By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Within the writing community, I’ve often read, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” According to Ryan Holiday in his book, The Perennial Seller, this statement is attributed to Ernest Hemingway. Then Holiday continues saying, “This is a wonderful, seductive line as we consider sitting down at our proverbial typewriters. The problem is that it is preposterous and untrue. It is directly contradicted by Hemingway’s own meticulously edited, often handwritten manuscript pages. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library has some forty-seven alternative endings for Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. He rewrote the first part of the book, by his own count, more than fifty times. He wrote all of them, trying them like pieces of a puzzle until one finally fit.” (Page 37-38—and the italic emphasis is from Holiday)

From my study of writing, this aspect of the writing life is rarely discussed: there is hard work involved to practice the craft of storytelling and write something which sells well and continues selling year after year. Successful writers continue to learn and grow in their craft—and also grow their audience or tribe or platform. You can pick your term because different people interchange these terms. The work of writing is way more than bleeding on the page.

As a writer, I encourage you to continue to grow in your craft and your skills. You need to be practicing your writing craft by continuing to work on longer work like books but also writing shorter articles for magazines and blogs and other places. I’ve been publishing for many years but I continue to read a book about writing every month—and grow from reading those books.

With my work as an acquisition’s editor for Morgan James Publishing, I’m working with authors to get them a book contract all the time. Sometime people will ask what I’m looking for. My answer is always “good stuff.” We publish many different types of books at Morgan James. I understand “good stuff” is subjective, but I also know that I recognize quality work when I see it. When you are ready to pitch your book, reach out to me and let me know how I can help you. My work contact information is on the bottom of the second page of this link. Also, some writers have questions about our different publishing model at Morgan James. These details are fully explained in the submission process and not right for every author—but is right for a number of authors. Several years ago, I spoke with Jerry B. Jenkins about our process when he interviewed me for the Jenkins Guild. Follow this link to watch this 36-minute interview.

How to Stand Out to Editors

Many writers are trying to get the attention of editors. How do you stand out as a writer in a positive way? I’ve seen many writers stand out in a negative way. They are memorable but not someone one that an agent or editor wants to help get published.

Here’s three simple ways make a positive impression:

1. Deliver Good Writing While many writers believe they have sent an interesting and targeted submission. I’ve often seen poorly crafted stories and not enough energy put into the concept. Good writing will always stand out and a fascinating story captures positive attention and earns a quick response from the editor or agent. Practice your craft in the print magazine world. If you are writing nonfiction, then learn to craft good personal experience stories. If you are writing fiction, then learn the skill of short stories—and get them published. The experience will be valuable and help you stand out in the submission process.
2. Submit Assigned Writing on Deadline or Early. The majority of writers are late with their assignments. If you pay attention to the deadline and deliver excellent writing on time or early, you will stand out because such attention to detail is unusual. It will make a big difference in the impression you make to these professionals.
3. Express Gratitude. Whenever anyone does anything, large or small, make sure you express appreciation. We live in a thankless world where few people write handwritten notes. I make a point to continue to send handwritten thank you notes. My handwriting isn’t beautiful, and I have to work at clear writing but when I send notes, they make a positive impression. Also, when I receive thank you notes after a conference or other occasions, it is appreciated.

Working in the publishing community is all about building and maintaining relationships. Whether you are trying to sell your writing to a magazine or sell a book project to a publisher, you need to continually be aware that every time you connect with the editor or agent, you are making an impression. Make sure you stand out in a positive way.

Every writer must learn the craft of writing and find the right relationship for their book. It’s definitely a journey and each of us needs to actively work on this process.

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s newest book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com