Over the years, I鈥檝e published a couple of series supporting teachers who were interested in writing education books.
I鈥檝e written or edited 13 education-related books. Now that I鈥檝e retired, I鈥檓 trying my hand at writing a novel.
I suspect more than a few other 糖心动漫vlog might have a novel-writing 鈥渂ug,鈥� and today鈥檚 post is designed to help you if you do.
鈥楩inish It!鈥�
Melissa Duclos is the author of the novel Besotted (7.13 Press, 2019), and her essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Salon.com, and The Offing, among other venues. She is the co-founder of Amplify Writers, a project that seeks to support the career development of marginalized writers:
Finish writing your novel
It may seem flippant to start here, but it鈥檚 important for first-time novelists to understand that fiction鈥攗nlike researched nonfiction or professional books鈥攃an鈥檛 be sold on proposal. Your novel needs to be complete before you approach publishers or literary agents. While your editor or agent may have revision requests, your book should feel finished to you and as polished as you can get it. You should consider working with a critique group as you revise your novel, hiring a developmental editor, or soliciting feedback from beta or sensitivity readers.
Learn about the different types of publishers
From the 鈥淏ig 5鈥� to small and hybrid presses, there are many different paths to seeing your novel in print, each of them with their own pros and cons. Writer Jane Friedman offers a on the various paths to publishing (plus many other helpful resources for writers!) on her website. As you consider the right path to publishing for you, you鈥檒l want to weigh the submission process (via a literary agent or direct to the publisher), distribution model, upfront costs to you (if any), and the potential for marketing support.
Understand your market
No matter the path to publishing you pursue, you should have a solid grasp of the market for your book. Consider the types of readers who would be most interested in your book and create a list of recent books this target audience may have also enjoyed. While it may seem like a selling point to declare, 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing else like this book!,鈥� all that means to a potential publisher is that there is no identifiable market for your novel. Researching the 鈥渃omp titles鈥� for your novel will pay off during your submission process as the literary agents and publishers of those books may be a good fit for your own.
Research your target publishers and/or literary agents
If your goal is to be published by a 鈥淏ig 5鈥� or midsized publisher, you鈥檒l need to first find a literary agent who will represent your work. If you鈥檙e interested in publishing with a small or hybrid press, you鈥檒l need to identify the right presses for your book and submit to them directly. offers a searchable database of literary agents that allows you to identify agents who are open to submissions, filtered by the type of work they are interested in representing. Poets & Writers offers a smaller database of as well as one for that accept submissions from writers without agents. As mentioned above, your comp titles will be fodder for this research. If you鈥檙e struggling to identify the literary agent who represented a particular book, check the acknowledgements!
Consider your marketing strategy
Regardless of the size of your publisher, you will be expected to participate heavily in marketing your book, so demonstrating a clear marketing strategy can help your submission. It鈥檚 a good idea to create a basic writing website and consider ideas to connect directly with potential readers, whether through a newsletter or social media platform.
Other considerations that can inform your marketing strategy include bookstores you could approach about a reading (in cities where you have a network who might attend), reading series you could participate in, professional associations, clubs, or other affiliations that might post an announcement or otherwise support a book launch, and media outlets where you could pitch essays or articles related to your book. (As a former marketing manager for a publisher, I often felt chagrined breaking the news to my authors that one of the best ways to promote a new book is to do more writing, but it is true.)
Invest time in literary community
The path to publishing your first novel will be an odyssey. You鈥檒l face daunting research tasks, maddeningly specific and varied submission guidelines, imposter syndrome, and (hopefully) moments of triumph. The best way to get through it all is by connecting with other writers who understand this journey. You can connect with other writers on social media, sign up for business-focused newsletters like or the , and attend literary events in your area. Your literary community can help sustain your resolve during challenging times and celebrate your publishing wins.
鈥楽tories Connect Us鈥�
Andrea Davis Pinkney is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author. She is VP, executive editor at Scholastic and a distinguished professor in the MFA in the creative writing program at the New School:
As the daughter of a teacher, and the author of nearly 50 books for children and young adults, I鈥檝e learned some valuable lessons about crafting a novel from someone who spent decades in the classroom.
Anyone who鈥檚 ever prepared lesson plans, selected books, conducted a read-aloud, or made regular trips to the library has the skills to write a novel. As an educator, you鈥檝e already taken your first steps to becoming a novelist, by virtue of what you do each day. Add to this your passion for the written word, agility with language, empathy, and determination. These attributes are the essential tools every novelist needs. Here are 10 practical action items to put your tool kit to work.
Read
Novelists read widely in their chosen genre. If you endeavor to write historical fiction, fantasy, rom coms, or family stories, dive into books by authors you admire who are successfully publishing in these categories. At the same time, to become a versatile craftsperson who can think critically, read books that aren鈥檛 in your comfort zone. Genres you may not think are your cup of tea invite you to stretch, grow, and learn.
Keep a notebook
When Mama Muse visits, I need to be ready to greet her, with pen in hand. This is a tried-and-true strategy my own mother instilled in me from a very young age. My novelist friends and I 鈥渒eep limber鈥� by engaging in wordplay whenever possible. I鈥檝e got notebooks crammed into every purse, pocket, drawer, and knapsack. Come on, ideas, I鈥檓 ready!
Do it daily
Write every single day for at least 20 minutes. The most accomplished novelists are those who take the craft seriously. Develop a writing routine, and stick with it, in the same way you would exercise or taking a class. Carve out time to prioritize your writing. Ballet dancers dance. Athletes practice. Chefs heat the skillet. Writers write.
Dismiss 鈥淭he Committee鈥�
The voice in your head may be telling you you鈥檒l never make it. Writing a novel is too hard. You don鈥檛 have a special writing degree. Your tummy hurts. It鈥檚 raining. There鈥檚 no time. Nobody wants to read your story. And on ... and on... This is an unreliable narrator known as 鈥淭he Committee.鈥� Even the most accomplished writers contend with these negative voices. The writers who move past them are the ones who kiss the pesky voices goodbye and keep moving toward their goal.
Perfectionism = Paralysis
Once 鈥淭he Committee鈥� has exited the scene (you may need to yell, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e no longer welcome here鈥攂ye!鈥�), you鈥檙e free to create. Most accomplished writers start with messy pages filled with unedited gobbledygook. Trying to craft perfect prose every time is unrealistic. The goal is to be in the process of writing your novel.
Embrace revision
Novelists who publish widely understand that their best writing stems from revising. Every novel I鈥檝e ever written started with a hackneyed first draft. Those rough pages provide the road map to what will eventually become polished chapters.
Connect
Writing can be a solitary endeavor. Find a critique group in your community. By sharing your drafts and participating in friendly workshopping sessions, you鈥檒l gain important feedback and direction, as well as gather insights by reading the pages of fellow writers traveling the same path. If there鈥檚 no writing group in your community, start one.
Bring your Gifts
Focus on your own strengths as a storyteller. You, and only you, can tell the story that you and only you can tell. Embrace your gifts. Don鈥檛 give way to negatively comparing your work with that of others or discounting your own successes.
Gather resources
Become familiar with the publishing landscape to learn how the business works and where you fit in as an aspiring novelist. Two great resources are and .
Have fun!
Storytelling is a joyous experience. Sharing your narratives helps foster a love of literacy and encourages kids to become lifelong readers. Writing is fun when we remember why we鈥檙e doing it: Stories connect us!
鈥楪et Ready for the Long Game鈥�
Valerie Bolling is a 30-year educator and the and a book for teachers, Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success:
As a teacher, you may have thought about writing a book about education or even a novel. But what about writing a book for children? Maybe there鈥檚 a book you鈥檝e read to your students or your own children that you love and would like to emulate. Maybe there鈥檚 a book that isn鈥檛 on your classroom shelves that you feel called to write. Maybe you want to serve as an example for your students about pursuing a goal and achieving it. Certainly, you鈥檒l inspire your students and many others if you write a book.
If you want to write a book for children, here鈥檚 what you should do.
Get ready for the long game
This is not a quick endeavor. You will need to spend time reading and studying before you even start writing. Once you start writing, you鈥檒l need to spend time honing your craft鈥攕ee tips 4 and 5 for suggestions about how to do that. You should also know that publishing a book is quite a process. If your goal is to be published traditionally, you鈥檒l have to find a publisher who wants to publish your book, which can take a while鈥攅ven if you have an agent. Once a picture book is sold, it takes two to three years before it鈥檚 published鈥攕ometimes longer.
Decide on the genre you want to write and read books in that genre widely
Books for children span board books, picture books, middle grade, and young adult. Within these genres, there are graphic novels, novels in verse, fiction, nonfiction, and so much more. If you want to write a picture book, for example, you need to read a plethora of them to get a feel for how they鈥檙e written鈥攑agination, arc, pacing, language, etc. Some say you should read at least 100 books in a particular genre before you attempt to write your own story. If you鈥檙e not sure which books you should read, look at 鈥渂est of鈥� lists. A children鈥檚 librarian or children鈥檚 bookseller can also make suggestions.
Develop a regular practice of writing
If you want to write a book, you have to write, right? There鈥檚 a phrase that writers use called 鈥渂utt in chair.鈥� That means you鈥檝e got to sit down and WRITE. As a teacher, you probably don鈥檛 have as much 鈥渂utt in chair鈥� time as you鈥檇 like, but you can carve out time that works for you. An author friend of mine, who is also a teacher and has two young children, wakes up early every morning and writes for an hour before heading to school. If you鈥檙e not an early bird, you choose to write after school at a library or coffee shop before heading home. Maybe the only time you have to write is on weekends, which is mostly what I did when I was writing while teaching. That鈥檚 fine, as long as you do it!
Make sure your writing time is sacred. If you have a partner and/or children, you鈥檒l have to put supports in place for them to make sure you honor this time for yourself and your craft.
Be a student and keep learning
You鈥檙e a teacher, but now you get to be a student. Take writing classes. Make sure the instructor is published in the genre you鈥檙e writing and that the other students in the class are writing in that genre as well. Attend conferences and workshops. Check first to see if they address the genre you鈥檙e writing. These opportunities will help you become a better writer and provide insight into the publishing industry.
Connect with others.
I often say that writing may be a solitary act, but writing and publishing a book is a collaborative effort. Start by choosing critique partners who are studying and writing the same genre as you to help ensure that the feedback you receive is valuable. You should also consider joining writing communities, like , , and the , to keep your 鈥渇inger on the pulse鈥� of the world of children鈥檚 writing.
Resources
- Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
- 5 Kinds of Nonfiction by Melissa Stewart
- Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
Now, go forth and write that book!
Thanks to Melissa, Andrea, and Valerie for sharing their thoughts!
Today鈥檚 post answered this question:
This column has previously published posts offering advice to teachers who want to write books about education. But many teachers also harbor dreams about writing a novel. What advice would you offer them?
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@educationweek.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it鈥檚 selected or if you鈥檇 prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.
You can also contact me on X at or on Bluesky at .
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