The Four P’s of Getting Published

My uncle first came up with the concept of the P’s of getting published. He came up with three: patience, politeness, and professionalism. I added a fourth: persistence. One could call them principles, or perhaps even virtues (although that doesn’t begin with P). Each is important when corresponding with agents, editors, and publishers, and ultimately towards becoming published authors.

Patience

Everyone knows patience is a virtue. It’s also something I brought up when I discussed rejections and criticism. One writer is a fish in a deep ocean when it comes to editing and publishing. People in this industry have to judge every query and submission carefully, and with great thought. They have to decide whether or not it is an investment worth the risk, which like the publication process itself, takes time. Another saying people know is that good things come to those who wait. It’s especially true for writers. Believe me, I’ve learned the hard way never to rush when it comes to writing or getting published. It’s important to respect publishers and editors for taking quality time to be thorough in their jobs so that a writer’s work reaches its full potential.

Persistence

I already discussed the importance of persistence over a year ago when I talked about facing rejection and criticism. Writers have heard it said before and I’ll say it again: don’t give up. Now, once a contract has been signed, it isn’t a good idea to press agents, editors, or publishers, or sound pushy. Rather writers should be persistent to a degree that shows they care about their work and accomplishing goals, but are patient and respectful of those with whom they’re working.

Politeness

A writer must never forget once they have a contract that he or she is not the only writer under contract. Agents, editors, and publishers alike have to work with and help many writers. So writers should always respect their position and what they’re doing for them. They should respect what they say in their critiques, even if they the writer disagree with it. Now, being a little rude is one thing. But I recall one editor’s story of how a client went beyond being merely rude to being outright vile and foulmouthed, calling the editor offensive names. That editor wouldn’t work with that client again. Now this case, as I said, goes beyond mere rudeness. If writers are a little rude such as when defending their vision of their work, publishers and editors can handle that. Sometimes, people can be rude without realizing it. Still, it’s important to remember editors and publishers are people and have feelings, as do writers. Being polite and respectful goes a long way.

Professionalism

A writer should be professional in his or her correspondence, something that’s apparent from the beginning when querying and submitting work. No doubt everyone recalls dressing professional when going for a job interview. One certainly wouldn’t think of dressing too casual then or when hired. It’s a similar situation when approaching and communicating with those whose job is to edit, publish, and market writers’ creations. Only in this case it’ll usually take the form of words both written and spoken rather than clothing and hairstyle. Acting casually or even sarcastically can give the impression writers aren’t serious about their work being a success, that they don’t care. Publishing is a business. Writers must take it seriously as they would their work, so as to increase the likelihood of getting it and themselves out there.