INTRODUCTION
IT IS THE DREAM OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, PERHAPS OF
millions, to write fiction full-time. This dream has a powerful allure.
To do nothing but create, to spend one's working hours in the dream
state of one's imagination—who wouldn't treasure that?
Making that dream a reality is the subject of this book. As a lit-
erary agent I have journeyed with many writers from the submis-
sion of their first manuscripts to the magic moment of giving
notice at their day jobs, and beyond. Making the leap into full-time
fiction writing can be frightening, but most who take the plunge
also feel a powerful thrill. They are awed by the sense of freedom
and they are humbled by the responsibility, for writing fiction full-
time is not just a career choice, it is an act of faith in one's stories.
It is saying, "My fiction matters."
Can the dream actually come true? Yes, it can. While there is no
official count, it is beyond question that there are hundreds of full-
time novelists. Thousands more derive a significant portion of their
income from fiction. With roughly five thousand novels published
in the U.S. every year, there is clearly a serious need for publishable
novel-length material.
Of course, the first problem facing any new novelist is writing a
publishable manuscript. Many have the discipline to complete
one; far fewer make it over the hurdle of publication. What makes
the difference? Native talent? Some have it and others do not, that
is true, but in my experience talent is only one prerequisite for
xi