Blue Notes #22: How to write a book
I just wrote one, and so can you!!
WELL HI!
Imagine me leaping over the fence of Book Edits Jail, where I spent most of September!
I’m back, Blueberries!!
As the emails in my inbox molded over, and my to-do list stretched like an accordion, and my reality TV shows collected like receipts at the bottom of a tote bag, I was busy staring blankly at my laptop, attempting to answer such questions as, “I’m not sure I get this—can you clarify?”
My hat is permanently off to anybody who regularly writes on a deadline with a specific assignment. I don’t think I got either of those genes.
Yet, it’s done—for now!—and I’m flinging the windows of my mind wide open, cleaning off the tables, and setting vases of fresh thought-flowers on every surface. I’m cutting the mold off emails one by one, and bringing fresh autumnal air into my brain space. It’s a nice time to be Mari. :)
Oh, and I saw a whale for the first time ever!!!!!!!!
This is wild: I grew up in Seattle, where there are apparently lots of whales roaming around. I’ve been to Alaska, Australia, and Argentina, which is like the Triple-A organization of whale activity. I’ve even been on whale-watching boats, and yet…those spectacular ocean critters have always eluded me.
And then I saw one in NEW YORK CITY!!!?? And not only did I see a whale, but five dolphins surrounding it, under a slight rainbow??!
WHAT IN THE LISA FRANK!?
Here’s a video which proves that Nature is embarrassed by the existence of iPhones:
And a photo which shows how happy the whale made me, even hours later:
I took this all as a sign (of course) that the sea life of New York is cheering me on as I bring a book to the finish line that I hope will help them, and every other living creature in the world (including humans!—we get our own chapter ;).
I also started crying (of course), not only because I was lucky enough to see the most majestic animal on earth with my own eyeballs in my own city, but because it’s the biggest privilege of my life to get to write a book on the thing I care most about right now—that every single being, no matter how scary or weird or ugly or inconvenient, is worthy and deserving of love.
Speaking of which—real quick!—my birthday is in a couple days, and if you’re in the mood to give me the BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT I COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE!!!!!…please consider donating to this fund which provides pet care to people who are in addiction recovery. Much like folks in domestic abuse crises, many people struggling with substance addiction will delay or avoid treatment because they don’t have care for their pets. This extraordinary fund really helps animals and people!!! All donations will be matched through September!!
Yay!
Now, I’d like to tell you exactly how to write a book!
Because it’s the question I get asked most often:
“I have an idea for a book, but how do I…do that?”
I remember asking that question a LOT, and receiving no answers aside from “Work hard!” or “Keep writing!”
Pleasant sentiments, but not helpful answers! When I published my first book, I vowed to be super-transparent about the process, because it was so daunting and tricky for me. I absolutely believe that anyone who feels compelled to put their work out there needs to put their work out there.
If you’ve ever had the slightest inkling that someone might benefit from your self-expression, then I can 10000% guarantee that someone might benefit. Please, for the good of the universe, and for the love of the world, PUT IT OUT THERE!
And, if I can assist that process in any practical way, it would be such an honor for me!
I will say, up top, that you can express yourself and touch lives and be seen in sooooooo many ways other than writing a book. If you dream of writing a book, it might be an interesting thought experiment to ask why a book exactly, and possibly discover ways that you could fulfill those same desires in a different form.
And, I understand that the book as a form really means a lot to some people—it certainly does for me! I love writing and I will always write, whether it’s in letters, diary entries, emails, the back of napkins, or in a blog/newsletter.
But, I have a very special love for the complete project of a book, and I can certainly see why people want to know how to write one!
So, I’m delighted to share some tangible tips on how I did it, because I’m dying to read YOUR book :)
1. Think of a concept.
I know this might sound basic to some, but, for me, it was the difference between “I think I should write a book some day and my friends think I should write a book some day” and….actually getting a book deal!
When you feel the story or theme brewing inside you, listen to that!! Then, think about who might need it.
The intersection between your idea and the audience who needs it is your book concept.
IT CAN BE VAGUE.
I came into my first book having only a very loose idea of what I wanted to do and say, BUT I had a strong enough voice and a sure enough drive that I was able to convince agents/publishers that I could deliver.
I refined my voice over many many years on my personal blog and through freelance writing gigs that paid $20 per article. Even though I didn’t have a strong platform, I had refined my writing style over so many years that I felt confident in proposing a book idea.
The concept for my first book took about 10 years to refine, the second one took a year, and the third one took 4 years. Maybe yours will come in a dream, but don’t get discouraged if it’s slow to take hold!
When the book wants to be written, its concept will find you—and you’ll be amazed at how much mental work you’ve already done on it without even knowing.
In the meantime, READ READ READ READ READ. Then read some more.
2. Fall in love with your concept.
When I had enough material, life experience, and voice refinement to propose a project, I was already so in love with my book that it didn’t matter how it came into the world.
I was so ready to go down to my local FedEx and print out dozens of copies of my book to hand out to people on the street.
I knew, on a deep cuckoo-bananas intuitive level, that there were people outside of my orbit who would resonate with my story. When I was writing, the words that showed up were so beyond me, I was sure that they were needed elsewhere.
Because of that strong feeling, I would have been happy as a clam to self-publish, but I wanted to try for traditional publishing first.
Self-publishing can potentially make you a lot of money, and it eliminates the need for a lot of business-y folks backing your work…yet it requires things I’m terrible at or hate: self-promotion, building a platform, finding distributors, hiring and managing people, and basically just hustling a lot.
I am fundamentally very lazy, which is why I wanted to try for traditional publishing, and ultimately it worked out. Here’s how…
3. Find an agent.
Finding an agent is essential to getting a traditional book deal—you can't do it without one.
Agents help you craft your vision, protect you, advocate for you, and help you get paid! The tricky part is that when you get paid, they get paid—so they take you on only if they see a lot of potential in your project. (You should never have to pay an agent up-front, so beware if someone offers to represent you for a fee. Agents earn commission.)
This means, most of us get a LOT of rejections!!!!!
I got over 40 rejections over the span of a few years, when I’d send a burst of emails and then retreat in rejection heartbreak for a while. Like dating, it only takes one!—but that “one” can be SO elusive.
Toward the end of my search, I received a couple email responses suggesting that I tweak my idea into a guided journal or a gift book of illustrations. I was tempted to forego my original intention so that I could accomplish my dream of being published, but it wouldn’t have been my dream. I didn’t want to write a guided journal or a gift book; I wanted to write a book book—and that meant that I had to say “no” too.
The moment I received this email was the single best moment of my life:
It made up for the dozens of times I banged my head against the keyboard in frustration that I couldn’t even get a non-paying freelance writing job at somebody’s niche website for bowtie enthusiasts, or the hundreds of rejections I got from anyone who would actually pay me a few bucks!
I received tons of emails from agents telling me that I needed a bigger platform, more experience, bigger endorsements, or a stronger narrative, and I think what ultimately landed me an agent (an absolute DREAM AGENT at that), is that I didn’t care about all that stuff.
I spent much more time refining my voice than chasing followers. I don’t say that in a hoity-toity, (*fanciful accent here*) “I ONLY CARE ABOUT THE CRAFT OF WRITING!” way, but like literally…I just wanted to be a better writer. I wrote regularly on a blog for many years that gained about seven readers, and I put much more effort into satisfying those seven (ugh, okay, four) readers, rather than trying to get MORE.
Then, I made a long list of my dream agents.
In order to find agents who might be interested in my work, I plopped myself down on the floors of bookstores and pored through books who had similarities to my own idea. Then, I’d flip to the back of the book in search of the Acknowledgements section, and find out who the author’s agent was. (It’s pretty obvious; most will say Thank you to my agent blah blah blah).
I wrote down lots of agent names, and found their emails through Publishers Marketplace, where you can get a subscription for about $50 and access to any agent email you can imagine.
I eventually hired an “agent matchmaker,” a former editor who personally knew a lot of agents and created me a personalized list of ones seeking the type of book I wanted to write, which ultimately led me to my beloved Cindy. Best $1,000 I ever spent.
To get an agent, you have to craft a “query letter,” a very specific genre of email about why your book will be worth their while. No pressure!!!
There are zillions of free resources online about how to write a query letter, and even more examples, but I’ll do you a solid and share my embarrassing one here…