A lesson from the bestsellers: What are you waiting for?

You have four unpublished novels in boxes under your bed, and you're pretty sure that one of them is a bestseller. Thankfully, your ego is pretty healthy, so all of those rejection letters from publishers are just grist for your determination. You scan the Los Angeles Times’ fiction bestseller list and find something interesting. You wonder what, if anything, do the following five bestselling authors have in common? What can their stories tell you about getting your masterpiece published? They are:

-- Michael Connelly, born in Ontario, Canada, in 1956. He was introduced to crime writing by his homemaker mother and, inspired by Raymond Chandler, wrote about crime for the Fort Lauderdale News and, later, for the Los Angeles Times. He’s won a Pulitzer, an Edgar and several other awards. His first novel, "The Black Echo," was published in 1992 when he was 36.

-- Charlaine Harris, born in Mississippi in 1951. She wrote poems and plays before mysteries. Her first book, "Sweet and Deadly," was published in 1981 when she was 30. She has won the Agatha and many other awards for her fiction.

-- Jo Nesbo, born in 1960 in Norway. He worked as a journalist and stockbroker before publishing his first book, "The Bat Man," in 1997, when he was 37. He has also won an Edgar.

-- James Patterson, born in 1947 in Newburgh, N.Y. He began writing after a career in advertising. His first novel, "Along Came a Spider," was published in 1993, when he was 46. He has won an Edgar and many other awards as well.

-- Geraldine Brooks, born in 1955 in Australia. She was a journalist and wrote her first book (nonfiction), "Nine Parts of Desire," in 1994 when she was 39. She won a Pulitzer for her 2005 novel, "March."

Did you figure it out? What we’ve got is this: All of these writers are now over 50, and all were at least in their 30s when their first books were published. All have received high honors: Edgars, Agathas and Pulitzers.  Three of the five have worked as journalists (the others were a poet and an ad exec). All of them hit the ground running, meaning their first books were well received. Four of the five published their first books in the 1990s, the last golden years of big publishing. All of their current books, with the exception of Brooks’, are mysteries.

The most important things to consider, however, may be the questions that they ask you: What have you learned from their stories? Is time on your side? What are you doing with those boxed novels under your bed? What are you waiting for?

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-- Susan Salter Reynolds

Photo: Author Michael Connelly. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Paul Dillon]

I'm not sure I understand the point of this article. What is the lesson?
"What have you learned from their stories?"
They are all fiction; do you mean writing style?
"Is time on your side? "
If you are already over 50, it's too late?

[Kathleen Anderson Ross]

Honestly, I agree with Paul Dillon. I appreciated the chance to read about these authors' accomplishments but I don't understand the message of the article. I'm left with so many questions: Is there hope for an over 50 unpublished author if you at least know someone named Edgar? Is that the most flattering photo of Michael Connelly? Does time really take sides?

[Mary Hanna]

So, if I'm well past my 30s, I might as well pack it in? I'm guessing the girl who wrote this is 23 and thinks she'll be old at 30. Give me a break.

[Kenneth Rosenberg]

It's never too late, these days especially. I'm 45 and have been writing novels for 20 years, though I've never managed to find a publisher, or even an agent. I finally gave up on the idea six months ago and put the first of my novels online as an ebook. So far I've sold 25,000 copies. Sure, I'm not making James Patterson kind of money, but I'm actually earning a living from it! The paradigm is definitely shifting.

[Sean Lobban]

Maybe there's hope for me yet!!!

I'm 45 and have just self published a story that has been buzzing in my head for twenty years. It's called The West Leigh Murder and is available from Amazon

[Kathleen Anderson Ross]

Wow, Kenneth Rosenberg and Sean Lobban, yours are the inspiring stories I want to read about. Congratulations for following your dreams!