9630 Nichols Lake Rd. Milton, FL 32583
PH/FAX: 850 983-0775 E-mail: E-Publisher@integritytech.com
Web: www.IntegrityTech.com/ITPUB.html
These writer's tips can be applied anywhere, but they are a specific for Integrity Tech Publishing. The
first thing to keep in mind is that you are writing for a PAYING audience. Experienced writers know this and it
makes a big difference in the presentation of writing. To make this a fast read I'm going to divide this up into
categories and you can pick what applies to you.
BLUE
headers for beginners,
RED
for intermediate and
professionals.
BEGINNING WRITERS
Right out of the box a new writer's need to know how to format a manuscript for sale. If you write in this
format it will save you a LOT of work down the road. Manuscripts need to be typed in double spaced, with a five
space tab indentation at the beginning of each new paragraph. Double space between paragraphs and leave
about an inch and a half of white space around the borders. Begin each chapter about one third the way down the
page. If there is a gap in time or a new scene in the same chapter use 3 stars in the middle and space either side
of them. Number each page either by hand or with a header command. Do not put title and author headers in an
electronic manuscript. You can use Word or Word Perfect, or HTML format to craft your e-book, it would be
wise to save it (more than once) to a disk or CD. We accept manuscripts by attached file so you will need to
know how to do that on your computer once your e-book is complete. We do not accept manuscripts on paper.
THE MOST DEADLY SINS OF NEW WRITERS
I've been working with new writers for many years and I have compiled my own special list of "deadly
sins"based on personal experience. Several trees have given their lives in my passion to teach the craft of
writing. Like other "sins" it really doesn't help to point them out unless you have a solution to cure the pattern.
So here they are.
1. YOU MUST LEAD WITH CONFLICT
The purpose of another person buying a fiction book is to have new experiences and adventures through
the written text images, feeling and actions and characters on the page. We live in a fast moving world and
reading has a LOT of competition, TV, radio, Nintendo, school, work, life, so you don't have a lot of space to
hook that reader. When a potential book buyer "inspects" a books they normally give the writer about 3 to 5
paragraphs to drawn them in. If there's no conflict, no direction, or tension, the book says put; no sale. Conflict
is SPICE THAT SELLS books.
2. YOU MUST WRITE DESCRIPTION WITH A LIGHT HAND
Description in a manuscript is like fudge. It's wonderful in small pieces, but to sit down to a meal of it will
very likely make you sick at least and fat and slow moving at most. Too much description can take wonderful
story and make it lumber like a 20 ton dinosaur. I once went over a story from a beginner that had written 32
pages of description about his character in the lead. This story was worse than a dinosaur, it was a whole planet.
Professionals learn early on to dish out the fudge of description in small chunks sprinkled in with the rest of the
meal. Serve your FUDGE in small bites.
3. YOUR CHARACTERS MUST BE REAL AND FLAWED
Characters are the arms that holds a story together. It's through your characters senses that reader
experiences the world, challenges and passions that surrounds them. They must be very real in the writer's mind
for them to shine through in the story. The reason they must be flawed is a two part thing. One, is that all people
are flawed in some way and we identify with that. Two, is that we are more sympathetic to flawed characters, and
will pull harder for that character and suffer with that character. Mr. or Ms. perfect will never get to first base.
Characters add another layer of drama to your story. Good characters have internal conflicts, conflicts between
other characters and conflicts with their environments.
4. YOU MUST WRITE GOOD DIALOGUE
We like to see novels written with 30% to 50% dialogue. Good dialogue is the live action that drives
your plot forward and makes pages fly by for the reader. Dialogue needs to be targeted to drive plot, character,
and subplots. By targeted I mean that you had best make your dialogue work for you in all these areas. Dialogue
that goes, "Hi Sally. What's Up?" "Oh, nothing." This kind of thing goes no where. On the other hand if you
write dialogue like you are listening in on a very juicy conversation between two people it will drive everything in
a story. "Did you hear about the murder on 42nd street?" "No, what happened?" Are you waiting for the next
line of dialogue? Yep, and your reader will be too. We like to see dialogue begin by your 5th paragraph, if you do
your chances of placing a manuscript with us could just double.
5.
YOU MUST NOT WRITE BRIDGES
Beginning writers often think they must build a few pages of nothing to bridge one scene to another.
This often slows the story down to crawl and ripped out the tension. We live in at time of 15 second TV
commercials, 30 second movie scenes and snacks between commercials. We are very used to the break and go
formula. Learn to chop off one scene, skip a space and start later in time or at a new location. Bridges slow your
story, cut them out your reader can fly.
6. YOU MUST STUDY YOUR MARKET CAREFULLY
If you have put in the hours and have your work polished to perfection. It's time to go hunting a home for
baby. The fastest way I know to put baby in the deep freeze is by not studying your market. Read the publisher
guidelines carefully, submit only what they ask for and how they ask for it. Editor's are very busy people and
some are so busy that little things Dear Editor or misspelling their name will put you and your work in the deep
freeze. So study your market carefully and keep good records of when and where you submitted your work.
7.
YOU MUST DEVELOP THE HIDE OF A RHINO
Rejection slips and alterations in your work are part of the trade. Someone once said that you must
collect 100 rejections slips before you make a sale. But I have discovered the more educated you are about your
art the fewer rejection slips you will get and that is true in all trades. Keep in mind that some of the most famous
writer's in the world got rejection slips. Frank Herbert's DUNE was turned down something like 37 times
before he found a market. So don't give up! If an editor take the time to write a comment, use it, go back and
polish your words and send it out again and again. Sooner or later you'll find a home for your baby and the stork
will come flying back with paychecks.
FOR PUBLISHED WRITERS
We suggest that you read over our guidelines, free sample chapters and purchase an e-book or two to
see what we sell here. We like to see character driven stories that begin dialogue by the 5th paragraph. We
accept any word length and like to get "dropped in the meat grinder" from the first word. We edit with a light
hand and are willing to work with you all we can.