Image copyright Martin Grandjean.
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) provides great motivation for writers to crank out a novel. But did you know it also provides a supportive community? Other NaNoWriMo participants—and enthusiastic writing cheerleaders—have heaps of advice to share about your writing. Don’t overlook this resource’s value, even after the writing is done.
In the SOOP model, we focus on three Ps:
1. Production
Many NaNoWriMo participants have gone on to publish their manuscripts. Since the program focuses on quantity over quality, production is an obviously essential step. 50,000-word manuscripts may need a few more chapters added, or they may need to be extensively rewritten before they can be considered workable first drafts. The NaNoWriMo forums are full of writers who have been through this process and editors who can provide indispensible insight.
2. Platform
Over 300,000 writers participated in NaNoWriMo last year, and that number grows every year. Thousands of people are probably participating in your own city right now! When publishing a book, it’s vital to spread the word as much as possible. Being a member of a network of hundreds of thousands of other writers who support what you’re doing couldn’t be more of a hand up. Don’t pass up such a valuable opportunity to attract attention to your work and to connect with other writers. Pay attention to what they’re doing, especially which of their outreach methods pay off and which don’t. In addition to learning from your peers, you might also find partners with whom you can cross-promote in the future.
3. Pitch
Pay close attention to how other writers in the community are presenting their works, how they describe their writing, and how they view their manuscripts in relation to others. Part of a good pitch is knowing where you fit into the bigger picture of your genre, style, subject matter, and so on. Absorb the language of the pitches surrounding comparable manuscripts and use it to improve your own.
SOOP Supports NaNoWriMo Writers
NaNoWriMo is an obvious way to jump start a novel, but don’t let that be as far as it gets you. Follow through with your writing aspirations and use the online writing community to make your book the best it can be.
For more information on SOOP’s unique approach to the book publishing process, read all about us here.
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