Aspiring writers?

[Trent Roman]

^ Fine by me, as long as we get to create a society of super-intelligent people living underground, manipulating the surface world... "Beneath the Planet of the Dopes!"

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Brikar99]

^ Fine by me, as long as we get to create a society of super-intelligent people living underground, manipulating the surface world... "Beneath the Planet of the Dopes!"

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Can we worship an unexploded copy of "Battlefield Earth"?

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

^ Fine by me, as long as we get to create a society of super-intelligent people living underground, manipulating the surface world... "Beneath the Planet of the Dopes!"

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Can we worship an unexploded copy of "Battlefield Earth"?

I can't imagine why not!

 

[msbae]

If you want to do a story focusing on your own original characters, then you should set it in your own original universe. Then you'd have dozens of markets to submit it to instead of just Pocket Books. And it can be a lot more rewarding, certainly more liberating, to create your own universe than to try to fit your ideas within somebody else's universe.

Well, then I have lots of other ideas I can play with, both Trek-related and not. That first attempt was good practice for my writing abilities, though. During the writing process, I couldn't help but notice that my writing style greatly emulates Mario Puzo in both style and tone. That might be a little dark for Star Trek... Unless it's a DS9 story...

(But don't just keep a Star Trek template and change the names; editors get tons of things like that in their slush piles and toss them aside. Create your own distinctive world and find your own storytelling style.)

I'd never do anything that dumb. It would be an insult to both their and my intelligence to even hope that such a trick could work.

 

[William Leisner]

Plus, I'm always a little leery of making too much fun of slush in public--just in case the poor author is reading this!

I appreciate your discretion.

 

[Wowbagger]

Also, how would one go about contacting Pocket Books? I've checked their site a few months ago and didn't see any links for aspiring writers.

It's your agent who contacts Pocket Books.

And this is the hard part. One, because you really need to finish a novel before submitting to an agent, and, two, what sane agent would take on a manuscript from a first-time writer with only one possible buyer--a buyer whose schedule is already quite full, thank you very much?

...and, no, I'm not going to admit whether or not this knowledge was gleaned first-hand from hard-earned experience gained during my misdirected and writing-intensive youth.

 

[RaymondJames]

hell id love to but The whole cant kill a trek character or have them in a new relationship unless it all resolves itself in the end...not how I work.

 

[Christopher]

hell id love to but The whole cant kill a trek character or have them in a new relationship unless it all resolves itself in the end...not how I work.

If you can't adapt to follow instructions, you'll never be able to write anything but fanfic. Doing a paying job means doing what other people want, not just what you want. As stated, that's what the guidelines are about: assessing your ability to follow editorial instruction.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Also, how would one go about contacting Pocket Books? I've checked their site a few months ago and didn't see any links for aspiring writers.

It's your agent who contacts Pocket Books.

And this is the hard part. One, because you really need to finish a novel before submitting to an agent, and, two, what sane agent would take on a manuscript from a first-time writer with only one possible buyer--a buyer whose schedule is already quite full, thank you very much?

...and, no, I'm not going to admit whether or not this knowledge was gleaned first-hand from hard-earned experience gained during my misdirected and writing-intensive youth.

On the other hand, your chances for success increase if you actually know an agent personally.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

I'm more than likely going to try to get some other stuff based on my own characters published first before I attempt to have a Trek novel submitted, but I'd still like to have one finished and ready to go. It's in me, and I've got to release it!

 

[Brikar99]

In another thread about how to bust into the business way back when, someone had posted a really useful link for a database to magazines and such that accepted submissions... Does anyone have that again? I forget what it was called, but it seemed like a good tool to have.

 

[msbae]

In another thread about how to bust into the business way back when, someone had posted a really useful link for a database to magazines and such that accepted submissions... Does anyone have that again? I forget what it was called, but it seemed like a good tool to have.

This might be of some help, even if it has nothing to do with Magazines...

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_faq.html#published

 

[Therin of Andor]

On the other hand, your chances for success increase if you actually know an agent personally.

I've had an agent since 1994 and sadly, although I've earned some nice cash as a freelance writer of articles (which then led to my stint as a journal editor), nothing I've given her to handle has ended up being published. Yet. I think I'm now her longest serving client who is yet to earn her any income. (She continues to have faith.)

She has, at times, encouraged me to do a ST novel proposal, and is happy to continue representing me. I've read the Pocket ST guidelines many times, and made several decent and half-decent stabs at it, but they usually peter out when I realise the work doesn't seem to hold a candle to the ST novels I love to read.

No shortage of ideas - but writing for ST is hard work. Very hard work. (Maybe some find it easy?) And when you realise that there's only the one market for the novel you intend to write, very limited empty slots in Pocket's publishing schedule, and so many already-proven, talented ST writers, all vying for slots for their own ST books, it's really hard to surmount the odds and keep channeling so much time and effort into creating that winning ST proposal. Life gets in the way. And procrastination.

And so, I find myself going back to the things I know I'm already good at: articles about teaching for professional journals. And a few unfinished original novel proposals that languish in my computer, and would have a much better chance of success than a ST novel anyway. If I ever finish them, of course.

 

[William Leisner]

In another thread about how to bust into the business way back when, someone had posted a really useful link for a database to magazines and such that accepted submissions... Does anyone have that again? I forget what it was called, but it seemed like a good tool to have.

Was it http://www.ralan.com?

 

[Therin of Andor]

In another thread about how to bust into the business way back when, someone had posted a really useful link for a database to magazines and such that accepted submissions...

The annual book "Writers' Market" seems to have a web presence, too. Not free, though.

http://www.writersmarket.com/

 

[Jim Johnson]

In another thread about how to bust into the business way back when, someone had posted a really useful link for a database to magazines and such that accepted submissions... Does anyone have that again? I forget what it was called, but it seemed like a good tool to have.

Was it http://www.ralan.com?

Try www.duotrope.com too.

 

[RaymondJames]

hell id love to but The whole cant kill a trek character or have them in a new relationship unless it all resolves itself in the end...not how I work.

If you can't adapt to follow instructions, you'll never be able to write anything but fanfic. Doing a paying job means doing what other people want, not just what you want. As stated, that's what the guidelines are about: assessing your ability to follow editorial instruction.

They only ask King to be creative and be himself give them something creepy and he delivers. He creates his own characters and does as he wishes. And I don't do trek or sci-fi writing, It doesn't suit me and im not a fan of the genre. A writer needs to be in it because its a calling, not because your good at it.. not because you like to write and sure the hell not for money or fame. Any other reason is senseless.

 

[KRAD]

They only ask King to be creative and be himself give them something creepy and he delivers. He creates his own characters and does as he wishes. And I don't do trek or sci-fi writing, It doesn't suit me and im not a fan of the genre.

We weren't talking about Stephen King and, more to the point, we weren't talking about original fiction, we were talking about Star Trek fiction, and you do have to follow the rules to write tie-in fiction of any sort.

I am kind of curious what you're doing here if you're not a fan of the genre, since this is a forum about Star Trek books. (Not that you're not welcome, I'm just confused.)

A writer needs to be in it because its a calling, not because your good at it.. not because you like to write and sure the hell not for money or fame. Any other reason is senseless.

Aaaaaand this is nonsense. Utter, total nonsense. The technical term for writers who aren't in it to be paid is "hobbyist." But professional artistic endeavors are always for money, and what's more always have been. The myth of the starving artist is just that: a myth, perpetuated by failed artists who needed an excuse for their failure. Those who think true art can't be created under such restraints should recall that Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling was a media tie-in work-for-hire.

 

[William Leisner]

Those who think true art can't be created under such restraints should recall that Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling was a media tie-in work-for-hire.

hell id love to paint the Sistine Chapel but The whole cant kill a bible character or have them in a new relationship unless it all resolves itself in the end...not how I work.

 

[captcalhoun]

i'd like to paint the Sistine Chapel's ceiling with a nice big Trek image...