by Gen Wright

Writing and publishing science fiction is no doubt a strenuous task. Here are some practical rules that will aid you in writing an award winning science fiction book and publish it successfully.

Step 1: First Draft and Structure

A science fiction work should be framed in three segments: the opening, the middle, and the climax. Once you unfold your story design, you need to strengthen it with all paramount research. Next, you just have to draft your ideas on paper. High measurements of imagination are the controlling imperative for a prizewinning science fiction book.

Make an attempt to elevate your readers from the garden-variety asceticism of mundane routine life with your book. Try to nurture suspense in each chapter of the book to make the story line engrossing. Leave the reader to indulge in excogitation over imponderable enthralling situations. Sketch each aspect of the story acutely.

Bear in mind that exceptional science fiction has probable elements. Science fiction takes today’s technology and expands upon it. If your chapters are too improbable or outside normal comprehension, your book will not resonate with readers.
Step 2: Evaluation by Peers

Your first copy needs to be read by many of your friends. They will serve not just as proof readers, but will assist you in identifying incomplete story lines, settings that are not probable, plots that are hard to understand, and characters that are too unrealistic. Science fiction is rooted in the suspension of disbelief, but disbelief can only be drawn out so far.

Online workshops like Critters.org furnish practical advice and opinion. You can also join your local library critique workshop. Workshops allow you to get your book draft read by several people resulting in more comprehensive feedback. By giving you the occasion to assess the books of another, workshops help you hone your writing mettle.

Step 3: The Final Draft

Subsequent to evaluation by your peers, you must finalize your draft in order to tie up loose ends and eliminate the fallacies pointed out by your assessors. Do away with the unapparent components and abridge a final version that provides a taut narrative. In case you run into a creativity block, it would be keen to stash the book on a shelf for a bit and occupy yourself with something else. Once you are invigorated you can end your book with restored zeal. If major changes have been made to the book, it should be reevaluated by your peers.

Step 4: Getting Published

There are a lot ways to locate a publisher for your book. The first is to read science fiction trade publications. Publishers who openly accept submissions routinely advertise in these publications. A second possibility is to inquire with publishers directly. Look at a few of your cherished science fiction books and contact the editorial department. Request a copy of their submission guidelines and standards. It is most of the time best to do this by mail and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. In some instances, a publisher may have this information on their website.

When picking a publisher make sure they are writer friendly. They should have a track record of publicizing the writers and stories they publish.
Step 5: Critical Review

Get your novel critically reviewed before it is published. Give early review copies to authoritative critics. Then, right ahead of final publication, insert their reviews on the inside or back cover of your novel.

Giving the book to a critic who will pile profuse praise on it even if it is balderdash is not going to aid you at all. You must have the book reviewed by an expert critic. A fair draft critique can save you from much future abasement. In addition, by getting your novel critiqued by a real critic, you’ll secure some promotion from the organization the critic represents.

Conclusion

These easy but effectual guidelines will go a long way in helping you write and sell your science fiction book. It is a long process and should not be hurried. In some cases writing, rewriting, and publishing a work can take numerous years. It depends on a good deal of persistence and determination. If you possess these qualities and a good deal of imagination you can travel a long way in the science fiction universe.

About the Author
Gen Wright is a contributor to the online community Vampire Rave, a social network for real vampires. He also contributes to SciFi Section, a science fiction community.