Please Respect This Hustle - Volume 1

We have just finished celebrating the 3 year anniversary of the Urban Reviews website. I can't believe how much we have grown in just 3 years with many more years to come. There are a lot of things that I've learned about the literary industry since July 2005. One thing that I've noticed is that there are a lot more authors and books out here that are fighting for attention. But with more books, there seems to be more problems. In the past few years, the practice of publishing a book evolved so much that just about anybody can do it. Sure, there are a lot of good books and authors out here but there are also a lot of people that aren't respecting the hustle. I'm talking about the book hustle. I'm not an expert, but I feel as a reviewer and avid reader there are a few things that authors need to do in order to make it in this business. See the short list below. I'm sure there's more but this is all I can think of right now.

1. Get your novel PROFESSIONALLY edited. This does not mean having a bunch of your friends and relatives proofreading your work and saying how great it is and putting up 5 star reviews on Amazon. Editing is more than somebody running your work through spell check and grammar check. If you think your work is so good that you don't need an editor, then that means you need one. (unless you are a professional editor yourself) Some say that if the story is good enough then the editing doesn't matter. This is not true. Bad editing can be the difference between a 4 star and a 5 star novel. You want to put your best work out there. There are plenty of freelance editors floating around on Myspace and Facebook. Do your research and seek them out.

2. Take Your Writing Seriously. Please remember that you are asking people to shell out their hard earned money to take a chance on your book. If you don't take a creative writing class, then at least get some books on writing. There are a lot of books out there that can help you with POV's (point-of-views), character development, plot, etc. There is nothing worse than reading a book that has no character, plot, or storyline development.

3. If you're writing a book just because you think it's a way to "come up" and make a lot of money, then don't do it. You must have a true love of the craft because authors getting six-figure deals is the exception and not the rule. Readers know when authors are serious about their work or not. And I don't have any hard numbers, but I'm almost certain that there are well over 90% of authors who have full-time jobs outside of writing.

4. Join a writers' group. If you don't have one in your area, then start one. I've heard from authors that this is a good outlet to have when you are writing your book. There are even a few online writers' groups. Ask around and I'm sure you'll find something.

5. Become an avid reader. How can you write a book if you're not an avid reader yourself? But at the same time, don't read somebody else's work and become a copycat writer either. Be your own writer.

6. Learn how to take constructive criticism. If you're a person who is very thin-skinned then the book industry is not for you.

I know there are many more things that I could list but those were some key ones that I feel are important. What fueled this list in the first place? This list came from the outcry that I've been hearing from some readers and some reviewers. People are just tired, tired, tired of bad books! We, as reviewers and readers, are tired of the same stale storylines. Either do the right thing and produce a good product...or don't do it at all.

All in all, just remember to PLEASE RESPECT THIS HUSTLE!

- Radiah of Urban Reviews