# I wrote a novel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [October 8, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789 "2025-10-08T17:47:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/1 "2025-10-08T17:47:39Z")
Yes, I spent fourteen weeks writing a novel, plus time spent doing a first edit, and now time spent tidying things up after beta readers provided some feedback. I’m starting to list agencies I plan to submit to (which is to say basically every legit agency in the English speaking word who’ll look at upmarket fiction.) I can say without a hint of exaggeration that this was the most intellectually exhausting thing I’ve ever done. University wasn’t this hard. But now I can say I wrote a book. My goals are modest: 1. Write a novel (done) 2. Hold, in my hands, and actual proper copy of the novel - e.g. it’s bound, professionally covered and edited, and has an ISBN number. If I end up having to self publish on Amazon, fine. 3. Sell at least one (1) copy to a person I do not know. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/2 "2025-10-08T17:49:11Z")
Congrats! Are you willing to give a short synopsis/summary here of what it’s about? How are you going to get it printed and booked-out in physical form? (I’ve been wondering myself.) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/3 "2025-10-08T18:05:58Z")
Congrats! It feels good, doesn’t it? 🙂 Looking forward to hearing more about it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/4 "2025-10-08T18:47:25Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > How are you going to get it printed and booked-out in physical form? (I’ve been wondering myself. First plan is get it to a real agent who can get it to a real publisher. If that doesn’t work in 12-18 months, self publishing on Kindle. That does create real books you can have printed. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/5 "2025-10-08T18:52:58Z")
Do I count as someone you don’t know? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/6 "2025-10-08T19:09:45Z")
I’d think so, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/7 "2025-10-08T22:24:59Z")
14 weeks? Teach me your ways. I recently finished mine and it took 11 years. I would agree with your take on it being outrageously difficult. The only thing I have ever experienced that can compare is parenting. In many cases, though, it’s a matter of overcoming self-doubt and despair just as much as doing the concrete revisions. If I could have subtracted all the drama, I probably would have finished a lot faster. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/8 "2025-10-09T21:30:42Z")
Congratulations! 14 weeks is indeed very fast. Each of mine took at least a year. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/9 "2025-10-09T21:41:53Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I’d think so, yeah. There are multiple Dopers who’ve written books, and I’ve bought them and legitimately am a fan now. (A couple of them have posted in this thread). I’m interested in checking out yours! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/10 "2025-10-09T22:56:05Z")
Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/11 "2025-10-10T00:58:04Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > 14 weeks? Teach me your ways. I really enjoyed the story. I should point out that _I knew how it ended_. I already had all the major beats in my head. You understand, that’s FIRST DRAFT, not fully edited. First edit didn’t take long tho. It’s not a very plotty book. I needed to make a few developmental changes, but it wasn’t hard. It’s out to beta readers now. Three have gotten back to me. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/12 "2025-10-12T21:51:04Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > There are multiple Dopers who’ve written books, and I’ve bought them and legitimately am a fan now. (A couple of them have posted in this thread). I’m interested in checking out yours! As to this, the plan is to make every effort to be traditionally published, so that takes… a long time. Agency response rates range from “a few weeks” to “six months” and if you send out evidence of a genuinely terrific novel, most of them will still say no. It’s a numbers game. Only after I have exhausted every literary agent in Canada, the USA, and the UK that I can query - at least, and I may dig into Australia - will I go with Kindle self-publishing. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/13 "2025-10-12T22:10:45Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > As to this, the plan is to make every effort to be traditionally published, so that takes… a long time. Agency response rates range from “a few weeks” to “six months” and if you send out evidence of a genuinely terrific novel, most of them will still say no. It’s a numbers game. Good luck to you. I hope it works out! ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/14 "2025-10-12T22:16:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I really enjoyed the story. I should point out that _I knew how it ended_. I already had all the major beats in my head. Oh yeah, that never happens for me. I’m still trying to figure out my next one, which basically consists of writing some random scenes, thinking about it, writing some more random scenes, writing half a book, getting hopelessly stuck… anyway it won’t take me 11 years because 11 years ago I had no idea what I was doing, but now I do. Before I commit to the next novel I need to at least see the overall structure in my head. I wasn’t going to trad publish but I have a trad published friend who has read it and swears the time is right for this story, so… we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/15 "2025-10-13T02:45:19Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > 14 weeks? Teach me your ways. I thought of something else; I don’t just work on one thing. In between writing novel parts, I also write my short stories. If I’m stuck on the novel, off to a story. If that story gets stuck, I move on to another one. I dunno, works for me. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/16 "2025-10-18T13:02:01Z")
As Chapter 1 is very heavily and well edited, I’ve started sending queries to a few literary agents. (They take months to respond, so I’ll have the rest nicely line edited by then.) I’ve also had a few short stories get picked up by little publications. I don’t think I’m allowed to link to them. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/17 "2025-10-18T14:44:26Z")
Of course you’re allowed to link to them. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/18 "2025-10-18T15:03:53Z")
One thing my friend told me to keep in mind is that the publisher/publishing editor is going to have their own vision for the story, so don’t sweat the small stuff too much, you might have to change it later anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/19 "2025-10-18T16:10:13Z")
I’d expect that and to a large extent expect it; they’re the professionals. First “published” story: > **[Dave Is Dead (Again) by Richard Jones – Freedom Fiction Journal](https://www.freedomfiction.com/2025/10/dave-is-dead-again-by-richard-jones/)** ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789/20 "2025-10-18T16:32:04Z")
I thoroughly enjoyed that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wrote-a-novel/1023789.md?page=2)