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So – you want to be a writer, live on writing books?What counts beyond the creative process?
There is more to a writing career than just writing. Theseparameters, or career requirements, are rarely analysedso I will attempt to create a point system for what liesbeyond the writing itself. It should allow you to work out your odds for getting on the shelves of bookstores,You must reach180 points180 points180 points180 points180 points to be eligible.There are thousands of books which cover style, plots,structures, and other aspects of the creative process. Thisdocument looks at what lies outside creating or polish- ing product. To step on the ladder of success, the re- quirements are of a very different nature!
Y
= Yes
n
= No X = explanation
1
 Are you under 30 years of age?
n
= 0 points
Y
= 50 points
1A
For Nos: Could you imagine yourself contractinga young person to front your book as the author,share the spoils, but never reveal the truth?
Y
= 10 points.
n
= 0 points
(X: You need to be aware that the publishing houses wantto build up writers for careers that should ideally last decades,meaning that the literary agents do not favour persons olderthan 30, because of the lead up time. Lead up time has 2 phases:1. The years when the litarary agent attempts to get you a pub-lishing contract. 2. At least two years between contract andthe first book’s appearance on the shelves, due to catalogue andmarketing planning. If an author were over 30 when signingwith a literary agent, he/she would be over 40 at the start of thewriting career, and therefore would not appear ‘fresh’ to thecustomer base. An established writer, promoting his/her 10thbook, however, does not have to to look ‘fresh’. If the over 30year old still wants to try, he/she must have at least 6 novels inhis/her filing cabinet, which are publication ready. From theagent’s contract to the first book release, the lead up of sevenyears plus need to be factored in. Contracting a young personas a frontperson from the start, can overcome this problem.)
Tally your points
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Subtotal...................
Check your score card for becoming a published writer? Do you reach180 points?
The sensational assessment that no aspiring writer can do without!
 
1B
Have you got 6 books/book proposals in your filing cabinet?
n
= 0 points
Y
= 20 points
2
 Are you (or one of your close relatives) from theindustry, i.e. acting, film, comedy, journalism, TV,music?
n
= 0 points
Y
= 20 points
(X: People who have grown up ‘in the industry’ have a better grasp of the business side. They understand that the corner-stone of writing is the interviews, and the socialising. Theymay already have a media network of their own, and generallyknow the behavioural patterns in the creative industry, of whichbook selling is a part. It helps a lot, for instance, if the writercan be sold as ‘cousin of ......’, ‘great-granddaughter of ........’. A person from the industry would also be more easily inclinedto ‘adopt’ a book written by a ghost writer, if or when the pub-lishing house had discovered a book topic that they would liketo have in the catalogue, but to speed up the publication proc-ess it has been written by one or more ghost writers. The prod-uct/ book can then be attributed to a person/author who is al-ready known to the book buying public to generate a success- ful sales promotion. Not only writers have ideas for books; theydevelop in boardroom meetings, too! People who have not grownup in the industry are less inclined to accept these deals.)
3
Have you got a tertiary qualification? 
n
= 0 points
Y
= 30 points
(X: Any writer’s CV looks more attractive to the customer whenit contains a tertiary qualification which gives the person andthe book more credibility. For fiction writing, a creative writ-ing degree is best; for other books the degree should be relatedto the topic, i.e. science for environmental topics, teacher’s de- gree for a book about education, history degree for historicaltopics etc.)
 
4
Have you been in the TV news and in the tab- loids, for any reason at all?
n
= 0 points
Y
= 180 points
(X: Books by people who have become ‘famous’ through a casein the TV news are noticed by the press and the audience. Thereason does not matter. If you were associated with or involvedin a famous criminal case, are a successful or fallen sports star,been in politics, been an actor of note, or even if you are a close
Carried...................
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Subtotal...................
 
relative of a ‘big news’ person, or were imprisoned inGuantanamo or Bali, the public knows you and your story willsell! In this case, all the other parameters do not matter, if youhave the right agent.)
 
5
Have you polished your performance skills for interviews in an acting or public speaking course?
n
= 0 points
Y
= 20 points.Course booked: = 10 points
(X: The publisher must be confident that you come across TV and radio in a way, that people admire you and want to have a piece of you - the book. There is also the unconscious desire inaudience members that a bit of the gloss of a successful personrubs off to them. These are the vibes that you need to project to generate a personality cult around you! If you have not com- pleted a course in self-presention, list the course booked in yourapplication.)
6
Do you have a disability which allows promotion
‘overcoming the odds’ ‘overcoming the odds’ ‘overcoming the odds’ ‘overcoming the odds’ ‘overcoming the odds’ 
?
n
= 0 points
Y
= 20 points
(X: if you are deaf and write about music, or blind and writeabout art, paraplegic and write about sports, or similar, that isa promotable thing.)
7
 Are you willing and able (financial enough) towait at least 5 years for your first book to come out, AFTER a literary agent has signed you on?
n
= 0 points
Y
= 20 points
(X: When your literary agent submits your book proposals,there is a turnaround time of six months for the publisher’sboardroom to say yeah or nay. They can only submit to one publisher at the time, because these could place boardrooms inthe position that they go through all the cost calculations anddecision making processes with their various departments, onlyto discover their competitors had taken the writer on the weekbefore. Multiple submissions waste company time and resourcesand are therefore not allowed. A literary agent who is worthhis/her salt will tell you that he/she will, most likely, have to gothrough that process a number of times. Two submissions peryear; it takes years. The industry expects that you use yourwaiting years productively, i.e. write more book proposals andbooks. Some industry sources even speak of ‘that 10 year ap- prenticeship’ giving you plenty of time to build up a strong portfolio.)
Carried...................
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Subtotal...................
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