Maybe We Shouldn't Publish Our First Novel

Why is it that we can easily spot the flaws in someone else's work, but finding our own is like feeling our way in the dark? (Weirdly, I know exactly where everything is inside my bedroom, but trying to locate a particular object in the middle of the night---like the Kleenex box---is akin to hacking through the jungle blindfolded.)

Tonight I scanned a few "look insides" on Amazon, based on authors asking for reviews. My previous offer to ARC read went nowhere, but I'm also willing to read and review a published work, because I know that 99% of us indie writers will never get more than a handful of reviews. Sadly, I was unable to find a book I'm willing to spend time on. A few sounded sort of interesting, but when I read the previews, they were a quick rejection.

1. Don't add a prologue! Especially one that talks specifically to the reader, ticking off all the trigger warnings. I think those belong in the blurb, not in the actual book. (Besides, that's not technically a prologue; it's an author's note.)

2. I don't want back story before the actual story. Because I don't care at that point. (Trust me; I had to overcome that writing tendency myself.)

3. Just say no to starting with dialogue. Okay, okay, I've done it. I did it with two of my novellas, but at least the dialogue led to (I hope) a question in the reader's mind. And it was one line, not an entire conversation. In cracking open an unfamiliar book, I don't want to be confused. Who are these people talking? And why is their exchange so boring?

 

The tendency for first-time authors is to publish. They're excited. They did it! They wrote a whole novel! I published my first novel, not exactly out of excitement, but because all the literary agents rejected it and shelving it seemed like I'd done a lot of work for nothing. In fact, that novel is still out there on Amazon (for now). I really need to take it down, but it's hard to pull the trigger. (I'm also comforted by the fact that no one has bought it.)

"Aren't you worried it'll trash your reputation?"

"I don't have a reputation."

Thinking about that story, I realize that it barely had a plot. I thought I was being clever, telling three women's stories and how they intersected. Except the intersections were few and far between until the end. If I picked up that book, I'd wonder why I was slogging through all the chapters without some kind of payoff. Don't get me wrong; it was great practice. But practice it was. On the plus side, at least I didn't start the novel with dialogue. 😏

If I was to go back and admonish myself, I'd say, just tuck the manuscript away...for now. If the plot has an interesting theme you want to explore, write something else or a couple of something else's, then come back to it once you know how to tell the story. 

I'm never going to rewrite that one, so inevitably it'll need to be unpublished. I'm not interested in it; it's not worth salvaging. My third novel, though, could be good, and I won't rewrite it, but I'm still going to revise it.

Another factor in a writer's rush to publish is probably their uncertainty that they'll ever be able to write another book. That first one of mine took far too long to write, and in fact, I was pretty convinced I wouldn't go through it again. So, I viewed it as my one and only chance to publish. I didn't know that writing gets easier the more you do it. Not easy---easier.

For the vast majority of us, just writing one book is a feat. I have a few acquaintances who've claimed to want to write a novel (or more commonly, a memoir), but they never did. One or two might have started one, but abandoned the notion in short order. It takes a special desire to keep at it. And some measure of skill, to be honest. Not enough skill, but some. There's a ton of kids (probably) on the Reddit self-publishing sub who post that they have a fantastic storyline in their heads, but they don't know how to write it. One has to have enough skill to keep going when he/she gets stuck. 

So, if you're one of those special people who can plow through, you'll write more than one book. That first one isn't your one and only chance. More so, unless you're independently wealthy, you'll need to spend money to try to lure readers, whether it's by commissioning a professional cover or hiring an editor, not to mention advertising. Why not save those dollars for a book that has the potential to do well?

Easy for me to say, I know. But this blog is called The Failed Author for a reason. I've done every single thing wrong at one time or another. 

As I scanned those "look inside" previews tonight, it reminded me of the adage that new writers need to read voraciously. I would add to that, read bad novels voraciously, too. When I read a passage that's poorly executed, it leaves a more lasting impression than reading a lovely novel, which only depresses me, because I know I'll never be able to pull it off. I've always operated best by example, and a bad example can be just as impactful as a good one. "Note to self: Don't do what that writer did."

Now's the time for you to weigh in and inform me that your first novel was a hit and that I'm the outlier. That's entirely possible. But I do believe that the odds are, my side of the equation is much larger.