How long does it take to get published? | Children's Author David L. Harrison's Blog
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A retired teacher called me yesterday to tell me about a 16-year-old girl who is working on a fantasy novel that is, according to the teacher, an incredible story. She wants to be a good advisor to this talented young woman and was seeking input. She asked if I would sit down with the student, and I declined.
I hope this doesn’t make me a bad person. Published writers receive many such requests and most of us sooner or later have to make decisions about how to respond. In my case I’m sympathetic because I well remember that as a writer starting out I would have given anything to have a “real” writer read my work and tell me what I should be doing to improve.
The honest truth was, is, and will be: The qickest way to get published is (as with Carnegie Hall), practice. Write and write and write. Hours and weeks and years of writing go into getting published. We all know someone who got there quicker, and I hope that the 16-year-old novelist is one of those fortunate ones, but the first rule of getting good at anything remains: practice.
In Malcom Gladwell’s 2008 blockbuster, OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS, he postulates that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve stardom in any field. If you do the math, working at something for one hour a day, 365 days a year, would require 27.4 years to reach 10,000 hours. Double that to two hours daily and it would take 13.7 years. Make it three hours per day and you might get there in a mere 9.14 years.
Of course there are other factors involved and I dare say that many people become outstanding in their field before reaching Gladwell’s lofty peak, but the point remains: if you want to get better at something, practice.
So when people ask me to read their work and tell them what to do to improve, I usually ask how long they’ve been writing and what else they have written. And my usual advice is: practice. Write more. Keep writing. Don’t sweat these early efforts. Develop your writing muscles. Become familiar with the routine of writing. Read about writing. Think about writing. Take classes in writing. Join writing clubs. Attend workshops. But write. Write until you hear your own voice coming back to you in your words on paper. Go through the routine of submitting your work, licking your wounds when rejections come, and telling yourself that you’re not going to let failure get you down.
I hope that budding novelist hits the big time with her very first effort. But if she does not, and it takes her 9 years of writing 21 hours per week, she’ll only be 25 years old when she “suddenly” breaks through into the publishing world. It’s like going through high school and college with a year of graduate work thrown in. Plus, all along the way she can tell people that she is a writer. And it will be a true statement.
By davidlharrison • Posted in A blog I recommend, David L Harrison	• Tagged Advice on writing, David L Harrison
15 comments on “How long does it take to get published?”	
Solid advice that we should all remember.
If she’s in the Springfield, MO area, you might point her toward an Ozarks Romance Authors meeting. Despite the name, our members write a wide variety of genres. Our meetings include a critique group where she could get feedback from other writers on a few pages of her work. The last few months, most of the work brought to our critique group has been middle grade fantasy.
If she’s interested, she can find more information here: http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/.
Thanks! If I hear from my teacher again, I’ll be sure to pass along your information.
I love this post too. I’m sharing it. I’ve been writing for over 8 years–working hard to get those 10k hours and experience!
Very few people want to hear this great advice, though it’s basically what I tell those who ask! Even fewer break into writing in their teens, though the majority of writers have been writing since their teens. Maybe not writing novels, but writing something. I was writing poetry from first grade.
But the other part of that advice is you have to be a reader as well. Read both inside your projected field and outside it. Learn about the world. Smell the wildflowers. Walk in the rain, Travel. Meet people unlike you. Have adventures. You need to have something to write about, after all.
Thank you, Jane, for adding your own sage advice. I couldn’t agree more.
SA Larsen (@SA_Larsen)
Loads of wisdom in these words, David. Thank you for sharing them. And sometimes, even when an author is offered a book deal, that deal isn’t right for the author. Each author’s journey is his/her own. And guess what? That’s okay, no matter how long it takes.
You and Jane are so right. I keep telling this to beginner writers, but so many want a fast fix. David, I may not comment often, but I do read everything you post. I love the stories about Goose Lake.
Great post and advice, David and others!
Great post! It takes time to get there-there are no short cuts. Be suspicious of anyone who offers you one! Thanks for the post!
I’m glad you practiced, David.
One of my present problems is giving books by my author friends to my 3 and 5 year old grandchildren, only to have their parents donate them to the library.
This practice breaks my heart. They can’t exactly build their own library at pre-school age….
Ouch. I’m sure they’re breaking some sort of law as well, Jeanne. Kids NEED their own libraries! It’s not only good sense but a wonderful investment in their future learning capacities. I suppose your kids are too old to send to their rooms. Sigh.
I’ll chime in and repeat the old saw, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Not all writing needs to be published. And if that is the goal, there are tons of opportunities. You gave the teacher the best advice. Critique of the work at the student’s young age could easily have done more harm than good. Each piece of writing has it’s own journey, and at the student’s young age she needs to focus more on loving the act of writing and expanding her experiences so she has more to write about.
Is the teacher a frustrated writer herself?