Are you wondering why your short stories keep coming back with polite rejection letters? It could be that one of these ten “fatal errors” is standing between you and publication!

Lack of Editing.The best writers re-write and re-write. New writers tend to think that editing merely means a brief read through for typos and spelling errors. That’s the very last thing to do. The first draft of a short story is like a lump of wood. Removing unnecessary waffle, sharpening up images and choosing the exact word will reveal the beauty of the grain.

Dull Writing.Too many new writers don’t give their imagination full rein. They seem afraid look beyond and beneath the surface. Their characters are dull and lead dull lives. Above all, fiction must intrigue and entertain. Avoid stereotyped characters and situations. Why can’t a rich business man be kind and compassionate? Why are unemployed men always lazy and sit around in their vests swigging out of cans? Why can’t one or two learn Latin or take up line-dancing?

Too Much Irrelevant Detail.In short fiction especially, include information only if it furthers the plot, aids characterization and provides a sense of place and time. Too much background information makes a story all tell and no show. Don’t go into detail about characters if they have no significant part to play in the fiction. Never give bit part players a name. If all a postman has to do is deliver the all-important letter, don’t say he’s Stan, the postman whose wife nags him and has a bad back after falling off his bike in 1976. His function is just to be a postman. Don’t lead up to an event. Jump in straight away. Drip-feed vital information subtly. Don’t drop in heavy indigestible chunks of history or description. Make it a central part of the current action.

Read more: https://www.issacharprojects.com/the-top-ten-mistakes-new-fiction-authors-make/


How to Get Funding for Your Book

Being an author is not an easy task; because you need money for different aspects of the book aside from writing. You need money to hire a professional editor to edit the book and you also need money to get the book published, especially if you intend to do self-publishing as opposed to traditional publishing.

So, to that effect, here are some ways you can get funding for your book:

Through donations: You can ask for donations from your friends and family, by telling them about your book (the theme and some other interesting details) and the amount you would need to get it published.
Crowdsourcing: This seems to be one of the most effective ways to get funding for any project. It is basically a platform where you pitch your idea to the public and you get people to support you financially to launch your idea. There are several platforms you can join where you can set up a campaign to get such funds. They include: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Unbound, Rockethub, and Patreon
Grants: Although it is quite rare for new authors to get grants for their books, you could still give it a try. So all you have to do is apply for grants online in your state.
Get a sponsor: Sponsors are not only meant for entertainment projects, you can also get a sponsor for your book, although you would need to be creative about the benefits the sponsor would get, such as speaking at the book launch, a page advert in the book amongst others.
Enter a Contest: As a writer, you could also search for a contest such as the commonwealth writing contest, and participate in it. If you win, you can use the cash prize to get your book publish.
Freelancing: You can also write for people as a freelance and save some earnings from the service until you get the required amount you need to get your book published.

Read more: https://www.issacharprojects.com/how-to-get-funding-for-your-book/