Marcy Dermansky, author of the book Twins, kindly shares with you today some of her success tips for getting your books published.

1. Get Out There

I submitted my short story "Adults At Home" to twenty-eight literary journals before it was accepted by the Indiana Review. I couldn't believe what happened next. Three agents contacted me -- proving the fact that agents actively seek clients, and they really do read literary journals. I had only just started writing TWINS, but I responded to the agents' queries, thanking them for their interest. Over the course of the next two years, one persistent young agent (Alex Glass of Trident Media Group) stayed in regular contact with me. When I finished TWINS, I sent the manuscript directly to him.

I know too many talented writers who don't submit their work. This drives me crazy. It's a simple fact: you can't get published if you don't put yourself out into the world. Buy manila envelopes, print labels, make copies, get busy. Amazing things can happen as a result.

2. Find A Place

The good thing about writing is it's cheap. Once you've bought the computer, you're pretty much set on supplies. It's the actual writing that is hard. I, for one, find it deadly to work at home. Let me list some of the distractions: the telephone, my at-home-writer-husband who often listens to the Grateful Dead while he works, some mess that demands cleaning, a constant impulse to run to the kitchen and eat anything, everything in sight.

I recommend finding an outside place to work. If you are independently wealthy, you can rent your own office. If not, there are many other affordable options. I belong to The Writers Room, an urban writer's collective in New York City. Ask around: there are artist work spaces forming all over the country. Cafes and libraries can also be great places to write.

3. Take Some Risks

Getting laid off from my full time job as an Internet editor was one of the better things that happened to me. The company kicked me some part time hours, and I gratefully took them. Suddenly, I found myself blessed with time. Not much money, not nearly enough money, but time. That's the greatest gift a writer can ask for. The years writing TWINS were lean. At times, I felt I was literally racing against the clock. If I didn't write this novel, write it fast, I'd either end up back at another office job or in serious credit card debt. Honestly, this kind of pressure was a good thing. I put in long hours, but I was always working for myself.

It's not practical for me to tell all aspiring writers: quit your full time job. But maybe consider it. Look for freelance opportunities or part time work. Set a deadline and take a gamble on yourself.