Brianna sent me the following questions:
I have a few questions about getting published commercially. First do I need an agent? Second what is the process?

I answered this question last June on this blog post. Read that post, word for word. Also, be sure to study the market. What kinds of books do you like to read? What are publishers putting out on the bookshelves? Getting commercially published takes a lot of work and a lot of time. Sometimes, when I meet people who say they want to commercially publish a book, they’re not really serious about it. I’ve even noticed this at some writers’ conferences I’ve attended over the years. I’ve met writers who attend every year, yet, they never finish writing a book, they never submit anything to publishing houses. I’ve even given unpublished writers my advice to join a writers group that focuses on the type of fiction that they’d like to get published – to help them glean a contract from a commercial publisher. I’ve had a few to state that those writers groups were not helpful when they’d joined, and after some gentle probing, I discovered that the unpublished writer had never submitted anything…ANYWHERE! This proved to me that the writer was not really serious about pursuing publication if they’d joined the group, said the group was not helpful, and then never submitted. How would you know if the advice given by these groups is not helpful if you’re not even submitting your material? It’s a process and a writer can’t land a contract unless they’re submitting to editors, to agents….to somebody!

Also, it’s somewhat unsettling to meet those who say they want to publish a book, but they don’t read very much. In my opinion, people like this are not real authors. If a writer is serious about pursuing commercial publication, then that person is an avid reader. For example, since I can recall, I’ve spent a great deal of my spare time with my nose in a book. Reading is always (with few exceptions) one of the favored past-times of those who commercially publish, and for those who are seriously pursuing commercial publication. An acquiring editor or agent would frown upon someone submitting a novel for publication only to discover that this person doesn’t read. Also, I’d think the writing would be somewhat sub-par and sub-standard – how would you manage to write a good novel if you don’t even read them? Read a lot and write a lot. I saw this video of Stephen King awhile back and he gives the same advice.

Brianna also asked:
Lastly do you know how to submit material for a movie?

My response?
I have NO IDEA, and if you find out how to successfully submit material for a movie AND actually land a deal that gets your story onto the silver screen, then you let ME know! LOL!

~Cecelia Dowdy~