existed, pull it out and force it on to the printed page. Ever writer who excells does precisely that. For some of us it is painful; for others, it's easy. For all of us, it is essential."

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Lori Foster (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Sinful (Berkley) "I see so many wonderful writers working toward getting published. They have the talent, they have the perseverance. All many of them need is a touch of luck to be published. For these writers, it's a matter of happenstance, of landing on the right editor's desk at the right time with just the right story. If you keep at it, that touch of luck is bound to happen for you. There is no quitting. Writers write. Whether they ever get sold or not, they write. Whether anyone ever reads what they write or not, they write. It's an inborn talent, and not something that can be set aside. Keep giving it your all. It took me over 10 complete manuscripts to sell. It takes on an average of 5 years from the beginning of serious writing to that first sale. If you have the talent, and you've got the guts to stick with it, then tomorrow may be your lucky day. GOOD LUCK."

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Holly Fuhrman (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Mad About Max (ImaJinn Books) "Hemingway, in an Esquire article, once said "All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you: the good and bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. If you can get so that you can give that to people, then you are a writer." I think Hemingway speaks to all writers. Creating a story that can carry those feelings to the readers, creating characters who truly breathe and live is our goal. The masters do it with seeming effortlessness, intimidating the novice. But if you ask them they'll tell you they still sweat out each book - that they have to pry their characters out of hiding. No amount of practice will alleviate the work involved. Yet through that work they create those very real fictional characters. Writing, like anything else, is learned and improves with practice. And practice, and more practice. It's hours alone at the keyboard. It's dedication and perseverance. I've heard people wonder if it's worth the rejections, the heartache and the effort. I say, yes. If you study and learn from your mistakes, maybe you'll be lucky enough to "write books that are truer than if they had really happened . . ."

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Katherine Garbera (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Her Baby's Father (Silhouette) "Write the book in your heart and be true to yourself. The only way to really succeed in this business is to believe in yourself and your writing and you can't do that if you aren't writing from your heart. Don't let the rules and constrictions you hear about from others keep you from writing your own story. When you get a rejection letter, look for the positive things in the letter. Set it aside for a few days and then come back and re-read it. Once you've taken what you can from the letter and made it work for you send that manuscript out again. Don't ever give up and keep on writing!!"

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Marilyn Grall (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Conquest of the Heart (New Concepts Publishing) "Write the story that's in your heart, and then another . . . and another. Listen to experienced writers and join writers groups, but don't let the "rules" throw you. Above all, don't give up! I think that's been said on this page about 10 times already, but it's nevertheless true. Last but not least, consider alternative forms of publishing. Traditional paperbacks are no longer the only game in town. "

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Laurie Grant (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : My Lady Reluctant (Harlequin Historical) "Don't let your lack of a college education with a degree in history or English literature convince you that you are not qualified to write historical romance. If you have mastered the fine points of grammar and love history and most importantly, love to read and love to write, with effort and persistence, you may well succeed. I know, because I never went to college and I am the author of eleven published novels and sold my very first one (though I've had rejections since). What is necessary is that you read, read, read. Don't read ONLY what you'd love to write--read a lot of that, but read other kinds of books, too. Read books on tape in the car if you lack reading time. But know when it's time to stop reading and WRITE. You have to accept that you can't read every romance novel out every month and still have a manuscript to submit. Discipline is important--you have to give up something, whether it's TV at night or sleep in the early morning, to accomplish your goal (but don't give up exercise! It's important to keep fit to keep your imagination going!) I'm all for contests, but they're only means to an end--getting published--not the end itself, so don't forget to SUBMIT TO AN EDITOR! And if you can't serve as an officer of your RWA chapter and write, then let someone else be the officer. (I know that's treason, but that's my opinion!) Keep in touch with what's being published NOW, and the news of the industry that you can get online, but be disciplined about your online time, too. Wow, I've been more wordy than I intended, so I'll close here and just end with--GOOD LUCK!"

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Bonnie Hamre (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Storm (Dreams Unlimited) "Writing is an obsession, something you do because you can't do otherwise. The story demands to be told, the characters clamor to be heard, yet to be successful in publishing, you have to combine your voice with market demands. Not easy, sometimes not profitable, but oh so satisfying!"

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Lori Handeland (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Just After Midnight (Precious Gem Historical) "Try to keep your joy in the writing itself. This shows through in your work. Focusing on what you can control, the writing, can help your frustration with what you can't control, the selling."

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Elizabeth Harbison (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Annie and the Prince (Harlequin) "Learn from their rejection letters!!! Don't just put your nose in the air and say that any editor who would reject your work must be crazy, find out *why* they rejected it, then decide if it's something you understand and/or agree with. Personal rejection letters are one of the greatest sources for learning to improve your writing -- they're nothing to be upset about."

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Holly Harte (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Texas Indigo (Kensington) (being updated)

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Robin Lee Hatcher (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Remember When (Dorchester) "A writing career doesn't come with any more guarantees than anything else in life. Just do the best you can. Believe in yourself and what you are trying to accomplish. Reinvent yourself when you have to. Perseverance doesn't refer to just selling the first book. It refers to selling every book after that, too."

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Emma Holly (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : In the Flesh (London Bridge Trade) "Dare to be dumb. Too many struggling authors censor their own writing because they're afraid it's not 'good enough.' But as useful as books on writing and workshops can be, they're no substitute for sitting down and writing.. . . a lot. You need to make mistakes to learn. And you need to learn, that sometimes the 'dumbest' ideas end up being the most compelling to your readers. Keep a corner of your imagination childlike and free. Giggling as you write can be a wonderful thing!"

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Kay Hooper (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Eye of the Beholder (Severn House Publishers) "The most difficult thing I do in my life is to sit down at my desk, turn on my computer, and stare at that screen. It's an act of faith, in a way; I have to believe each time that the words will come, sometimes one by one, reluctant and ragged and uncertain, sometimes in a rush, tumbling over one another in their eager haste to be seen and heard and understood. Each time I sit down, I hope for the words, and each time I fear they've gone, that the well is empty. But somehow, day by day, the words come. On a good day, I become so caught up in my evolving story that I forget to count the words; on a bad day, I hold and polish and count each precious one like a miser with his coins. Slowly, the words begin to add together, to form a structure, describe characters, convey a story. And finally, on that last day, I have a book. There is no magic formula. There is no wise advice I can offer that will help you to pull the words from your imagination, slap them on paper, and see them published. There is only work. Day by day, it's a simple matter of putting my butt in that chair and wrenching words and characters and stories out of myself. It's the same simple matter for you. Do the work. And keep doing it. If writing is important enough to you, there really is no other choice."

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Elaine Hopper (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Tigers Play Too Rough (New Concepts Publishing) "Keep writing! Keep learning your craft! Keep submitting your work! I can't say this enough. If you have stories longing to be heard, let them! The world wants to hear your voice, they want to read your stories. We live in exciting times: the dawn of a new millenium, the dawn of new publishing avenues (electronic publishing) and new publishing houses. A published friend of mine shared her secret to success which she calls the "Rule of 7". Always have at least seven of your manuscripts (or short stories) submitted at publishing houses, and you'll get published. It worked for her and it worked for me. What it boils down to is: don't give up and you'll be a success! I wish you much success and joy."

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Sharon Ihle (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Untamed (Zebra Books) "Whenever I get down and wonder if I really belong in the publishing business, I turn to my favorite quote from Calvin Coolidge. He said; "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence Talent will not; nothing is more commonplace than unsuccessful men with talent. Genuis will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts/ Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent." I figure as long as I have persistence and determination I still have a fighting chance. As does everyone..."

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Karen Kay (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Night Thunder's Bride (Avon) "Force yourself to smile and you'll soon stop frowning. Force yourself to laugh and you'll soon find something to laugh about. Wax enthusiastic and you'll very soon feel so. A being causes his own feelings. The greatest joy there is in life is creating. Splurge on it." L. Ron Hubbard I find this little poem helpful when I'm stuck on some plot or something just isn't rolling through as it should. The only other thing I can say is that it has taken much more effort to become a writer than I ever thought it would. It takes not only persistence, but darned hard work. It takes practicing your craft over and over until you've got it right. And it takes rolling with the punches and believing in what you're doing even when your editor and (blush) your agent might not. And it takes a lot of laughing and a lot of humor. This business is already serious enough. Why make it more so?"

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April Kihlstrom (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : The Sentimental Soldier (Signet) "This is and always has been a crazy business. We can write the very best book we can, study the market, target the publishers who seem to be publishing our kinds of manuscripts and still hit the wrong desk at the wrong time. This business takes persistence and a belief in ourselves and our work. The determination to send it out, over and over again, until it hits the right desk at the right time, and the willingness to listen (but not slavishly!) to feedback. My advice? Don't ever give up your dreams. Write because you love to write, because you need to write, because you can't NOT write. If you do that, you are a writer--whether published or not--and I honor you for it."

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Day Leclaire (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Her Secret Bodyguard (Harlequin) "I offer you all the cliches in the world--not for your writing. Heaven forbid! But to hold close during those rough times. Write what you love and find joy in your writing. Never give up. (I did tell you they were cliches!) Not everyone is going to succeed. Does that fact stop you or spur you on? One of the toughest truths is: Many writers want to "have written." The truly hard part is to keep your backside in the chair and actively write. You need to want to tell your stories more than anything. There are going to be many, many stumbling blocks both before you publish and still more afterward. But if you want to achieve your dream more than anything else, you'll find a way. Most of all, I wish you luck. With strength, unswerving determination, a love of your craft and luck, you will succeed."

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Pam McCutcheon (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Here Comes The Baby (Harlequin) "My best advice is to write what you love. Most beginning writers seem to have the basics down pat, but they seem afraid to push the envelope or do anything different. Forget what the guidelines and writing magazines say about what is or isn't acceptable--write your own story the way you have to write it. If you love what you're writing, your joy will make your writing scintillate and your voice will shine through loud and clear. And that's what editors are searching for."

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Sharon Mignerey (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : His Tender Touch (Silhouette Books) "Like so many other authors, I spent years writing before obtaining that illusive goal of publication. And so, once again that old refrain is true -- talent without persistence is little more than dust in the wind. No matter the endeavor, we all know very talented people who quit before realizing their dream. In a nutshell, publishers publish, writers writer, and whiners whine. Simply decide which one you are, study your craft, do a little something toward your dream every single day, and keep at it until your dream comes true."

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Lynn Miller (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Sexy As Sin / writing as Meg Lacey (Harlequin) "Writing is one of the hardest, yet most exhillerating, professions. It gives you the joy of creating another world, peopled by wonderful characters that come from your imagination. Yet it is full of terror and frustration as you sit there and wait for the story to come from your fingertips. Perhaps this tip will help next time you sit down to tell your story. Have you had problems with your blank page staring you in the face -- sometimes known as "Writer's Block"? Well, here's a professional tip. Stop each time you write each day, at a place that will easily let you pick up the action. Jot notes down at the end of each writing session that tells you what will happen next -- action, people, dialogue -- anything to get your mind going. Then the next time you sit down to write, it will be much easier for you to put your fingers on the keys, or pick up a pen. You can do it. Good luck!!"

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Lisa Mondello (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Nothing But Trouble (Domhan Books) "Writing a novel starts as a dream. It only becomes a reality with hard work and dedication. Dig deep and write from your heart each and every time you sit down to write. If you don't know and fall in love with your hero and heroine, no one else will. Above all, enjoy the wonderful journey of writing your novel. The publishing industry is hard and filled with rejections and setbacks along the way. But it is the love of telling that special story burning inside you that carries you though. Good luck with your journey."

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Sally Odgers / Tegan James (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Mix and Match / London Bridge "Write your book. But first, ask yourself what you want and what you *really* want. Be realistic. Do you want to write a best seller? Good luck! Do you want to write a published book? Study the market, don't do what other mid-list or first-time writers don't do. Don't assume the existence of the unusual (i.e. a book where H&H don't meet until Ch 3, or a book where the hero is a farmer) means that you can do that too. Good luck! Do you want to write a book and finish it? Write to me for my step-by-step instructions: sodgers@hotnet.net.au Do you want to write the book that *you* would love to read, whether it gets published or not? Well then, start writing *now*. Do what you dashed well like. Even if you're the only one who ever reads it, you can look yourself proudly in the eye (in the mirror, of course) and say; '*I* have written a book!' "

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Jo-Ann Power (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Allure (Pocket Books) "Doing the necessary job of writing each day for at least twenty minutes sets up patterns of habit and psychological reward which are vital to a creative soul's well-being. Second, recognizing that you need to learn how to be objectively critical of your work encourages growth in your art. Finally, understanding the laws of marketing (i.e. the statistics of selling a product) will help you bear the pain of rejection. What are those laws? "10-3-1" This law says for every time you try to sell a product (including manuscripts) the chances of it selling are in the proportion of 10-3-1. In other words, for every 10 times you try to sell it, 3 people will say maybe and of those 1 will buy. Now, because of the law of averages, some sales people sell to the 1 person who will buy immediately. Others (that is the vast majority of us, folks) must collect A LOT OF "NOs" before they get to "YES!" Above all else, remember that famous last line philosophy of that great romance heroine Scarlett O' Hara: "After all, tomorrow IS another day!" Happy learning"

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Mary Jo Putney (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : The Wild Child (Ballantine Publishing) "The first and best reason to write is for ourselves, because creativity is good for the soul. The publishing world is complicated and impossible to predict. The one thing we can control is our work--so write long, and prosper!"

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Patricia Rice (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Impossible Dreams (Ballantine) "Talent is an essential ingredient of writing, but talent without perseverance is worthless. One must write regardless of the obstacles life throws in the way. One must read and study and rewrite and learn more with each page written, no matter how exceptional the talent. And even should talent and hard work prevail, one must persevere through rejection, criticism, bad markets, and all the other trials and tribulations that will stand in your way. Actually, maybe a high degree of stupidity is necessary to persevere against those odds."

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Nora Roberts (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Carolina Moon (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) "Never try to write what you wouldn't read for pleasure. If you write with your eyes on the market, you won't tell a story from your heart. Remember the joy of writing. Even when a book isn't going well, isn't it wonderful that it's YOUR book?"

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Evelyn Rogers (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Second Opinion (Love Spell) "There are many ways to break into the world of publishing: luck, timing, hitting the needs of a particular publisher or the whim of a particular editor, and, of course, writing the perfect book that is recognized as such. There is only one way, however, to insure that you will not be published, and that is to quit writing. If you like what you're doing and have faith in your talent, don't quit, no matter how discouraged you get. My aerobics instructor, a nonreader who was fascinated by my profession, asked what I did when I couldn't think of what to write. "Do you just make something up?" A number of smart-aleck answers came to mind, but I settled on "Yes." And that's what you should do. Keep on making something up."

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Patty Salier (multi-published) Author : Homepage /// Current release : Non Refundable Groom (Silhouette) "Keep your writing dream in mind at all times. Don't let rejections EVER stop your flow of writing. If your work is rejected, feel depressed for a day, and then move on and write your next piece of work. Keep your writing dream always in the back of your mind, because, believe me, it WILL come true, just like it did for me!"

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Barbara Dawson Smith (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Seduced by a Scoundrel (St. Martin’s Press) "Expect to write for at least several years before you sell. Most successful multi-published authors wrote many completed manuscripts before they finally got that coveted phone call from an editor. A lot depends on how open you are to criticism and revision. Those who learn to improve their writing skills are the ones who will succeed! Make writing a habit and a priority. Set regular hours to write every day. Discipline yourself to write during that time. And don't let yourself get discouraged!"

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Lori Soard (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Picking Up Cowboys (Timeless) "If you can give up writing, run and run fast. This career is not for the faint of heart or those who aren't 100% committed. But if you can imagine giving up breathing before you give up writing; if every spare moment is spent daydreaming about your characters or plot; if there's always a story in your head screaming to be told--then step forward boldly and never look back. Never let anyone convince you it's impossible to make it as a writer. Take the words can't and I'll never out of your vocabulary and add the words perseverance and gonnabe."

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Debra Dawn Thomas (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Wrap Me In Scarlet (Zebra) "If you want to sell, write the book all the way to 'the end,' and get the work out. Keep a spreadsheet in Excel, or some other program, with every publisher in the world listed, including Epublishers. List what they're looking for, who the editors are and what book you can send--and then send it! Now start a new project. If you get a rejection, keep the editors comments on the same sheet. Learn to recognized a good rejection or a bad one. There is a difference. Find out what the editors want. Don't waste time sending books to editors who are not looking or your type of novel. You have to be market savvy. That's not to say something different won't sell, just make sure you send it to an editor who is open to new ideas. It's the editor, not the publisher. They all have different opinions, likes and dislikes, and it's important to hear what they have to say, either when they are interviewed in writing magazines or speak at conferences. Make necessary notes on that spreedsheet: "hates cowboys," "hates time travel," whatever... Go to conferences and meet editors! Many writers (myself included) don't want to do the market homework, and I'm the first to say I wasted a lot of time and postage. If you have an agent, make sure he or she has a working relationship with the editor you want to sell too. Don't assume they have a good relationship just because they have a shingle hanging on the door. Watch the market like a dog watches his bone. And WRITE, first last and always. Don't stop the process."

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Jane Toombs (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Vigil House (Starlight Writer Publications) "Persistence is the name of the game. Writers who persist learn more and more about the craft. Writers who persist finish each work, whether it be a six-line poem or a 100,000 manuscript. Writers who persist eventually become published."

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Cheryl Wolverton (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : What The Doctor Ordered (Love Inspiered) "WRITE. Write write write! When rejections come, write. Persistance is the only way you're going to learn. Keep writing and keep submitting. Eventually whether it is a year or ten years, it'll pay off. And avoid the chocolate when you get that rejection<GGGG>. If you can, find a gentle critique group that is honest, but not nasty. And listen to the market news! Find out who is buying what. Then make sure you have a few friends that understand the writing business so they won't have you committed when you start talking about ways to do the mail carrier in when he brings you that umpteenth rejection;)"

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Deborah Wood (multi-published) Author Homepage /// Current release : Courting Sarah (Jove) "If you are serious about becoming published, writing will be a priority in your life. It will come first, before dusting, or the mending you've been putting off, or weeding the flowerbed. You will not only write when you have the time, you will make time to write, even if you don't quite get to some of those daily chores that will still be there tomorrow. Keep a file for your rejection letters. A rejection letter is only one person's opinion but hopefully you will gain a little insight from each. If the file grows to a thickness that depresses or worries you, keep it out of sight--the back of a drawer or closet will do nicely (under that pair of you had to buy but may never wear), and don't count those letters until you sell your first book length manuscript. Write a story you would love to read. It is difficult to write in a genre you do not enjoy. Most authors will tell you that if you are writing to get rich or famous that you should try something else. Also, be persistant. Few writers sell the first manuscript they write. Good luck! Pursuing your dream is exciting, frustrating, exhilerating, exhausting, and can give you a feeling of accomplishment. Most of all, take pride in all the work you put into creating your story."

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