Marketing you manuscript takes forethought, persistence and luck!

You've finished your manuscript or screenplay and can't wait to show it to others.  Or maybe you've had readers and notes and done rewrites and now fell ready to start selling.

The first thing to do is take a deep breath. If you thought it was hard to send your ms to others to read and critique... approaching publishers, agents and producers of movies will set your teeth chattering with anxiety.  Don't worry, that's normal.

I always tell my students plan for success. If you're going to do that you have to know what success looks like and feels like - to you. You tell me. What's the best possible outcome you might hope for with this project?  Then, tell me what you have to do to make that outcome more likely.

I hope the first word out of you mouth was P.... lan.  Big things start with small steps. What are the small steps you can start taking right now to move your ms along the path to success. Make a plan, and put it to work for you.

The next thing you want to ask yourself is what am I willing to accept IF I can't have everything I want for this project?  It's important to know what permutations are out there... to brainstorm possibilities besides the ideal that could also be a successful outcome for you. Success is black and white - it also has many shades of grey. Explore those possibilities too.... and make them part of your plan as well.

There's so much more that goes into planning for success... more on this important topic again soon!

I hope this helps with your writing and your goal setting.