I’ve been in the fiction game for a minute now, and I’m struck by how much I continue to learn about the business. Yes, being a writer is fabulous. For example, I’m writing this in my pajamas while many people are in business suits. That’s not to say the process isn’t hard and effortful, but it is to say I wouldn’t choose another path. At the same time, there are a few things I would have loved to hear before trekking into the unknown. So, dear reader, I’m sharing them with you. You’re welcome.

1. You’ll pitch your heart out. Frequently.

In addition to creating a body of work, you’ll want people to read it. That means attracting attention towards it. A huge portion of every writer’s day-to-day is pitching. Whether you’re pitching a story to a magazine, trying to secure an agent, or marketing your book to a prospective fanbase, pitching is a large part of the job. Before becoming a writer, I didn’t realize how integral the process was to the field. It’s an inevitable part of publication, no matter which genre you gravitate towards or what stage you’re in. Even bestselling authors are pitching new ideas to their agents and editors. The difference being, at least for fiction, they don’t have to create the full manuscript first.

2. Publishers view you as a business investment.

In my career coaching practice, I often tell clients who are applying to graduate school that they are convincing the admissions committee to invest in them. The same is true in the publishing industry. Your goal as a debut author is convincing the publisher your book will sell. After all, it’s a business decision. It’s an investment. If they put up capital by paying people to edit, print, and market your book, they’re banking on making it back. That’s how they calculate your advance, too. They’re running the numbers to determine what a safe estimate for sales might be and thus what they might offer you. Of course, that’s a very simplified version of what’s going on, but that’s the gist.

Your job is to make it easy for them to invest. As the ladies of Happier in Hollywood say, “be the inevitable choice.” What does that mean? First and foremost, polish your writing. After that, if you can garner a following via a blog or social media accounts, do it. If you can create a steady body of work by submitting to contests or landing fellowships, do it. Remember, they’re investing in you, so make it as risk-free as possible.

3. You will get rejected. A lot.

Alas, what a conundrum. You have written a manuscript. You’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into it. You’re ready to submit it to a contest or agent or fellowship. You work up the nerve. Surely they’ll love it! No, actually now that I’m reading it over, maybe they’ll hate it. Sure enough, there’s the rejection email. This is the writer’s cycle. Writers who are successful find healthy ways to deal with rejection. Why? Rejection is part of the process. It hurts and it sucks and no one likes it, but most writers will get many no’s on their road to yes’s.

4. You’re going to need a day job.

At least for a while. Alternatively, you might have a family member, spouse, or a benign patron look favorably upon you and support your work. Even then, you’ll still have to hustle to get your writing noticed. So, regardless of the situation you find yourself in, be prepared to have another source of income. That income could be from other writing gigs, like freelance or editing. It could be from teaching English or creative writing. It could be completely unrelated. Chances are, though, at least starting out, you’ll need some way that doesn’t rely on landing a book deal to pay the bills.

5. Persistence is key.

As stated above, you’ll get a lot of criticism, both positive and negative, about your writing. Persisting, creating, and being true to your voice after receiving feedback is critical. I’m convinced that the writers who make it refuse to give up. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised. As Ira Glass famously said,

“All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. The first couple of years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t good…. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, your taste is still killer; and your taste is good enough that you can tell that it’s still sort of crappy. A lot of people never get past that phase. A lot of people, at that point, they quit.”

“Ira Glass on Storytelling,” Public Radio International, 2002.

One of the most talented writers I know, I mean this person had the type of talent I was sure would land a book deal, gave up. There are many writers who are far more talented than I am. However, dear reader, I refuse to stop. Even if I’m 100 and I haven’t gotten a book deal, I will still be sending out those queries on my deathbed. Who knows, maybe by then we’ll have the technology to communicate with agents telepathically. On second thought, that sounds a little creepy.

What do you wish you had known before becoming a writer?

As you’ll notice I have much to say on the topic, so look for a “Part 2” post next week. Happy writing.