As someone who's always dreamed of seeing my name in print, the idea of getting published felt both exciting and daunting. There’s so much to navigate—query letters, agents, submission guidelines—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So, when I came across a four-week "How to Get Published" course, I knew I had to give it a try. Now that I’ve completed the course, I wanted to share my thoughts, insights, and key takeaways. Whether you’re just starting your publishing journey or looking for tips to refine your approach, here’s what I learned along the way.
The course was run by Alex Davis who teaches a host of courses online and in person.
Alex has more online workshops forthcoming, which you can check out at: LINK
WEEK 1 – Getting Short Stories Published
The first week was about getting short fiction published and although it was interesting, I am lucky enough to have already traversed this particular path and had things published in anthologies, magazines and webzines. However, if you are new to that avenue of getting your words out there, here are some tips:
Do your research - a scattergun approach is very unlikely to work. Read back issues of the publication, get a feel for what they are commissioning and ask yourself if your work fits.
Follow the submission guidelines - you could be rejected before being read if you don't.
If a story is rejected once, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t or couldn’t try again. It can take a number of attempts to find a home for a story.
Have a submission tracker with what you have submitted, where it is, what the outcome is, etc.
Try, if you can, not to let the rejections get to you. One man's trash and all that...
WEEK 2 – Getting a Literary Agent
Ok, this is what I'm here for. Please some lovely agent see my book, love it and make all my dreams come true. Alex used to work as a publisher himself, so his insight into this aspect of the industry was invaluable.
He explained the role of an agent as: "Fundamentally, an agent has contacts you don’t have, insider knowledge you don’t have and can basically get places that an individual author can’t." (Davis, 2024)
He then went on to talk a bit about the three main elements of the submission package.
Your cover letter? That’s your chance to show you’re serious about this and that you mean business. It's all about being professional.
The synopsis? This is where you prove that you’ve got not just a good idea but a great one—and an amazing story to back it up.
And the sample text? Well, this is where you really shine. It’s your moment to showcase the quality of your writing—and trust me, this could be the most crucial part of your submission!
He covered each of these in a lot of detail and really gave me a clear idea of how the whole querying process works. Again, research is king here. So, since this course, I have trawled The Writers and Artists Yearbook and made a list of all agents representing writers in my genre. Then, I went through everyone and checked their website and submission guidelines etc. Was it a long, laborious task? Yes. But I have learned so much along the way. A lot of the agents want the submission in a slightly different format and it is important to personalise each one.
"Across any aspect of publishing, the easiest and quickest way to get rejected is not to read or adhere to these guidelines! If you can’t even make the effort to do this, an agent is unlikely to give your work a glance. Don’t give them any excuse to reject it out of hand!" (Davis, 2024)
WEEK 3 – An Introduction to Self-Publishing
Self-publishing is something that interests me. Put it on Amazon, and it's easy enough, right? Apparently not.
Alex said to be a self-published author you need to be:
Able to write quickly and put plenty of new work out
Ok - so this might be a slight problem. It has taken a long time to write this first novel. But I do hope the next one will be faster... I've learned along the way! Haven't I?
Someone who is not shy and able to promote themselves
Yes, ok - I can do this. But where to start? How do you make yourself a 'brand'? How do you avoid getting lost among the 'noise'? Who will want to listen to me? (existential crisis alert)
"It’s fair to say that marketing is a huge part of a self-published author’s life – likely as large as writing itself." (Davis, 2024)
Organised and not afraid of some admin work
This one I can do! I have a Filofax and I know how to use it.
In it for the long haul and potentially willing to invest
Yes - definitely!
So I guess I could give it a try! Could I? Should I? This one warrants some more research for sure! Next step: check out how to use Amazon KDP.
WEEK 4 – Making a Living as a Writer
In this last session, Alex talked about the other ways to generate income as a writer beyond writing. He talked about the pros and cons of the following:
teaching
holding workshops
providing critiques
delivering events
attending events
commissions
"While there are some writers who make their living purely from writing, they are in the vast minority." (Davis, 2024)
These options were discussed in detail and Alex was informative and balanced in his delivery. I teach online already, so never say never to that one. Watch this space!
Closing thoughts
In conclusion, this course was an eye-opening experience that clarified many aspects of the publishing journey. From the technicalities of querying literary agents to the complexities of self-publishing, Alex Davis provided invaluable insights at every step. Although some of the content, like getting short stories published, was familiar to me, I walked away with a deeper understanding of the industry as a whole. Whether you’re aiming for traditional publishing or considering self-publishing, the key takeaway is that persistence, research, and adaptability are essential. Publishing is a long game, and though it may be daunting, it's also incredibly rewarding for those willing to put in the work. I’m excited to take the next steps in my writing journey, equipped with newfound knowledge and a clearer path ahead.
"I get a lot of letters from people. They say, 'I want to be a writer. What should I do?' I tell them to stop writing to me and get on with it."
- Ruth Rendell
I would love to hear about your journey to publication!
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