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/lit/ - Literature

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776948 No.776948 [Reply] [Original]

Any published writers here? Becoming a novelist has been my dream job for years now, and I might finally get a chance to have a short story published. Any tips would be fantastic!

Pic kind of related, actually

>> No.776966

How are you being published? A magazine run by a friend or what?

>> No.777002

>>776966
Well, uh, it's not really a fine literature magazine, but... the Black Library is accepting submissions for Warhammer-based short stories and novels until July 31st, and I figure it might be worth a shot, since I do read a lot of their books. One of my concerns with that, though, is if my first published work is for a pulp fiction company, will that stereotype me?

>> No.777018

>>777002
>Black Library is accepting submissions for Warhammer-based short stories
Someone should send them LCB.

>> No.777028
File: 111 KB, 504x720, LCB is Canon.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
777028

>>777018
Too late, it's already canon, thanks to Fantasy Flight Games. In the latest release of... I think it was Rogue Trader, this image and four or five quotes from a Vindicare assassin named LIIVI are sprinkled throughout.

>> No.777031

>>777028
Wait, what? Really?

>> No.777033

So your dream job is to become a novelist but you're still writing fanfic?

>> No.777036
File: 218 KB, 842x451, atfirstiwaslikethisbutthenOO.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
777036

>>776948

> Novelist
> Fan fic

>> No.777045

>>777033
Well, if you want to phrase it like that, yes. I wrote the thing I'm planning to submit just for fun, as my take on part of the Warhammer world, but then this submission invitation came up, and it just sort of... fit.

>>777031
Yes, really. Last year, LCB became canon Warhammer lore.

>> No.777140

>>777033
>>777036
so you hold that writing for an established series is fan fiction? When Robert Ludlum died after writing the first three Bourne Identity books, Eric Van Lustbader took over the series and wrote the next four books. Were those fan fictions too?

>> No.777158
File: 48 KB, 387x259, facepalmlaptop.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
777158

>>777140

>> No.777162

>>777002
It'll only stereotype you if you either keep writing for pulp or can't write for anywhere else.
Really, if it's your first publication you can't afford to assume you'll skyrocket to fame. Now's the time to try to gain experience and become more familiar with writing works suitable for publication.
Basically, take what you can get.

>> No.777184

i may be getting published in ZWG.

>> No.777189

>>777184
Zine Writers Guild? How'd you pull that off?

>> No.777204

I've had some stuff published in a magazine my friend works for, so not sure if it counts.

>> No.777207

>>777189
1. Write shitty story
2. Submit said story
3.wait for a while
4.???
5.PUBLISHED AUTHOR

>> No.777210

>>777207
I wrote a game review for game informer and never heard back, nor was it published.

>> No.777218

Had my first book released at the beginning of April just gone. Paid £2K for what I thought would be a wide distribution to major retailers and online stores. And all I got was a simple "Yeh, hi...just to let you know...I like...exist...so...if you want a copy...y'know...just tell my publisher and they'll print it for you" sort of promotion. Hell I had to arrange a newspaper interview myself when that was promised in the contract too.

I was promised distribution in the contract...but I guess they've spent countless hours finding the best way to reword their promises on that one. Currently writing the second book in the series, but I'm in no rush thereafter to get it released.

>> No.777230

>>777218

Why did you pay?

>> No.777235 [DELETED] 

www.anonmalk.se but with t instead of m in the middle 867c73825aea5104ed34bf41376c58f6 27294

>> No.777252

>>777230

A: Because I am/was a gullible individual who had finally found a publisher willing to accept my work after the 11th/12th attempt of finding a publisher.
B: It was BEFORE the shit hit the fan and the penny really did drop on realization.
& C: I had the money to do so and was financially in a comfortable position to afford it. Though £2K is still a lot of money no matter how you look at it.

>> No.777260

>>777218
Self publishing is a minefield, or so I hear. I've gotten several fantastic books out of SP companies, like a guide on home made fireworks.

>> No.777274

HEY MORONS. IF YOUR BOOK IS ACTUALLY ANY GOOD YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT PUBLISHED. AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NEWSPAPER FOR YOURSELF EITHER.
GOD WHAT A BUNCH OF RETARDS

>> No.777293

>>777252

Most chain bookstores ( ie none) carry SP books. Anyone promising that is full of shit. Some book chains are planning to sell SP books as ebooks, in which case you won't need a SP company at all

>> No.777298

>>777158
>facepalm.jpg
What? What do you disagree with?

>> No.777311

>>777293
>Some book chains are planning to sell SP books as ebooks, in which case you won't need a SP company at all.

So how would that work, then? Apologies if this sounds like a stupid question, but how would I go about distributing e-book versions of a novel without a SP supplying it? Or am I missing something here?

>> No.777316

>>777210
sometimes they take a while to get back to you. took like a month for me.

>> No.777341

>>777036
Gives me motivation, if nothing else. If fanfiction material can get published I don't see why I couldn't.

>> No.777342

Write the next Twilight.

Post results.

>> No.777356

>>777342
I'd write it. Dignity vs 10 million dollars, it's not hard to choose

>> No.777379

>>777274

yeah, despite the caps-lock I have to agree with this guy. When I saw somebody talking about how he was published and then he was talking about what HE paid, I was like, wtf?

Self-publishing is NOT what anyone means when they say "published author". Don't turn into one of those deluded pretentious people for christ's sake.

>> No.777392

>>777341

not the guy you're responding to but -

I don't think getting a Warhammer based fan fiction published in some magazine or whatever is necessarily a sign that you could get anything else published.

That said, I'm not trying to shit all over you. If you do get it in the magazine (or whatever the Black Library is) that's cool, certainly better than nothing. Just don't let it get to your head.

I don't think writing fan fiction is inherently bad or anything, I actually see it as an interesting way to build confidence or kick-start some motivation if you're writing in a universe you like. But, if you want to be a novelist, you will have to constantly be writing original fiction to get to that point.

>> No.777396

>>777342

I haven't even read Twilight yet, but based on the writing I have seen posted in here, I'm willing to bet it's actually much more well-written than anything you /lit/ers do. So it's funny it gets bashed so much.

>> No.777437
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777437

>>777396

>I haven't even read Twilight yet, but based on the writing I have seen posted in here, I'm willing to bet it's actually much more well-written than anything you /lit/ers do.

I could SHIT on paper and create move compelling writing than Twilight.

>> No.777443

>>777437

*more

God damn it, you made me so angry, I created a typo.

>> No.777442 [DELETED] 

www.anonmalk.se but with t instead of m in the middle 74e6e3ca166f72efe6b8b0106ff0b6f1 94263

>> No.777465

>>777443

I read the first eight pages as a preview on amazon. I saw one obvious grammar problem (a 'was' instead of 'were') and she uses too many dashes and semicolons. Sometimes her sentences are arranged a little awkwardly. Definitely seems like awkward writing for such a popular book.

That being said, it's still better than almost anything I see posted in here, sorry. It's readable, kept fairly simple, not riddled with errors, and not horrifically pretentious.

>> No.777466

>>777465

And what masterworks have you seen on /lit/ to come to such conclusions?

>> No.777471

>>777396

Try reading it first, then come back here. Seriously.

>> No.777474

>>777465

Eight pages = the whole book?

No. Now you HAVE to read the damned thing cover to cover.

>> No.777490

>>777474

no, I'm not going to read an entire book just to argue about whether it sucks. That is what you Twilight haters do.

That being said, I seem to be in a pissy mood tonight, and I guess I'm just being a jerk for no reason in this thread, so whatever... maybe I'm wrong and there are some really talented people in here, not like I know what I'm talking about

>> No.777502 [DELETED] 

>>776946

www.anonmalk.se but with t instead of m in the middle b16c60be2e6aa7f2aad9b58bbc4f0760 10049

>> No.777505

>>777490

I'm not a "hater" per se. I read the book, and understand why the book appeals to women and tweens. The story itself isn't horrible, it's the way it is told. Someone made the remark that if you took out all of Bella's descriptions of Edward, the first twilight book would only be six pages long. And while that is an exaggeration, it's not terribly far off.

>> No.777503

>>777490

You know what I think?

I think you should shut the fuck up.

>> No.777517

>>777311

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/pubit/

Again, I'm just a layperson. Anyone have experience with this?

>> No.777533

>>777517

I've looked at similar programs, along those lines.

They seem amazing when you read them, but you REALLY have to read the fine print. Most of them will have a partial claim of ownership on your IP, and you will have NO advertising whatsoever. You can probably get your friends and family to buy it, but that's it.

>> No.777619

>>777396
Not bashing it, just saying it made a writer rich and famous. Don't jump to conclusions, bro.

I do think it's a poorly written book, though. You should read it sometime and agree with me.

>> No.777627
File: 876 KB, 320x193, getthefuckout.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
777627

>>777619
>>777503
>>777471

>> No.777634 [DELETED] 

www.anonmalk.se but with t instead of m in the middle d96b28efabacb9d0f07229d94c7a5265 15769

>> No.777637

>>777627

Go read Twilight some more and fap over Edward Sparkles.

>> No.777725
File: 71 KB, 406x528, Getthefuckoutnow.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
777725

>>777637

> Go read Twilight

>> No.777900
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777900

OP here. Final word, should I try for this or not?

>> No.777907

He's using a whole sheet of paper for just 1 Chinese character? That's a gigantic waste of paper

>> No.777914

>>776948
>magic the gathering card art

I didn't read your thread but fuck it I'm a bit drunk. Keep on keepin on OP, mtg rules.

>> No.777950

>>777900

Getting something published (by a proper publisher) is always worth it. You're not going to be stereotyped because of a single story, and it'll do your writer's resume far more good than it does harm if you're successful.

>> No.778061

>>777914
any idea what card that is? I don't recognize the art

>> No.778086

>>777900
You will HATE yourself if you don't try and try and try to get published. If it's what you want to do you may as well give it your all.