My Top Five Secrets of Success by Susan Sleeman

In our writing, we learn as we go, but isn't it great to get an idea of what to expect from someone who's been there, like author Susan Sleeman? -- Sandy

Susan: I have been writing for fifteen years now and have over twenty five books published. Along the way I have learned so much about writing and the publishing business that I would have loved to know before I started. So I thought I’d share my five secrets to a successful writing career.

1. Think like a professional writer

Attitude is critical for success. If you believe you are a writer, you will do the things necessary to become a published writer. Think of your writing as a small business. The only way a business gets off the ground is with a lot of work, determination, and dedication. The success to your new business is setting aside regular time where you commit to write no matter what. So set aside that time. Set a word count goal and write, write, write.

2. Accept constructive criticism and grow from it

Don’t be unteachable. Evaluate the comments and opinions offered on your WIP with an unbiased outlook. Use the comments that will make your WIP better and let the other ones go. After all, not only will it help you grow as a writer, but it will prepare you for edits and negative reviews once you’re published.

3. Read in the genre you’re hoping to publish

Look for best-sellers in your genre and read them. You certainly don’t want to copy the books you read, but reading will give you a flavor for what a publisher is looking for and even more importantly what readers are buying. Analyze the book. Look for pacing, structure, character arcs, and an overall feel of the book.

4. Persevere.

Don’t quit. If you haven’t already wanted to quit, you will at some point along the journey. That’s natural. Even when you’re published, there are days when you ask if this career is worth it. But if you REALLY want to be a writer, you have to work through your emotions and keep writing.

5. Know when to move on

There are times when the WIP that you dearly love, just isn’t going to be picked up by a traditional publisher, yet you keep trying to perfect it in hopes it will sell. You edit it more, polish the proposal more, and so on. This takes up your writing time and your focus, but more importantly, it keeps you from writing something new. Know when to put this book aside (or indie-publish it), but stop trying to perfect the book. It’s okay to let go, move on, and start something new.

What other tips or advice have you've received from someone with more experience? What is something you wish you would have known before committing to a writing career?

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SUSAN SLEEMAN is a bestselling and award-winning author of inspirational/Christian and clean-read romantic suspense books. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts the popular website TheSuspenseZone.com. Susan currently lives in Oregon, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a retired church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.

To learn more about Susan stop by any of these locations on the web.

Her Website -   http://www.susansleeman.com

Facebook -      http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks

Twitter -       http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman  

Review Site -   http://www.TheSuspenseZone.com

Planning Is Not A Dirty Word by Susan Sleeman

Susan Sleeman

Dora here. Today, Susan Sleeman offers five principles to make your writing time more productive. Enjoy, and keep writing! ~Dora

I’m one of those organized people who plan ahead. If you’re not a planner don’t stone me. Just hear me out as I believe even a little bit of planning and goal setting will increase your productivity. Honest! Published or not if you apply these five easy principles, I’m sure you’ll be more productive.

1. See yourself as a professional writer

Attitude is critical for success in this business. If you believe you’re a writer, you’ll do the things necessary to become a published writer. Set up a dedicated writing space. Even if it’s an orange crate and a chair. Then write, write, write. Whether you feel like it or not. Whether you’re turning out award winning prose or garbage. Write. Why? You’ve heard the old saying practice makes perfect. I don’t know about perfect, but writing on a regular basis grows your skills.

2. Set a Goal and stick to it

Decide which days of the week you’re going to write and set word goals. To keep up my publishing pace, I must write at least 2500 words 5 days a week. Do I always want to write 2500 words? “No,” I scream loudly. But by setting a word goal, it allows me to see at a glance when a rough draft will be finished and contract other books accordingly. Plus it keeps me on target. If I fail to hit 2500 words one day, I know I have to make it up the next day.

3. Don’t let distractions get in the way during your writing time

Easier said than done right? Especially when there’s email and social media at our fingertips. So how do you avoid spending too much time on them? I allot myself the first hour of the day as I am coming awake with my coffee to read email, Facebook, Twitter, etc and again as I eat lunch. When time’s up, I have a calendar program that reminds me to get to work. A good computer calendar program to give you reminders is invaluable in so many areas of a writing career. And you don’t have to spend any money on one. I use Mozilla Sunbird, which is a FREE program. I put deadlines and other events on the calendar and set appropriate reminders. For example, if I have a blog post or interview due, I set the due date and the calendar tells me when I should be working on it. Until then, I can put it out of my mind and concentrate on writing.

4. Set a book deadline whether the book you are working on is contracted or not

Any published author will tell you that a deadline will make you do super human things to complete a book on time. But you don’t have to have a contracted novel to do the same thing. Give yourself a deadline. Treat it as if an editor is waiting for your manuscript and stick to it. After all, once you do get that contract, you’ll have to work under deadlines. Learn to do so now when the pressure isn’t as strong.

5. Plan out your novels – okay I know this is going to start a seat-of-the-pants writer versus plotter argument, but read on anyway

When I first started writing, I didn’t plan a word. I didn’t even know where the book was going or how it was going to end. When I was able to contract with a publisher on proposal only—the first three chapters and a synopsis, I had to learn to plan my books in advance. And that’s what I did. I took the high concept, figured out character conflicts and the main story conflict as I had always done then expanded it to create a list of scenes that fit the book. Learning how to go from pantser to plotter would take a whole series of blog posts, but I bring it up for two reasons. 1. If you want to stay on the schedule you set, I believe you have to know where you’re going. If not, you’ll write, rewrite, and cut many words that will then put you behind schedule. 2. If you can’t plan ahead, you will never be able to sell on proposal and that means writing entire books that may or may not sell.

Well, there you have it. My five tips to being more productive as a writer. So what do you think? Can any of these tips help you get more words on paper?

Purchase Link

MISSION: PROTECT BABY

Gina Evans knows her brother was murdered—even if the police won't believe her. After catching a quick glimpse of the evidence her brother had gathered, the same criminals are after her and her baby niece. And Gina's only hope is the man she left behind. Despite the painful memories, private investigator Derrick Justice won't fail Gina and her baby. Yet now, the woman he never stopped loving and the baby he's come to adore are in a killer's crosshairs. But can Derrick trap the cold-blooded murderer before he strikes again?

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a bestselling author of inspirational and clean read romantic suspense books. Her first book, High-Stakes Inheritance was an ECPA bestseller. The Christmas Witness was nominated for the Daphne du Maurier Award and Thread of Suspicion for Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award. Susan lives in Oregon with her realtor husband. They have two daughters, a son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.

My Journey to Publication by Susan Sleeman

Have you ever felt discouraged in your writing journey? My guess is that the majority of us have struggled with feeling down and defeated at times. We work hard and feel good about a project, only to be rejected once again. What do you do? Author Susan Sleeman is here today to share some experiences in her own journey to publication and what she discovered along the way. Enjoy! ~ Dawn

My Journey to Publication

by Susan Sleeman

At a recent doctor’s appointment where everyone knows I’m a published author, the medical assistant told me she wanted to write a book. She added that she didn’t know where to start and asked what I would suggest. For a moment, ideas raced through my mind and I couldn’t decide what to tell her in the few minutes she had between patients. I eventually told her to sit down and write and to look for a writer’s organization where she could connect with other writers.

As I left the office, I wondered if I’d given her the best advice and I started thinking about my journey to publication. It started when I had health issues and had to quit my job. Faced with sitting around all day, I decided I should write the book I always wanted to write. Had I ever done much creative writing? Did I have a degree in writing? Was I even any good in grammar and other skills writers need? NO! I just wanted to write a book.

So I sat down and began putting words on paper. I read everything I could find on how to write fiction and studied books in my chosen genre. I listened to other author’s recommendations for books to purchase. And I found several online resources including American Christian Fiction Writers. I finished the first draft of my first book and entered a contest. I finaled in the contest and I just knew I was on my way to publication. Wrong! I still had so much to learn so I joined a critique group.

In the next few years, I wrote five complete manuscripts and developed additional skills. Soon I signed with an agent and yet, for years I sold nothing. You see, I was writing books that I wanted to write regardless of what readers in the Christian market wanted to read. This doesn’t mean I ignored basic inspirational fiction guidelines regarding swearing, sex and graphic violence. I stayed within these guidelines and even had a few times when books went before publisher’s committees. But ultimately, I was told the books didn’t fit their needs or they wouldn’t sell to the predominantly female reader in the Christian market.

And honestly, I was tired of writing complete manuscripts only to be told they liked the writing, but the books were not for them. In a word, I was discouraged. I wallowed in self-pity for a bit then decided I needed to find a better way to target the publisher’s needs. So I looked at publishers who had specific needs where I could tailor my writing to those needs. That led me to Barbour’s Heartsong Presents Mystery line and Love Inspired Suspense line. I studied their guidelines, crafted proposals to fit their needs and voila, I now have six books in print and five more contracted.

So does this mean I sold out? Gave up on my dream to write books I wanted to write?

I don’t think so. It means I started approaching my writing from a practical slant if I ultimately wanted to have a writing career. I love, love, love writing for Love Inspired Suspense. I’ve learned a great deal from the editors and hope they will continue to keep publishing the books I write for years to come. But I also continue to write those harder-hitting, edgier suspense books that I want to write and my agent keeps submitting them to publishers. One day, I hope one of these books will land at the right publisher, but until then, I am gaining valuable experience in the publishing world and earning a good living.

So where are you in your writing journey? Are you a novice or someone who has heard a few nos from publishers? Is there a publisher out there that you can target as I did? I’d love to hear about and chat with you about your journey so let’s get a dialogue going.

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SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense and mystery novels. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing romantic suspense and mystery novels and hosting the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com. Susan currently lives in Florida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law and an adorable grandson.

To learn more about Susan, please visit her 

Website  http://www.susansleeman.com  

Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks

Or on Twitter  http://www.twitter.com/SusanSleeman