Lawrence Block wrote in Writing the Novel: From Plot to Print, “If you want to write fiction, the best thing you can do is take two aspirins, lie down in a dark room, and wait for the feeling to pass.”

Why?

Because it's very very difficult to write a novel.

If Block's advice fails to change your mind, then start writing. But even as you embark on your journey, read the following books to learn your craft and get some inspiration along the way.

Writing the Breakout Novel Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed The Writer's Journey, Second Edition: Mythic Structure for Writers Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles On Writing

When you've written your first novel, then read the following books:

• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print
• How To Be Your Own Literary Agent: An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published

As you repeat the process over and over again, don't forget to have a little sense of humor and learn to prioritize and put things in perspective. It's OK to get a rejection (or two or three…or…a million) on your first novel. Most people don't sell their first novel anyway. Think of this as a learning opportunity, a journey to self-discovery.

And always remember that you're a writer and that writers write.

There have been several articles and blog posts about how the subprime crisis is going to make it near-impossible for new writers to sell, blah blah blah, and I'm sure many of you have read them already. They do look pretty gloomy, the end-of-your-dream-as-a-wannabe-pro kind. And some aspiring writers are feeling so discouraged that they don't even want to bother querying until the economy improves.

This is what I think about the entire situation:

It's never been easy to get published. I can't think of a time when someone squealed, “OMG! It's sooooo easy to get published.”

It's always been difficult to get published and build a career. What changes is the factors that make it hard to do so.

But one thing you know for sure is that people will continue to buy great books. Everyone's looking for a fabulous story, the kind that makes them lightheaded with excitement. And that's what you the writer can control. So write something that leaves agents and editors panting for more, and no matter how bad the economy is (or whatever), they'll publish it and readers will buy it.

On one of the loops I belong to there's been a discussion on one of the workshops because some people thought it was too snarky because the manuscripts were someone's baby. I don't know … but if you send something to publishing industry professionals, you should be ready to hear what they have to say even if you think their comments are mean. It's not their job to spare your tender feelings. Nobody put a gun to your head and forced you to submit.

Your manuscript is NOT your baby or treasure or any such thing. It's a product you hope to sell to make a profit. (Or at least generate positive cash flow since “profit” is a figment of an accountant's imagination.) This is not to say that it doesn't hurt to get rejected or us writers don't get neurotic when we write. But this kind of attitude helps because you can maintain some distance so that an editor/agent's rejection of your manuscript does not become personal and morph into a rejection of your baby.

(BTW — I don't get this “baby” thing in the first place. Do people normally sell their children to the highest bidder?)

To invest excessive emotional attachment above and beyond what's necessary will only break your heart even more when you get rejection slips, crappy reviews, and snarky reader comments.

If you haven't done so, please read the previous installments titled Identifying Your Site's Purpose and Audience, Go-Live Date, Your Budget, and Your Technical Aptitude, Identifying Your Website Needs and Design Preferences a.k.a. Doing Your Homework, Contacting Designers and Getting Quotes and Evaluating Quotes and Designers before reading this week's article.

I was going to do lessons learned, but I realized that I really don't have anything to share, esp. since my experience with Frauke has been so smooth and pleasant. I really lucked out.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. The designer works for you, not the other way around. She should provide you with a satisfactory design that meets your specifications.
2. The designer is not a mind reader. If you're not satisfied with something, you must communicate as soon as possible.
3. Don't stay with a designer who is rude, late, uncommunicative and/or incompetent. Believe it or not, there are a lot of incompetent designers. You can usually tell by their design portfolios and/or their response to your requests, etc.

Good luck!

P.S. If you want to plug any designers you've worked with before, feel free. :)

If you haven't done so, please read the previous installments titled Identifying Your Site's Purpose and Audience, Go-Live Date, Your Budget, and Your Technical Aptitude, Identifying Your Website Needs and Design Preferences a.k.a. Doing Your Homework and Contacting Designers and Getting Quotes before reading this week's article.

Within a week or so, most of designers you contacted should've responded with quotes and/or questionnaires. You should fill out those questionnaires and surveys as accurately as possible so they know exactly how much to bill you, especially if it's fixed fee work. It's very important to not change the spec in the middle of a fixed fee job because that means either the designer will refuse to make the changes (since it's above and beyond what you said the work would entail) or you'll have to pay more. Some designers might do the extra work for free, but I wouldn't count on it.

If designers bill you by the hour, you should still ask for an estimate based on your spec, so you know whether or not the work can be completed within the budget you set aside for your site.

Before you sign on the dotted line, ask for their service agreement.

Pay close attention to the following:

• Who owns the domain name? This is especially important if your designer registers it for you. Set a definite time frame on when she must start the domain name transfer process should you part ways. (You cannot stipulate that the transfer be completed within a week, etc. because she can only initiate and send appropriate forms, etc. and the rest is up to the registrars, etc.)
• How quickly does she update your site? How often? This is critical if you're planning to retain her services for site maintenance. (Otherwise, it's irrelevant.)
• Who owns the site designs, graphics, files, etc.? If you can't take them with you when you leave her, it's going to be a problem.
• Is the site going to be cross-browser compatible? If the site looks great on Firefox, but not on MSIE or vice versa, you have a problem. The site should look fantastic on Firefox, MSIE and Safari (Mac OS and Windows).
• If the work is unsatisfactory, what remedies are available? I'd say don't hire someone who refuses to refund your money. If the design is unacceptable and/or broken, you shouldn't have to pay. If the designer doesn't update your site as agreed, you shouldn't have to pay.
• Understand the payment terms. Do you have to pay by check, credit card or PayPal? When is the money due? Some designers require that you pay the full amount upfront. Are you comfortable with that? (FYI — Frauke at CrocoDesigns requested that I pay her in full before the work started, and that didn't bother me at all because she's done a lot of design projects for other writers who are very happy with her service. So I knew she wouldn't take the money and run. But I might have hesitated if it had been someone new or someone I didn't know very well, etc. So know your comfort level, which may vary depending on who you're dealing with.)

If you don't understand anything on the service agreement, ASK. Don't assume. Else you're more likely to be frustrated and disappointed. And most importantly, walk away if you aren't comfortable with the terms of the agreement.

Next week, I'll talk about my own experience and lessons learned.

If you haven't already done so, please read the first and second installments titled Identifying Your Site's Purpose and Audience, Go-Live Date, Your Budget, and Your Technical Aptitude and Identifying Your Website Needs and Design Preferences a.k.a. Doing Your Homework before reading this week's article.

By now you should know what your site to have (at least have some ideas) and know which designers have worked on your favorite author sites.

It's time to write out your requirements to send to potential designers. Write out the timeline (when you want yours launched), the type of technical solutions you seek (CMS, WordPress, Joomla, template only v. installation included, maintenance needed or not, etc.), and deliverables (graphic files, actual codes, Photoshop files, training if any, other documentation, etc.).

Once you have this, you can email designers and ask them for quotes.

In addition, you can also use a site called eLance to get quotes from other web designers. The registration is free, and there's very little risk to the people who hire freelancers there.

Here's a list of designers I found by surfing author sites. The list is nowhere near exhaustive. If you're a professional designer and want to be included, leave a comment with your designer site info and/or where people can find your portfolio. I will not include you on the list if you don't have a portfolio and/or experience.

Disclaimer: I'm not endorsing and/or promising anything by listing designers here. The only designers I've worked with are Frauke from CrocoDesigns and Tara O'Shea, and I like them. If you want to ask any specific questions about either of them, contact me.

• CrocoDesigns — Frauke from CrocoDesigns did my site. She has a waiting list for WordPress templates and/or full site design, although she still has some open slots for print and/or MySpace designs. (If you need a site launched ASAP, you can contact her and ask if she can do it. If you have a very good reason, she may work with you.)
• Tara O'Shea — She made the cover for my free serial A Happily Ever After of Her Own. She is very professional and punctual.
• Hot Damn Designs
• Rae Monet
• Clearly Computers
• Austin Designworks
• Rock the Rock Design
• Amberwing Design
• Waxcreative Design
• Swank Web Style
• Dream Forge Media
• Web Crafters Design
• Twilight Industries
• Elle Media
• Nytshadow Designs

Next week, I'll talk about evaluating quotes and designers.