Buddy: Mark, can you give us some insight into writing and perhaps share the most frequently asked questions you get asked by the budding writers out there.

Mark: Well Buddy, as outlined, the three most important questions, and therefore, answers, will be different for budding writers:

• What are you writing?
• Why are you writing?
• Who are your target audience?

I can’t answer those because they are unique to each writer and for each publication. I would also suggest that once you have answered those, it is worthwhile considering the best way to reach your target audience.

Q1: What does the budding writer need to do to get published?

Mark: Getting published and being read are two different things. There are many ways to be published today – traditional books, magazines, internet, e-books, blogs and so on. Once we know the target audience and what is being written, it is much easier to decide a publishing strategy. The publishing strategy will reflect the best way to reach the target audience.

Q2: What’s the best way to get started?

Mark: Just get writing! It’s amazing the amount of people who say to me ‘I have a book on my head’ to which I say, ‘well, get it out of your head and on to paper!’ Or your PC.

Q3: What if it’s no good?

Mark: Many writers suffer with what I call ‘adequacy anxiety’. They ask themselves, “is my work good enough?”, “what will people say if it’s no good?” and so on. The trouble is that most writers are their own worst critics and can find it hard to be objective when reviewing their own work. That’s where buddingwriter comes in.

Q4: What about people who have too high an opinion of their work?

Mark: In many ways, it’s the same issue, only reversed. Our professional reviewers review all submissions and complete a detailed report for each budding writer detailing the stuff that is actually good and highlighting those areas that the budding writer needs to work on.

Q5: How will I know when my work is ready to be submitted?

Mark: There is no one ‘point’ of knowing. I suggest that people think of it the following way:

• Do you have an outline as suggested in our guidelines for submission?
• If yes, have you completed between five and seven thousand words?
• If yes, do you feel that you would like that reviewed?
• If yes, then proceed to submission.

Q6: What’s the best way to get to the point where I’m answering Yes to these questions?

Mark: This is the same answer as the answer to Q2 – just get writing! But to help you, let me elaborate. Set aside some time maybe 2 to 3 hours to think about what you want to write. Don’t spend too much time on this yet – if you ‘have a book in your head’ this should be easy but if not, start writing and try to find ‘your voice’. Don’t worry if at the end of your first effort, you’re not happy with your work – you won’t be alone! Getting to the point where your book is ready to be published requires much more than an ability to write – discipline, resilience and a commitment to put in the time and effort are also required, so it is useful to adopt a planned approach and set out a diary schedule for writing.

Q7: I’m worried about getting negative feedback. Can you help?

Mark: Someone once said to me that ‘there is no such thing as either positive or negative feedback, there is only feedback!’ Without proper feedback, you’ll never get your work to publication. Feedback will help the budding writer turn something ‘okay’ into something good and something good into something great – provided they are open to it. When you write something, you have little idea of the impact that will have on the reader or the response you will get. Our reviewers are experts in their field so all of the feedback they give is aimed at helping the budding writer improve their work and moving it towards being published.

Q8: : So Mark, what does the budding writer need to do?

Mark: Our submission process is outlined here. We’ve made it simple and straightforward so budding writers just need to follow the guidelines. If you have any specific question you want answered, just drop me a mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I’ll be happy to answer it.

Q9: What’s the best or Top Tip you have.

Mark: Writing is a process. It takes time and effort but anything worth doing well takes effort so get writing and enjoy the process.

Happy writing and we look forward to receiving your submission.

Click This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have a question you would like the Q-Mark to answer.