Why You Should Break the Writing Rules

Guest Blog Post by Adrienne Thompson

Have you seen that Little Caesar's commercial? You know the one that coins the phrase, "There are no rules!!" If not, check it out:

This is one of my favorite commercials right now; I can't help but to laugh when I see it.

As you might have guessed, that commercial is the inspiration for this post. Today I dare to say that in writing, there are no rules! Well, almost no rules. Or maybe a better way of putting it is: it's okay to ignore the rules (or at least some of them.)

No rule #1: Forget about word counts—There, I said it. I can hear the collective, audible gasps as people read this, but I am telling you this from the prospective of someone who tried, I mean, really tried to adhere to the strict rules of word counts. My very first novel was 75,000 words in length--25,000 of which were unnecessary drivel. By trying so hard to reach a certain word count, I completely destroyed the story.

My editor red-lined so much of it that I decided to put it away and never publish it. After that, I turned over a new leaf: I write the story until it is completed—no matter the word count. My goal is to write a good story with a good, strong plot and well-developed characters. I don't have to write 100,000 words to meet that goal.

There's a blog post I read recently that really sums the whole word count issue up beautifully. Check it out: http://venturegalleries.com/featured-vg-blog/fat-books-are-dead-long-live-skinny/

No rule #2: You DO NOT have to be with a major publishing company to be successful—Okay, this one is a little personal for me. I've had several people ask me over and over again when I am going to try to get with a publishing company. Let me state this for the record right now: Being self-published makes me no less "published" than the authors who are with publishing companies. My books are available for sale in several formats. I am receiving reviews, and I have a fan base. People all over the world have purchased and read my books. My books are currently selling at a rate higher than some traditionally-published authors. I have my own publishing company and I love it!

No rule #3: Your book cover is NOT the most important part of your book.—I hear more gasps, but it's true. I can have the most beautiful book cover in the world, but if the contents of the book suck, I might never sell another book. Good content is paramount, no matter who says it's not.

No rule #4: Only publishing your book as a paperback is insane—Well, it is! Yes, physical books are still very popular. I buy them quite often. But for any author to ignore the huge eBook market is just ridiculous. I see authors who are only offering their books in the paperback format and I wonder why. Why would they limit themselves like that? Personally, paperbacks only make up about 1% of my sales. There's no way I'm missing out on the eBook market. And neither should you!!

No rule #5: Self-publishing is the easy way out –Um, no! I realize it is hard to submit your work and receive rejections over and over again. I know that some people equate this with paying your dues in the literary world. Many people think authors self-publish to avoid the work of submitting to traditional publishers. Maybe that is true for some authors, but the vast majority of us have a story (or stories) to tell and we are more interested in getting our work into the hands of readers than being accepted by any particular company.

Self-publishing is hard work—very hard work. It takes commitment and perseverance and patience. But in my experience, I'd rather put in this hard work, retain the rights to my own creations, and be able to chart the course of my own future. As a self-published author, I am able to set my prices as reasonable as I want. I want my readers to be able to buy my books and to enjoy them.  Check out #5 here: http://venturegalleries.com/blog/writers-seven-deadly-sins/  for more information.

So, if you watched the video, you also noticed that there was "One rule!"

Here's one publishing rule that should never be broken: Hire an editor!!

I know your budget might be tight—so is mine. You know all of the grammar rules by heart—so do I. You never make mistakes—me either! You don't want anyone telling you to change your story—you read my mind! But you still need an editor—and so do I. If your budget is tight, consider seeking the help of a college English major or a recent grad (if you were ever a college student, then you know they will work for peanuts). At the very least, find a writing/critique partner and have them review your work or proofread it. A book riddled with errors makes the reading experience much less enjoyable. 

Adrienne Thompson is the divorced mother of three, and the doting grandmother of one precious little boy. She currently resides in Arkansas. She is also the author of Bluesday, Been So Long, When You’ve Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven), Lovely Blues, and See Me. To learn more about Adrienne and her books, visit http://adriennethompsonwrites.webs.com/

To purchase Adrienne’s books in Kindle and paperback formats, visit: http://ow.ly/fxVXG

To purchase Adrienne’s books in Nook format, visit: http://ow.ly/fxW4y

To purchase Adrienne’s books in Kobo format, visit: http://ow.ly/fxW6V

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Kimberly T. Matthews

"I knew exactly how many condoms were left in his gym bag, in a little black box, wrapped in gold foil. Seven. Each time I randomly checked for no other reason besides I knew they existed, there'd always been seven. So I was taken aback that morning when I went to do his laundry, peeked in the box and only found three..."
 Lisa from - "Lisa's Dress" 
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