How hard is it to break into the novel-writing industry when you have talent?

Question

Ok, what I really would like to do with my life is to be a romance novelist. I know I could do it and I know I would be good at it and I've even started writing my first novel. But how hard is it to be a novelist like that? What are the chances of being successful? Like, Johanna Lindsey successful? And she started off as a horrible writer and her last book was horrible but yet she is one of the queens of romance. How does it work? You sell your first book? Get a publisher? etc etc. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

ok I hope I put this in the right place...

Answer 1

I honestly do know something about this.

I worked for a book publisher doing illustration some years back and most of the writers that they had there were talented, wanted to work at writing, but also had to pay the bills. The result was that most of them worked, when they could, on jobs that were very mundane, but still writing. I'm talking about things like writing textbooks and the like. Some churned out poems for some poetry journals. The problem with writing, like art, is that the need is vastly outweighed by the available material. A lot of writers have day jobs and work very hard to try and sell their novel to a publishing house. It is very difficult, and even if a work is published, the chances of it being a big success are outweighed by the chances of it not. I'm not saying to not try, though, or to give up on your dreams. It will just take a lot of work, and you may do a lot of writing that couldn't be termed as fiction.

One option a lot of writers take up is subsidy publishing. This is where the writer basically pays a publisher to publish their work. It usually is for writers who want a limited edition release or just a personal work for family or friends. The chances of going that avenue and hitting it big-time are rather slim.

Well, I hope I don't sound discouraging. Keep writing and good luck!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

It's very hard, even if you have talent. There are a lot of other people hoping to do the same thing.

If you've written a novel, submit it to a publisher, and if they reject it, keep trying other places.

I heard a talk once by a published author - her second book was an Oprah pick. She said she had a whole shoebox of reject letters before her first novel was bought and published.

Answer 4

Let me tell you something, If you want to cut it into the author industry, your stories have to be really good. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter novel nearly went into the shredder until one publisher saw its potential. So you also need luck.

Answer 5

Are you a freelance author who would like to understand more about how to earn fantastic cash carrying out what you get pleasure from? If you want to advance your writing career