Q&A with Jon Sprunk discussion

In some ways I'm a new kid on the published block, but in others I'm a seasoned vet. I've been writing and submitting for going on 20 years now. If you want to talk about the publishing world, this is your place.

With publishers, are they as strict as most people make them out to be? This is one of the things that scare me, because I don't have any experience in the publishing industy, I'm worried I may present my manuscript wrong.

Without a doubt, publishing is a tough business to break into, but my experience is that publishers aren't so scary -- they are good people who love books and writers.

I wrote about this a little on my blog (http://jonsprunk.blogspot.com/2009/11...), and I'll add that if you really want to write and be published, you have to be bold, and you have to be persistent. Don't let rejection end your dream.

Thanks Jon - I read the blog and it's helped =)

Glad to be of service!

I must echo Jon's advice in his blog (good post, btw). Let me add, I've been on both sides of the table, as a submissions editor and as a hopeful submitter, and persistence pays off... to a point.

Talent often speaks for itself. But talent alone isn't always enough.

Some tips from my time on the editorial side of the table (especially when face-to-face):

-Be confident in your work, but not overconfident (in other words, take advice/criticism constructively and graciously, even if they're full of crap -- ha-ha).
-Be thoughtful without being creepy.
-Be persistent without being a pest.
-Be amicable without getting overly familiar.
-Be knowledgable about who you're talking to (i.e., whether agent, editor, or otherwise, know their name, what they do, and what they're looking for).
-Be properly formatted.
-Be sober. Again, especially if you're face-to-face. (Although Dragon Con can be an exception to this rule... Not Really.)

Following these tips will certainly earn you points. They aren't a substitute for real talent, obviously, but they won't ever hurt your chances, and just might improve them somewhat.

Thanks, Joe. Those are words to live by.

Some more great tips about writing in a column by kids writer, Audrey Vernick. This is a recurring column called "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning.

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/...