I figured this was the best spot for this thread, since none of the other forums seemed appropriate.
So, who else is writing their NaNo with the intent to publish? I love the enthusiasm of the newbies, and I love the excitement of those who would never write a novel otherwise, but I would love to have a group of us who aren't doing this for the novelty of it anymore, but because this is another way to get a new book finished with the sole intent of selling that novel to a publisher.
I'm a full-time author, both of my previous NaNo novels are contracted and in pre-publication edits, as well as several other non-NaNo novels and novellas. I write all year round but always look forward to NaNo because it's one of the few times a year I can get a whole book done in a month.
I know I'm not alone, so I figured I'd make a place for those of us doing this as a serious writing endeavor to gather and commiserate. It's tough when I hit a snag in my novel mid-month and the advice I get elsewhere on the forum is to throw in some ninjas or have my characters revolt. I'd like workable suggestions, not crack ideas lol. Crack ideas can be fun, but not for something intended for my editor's desk!
Anybody else doing NaNo who's either been published or is intending their NaNo for publication? I write gay erotic romance, but any genre is welcome!
----------
61,146 / 50,000
oct. 5, 2008 - 19 46
I'm a technical writer and editor by trade. I've published several short stories and a couple articles. I've finished two books in the past and tried, unfortunately without success, to market them. Nano 2007 is finished in rough draft. Nano 2005 is the first in the series, though, so that has to be finished and submitted before anything else. This year I plan to continue the series with Book #3.
I write fantasy for the most part. The two books I submitted were traditional fantasies. The series I'm working on is urban fantasy. I took a break in 06 to work on a mystery but never finished it.
I definitely intend to work toward publication. Maybe the urban fantasy will do it for me.
----------2005: In Back of the North Wind -- WINNER!
2006: Leopard's Paw -- WINNER!
2007: The Old Straight Track (finished) -- WINNER!
2008: The Other Side of the Wall -- WINNER!
2009: ???
50,253 / 50,000
oct. 5, 2008 - 20 20
I've never been published, but I'm going for it with this one!
I'm planning an erotic romance for this year's NaNo. I'm working up my outline now, but I remember hitting a rough spot in last year's outline that had me messed up for days. Hopefully, there won't be any rough places in this year's project!
JB
----------"Your best teacher is your last mistake." -- Ralph Nader.
Racing the Turkey: 50k by Turkey Day!
8,585 / 50,000
oct. 5, 2008 - 23 03
I'm going for publication. I have an advanced degree in writing, so I have to justify all that debt somehow!
And I can relate to not wanting to put ninjas in to boost word counts-I actually took time off from my Nano last year to write a leprechaun story just because my local group threw the challenge at me during a write in and I didn't want to put it in my main work. No way was that little green man going in my novel!
I'm submitting that story to fantasy mags now, of course. No reason to waste it...:}>
I've published short stories/poems/articles/essays. Hopefully, last year's Nano will be my first paid foray into novels. And this year's will be my second, if all goes well.
----------Writers Submit! To The Abacot Journal, that is:
http://abacotjournal.wordpress.com
43,326 / 50,000
oct. 5, 2008 - 23 23
Congrats, Fae, on getting published.
I write dark, homoerotic fantasy romance and also have two books contracted for publishing. Neither are NaNo projects, although the third book in the series is, as well as a stand-alone novel that I'm currently trying to find representation for. In all, I've written six novels: five in a series and one on its own.
I absolutely agree: flying ninja squirrels are not always an answer, lol.
If this year's NaNo turns out well, I fully intend to seek publication. While I do enjoy writing and often write short stories just for the fun of it, I hope to make a living from this someday.
----------Katica Locke's Website
FictionPress
LiveJournal
5,000 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 05 17
Yup, my NaNo's under contract, so I'm doing it for publication. Good luck to everyone!
TAKE THE REINS (a 2006 NaNoNovel!) Jan 2009 from Simon & Schuster's Aladdin M!X
----------http://www.jessicaburkhart.com
http://www.canterwoodcrest.com
http://jessicaburkhart.blogspot.com
TAKE THE REINS (a 2006 NaNoNovel!) Jan 2009 from Simon & Schuster's Aladdin M!X
http://www.jessicaburkhart.com
http://www.canterwoodcrest.com
http://jessicaburkhart.blogspot.com
25,073 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 06 04
I'd like to try for publication - I have done NaNo three times but I have the worst time actually editing. There are too many times I just get stuck in the rewrite and not sure where to go.
I really enjoy the writing process. I've done two fantasy's in the same world - not really sequals since the second one takes place hundreds of years after the first. And I did one general fiction - kind of a spy thriller. I am working on editing but it's a slow process for me. I've been a writer hobbyist since high school but never had anything published - though I have tried.
But I definitely want to have the goal of getting one published, so I look at NaNo more seriously as well. The crazy advice may make for funny reading for myself, but it won't get my novel further along. So I like the idea of a place for more serious advice. Great idea!
----------2008 - The Dream
2007 - Magically Apart - winner
2006 - The Valinor War - winner
2004 - False Security - winner
0 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 14 47
This is my first year NaNoing. It's going to be difficult for me because my internal editor wrestles with each sentence as I write it. On average, it takes me an hour to complete a single page of work (yes, that's double-spaced). I just can't let my next book take five years like my first did. So, this month-long adventure is either going to free my writing like nothing ever has or it's going to put me in a rubber room wearing a hug-me sweater.
----------The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir
http://www.thebreak-updiet.com
The Dating & Break-Up Story Forum
http://www.mybreakupstory.com
91,257 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 15 34
I am. I wrote a novel about 140K and finished it early this year but after getting so close before being knocked back by several publishers I've decided on a full rewrite. It was a light fantasy but it's aiming now towards a darker side and a more historical sense than adventure - not factual history, but the history of the fictional world its set in - sort of.
I can't help but notice that a lot of our publishee's specialise in homoeroticism. Theres nothing wrong with that but I can't deny it surpirses me.
66,794 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 15 53
Wow, is it just me, or does it seem easier to get published if you're writing erotica??
50,176 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 16 54
I have an historical novel proposal being reviewed by an agent, and I'd like to write the rough draft of its sequel. It's going to be so hard for me to ignore the English teacher in my head, but this should help me push through the plot without getting bogged down.
----------My Blog - http://mybackdoorministry.blogspot.com
28,669 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 04
Good luck to you, urban fantasy is a really hot market right now!
----------28,669 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 06
LOL, yeah I love the super enthusiasm and I condone anyone doing what makes them happy to get their 50k, but it's a little discouraging when I post about hitting a snag and everyone chimes in with word padding suggestions. I cannot put ninjas in my contemporary gay erotic romance, folks, sorry!
----------28,669 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 09
Oh nice, S & S is a big one, congrats! One of these days the Big Boys in NY will come around and be willing to publish my genre as well. Until then, I shall simply envy everybody else lol. Good for you, I hope NaNo gives you another MS for them!
----------28,669 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 12
Nothing to be surprised about, fiction with gay themes, especially erotica and erotic romance, are really beginning to break out. Right now NY won't have anything to do with the genre, unless it's literary gay fiction, but that'll change soon, I'm sure. Erotica and erotic romance are two of the hottest selling genres in romance the past couple of years.
----------28,669 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 15
There's nothing easy about getting published, no matter what genre you write. Right nor erotica and erotic romance are very hot, yes, but that's just a market trend that's sure to swing a different direction eventually. It's still no easier to write a saleable erotic romance novel than it is to write a saleable literary fiction novel.
----------28,669 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 28
Ouch, FYI your website attempted to load a virus onto my PC.
----------50,135 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 32
Congrats Jessica and Fae!
I'm only 13, so I'm mostly writing for fun, but the thought of publication is on my mind. I doubt that the result of this Nano will be anything worth publishing, though I think the story has a good plot, and one I may be able to rewrite with some success. Of course, that's only if I succeed in finishing it. :D I finished my nano last year, and it was the most god awful WORST thing I've ever written, but it's all in good fun. So no, I'm not looking at this obstacle primarily with thoughts of publication, though there are hopes, of course, and dreams.
Congratulations and good luck to everyone who's going for it!
-Mai
58,014 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 17 36
I liked the novel I wrote last year and I finally finished the story line at the end of September.
After this nano I'm going to do a major revision and get it ready to submit.
As for this one, I'm still trying to decide on what to write. I write each time with the idea of publishing. That doesn't mean it's going to be worth bothering with, but it's what I have in mind.
I'll have fun any way it works.
Happy Noveling!
----------2006 (Won) Title: I Can't See Myself! -- SciFi/Fantasy -- invisibility
2007 (Won!) Title: The Amber Pendant -- SciFi/Fantasy -- Time Travel Murder Mystery
2008 (Won!) Title: The Conspiracy Class -- Mainstream/ Thriller -- Conspiracy
66,794 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 18 46
Sorry, I didn't mean that in a mean way. It did just seem there were a lot of erotica on the list being published. I don't think I'd ever be any good at the subject. I'll just stick with Fantasy and YA stuff!
But to answer the question, I do hope to one day be published. Not sure that this NaNo novel will be the One, though. I have another story in mind for that, if I could only kick my own butt into gear and finish it. I am terrible with ending...
43,326 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 21 02
Damn it. Thanks for the heads-up.
----------Katica Locke's Website
FictionPress
LiveJournal
5,217 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 01 53
I'm a first time NaNo'er (wow, that sounds really weird) with nothing published to my name, but that's the mindset I'm going for: I intend to get this published, and I'm not too interested in the "throw in some ninjas" stuff. I'm using NaNoWriMo as much as an incentive to get my ass in gear as much as anything else. The way I see it, it's a bit like going to the gym: It's a lot easier when you have several thousand people all going.
50,184 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 08 04
I'm interested in pursuing publication (not setting my expectations too high, though. I believe I'm writing the most unmarketable book ever) for this year's NaNo. I do have a question: In the past, my editing process usually involves cutting out giant chunks of my NaNo, because the word padding was too much. I'm generally left with a decent novella. As I have no experience in the publishing field, how difficult is it to get a novella published? Would one generally publish in a fiction magazine or as a bound book in stores? If two people (me and my friend) want to both write novellas, would it be feasible to get the two published as a single, novel-length book? Thanks in advance for humoring the newbie in this game.
----------2008: 3:38 AM
2007: The Fallacy of Isaac Brenner (Winner)
2006: Lab Rats (winner)
Hopefully this year, it won't suck so bad. (my motto)
28,669 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 08 19
Novella's are generally hard to market and of little interest to NY publishers depending on your genre. I'm really only familiar with the romance/erotica industry, so keep that in mind lol.
Novellas do well in epublishing, which is a legit and often under-rated route to go (not to be confused with self or vanity publishing mind you). As far as NY is concerned though, a novella isn't something that's worth the money it takes to publish it, unless it's a series of high-profile authors combining a few novellas into an anthology.
Also of note is that the 50k aimed for with NaNo is not considered novel length except in epublishing, some genres of sci-fi fantasy and the like. Mainstream fiction and most genres do not consider 50k to be novel length.
----------50,260 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 12 03
Hi to you all from across the pond.
I am using Nano to branch out into writing longer works. I write full time and I have had short stories, poems and articles published. I also compile cryptic crosswords, usually to specialist themes.
Thanks to Nano, in the past year I have written 2 novels and a full length screenplay. These are now at the editing and polishing stage.
Can't stand word padding tactics, (no ninjas here!) but I think it is important to sometimes turn off that invasive Internal Editor. One trick is to change the text color to the same as the background. That way the IE cannot influence the writing process but you can still count the words.
Hope you all write lots of good and meaningful words!
Best wishes,
Palefox.
66,794 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 15 42
Yeah, I thought 80K+ was more novel length. At least, from the websites I was checking out, that was the number I saw the most. So 80K is my actual goal, but I'll be glad if I can get the 50K for the month of November and finish the last 30K the next month. Still, it'd be nice to finish something.
And the homosexual markets do seem to be increasing, which is a good thing for me. I don't write erotica (I'm a virgin, so I'm sure it'd be terribly awkward), but I do usually have at least one gay character in my works. I'm not sure why, except that it feels more right than when I try to write a het romance.
Anyway, good luck for everyone trying to get published! I don't even know where to start, myself...
50,129 / 50,000
oct. 7, 2008 - 19 04
Hello, everyone! I am a pre-published author and a second-year Nano-er. I'm a print journalism major (senior year), but my heart is in fiction writing. My goal is to one day make a living as a full-time author and this year's NaNo is the first step for me!
I look forward to writing with you all!
----------www.associatedcontent.com/dkhinton
22,321 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 16 08
I am going to try for publication with this one. I am currently working on a novel now and I might Nano the possible sequel for that one. Still trying to figure out the story I am going to write, but I do want to publish a novel soon.
I do have some articles published online but I want to see my book in the store. I also have so many ideas for novels and just have to buckle down and hash them out. My article writing has taken off this year and hoping doing my second Nano will keep my butt in the chair to write more novels.
150,408 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 17 02
Definitely working towards publication, and have been ever since I started reading and first read Dick and Jane. I figured if someone could get trash like that published and then used in school, I could do it, too! I distinctly remember sitting at my desk thinking it!
Of course, reality is a lot harder. ;)
Anyway, in pursuit of that goal, I'm going into November 1st armed with several book outlines with the goal of completing at least 1 rough draft, and preferably 2. We'll see if I make it. :)
Good luck everyone!
----------***
Julieann Dreamer
Creator/Writer/Artist of free webcomic "Dreamers Cove" - http://dreamerscovestudio.com/comic
Nano 2008: The Phoenix Eggs
Nano 2007 : The String Weavers: WON!
0 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 17 26
I'm hoping to have my novel published. It will probably need some intense overhauling when the month is over, but there you have it. I'm determined to become a published writer...not "someday, when things are all settled down" but "as soon as possible" so might as well start now.
Plus, I really love the idea for my novel. I want it to work, to be published...I just have to actually write it first.
51,095 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 19 25
I'm hoping to be able to turn this into something I can attempt to publish. It has always been my dream to write and publish a novel, and last year's NaNo was the first time I ever completed anything of any real length, and it even had a pretty cohesive story. I was damn impressed with myself.
If I finish this year, my hope is to turn this year's and last year's into one book (I'm writing this one as a sequel, but for publishing purposes, it makes more sense as parts 1 and 2 of one novel). I actually don't think finishing this year will be the problem. Editing and rewriting is going to be the problem. I have a lot of learn about that if I'm going to manage it.