Nine Times Published

An Essay on Writing
by Bob Liter

I recently posted notice that my ninth novel had been published on the Internet. One of the fine administrators of the IWW site suggested I report on my experiences with Internet publishing. So here goes.


THE WRITING

First of all, of course, is the writing. I'm a retired journalist who had dabbled at writing fiction for years but seldom finished anything as long as a novel. My best writing was done only in my head when I was sitting around sucking up beer and talking about sports or girls. Sometimes both at the same time.

Soon after I retired a female friend, upon learning I had a partially finished novel, insisted on reading it. Then she insisted I finish it. I am often influenced by females.

It was something I wanted to do anyway, and since I was retired, had no excuse for not doing it.

This evolved into a method of writing that has produced a steady stream of novels and short stories since. Breakfast in the morning then writing. Nothing else after breakfast until I write.

Sometimes I write two pages, sometimes more, but always at least two. Two pages a day, every day, adds up. I edit the first draft as I go. I go back five pages each day and edit what I'd written before. That gets me into the storyline and a desire to write more. After I've finished the novel I do more editing, whatever rewriting seems necessary and set the thing aside. I start a new novel and after a couple of weeks, but not on my writing time, I read the first novel, make whatever changes seem necessary, and begin the process of trying to get it published.

I wish I could stomach writing an outline. It would make writing the novel so much easier. What I do instead is start with a loose idea for a plot, sometimes think of the ending before I get to it and just write. For instance, I am now writing an erotic about a girl who is raised in a tavern and loves the local athletic hero. He believes in spreading his seed she becomes promiscuous and blames it on him. I'm writing it with each chapter involving a different lover. I'm making it as good as I can. I've learned that no matter what you write you have to stay in the habit of doing the best writing possible.


THE SELLING

I've tried to interest a literary agent or print publisher in each of my novels before sending them to an Internet publisher. My first novel, August Is Murder, the first of four Nick Bancroft mysteries, was published in 2003.

All of my novels have been published with the same publisher. You can get a list of e-book publishers by searching with those words. Pay attention to the author guidelines. Publishers or agents are owlish it you don't follow them. Rejections are part of the procedure. Keep sending your work out to one e-book publisher at a time. In the case of agents and print publishers multiple submissions are accepted by most. The important thing about trying to find an agent or publisher, print or e-book, is to keep looking.


THE PROMOTING

Plenty has been written about this and most of it is available on the Internet. The Internet itself is becoming one of the most effective tools to promote sale of books or at least draw attention to them. My writing this is a form of Internet promotion. I have a website and a blog but neither has drawn much traffic, and I haven't done enough to promote it. My books are available at Fictionwise .

Any questions?

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You can keep up with Bob Liter -- and Nick Bancroft, for that matter -- via Bob's two places on the Web, his site and his blog.