There Are No Rules - Getting Published

Every Writer Needs a Little Salesperson Inside

Jane — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:16:59 GMT

It's not a natural thing for most creative people to sell their work, but when it comes time to publish, you have to know something about how to sell.

You have to put in the effort, make the calls, not get beat down by rejection. (It's why I love this Alec Baldwin video, and my advice based on it.)

I'm definitely not a salesperson by nature. But it didn't take long to learn some basic skills, since my first editorial job depended on convincing salespeople my ideas were worthwhile.

Most writers need a little help in understanding how to pitch their work effectively, and I love being the one to help craft and rework that pitch.

This week I'm teaching an online course that offers an extreme makeover on query letters. You get to submit your 1-page query ahead of time, then you'll see me (in a live session) dissect all the queries into good, OK, and needs revamped.

It's a fun and illuminating process, and you learn the essential principles of selling the story (fiction) or selling an idea (nonfiction).

My goal is that every writer leave this session with a little salesperson inside who can kick into high gear when it's query-writing time.

Go register here if you have a query letter that needs professional attention. The session is this Thurday, November 5, at 1p EDT.

Also:

Read my previous post: 5 Elements of Query Letters
If my online class isn't for you, try our excellent guide by Wendy Burt-Thomas, The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters (with specific tips by genre).
Check Chuck's agent blog for his Successful Queries series.

The Age-Old Battle Between Author & Publisher

Jane — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:23:18 GMT

To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.

—Charles Caleb Colton

Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being.

—A. A. Milne

Publishing is no longer simply a matter of picking worthy manuscripts and putting them on offer. It is now as important to market books properly, to work with the bookstore chains to get terms, co-op advertising, and the like. The difficulty is that publishers who can market are most often not the publishers with worthy lists.

—Olivia Goldsmith

One of the signs of Napoleon's greatness is the fact that he once had a publisher shot.

—Siegfried Unseld

Publishers are all cohorts of the devil; there must be a special hell for them somewhere.

—Goethe

As difficult as it is for a writer to find a publisher - admittedly a daunting task - it is twice as difficult for a publisher to sort through the chaff, select the wheat, and profitably publish a worthy list.

—Olivia Goldsmith

One should fight like the devil the temptation to think well of editors. They are all, without exception - at least some of the time, incompetent or crazy.

—John Gardner

If you've been following industry chatter, you may have seen some conversations lately about whether authors need publishers (or vice versa). Plus there's now a Twitter tag for the discussion, #publishersmatter

To catch up, you can read these 3 pieces:

Do Authors Still Need Publishers?
by Mark Coker of Smashwords (e-publishing service)

What Do Authors Need?
by Kate Eltham at Queensland Writers Centre (Australia)

Do Publishers Still Need Authors?
by Guy Gonzalez, my colleague and audience development director for Digital Book World (My views align closely with Guy's.)

Aspiring writers and authors can be extremely mistrustful and suspicious of publishers— creating a group only too eager to join the revolution where writers/authors have power and publishers become obsolete.

Those who can never get inside the pearly publishing gates feel marginalized and like they never got the attention they deserve, while those who do break in feel exactly the same way. As Daniel Menaker has said:

Many of the most important decisions made in publishing are made outside the author's and agent's specific knowledge. … [Publishing] silently colludes in trying to ignore the obvious … that the first printing of your book will be three thousand copies, that it will not have full-color galleys, that no advertising or tour is planned, and that it has been assigned to a publicist who up until yesterday worked in the Xerox department. Why the collusion? Because this is a business fueled largely by writers' need for attention, and no one wants to crush any writer's dreams before a book is even published. Especially since every now and then they actually come true.

Today, many authors are left out to sea as soon as the book hits store shelves, a critical moment in the life of many books. By the time the author realizes what's happening, the window of opportunity has vanished—that moment when you can ensure stores/retailers see the book as a quality and profitable item, leading to a good model (number of copies per store).

Other authors get turned out by their publishers when their books don't sell, even if they could've been a quality midlist author with more time and investment. (Most publishers don't have the luxury of waiting.)

Obviously neither of these phenomenon help the author OR the publisher.

I wonder if successful publishers of the future will attract quality authors mostly by …

the deep reach of their distribution (especially if to a particular audience)
their editorial/curation prowess and stable of quality authors
the support and service they provide authors

Publishers have done a poor job, at best, in the support and service role.

How many publishers actively support their authors when it comes to teaching them online marketing and promotion practices? How many will analyze their authors' efforts at platform and branding? How many will give them the education, tools, or resources they need to be true partners with the publisher? How many will—at the very least—provide clarity on what the publisher will and will not do for the author, or explicitly convey their own strengths and weaknesses, so the author goes in eyes wide open?

While publishers of the future need to distinguish themselves by the quality of their partnerships, the quality of their audience reach (community), and the quality of their curation, I bet there will be publishers who become known for support and service, and attract quality authors like bees to honey—and be more successful because of it.

What do you say?

Writing & Publishing: More Than a Patience Game

Jane — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:53:13 GMT

My partner in crime, The Conductor, recently forwarded me the following, from an interview with Lost Producer Damon Lindelof:

In today's film and television industries it seems like there are far fewer writers willing to take risks for originality's sake. What advice do you have for aspiring writers who are passionate about a particular story, even if it risks not being given a chance by today's audiences? -- Josh G.

As clichéd as it sounds, if you have an original voice and an original idea, then no matter what anybody says, you have to find a way to tell that story. My only advice would be you have to exercise patience. I think the freshman mistake is you feel such passion for something that you need to tell it now, as opposed to saying, "Let me establish myself, and five years from now when I'm a little bit older, a little bit wiser, a little bit more experienced, maybe that's the time to tell that story."

Sometimes you get a present for somebody a month before their birthday and you just want to give it to them immediately. But timing is everything. So I would say it might feel like your idea is a hard sell now, but maybe in a couple years the timing will be right. Whatever you do, don't give up.

Whenever someone asks for my autograph in my book, I usually add my 2 biggest pieces of advice:

Be passionate. Be persistent.

Perhaps persistence is a type of patience. Persistence adds a level of push, of proactiveness, of energy. The wrong kind of patience will lull you right into complacency and inactivity (and waiting to be "discovered").

Yet: Some people are so pig-headed in their persistence that they can't discern when it's time to change course or adapt to changing times.

I recently read about the importance of context, which applies to writing and publishing more than ever. Some writers remain blind to issues of context and can't grow.

Passion & persistence best serve people who know how to grow, which Lindelof advises: get wiser and more experienced. I couldn't agree more.

AND—it crushes my heart to witness: A person with unlimited passion who lacks the focus or discipline to do the hard work of realizing the Big Dream she has.

Sometimes, it's all about who is working hardest, and can devote the most time and energy to their endeavor, and knock on more doors. Not who's most talented.

For those who are talented and never gain appropriate recognition, you can blame it on bad luck, bad timing, and unfairness, but I'd ask myself: Am I working harder than everyone else?

Photo credit: The Rocketeer

Your Simple Checklist for Getting Known & Getting Readers

Jane — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:38:24 GMT

There's such a wonderful comment on yesterday's post that I wanted to bring attention to it (slightly modified to apply to all genres). Thank you, Banana the Poet (aka Michele Breton)! Follow her on Twitter or visit her site.

Simple Checklist for Getting Known, Getting Readers, Building Platform

Blog your work and gather readers (Michele blogged for three years)

Join Twitter (and/or Facebook) and make friends with like minded people

Contribute & comment regularly on blogs and sites (like Writer's Digest Poetic Asides prompt challenges)

Start publishing company (optional, but great route for poets)

Release poetry book (possible to accomplish for free and with little or no technical expertise, through services like Smashwords, Lulu, Scribd)

Format for Kindle and release

Get onto the Barnes & Noble Nook system

Ask hubby to turn my book into an iPhone application

What other steps would you add, or have you found to be critical?

Turn Your Book Into an iPhone App

Jane — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:39:38 GMT

This is a story about an energetic author who deserves an award for truly living by the adage, "There Are No Rules." In fact, I shall start an honorable group, "There Are No Rules Crown Club," for people who live up to this moniker, starting with Al Katkowsky.

Al e-mailed me over the summer and suggested that he might be a valuable speaker at our annual conference in NYC. I agreed, and he spoke about his success in transforming his book, Question of the Day (self-published), into an iPhone App that now ranks as one of the Top 25 book apps and has been downloaded more than 80,000 times.

I asked him to answer some questions that would give you an idea of how you can accomplish something like this too. You might also want to read this other article he penned for Teleread.

So at first you were initially skeptical if turning your book into an iPhone app was a good use of your time and energy. But ultimately you decided to go for it. What did that process look like, e.g., how long did it take, what resources did you need, and how much did it cost?

The process of building the first version of the App occurred over a six-week period. This was with Daniel, who was simultaneously working a 60-plus hour work week, and had previously committed to other outside work. It needn't take that long. The work came in between $500 and $1,000 total, but there is more work to be done [for another version].

For authors, I would say keep in mind that the improvements I am about to take on fall further and further away from the presentation of a book, and don't necessarily reflect the amount of work that any author needs to take on. However, your App must "do tricks." This is iPhone, not Kindle—you're competing with Tetris for attention. That's why I wisely got into the Books category [for iPhone apps], and left Entertainment!

What are some practical steps that an author can take to launch their book as a successful iPhone App?

We've been studying this for a long time, listening to experts in the field and watching what authors and publishers are bold enough to do, and what they are afraid to do. I recommend putting out two thirds of your content for free, perhaps more.

The publishing world is currently focused on how to move into the digital domain while minimizing the threat of piracy. They do need to be addressing this. So the idea of increasing the release of free content is, well, freaking them out. Yet, it is exactly what they need to be dealing with.

Free content is part of the glue of "tribes", as Seth Godin might say. Understanding the true ratio between free content and paid ensures a healthy, continuous relationship with customers.

Thinking about preparing for the future when it's already here is like preparing for a flood when you're already drowning. They're doing too little, and it may already be too late. They've begun to release one free book of an author, or of a series, to promote interest in the rest. What if you're a first-time author, with only one book?

Lite versions of apps fall into a great literary tradition: generating enough interest to facilitate purchasing the next installment. The classic example is "A Tale Of Two Cities", which was originally published as part of a literary journal, in installments. Pick it up and pay attention to the end of each chapter, the way things are summed up.

I want to recommend three operable models here for the first time, for fiction writers:

1. Release a lite (free) version chapter by chapter. Every four to six weeks, update your App with a new chapter. There will be a push notification through the App Store that your book has added a new chapter; iPhone users love updates of their favorite Apps. Whether your App was pay or not, updates are always free.

Some people don't update right away. But you can track the amount of updates on a daily basis to see how many people are actively keep up with your new additions.

After updating the app to Chapter Seven of your ten-chapter book, that's it. Game over. Now, at the same time, release your full pay app version for purchase. They can pay now.

2. Release a lite (free) version with somewhere between 60% to 80% of the content. Less than that may engage them, but that amount will really seal the deal. If they like what they've seen, they will pay for the rest. If you give away too much, they may pick up your book somewhere and check the last five pages for the ending.

3. Have you begun podcasting? I've spoken to best-selling authors whose hands are tied; they are not permitted by their publishers to put out iPhone versions of their books. One of these is a very well known podcaster.

You can create first-time integrated experiences for your readers. This author should have been the first to do this, but instead, it could be you. At the top of the page, a choice in media:

"Chapter 4: Would you like to read, or would you like to be read to?"

We've all had to discontinue reading before we've felt like it. In this format, you could offer your reader the option of plugging their iPhone into the car stereo and reading to them at the point where they had to stop reading on their own.

What's been most surprising about the experience?
That major publishing houses are nowhere near me [in the iPhone app rankings]. One James Patterson book came close for a while. I'm at number 23 today, he's at 53. We're both free. I'm also surprised by the fact that the other apps that are near me are compendiums, reading apps, etc ... no actual print books.

It surprises me that people are impressed that I got the Apple Store event dates. Again, is anyone even trying?

The acceleration of Books within the App Store is surprising and even a little shocking. When I got in in April, there were 3,000 book apps. Check this out: on September 7, the books category hit the 10,000 mark. On October 7, it hit 12,000, a full 20% growth in only one month. That's staggering, and you can't tell me that people aren't paying attention to the potential of books within the iPhone format.

When you spoke at our conference, you said that you weren't quite ready to be looking for an agent on the print edition, even though QotD has been downloaded more than 80,000 times, and currently in the Top 25 out of over 12,000 titles in the Book App category. What benchmark are you waiting for? OR, are you waiting to be approached?

I walked into the conference thinking that I had something going for myself, but that there were a lot of people in the business who either think nothing of it, aren't aware of it, or don't understand the value of it. These feelings were confirmed and magnified at the conference. Several respected industry people told me that I have a huge platform now. I did, in fact, meet up with an agent who was enthused about what I'm doing. She sees "huge" potential, and doesn't think that others in the biz see it that way. We'll stay in touch, and that's a good thing.

Industries won't change until they see money flowing into someone else's pockets. If industries can't create money flow, they will certainly follow it. They are forcing me to grow. And that is a good thing.

The next time I update, it will be like tapping over 80,000 people on the shoulder. They love their apps. They are going to listen. And here's the kicker: I asked about a hundred people to download my app. The rest found me. It's a marketer’s dream. How can you not see the value in that?

You've had some tremendous success without any mainstream or “traditional” assistance (or that's my impression?). What advice do you have for others who may be pursuing an indie path?

The main thing I had to do was to get right with myself, and my answers are based on that.

First of all, if you need to write and be read, and selling thousands of books is not a major concern, don't let anyone tell you you aren't serious.

For the rest of us:

People often do things like self-publishing without fully realizing why they did it. It serves to make them feel good about themselves, temporarily. It is exactly like when someone you work with or go to school with loses weight. They needed to do it, it was a lot of work, they feel a feeling of satisfaction and they get a lot of compliments. After a while, they don't get compliments and they still have to give up the Twinkies. Are you kidding? What kind of rip-off is that? A total rip-off! A few weeks later, the Nordic Track gets parked in the garage. They quit as soon as it stops feeling good.

I always say, "Know what's driving you." Why are you doing this, and is that driver enough to get you through rejections, confusion, boredom and that lost in the woods "what do I do next" feeling? You need to know, but there will be tough moments when even the drivers leave the room, and you'll really want the Twinkies. Starting at that moment, every little thing you do for your self is a huge victory. The down feeling will go away, something will turn in your favor, and then "perseverance" is not just a word anymore.

So, know your drivers, know that you will change course many times, and be ready to divorce your naysayer friends in a split second. Some people keep them around as motivation, but to me, they are poison. You can't afford the time it will take to figure out why they give with one hand, and slap with the other. You don't know why, and they don't know why. And they're not going to stop. They don't need to change, but your environment needs to change. You're doing something much riskier and more difficult than most of the people people you know. Distance, immediately!

Every day that you recognize that something is off course, and you don't initiate work on a solution, you're blowing it. You may as well quit and start to like working for somebody else, because you are not being true to yourself, and your babies are dying. You are killing them with inattention.

I'm fairly easy going, but I have a pretty big ego. As a creative person, I know that my ideas are my life blood. I did create Question Of The Day, but making it into a book was not my idea, and neither was the iPhone App. My indebtedness to others teaches me a lot.

There will always be a right time to jump from "indie", whether it means hiring staff and becoming a startup, or going with a publishing house. Your ideas will always be your own, but you can never achieve as much by yourself as you can with other people.

What are your next steps, let's say in the next year? Do you have any longer range plans or goals?

Question Of The Day will remain a free app. Not a "lite" version, but a full version that is free. We are now putting together a companion pay app, built from suggestions of QotD downloaders. This version will have twice as many videos, and I am also weighing the possibility of adding half of the questions from the next book, which is already written.

We are planning a social networking version, where people who are playing with the app can locate and communicate with others playing with the app, and play together. At their option, they will be able to see each other's location in the world on a map.

Ultimately, I'd like this to do well enough so that I can put it behind me and focus entirely on music. In one way or another, I'll always have something to do with Question Of The Day, but I have to get back to what I was doing before I got here. Not that I'm not working on it, but it really needs my full attention. I need to be doing it all the time, like I was.

--

My indebtedness to Al for sharing these thoughtful, thorough answers (and also thanks for his enduring patience). And to all iPhone users: Go download that app! (I did, and it's wonderful.)

So, for readers, does this raise more questions for you? What do you think the big surprise is? Let's hear it in the comments!

How to Get Your Book Published

Jane — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:13:27 GMT

The No. 1 question we get asked at Writer's Digest is "How do I get my book published?" As the Brazen Careerist has noted, sometimes people don't ask the best or most focused questions if they want a meaningful answer (or if they want to respect the person they're requesting information from).

In my online class this Thursday, I'll be attempting to answer this big-picture question of how one gets a book published. I hope to provide the fundamentals on what it takes, and discuss concrete steps to score a book deal. You can register here for $49.

(Special offer for readers of this blog: If you take this Thursday's class, I'll give you a coupon for $50 off any other online class in November/December, which is a 50% discount.)

One of the first steps in your journey is identifying where exactly you are on the publishing path. At the September event in New York City, I categorized writers into 3 broad areas:

I AM GOD. You think-know-believe you have what it takes to become the next Stephen King. This takes quite a bit of ego—enough to sustain you across years of rejection—and it also usually takes enthusiasm and energy to keep you going when all other lights have gone out. For novelists, having this goal (bestsellerdom) usually means that you're at the top of your game when it comes to storytelling or information.
I AM GROWING. Most writers who I meet fall into some version of this. They have manuscripts in progress, may not be sure of what they should write, and seek some kind of validation that they should continue in their efforts. Rejections can be detrimental if not categorized for what they are—part of the business of getting published.
I AM AN AUTHORITY. This category is especially relevant for authors in nonfiction genres who may be recognized experts in a subject matter, or have successful businesses or careers that can be successfully expressed in book form.

In my class on Thursday, I'll talk about next steps no matter what kind of writer you are, and how to get agents/editors to approach YOU, rather than you begging for their attention.

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Insult Someone in Publishing

Jane — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:07:50 GMT

1. Design your own book cover, or better yet, have a loved one do so for you. Bonus points if that loved one is a child (either young of full-grown), and creates abstract art.

1.5. Draw your own illustrations or have a loved one do so because they're really good with Microsoft Paint.

Books are products that require an industry professional's attention and marketing consideration, just like any other consumer product—from Coke to Draino.

2. Tell your editor that you've had your family member (who has a really sharp eye), read your work for errors, and you're certain it's good to go. Bonus points if that family member is a retired high school English teacher.

Editing is about much more than correcting comma placement. Furthermore, all publishers have their own style guidelines that aren't known or understood outside the publishing industry.

3. Tell your publisher that your book is a perfect fit for Starbucks [or any major retailer], and that it should be sold there.

More than anyone, your publisher wants your book stocked in every possible retail outlet, and will exploit every single distribution connection it has. It will place it in any outlet that will make space for books, and even pay money for placement. Your publisher isn't lazy or unimaginative; there's just immense competition.

And a sure-fire way to make an editor cringe:
Remark in an envious way, "So you must read a lot." No, we don't read. Mostly, we look for ways to make money and get your book placed at Starbucks, while gently informing you that your first-born cannot design your cover. Most editors have completely left pleasure reading behind. (That includes me, except when I'm on vacation.)

To end on a positive note:

6 sure-fire ways to make an editor love you

Ask questions about the business.
Ask what you can do to make your book or project or idea more successful.
Ask about the publisher's strengths and weaknesses, and where your help can really make a difference.
Share your action plan for marketing and promotion, and ask the publisher for specific things where they can meaningfully and realistically help you (usually things you know they've done to assist other authors).
Ask for examples or models of what other authors have done that have led to success.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. (Do not hide out, do not point fingers, do not blame.)

Remove These Phrases From Your Writing Life

Jane — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:39:34 GMT

I'm on an inspirational kick this week.

I recently connected on LinkedIn with my very first boss at F+W.

I always remember the advice he repeated to me that went something like: "Imagine you're 80, looking back on the fulfilling, beautiful life you've led. Now go do that."

I come across too many people who append a condition to their writing or creative life. Do you say these things?

I'll write when … (waiting for perfect conditions)
I'll write if … (waiting for some thing or someone else to act/decide/validate)

Or maybe something like:

I'll never be as good as … (denying the fact each person is unique and has something to offer -- and ignoring the hard work of self-knowledge and writing practice to help identify what makes you unique as a writer)
I don't have the patience … (for those who know the time it takes and the difficulties involved—but this forgets the preciousness of the journey and only considers the goal)

And most evil of all:

When I have enough time (we're all given the same amount of time in a day, but also we don't know how much time we're given overall)

Lately, I've come across two quotes from famous folks, echoing my former boss's sentiment. Nothing earth-shattering, but still …

Here's what Steve Jobs said when he addressed Stanford's graduating class a few years ago:

... for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

And Seth Godin wrote (around the same timeframe):

The thing is, we still live in a world that's filled with opportunity. In fact, we have more than an opportunity -- we have an obligation. An obligation to spend our time doing great things. To find ideas that matter and to share them. To push ourselves and the people around us to demonstrate gratitude, insight, and inspiration. To take risks and to make the world better by being amazing. ... You get to make a choice. You can remake that choice every day, in fact. It's never too late to choose optimism, to choose action, to choose excellence. The best thing is that it only takes a moment -- just one second -- to decide.

Photo credit: Let Ideas Compete

It's Not Business As Usual--Stop Acting Like It

Jane — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:31:45 GMT

In my role at Writer's Digest I balance two key objectives that's an odd, meta-publishing endeavor:

Help aspiring writers succeed in the publishing arena
Keep the Writer's Digest business—as a publishing and/or content business—viable

Because of my position within the publishing industry, I see up-close the effects of hard economic times, transformational technology, and increased pressure to produce more with less. Friends lose jobs, businesses fold, we try to follow the cliche "work smarter, not harder," and remind ourselves of the heartfelt reasons we're in the business in the first place.

Here are some recent thoughts from others, from a variety of perspectives:

Daniel Menaker (former Executive Editor-in-Chief of Random House)

I believe that this impending Gutenberg-level shift in reading culture, along with the economic disasters of the last two years, render the challenges of present-day hard-copy publishing all the more agonizing, immediate, and dramatic. At least in the abstract, and especially in this economic climate, most other professions pose some of the same problems for those who pursue them, no doubt. But the tectonically opposing demands on publishing -- that it simultaneously make money and serve the tradition of literature -- and its highly unpredictable outcomes and its prominence in the attention of the media have made it a kind of poster adult for capitalism and the arts in crisis. [click here for full article]

Guy Gonzalez (F+W community leader behind Digital Book World)

For all the talk of publishing’s supposedly imminent demise, there are far too many passionate people working in and around the industry, at every level, to let that happen. And whether they realize it or not, it doesn’t matter if they’re working for one of the major publishers or an independent press, in senior management or as an editor, author or bookseller — there’s a wide and fertile common ground we all share and it’s best represented by the community we all serve: the readers.

Ultimately, it’s readers’ changing habits that are driving the fundamental changes in the publishing industry – everything from the types of books they’re reading to the formats they prefer reading them in – and as a result, it’s the current business model of most publishers that’s under stress, not the community service of publishing itself.
[click here for full post]

From Mark Barrett at DitchWalk.com

Everyone in the new content pipeline must demonstrate added value in order to be embraced by both authors and readers. As an author, if you are not helping me monetize my content in some way, I have no valid business reason for partnering with you or hiring you. As a reader, if you are not providing me a service I need at a competitive price I will simply go elsewhere.

… As a writer, questions of cost and profit and revenue are of interest to me because I now have a direct pipeline to readers. I know I can reduce my costs to something approaching zero, so the question of most concern to me is how to generate revenue. I know I need help to monetize my content. I need sites that will host it and promote it, readers that will recommend it, and publishers who will do the same if I want to reach the widest possible audience.

I want to make deals with business partners in order to accomplish these goals. I want to have the money to hire professionals like editors and designers to help me produce the best work I can. And I want publishers to help me reach the widest market if that makes sense to both of us. [click here for full post]

***

I frequently encounter these two groups:

The writers/authors who read all of this, who do comprehend what's going on, but seem unwilling or unable to adjust their expectations of a publisher or their own responsibility for success
The agents, editors, and other publishing insiders who also comprehend what's going on, yet expect or demand business as usual when it comes to book deals, contracts, and other partnerships

There are also the people who say, quite rightly, that writing and publishing a "real" book is still the big dream, and people will keep chasing that dream no matter how much we all argue that the book is dead, that times have changed, that no one reads any more, etc.

Yes, the dream will always remain. As far as I can tell, it has been a dream for more than a century (The Writer, a competitor to Writer's Digest, has been in business for more than 120 years).

But achieving that dream is going to take many more shapes, and look a lot different, than it did even 5 or 10 years ago.

Most of all, I want YOU to see, really see, what's possible (now & in the future—see The Art of Possibility), identify what you can achieve, and understand tactics to get things done.

I'm trying to do these things, too—along with care for the morale of the people I work with at Writer's Digest and F+W.

I am reminded of Kenny Moore's words:

Morale continues to remain dismal in most companies and employee surveys reveal three disturbing trends: nobody trusts, workers don’t believe senior management and employees are too stressed out to care. Problems with trust, belief and caring. When I lived behind the cloistered walls, we referred to these dynamics as a crisis of Faith, Hope and Charity. As the Recession continues to take its toll, the business world is facing a spiritual problem as much as a fiscal one. Napoleon once said that leaders are dealers in hope. That sounds like a sacred quality to me.

Photo credit: benefit of hindsight

15 Worthy Blogs I Just Discovered

Jane — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:10:37 GMT

I recently received the "One Lovely Blog Award" from Jillian Livingston (go check out isdisnormal—and you must if you are a mom). My thanks to her for introducing me to this concept.

As a result of being honored, I've been asked to note 15 blogs I recently discovered that I find worthy of the award.

(Photo above: A sign at a Buddhist temple advises that those with good eyes are inclined to fall into deep wells—which is how I feel when I discover a great new blog!)

So: here are blogs I've added lately to my Google Reader. (You can see my shared items from Google Reader here, and I accept sharing requests too if you use Google Reader.)

(1) Digital Book World
This is the newest blog launch from F+W, but it's backed by the inimitable Guy Gonzalez. A good read for savvy writers who want a larger understanding of publishing industry challenges. (Note: Digital Book World is offering a free webinar on "The Truth About eBooks" on October 21.)

(2) When Fridays Were Fridays
Written by someone who started working for a large company right out of college and stayed 30 years. I feel a cosmic connection to this person, because in 17 years, I wonder if my "About Me" will look exactly the same. I particularly like her post Have You Ever Faked It?

(3) What Consumes Me by Bud Caddell
You'll love it at first sight.

(4) Kenny Moore
Kenny is the co-author of The CEO and the Monk. I love how compassionate and human his advice is, while still being practical and appropriate for a corporate setting.

(5) Start Up Blog
I feel like I'm getting a better business training here than I would at a university.

(6) Self-Publishing Review
A site that benefits from a multitude of contributors. Professional and quality information, with a bit of magazine style to it (lead stories, resources, features).

(7) Fiction Matters
And it's not here just because they complimented me lately (or because of a bourbon affinity discovered on Twitter … well, maybe a little). Check out their guidebook, then peruse tips.

(8) My Name Is Not Bob
By the charming Robert Brewer, editor of WritersMarket.com. He is also blogger at Poetic Asides, but this is his personal blog, just launched on August 14. He's been a little quiet lately, but I know he'll be active again.

(9) The Sound and Furry
And this one is by the customer service rep behind WritersMarket.com, who is herself an aspiring children's writer. Great tips here for writers, plus cats (a great accent for every blog).

(10) Information Is Beautiful
Always amazing and share-worthy posts.

(11) Clay Shirky
Very infrequent posts, but outstanding quality when it comes to contemplating the future of media.

(12) The Book Oven
Something for everyone—especially writers—to keep an eye on.

(13) Publishing Trends
Their best content will cost you, but they still post really wonderful insider information for free.

(14) Bad Pitch Blog
While not directly tied to writing/publishing, read this long enough and you'll become a better salesperson and promoter of your ideas. A totally new find and I love it.

OK, I purposely stopped at 14. You tell me what No. 15 should be—based on the best last blog that's been added to your RSS reader or bookmark list. (Wondering about RSS readers? Read my tip on how to save time with an RSS reader.)

The Secrets to Publishing Success (Jane's 2009 Tough Love Guide)

Jane — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:35:25 GMT

Above: Jane looks at you expectantly with the tough-love stare. Don't disappoint her.

--

This past year, I've posted a ton of information on how you can

(1) ensure your work is the best it can possibly be
(2) build an audience and create demand for your work
(3) take advantage of technology to push your career forward

At the Editor Intensive last weekend, I found myself referencing numerous blog posts I'd made, and thought it was time to compile what I'd consider the "guide" for 2009 on how to succeed in the new publishing landscape (because the industry ain't what it used to be).

This is a perfect reference guide for anyone who's attended the Intensive and wants a refresher—or an excellent accelerated course for anyone who hasn't.

I would love your feedback on what topics you'd like covered in more detail in the coming months!

P.S. Reviewing these, I clearly like the number 5.

--

THE SECRETS TO PUBLISHING SUCCESS: Jane's 2009 Tough Love Guide

Editing and Revising

The First Five Minutes: How Editors Evaluate Your Manuscript

Avoiding Red-Flag Mistakes on Your First Page

Secrets of Great Storytelling (Particularly for Memoirists)

5 Common Flaws in Memoir Projects

Not All Books Need to Be Well-Written to Sell

Your Protagonist Must Have a Goal (by guest Jim Adam)

Hiring a Professional Editor vs. Getting Amateur Critiques

The Golden Rule About Nonfiction Books

Querying / Submitting

Persistence Doesn't Matter If You Make This Common Mistake

5 Questions to Ask Yourself After Hearing: We Can't Sell Enough to Justify Publishing It

5 Elements of Query Letters

The Art of Live Pitching: 3 Rules

Audience Development / Platform Building

The Hardest Part About Developing Platform

The Four Stages of Marketing & Promotion

5 Questions for Those Who Don't Have Time to Market/Promote

Hard-Core Tactics for Authors Developing Audience

Fiction Writers Need Platforms, Too

Online Audience Building

Hey, Writers: What's Your Online Strategy? What Are You Waiting For?

Make Waves Online to Create a Path to Print Publication

Should Your Book Really Be a Book? How About a Website First?

What Does It Take for a Blog to Become a Book?

Should You Blog? And If So, What Are Best Practices?

How Writers Can Start Blogging in a Meaningful Way

The Benefits of Blogging (Especially for Unpublished Writers)

The Essential Components of an (Unpublished) Author's Website

How Twitter Is Helpful for Aspiring Writers

Figuring Out Your Facebook Strategy: 3 Essential Tips

Indie Publishing

Everything You Need to Know About Self-Publishing (Sort of)

My Big Rant on Self-Publishing

Big Picture

5 Ways Writers & Book Publishers Need to Embrace Change NOW

Are You Ready to Be a Bestselling Author? Then Listen to Alec Baldwin

That Unquantifiable Factor That Helps You Get Published and Succeed

Read My Writing and Tell Me What to Do

The Distribution Barrier for Self-Publishers: Less of an Issue?

Jane — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:04:41 GMT

When I started at Writer's Digest in 2001, my first assigned beat was the self-publishing scene. I was given Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual and The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Marilyn & Tom Ross, as primers on the topic.

I edited the magazine's column on self-publishing (discontinued), the newsstand-only special issues on self-publishing (also discontinued), and helped coordinate the judging for the Self-Published Book Awards (still going strong).

Back then, one of the biggest hurdles for any self-published author was securing bookstore distribution for a printed book—a near impossibility unless you could strike a deal with a wholesaler or distributor (also nearly impossible).

Much of the advice we gave in the magazine, and elsewhere, focused on how you could distribute and sell your book directly to readers, or through specialty sales channels. (Fortunately, 50% of books sold in this country are through specialty and mass-merchant accounts. A few examples of a specialty account: Michael's craft store, salons, gift shops.)

The indie scene is much different now for a few reasons:

(1) It is easier to take a risk on self-publishing your work electronically since there is usually very little upfront investment.

(2) You can e-publish your work for a variety of channels
(including the free-to-use Amazon DTP program), without securing an ISBN, and without granting exclusivity to any one channel or retailer.

(3) Avid readers are beginning to buy and even prefer books in electronic format, whether through Kindle, Sony Reader, or mobile devices.

That said, don't take this as a sign that it's easy to realize overnight success through self-publishing options, whether electronically based or not. I really love Christina Katz's "back to reality" advice, Good-bye, Cinderella: Self-Publishing Isn't the Only or Always the Best Choice for Writers.

There are many viewpoints, and there are just as many changes taking place daily in the industry. Just take the latest announcement today from Smashwords, Sony Reader, and AuthorSolutions. People who use Smashwords or AuthorSolutions to publish their work can have their e-book made available on the Sony Reader.

I spoke to Smashwords founder Mark Coker yesterday about the news, and it's impressive to see what his service can now offer an indie author (for free!):

Your e-book available for sale (or you can make it free to readers) in nine different formats, including HTML, JavaScript, Kindle (.mobi), Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF (for Sony), Palm Doc, and plain text (download or online view). This conversion process is totally automated, very fast (minutes), and based on a Word document that you submit to Smashwords.
Automatic distribution to people who use iPhones or Android-based phones.
Distribution to BarnesandNoble.com, including Fictionwise and their eReader app (distribution to B&N is contingent upon your files meeting format requirements, e.g., having a proper cover image and copyright page)
And, as of today, distribution to people using Sony Reader.

Mark says that he's in talks with other major online retailers for even more distribution opportunities. (I bet you can think of at least one major book retailer not listed above.)

I see physical distribution becoming less of a meaningful barrier as authors can distribute e-books in all the same places that traditional books are sold.

It doesn't equate to instant or even easy success, but authors who are able to create demand for their work, and aren't afraid of sweat-equity, have the potential for success if happy readers (fans!) help spread the good word.

Do you have an e-publishing experience to share? Or what questions does this raise for people who are wondering if this path is worth the time and energy?

For more:

My previous blog post: Do Writers' Futures Lie in Indie E-Publishing Platforms? (includes interview with Mark Coker)
Feature package on self-publishing from March/April issue of Writer's Digest magazine
My previous rant on self-publishing
How to publish on Smashwords (at their site)

Excellent (and Free) Presentation on Self-Publishing

Jane — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:14:38 GMT

At our conference last week, April Hamilton gave an in-depth presentation on the basics of getting started in self-publishing—or as an indie author.

Click here to download her presentation as a PDF file.

I blogged some tips from her session on the Writer's Digest Conference blog, which I'm reposting below.

April's definition of an indie author
An indie author is not someone who is using self-publishing as a desperation move, but as a carefully considered and conscious decision to self-publish. An indie author is a businessperson and an entrepreneur.

Some easy ways to create e-books

Easy-easy (one-click publishing): Scribd
Easy-easy (one-click publishing): Smashwords
A little more complicated: Amazon DTP (Kindle)
Add-on option with POD services like Lulu

Choosing a POD or self-pub service
April gets down to brass tacks when it comes to choosing a publishing/POD service based on the upfront costs and back-loaded fees—plus how you want (or they want!) to price your book. Lots of useful charts and graphs in her presentation showing how to do the math.

You can get a taste of this by looking at her blog post that compares Lulu and CreateSpace.

If you're considering self-publishing, be sure to check out April's community site devoted to your indie-author options: Publetariat.

(I also recommend Self-Publishing Review.)

Glimmer Train Monthly News

Jane — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:54:35 GMT

Glimmer Train has just chosen the winning stories for their July Very Short Fiction Award. This twice yearly competition is open to all writers for stories on any theme, with a word count not exceeding 3000. Their monthly submission calendar may be viewed here.

First place: J.P. Lacrampe (pictured above, photo by Ashley Ording) of San Francisco, CA, wins $1200 for “Farmers’ Market.” His story will be published in the Winter 2011 issue of Glimmer Train Stories, out in November 2010. [Photo attached.]

Second place: Stephanie Reents of Providence, RI, wins $500 for “The Indefinite Article Is a Different Story.”

Third place: James Scoles of Carbondale, IL, wins $300 for “To Cook an Egg Gently.”

A PDF of the Top 25 winners can be found here.

Deadlines soon approaching!

Best Start: September 30
This competition is held quarterly and is open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in a print publication with a circulation over 3000. Each submission should be an engaging, coherent narrative, but does not need to be a complete story, just an important part of a story in progress. Word count: under 1000. Click here for complete guidelines.

Fiction Open: September 30
This competition is held quarterly and is open to all writers for stories with a word count range between 2000-20,000. No theme restrictions. Click here for complete guidelines.

--

If you didn't know, Writer's Digest partnered with Glimmer Train to publish two compilation volumes of the best stuff from their Writers Ask newsletter. Be sure to check them out.

How to Succeed in Today's Publishing Industry (Takeaways from Conference)

Jane — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:33:06 GMT

By noon on Saturday, attendees were commenting that they'd already gotten their money's worth. I consider that a big win!

If you missed the event, you can still get some valuable takeaways:

Meryl Evans has compiled Tweets from the event, which I've made available for printing and download on Scribd.
You can also read this fabulous recap from an attendee: 8 Gatejumper Tips Heard at the Writer's Digest Conference.

And most remarkably, Meryl Evans sent me a note to help attendees make sense of what to do next! See below. My big thanks to her generosity.

—

So You Went to the Writer's Digest Conference. What Are You Going to Do Now?
by Meryl Evans

In the Writer's Digest Conference blog, Robert Lee Brewer reported on something he overheard:

So, earlier today, in the hallway, I overheard one writer speaking to another. She said, "I don't have the time to handle all this."

I was not surprised to hear this kind of statement at a conference on publishing and marketing and communicating and podcasting and basically everything we've been going over since Friday. But, of course, I started thinking about how successful writers should be, at least, trying.

Well, after a long pause, she continued speaking to the other (very good listener) writer, "But I have to make the time if I'm serious about making this work."

The writer caught on. Not all of us think about how we're going to make the most of a conference. Or we feel overwhelmed that it paralyzes us preventing us from taking action. We bring home all the notes we took filing them away only to never see them again. Then the least we can hope for is that our brains remembered a few key points while we wrote or typed them and apply them.

Review Your Notes
Take five or ten minutes to look over your notes. You can handle that, right? As you review your notes, pick one to three things you want to use. Post them in your to do list or whatever you use on a regular basis so you can remember and practice. Give yourself a deadline—you're a writer, you can handle it. Check off each item as you do them.

Got 'em all done? Great. Now, go back to your notes to cross them off. Pick one to three more things to try. Repeat.

That wasn't so bad, was it? Turning loads of notes into a couple of doable tasks makes a difference.

Write One Article
You probably walked away from the conference with a few article ideas. Rather than trying to do it all, I pick one topic and write the article within a couple of days after returning home. You can make it a blog entry, an article for your publication, whatever. In writing the article, those ideas will stick with you. Plus, you gain a bonus of sharing that with others.

When you finish the article, revisit the other article ideas and what you can do with them. Rather than feeling spread thin with all your article ideas, you focus on one article at a time while putting the rest away for later. You've captured the ideas on paper or on your laptop. They won't disappear. Well, unless you delete them, lose them or trash them.

Key Points from WD Conference
You can find great tweets from the conference by searching Twitter for WDC09. Here are some highlights worth remembering, captured from tweets and the blog so you don't have to read it all:

Christina Katz: Platform is everything you do with your expertise. So many tools are available; must prioritize, maximize your time. Do you see yourself as the producer of your writing career and take 100% responsibility for your success?
Jane Friedman: Platform comes first! Book second. Without a strong platform and topic—creating demand—your book will have a difficult time finding its place in the market. Any changes publishers want to make to the book is what they believe will help increase book sales. They basically want what's economically best for your book—and that's ultimately a good thing.
Scott Sigler and Seth Harwood: Once you show you can move (sell) books, publishers will take notice. That's why giving away your first book online for free and building up an audience is essential to getting publishers—who have ignored you for years—to wake up and realize your talent and value. "You are the best person to sell your book," says Hardwood.
Alice Rosengard: Sees organization as a common problem with nonfiction proposals.
David Mathison (Be the Media) keys: Have a direct relationship with your audience. Control your rights. Repurpose your content.
Chris Brogan: The best way to get a book published is to not try to get a book published. The whole trick about promoting is to not talk about yourself. Learn to talk about other people. Twitter is not about talking; it's about listening.
Agent Miriam Kriss: A lot of "overnight successes" are 10 years in the making.
Agent Panel (Jessica Sinsheimer, Regina Brooks and Michelle Humphrey): Difference between freelanced editing and traditional editor is the latter cares, has a vested interest in the book. Professionally edited, professionally typeset, professionally designed are critical for success via POD.

Instant Publishing Tools: Getting Noticed & Visible

Jane — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:20:35 GMT

Today I taught an online class about instant publishing tools that can help you get exposure for your work in digital formats. Thanks to all the participants who joined me today. Here's a summary of some of the sites & tools we reviewed (a handy reference for the attendees, as well as a good peek for others on what we discussed).

You can join me for my next webinar on Thursday, covering 3 secrets to getting your nonfiction book published ($99).

Instant & Digital Publishing Sites (Free to Use)

Smashwords (get your books onto iPhone, BarnesandNoble.com)
Scribd
Amazon Digital Text platform (get your books on Kindle)
Blurb (great for full-color, print projects)

Community Writing & Publishing Sites (also free)

Authonomy
WeBook

Blogging and Site Building (free)

Wordpress
Storytlr
JaneFriedman.com (example of my lifestreaming homepage using Storytlr)

Social Networking

Writer's Digest fan page on Facebook
My page on Facebook
Twitter (Writer's Digest)
Twitter (Jane Friedman)

Previous & Helpful Blog Posts

Your Friends & Family Are Wrong

Jane — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:15:50 GMT

Time for a little tough love.

To all those writers who say:

My family has encouraged me to write this story
I had this idea while talking with friends, and they thought it was brilliant
My [insert close friend or family member name here] absolutely love my stories
I read my work to my students, and they think I should get it published

You need to ignore what these people are telling you.

You need to write because you can't do anything else. Because you would suffer if you didn't.

Your motivation to write has to come from within.

Don't write (only) because you were given validation or permission by someone close to you. What you really need (require) is your own inner conviction.

...

When I was a kid, my mother wrote a middle-grade fantasy novel. I read it many times. I absolutely loved it.

I remember her blue-gray electric typewriter that weighed a million pounds sitting on the dining room table. It had a very loud mechanical hum and the table vibrated and shook during periods of vigorous typing.

My mom consulted Writer's Market at the town library and sent her manuscript to dozens of publishers. She received all rejections, though some were encouraging and personalized. Eventually the typewriter was packed away in a closet.

Flash forward 20 years. The old manuscript is dusted off, brought into Microsoft Word, tweaked, and … everyone knows what's next.

I read my mother's book once again, not as a young daughter, but as a publishing professional who gives advice to writers.

I bet you're all wishing you had a family member in publishing to help you out, right?

It can be a curse rather than a blessing.

Family members are supposed to encourage and support you—act as cheerleaders during the long periods of rejecton.

There are some unusual cases where your family/friends can offer critical feedback as insightful and careful readers, and you can make excellent use of it.

But for most writers, you must not and cannot rely on your family and friends to give you this feedback, even if they are your target audience. And you especially can't rely on them to tell you that your work deserves publication (or to give you ANY kind of business-of-publishing advice).

Unless, of course, your daughter works in publishing and has a job that specializes in giving advice to writers.

Mom's story read very differently to me as a grown-up. I gave her feedback on how to revise it for today's market.

The manuscript is back in the proverbial closet.

But in the years to come, I know I will treasure and cherish her work more than any publisher could.

Photo credit: Pliable Trade

The Benefits of Blogging (Your Feedback!)

Jane — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:23:59 GMT

There have been so many wonderful comments from you on the subject of blogging (on this blog, on my Facebook page, and on the Writer's Digest Facebook page), that I wanted to share a few pieces of the helpful advice.

My appreciation to everyone who has shared their experiences!

From published (or soon-to-be-published) authors

Terri Coyne: I started my blog around the same time I sold my debut novel. I committed to posting once a week or more but not less. … not only did it help connect me to an audience but by syndicating to Facebook, Amazon and other places, it allows me to share my writing out from a central location.

Having a blog before I built my website was also a good way for me to post information for a nominal cost. As my website was being designed, I had my URL (www.tericoyne.com) point to the blog. There are so many widgets and options available for blogs, you can create a nice site as a starting point.

In my monthly newsletter to readers I link back to my blog and use it as a source for important updates. It works well.

LK Hunsaker: I've been blogging for years and it did take time to build an audience, but it's a great way to interact and get feedback. My books revolve around the arts along with societal issues, so on my blog I do book and music reviews, author interviews, artistic musings that reveal my writing voice and style, and some minor societal issue entries. It shows who I am and what I'm about. I think free promo is something every up-and-coming author should consider seriously. Blogs are free promo. Start early and build your audience before your books come out if they haven't yet.

From aspiring writers

Marie Devers: I am an unpublished-writer blogger, and here is what I love about blogging:

1. It gives me a homebase on the Web. I'm not ready for a Web site yet. When I send out queries, however, important people can Google me and quickly see that I write daily and coherently. They can also find my email and twitter addresses.

2. It's how I found my beta readers. There are four of us. We each have a blog where we pimp each other out. We also have great email sessions, where we perform group emergency surgery on queries that aren't working and where we celebrate when one of our own gets an offer of representation (She's signing tomorrow!).

3. As solitary as writing can be, it's nice to have someone to report to, and I feel like my blog readers are my boss. It's much, much harder to give up when you've publicly announced that you are trying to publish a novel and people all over the world support your efforts.

Jeff Posey: I started a blog this spring and began using Twitter a short time later. I post short scenes and character interviews outside my core in-progress novel but that illuminate it.

My lesson? This has been a great way to explore my main storyline and has inspired me to increase my average weekly writing output toward my novel, even while spending perhaps two-to-four hours per week on the blog and Twitter activity.

Besides, it's a load of fun.

Reesha: I'm being patient. Not a lot of peope are reading my blog right now, but every now and then I hear about someone who's been reading all along and I didn't know about it.

When I get discouraged about writing or building my platform, or even lonely, I imagine lots of lurkers who secretly read my blog, are interested in what I have to say, and love my work.

I was once told to approach things like this with the attitude that the person who you're interacting with loves you and is generally interested in what you have to say. The worst case scenario is that they hate you and aren't interested in what you have to say, and then you or they move on. There are lots of people out there. Lots of possibilities someone who likes what you have to say will find you.

Livia: I mulled over the expertise question quite a bit when starting my blog. Since I'm not published yet, why would people want to listen to my writing advice? For that reason, I decided to focus on analyzing examples of good writing from published fiction and reviewing craft books rather than preach my own writing tips.

Terry Petersen: The discipline is great. My theme is "After sixty, a time to begin." Since I don't specify what I'm beginning, I can write about anything I'm learning, on any level.

Ashley Olson Rosen: For me, starting a humor blog has been helpful in two ways: it makes me look at everyday occurances and frustrations in a more positive light -- which can never be a bad thing -- and it provides so much encouragement when people, especially strangers, send in comments. It's also good practice to force you to write on a regular basis. I was writing fiction before and now am considering trying a humor manuscript. I say to try blogging!

Florence Gardner: I'm also in my first couple of months of my blog.
I'm an unpublished writer of mid-grade and YA fiction with a manuscript under exclusive review by an agent right now. A couple of years ago I thought it would be insane for someone like me to have a blog.

I got a professional to help me design and get it up and running and am SO glad I did. It wasn't very expensive and I think makes a huge difference. (she's fantastic by the way, if anyone is looking for that kind of help).

I'm having a ton of fun with it. I don't think of it as "advice giving" at all. But a chance to make friends and to step into a wider conversation about writing and reading.

Photo credit: Hello Jenuine

Should You Blog? And If So, What Are Best Practices?

Jane — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:54:15 GMT

Photo credit: Laughing Squid

More writers are blogging than ever. And if you're not blogging already, you've probably considered it. Recently, a writer asked me via Facebook about blogging.

She said:

[It is] my impression that blogs related to writing are primarily written by people with expertise in their field and who have valuable advice and connections within the industry. Now, however, I am checking around and I see that many writers, even writers who are unpublished -- and some who appear very far from being published -- have blogs, also where they discuss writing and their completed works and/or works in progress. These people generally have direct links to their blogs that become available when they sign their name (or their blog name) when commenting on another blog. So, I suppose they are doing some marketing for themselves.

So, my question is: Should I have a blog?

This writer had some serious reservations about starting a blog, and here's how I answered her questions.

1. I don't feel like I have much in the way of valuable advice. What kind of advice do I have to dispense?

For aspiring writers (especially novelists), it often comes down to a matter of voice—an engaging voice, humorous insights, or a unique perspective to bring to the table.

Sometimes you may have specific advice, sometimes not. For many aspiring writers who blog, it's about a community—writers who are learning from one another. It helps if you can identify what about your experience sets you apart, but this insight may not occur for 6 months or more of blogging.

Don't assume your blog should be specifically about writing. It could be about whatever sets you apart, makes you unique. The writing life can simply be an accent.

2. One person mentioned on his blog that a literary agent looked at his blog, saw his complaints about the issues remaining with his book, and decided not to look at his book. I suppose it seems obvious that you shouldn't write negative things about your work on your blog, but to me this seems like one example of potentially many examples of why a BAD blog could be worse than no blog at all.

There's always that risk that an editor/agent will be turned off by your site or blog. Frankly, though, if you're sending out material knowing there are still issues to resolve, you should be getting rejected. (Never send material out that isn't as final as you can make it!)

If an agent/editor is turned off by your site/blog, they may not like your style or voice, regardless of content or professionalism. If your blog is a good representation of who you are as a writer (and most blogs are), then it would be like worrying about a potential mate who decides not to start a relationship with you because he/she doesn't like your personality. Saves you both some trouble, right?

3. I know nothing about blogging, so I feel my chances of writing a bad blog are sufficiently high that I should be concerned.

Maybe you worry too much. This could a unique angle to your blog.

4. Since blogs need to be updated on a regular basis and you have to respond to your commentors, I feel like a blog could be a significant time sink. I just wonder if my time isn't better spent working on my next book.

This is a legitimate concern, but only because you would fall in love with blogging and community building and not do the real writing.

The administrative part of the blog (design/setup/posting/blahblahblah) takes no time at all (minutes). Many people fall into the trap of widget-y improvements, or the fun tinkering, the stuff that you do to avoid writing.

You should decide upfront how much time you want to spend (or can afford), e.g., I will post once a week, the post will be about 500 words. It can actually be a good warm-up exercise.

Try not to plan this out too much or wait to act because you feel lots of preparation is needed. Overplanning or overthinking is somewhat antithetical to today's blogging practice (except for professional bloggers who make a living at it).

5. One final concern: if I post excerpts from my novel on my blog, is that a problem down the road? I see that many authors do post excerpts from their unpublished books. Do you know if posting excerpts is a problem?

You do not lose ownership of your content by posting it online; it does not go into the public domain or give anyone else the right to use it. (Of course, it can heighten risk of someone stealing it, but this is incredibly rare, and it's not like there's raging demand out there for unpublished writing—where people are just waiting to steal and profit from your work!)

Unless you want to see your excerpts published in a literary journal or magazine in about the same form as on your site/blog, there's no need to worry. Your blog audience and platform is not the same thing as having a book published and distributed through major retail channels. Some authors have podcasted or otherwise distributed their entire novels before publication, and it helped them get a book deal. (See www.scottsigler.com)

So, what do you think? Do you think that *trying* to start a blog is a valuable investment for me at this stage?

For fiction writers and poets, a blog should exercise your creative muscles and let you write in an unpressured way. Sometimes it can help you stumble on insights, as well as new friendships. However, for an aspiring writer, you have to be careful it doesn't detract or replace the "real" work of writing the book or the manuscript.

For nonfiction writers, blogs can be an essential part of your marketing and promotion—the author platform that helps you get published in the first place.

Only you can make the final decision. While you shouldn't jump in just because everyone else is doing it, sometimes it's good to try things that stretch you beyond your comfort zone. Blogging isn't for everyone, and there's no shame in leaving it behind if you don't like it.

I'd love to hear in the comments from aspiring writers who are bloggers. What's your experience? Has anyone started, then decided to stop—and why?

Back from Alaska Round-Up (3 Tips)

Jane — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:39:06 GMT

I just returned from my 1-week adventure in Alaska. It is certainly the most foreign place I've ever been within the United States. You can check out photos here.

Here are 3 tips for your Alaska adventure:

One glacier experience is probably enough to satiate your curiosity about glaciers.
You haven't experienced Alaska unless you take advantage of the ubiquitous bush air services. Air is the most efficient form of transportation to and within the state; most towns do not have road or highway access, and that includes the state capital of Juneau.
Weather is extremely changeable. Think Gore-Tex.

And here are 3 tips on exciting stuff at Writer's Digest that I wasn't able to mention last week since I was completely off the grid (e.g., inside a glacier moulin, as pictured above).

Instant Publishing how-to class (Sep 17)
In one of my last conference workshops, I made the comment that with tools today, you can instantly publish yourself. One writer piped up, "Instant Publishing! I want a book on that topic!" In lieu of a book, I'm teaching a class on Thursday, Sept. 17 that gives you a tour of sites that provide instant publishing capabilities (free, very little or no tech experience required). I'll discuss how and when to make your content free, when to charge, and how to evaluate your success. The class fee is $79, with an opportunity for live Q&A. Click here for more info and a link to register.

8 Tips for Writers on Digital Change in Publishing (WD Conference)
Our big NYC event on Sept 18-20 is only a couple weeks away. If you've been on the fence about it, be sure to check out our very affordable 1-day registration options. You can get an excellent preview of Mike Shatzkin's keynote, "What do you tell a writer about digital change in publishing?" over at his blog. Even if you are not going to the event, don't miss his 8 tips.

New MFA Confidential blog
Just launched this week! Check out our newest addition to the Writer's Digest blog family by Kate Monahan, a 2nd year MFA student at The New School University in downtown New York City. One of her first posts is about 6 lessons learned during her first year.

More wonderful stuff still to come this week, including a guest post tomorrow by Darrelyn Saloom.

Below: A view of the Hubbard Glacier.

Monthly News from Glimmer Train

Jane — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:59:32 GMT

Glimmer Train has just selected the 50 winning entries for their first Best Start competition. Each wins $50 and makes Glimmer Train’s Best Start list. This competition is held quarterly and is open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in a print publication with a circulation over 3,000. Each submission should be an engaging, coherent narrative, but does not need to be a complete story, just an important part of a story in progress. Word count: under 1,000. Their next Best Start competition will take place in September.

Glimmer Train has also chosen the winning stories for their June Fiction Open competition. This competition is held quarterly and is open to all writers for stories with a word count range between 2000-20,000. No theme restrictions. Monthly submission calendar may be viewed here.

First place: Ingrid Hill of Iowa City, IA, wins $2000 for “Pavilion.” Her story will be published in the Fall 2010 issue of Glimmer Train Stories, out in August 2010.

Second place: Adam Theron-Lee Rensch of Bronxville, NY, wins $1000 for “A Day in the Life.” His story will also be published in an upcoming issue of Glimmer Train Stories.

Third place: Sam Ruddick of Brighton, MA, wins $600 for “Flight.”

A PDF of the Top 25 winners can be found here .

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If you didn't know, Writer's Digest partnered with Glimmer Train to publish two compilation volumes of the best stuff from their Writers Ask newsletter. Be sure to check them out.

Pain & Struggle: A Fundamental Part of Writing

Jane — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:46:09 GMT

Nearly one year ago, I came across the following passage on Galleycat:

Reflect on this philosophical dispute submitted by one poetry-devoted reader:

"The book was a collection of love poems by William Carlos Williams. The poem was 'Asphodel, that Greeny Flower.' And the specific line of the poem over which we disagreed was: 'I cannot say that I have gone to hell for your love but often found myself there in your pursuit.'

"Although my boyfriend and I had been dating seriously for about a year, we disagreed so vehemently about whether pain and struggle constitute a fundamental part of love that we decided to break up then and there after reading and discussing the poem."

It struck such a chord with me that I clipped it and saved it in my Google Notebook.

At first I only considered it in relation to romantic relationships (yes, absolutely pain and struggle constitute a fundamental part of love), but now I've started thinking of it in relation to writing and publishing too.

It applies in a multitude of situations, e.g.,

Hating writer's block and loving the eventual (hopeful) breakthrough
Loving to have written (but hating the writing itself)
Loving the end results of criticism/editing, but being wounded in the process

Makes it seem like the painful means or process justify the glorious end?

But the end can be painful too. The finished book: not quite good enough, there are things you can still improve, right? (I love that saying about poems/stories never being finished, only abandoned.)

And the agent or publisher: how you felt such jubilation upon getting that deal, getting their attention. Then … the sad end … maybe when the book doesn't sell as hoped. Maybe you can't get a second book deal. Maybe you lose the agent's or editor's attention. Maybe you have regrets.

The point?

To know that you're living it, experiencing it, because you can do no other thing. Because you must write. Because that's who you are.

Note: This applies to colleagues/editors too. I know few, if any, in this business who do it for anything but love. (Writers, take note. There is passion there too, even if it is a passion that seems to disagree with you ... again and again and again.)

***

Housekeeping note: I'm about to depart on a one-week vacation to Alaska. I may appear here, I may appear only on Twitter or Facebook, but look for a rather delayed Best Tweets on the week ending August 28.

Photo credit: SheWatchedtheSky

5 Questions for Those Who Don't Have Time to Market/Promote

Jane — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:46:44 GMT

(Pictured above: Writer's Digest and HOW editors/designers, promoting "Art of Manliness" project)

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both."
—James A. Michener

Early in my career, I often read articles and heard people talk about the mystical "work-life balance."

More recently, I've heard a term that makes a lot more sense: "work-life blend."

It is hard to answer people when they ask what I do for fun or how I spend my spare time. Much of what I do off the clock is the same exact thing I do on the clock. I'm reading, writing, engaging online, talking about transformational issues that are confronting creative people, particularly in the publishing industry, and the interesting solopreneur-reject-the-cube-life phenomenon.

So it always brings me back to earth when I speak to writers about marketing/promotion (especially when it comes to social media), and they say, "But how can I find the time for that!"

Here are five questions that occur to me when faced with this dilemma. I wish there were an easy answer, but everyone has to figure it out for themselves.

1. Why are you writing? If it's just for validation, catharsis, family/friends, or money, then of course you'll be worried about the time it takes to do everything required to be a successfully published author. It takes enormous time and energy—not to mention the patience of a saint—and only those prepared to devote everything will make it. And I can assure you the reward will NOT be monetary.

2. If you don't like the idea of spending time online with social media or figuring out new technologies, then what other strengths do you bring to the table? Hands down, online tools are the fastest and easiest way for unknown writers to begin building an audience, get better at their craft, and network with others who can make a difference in their careers. You don't want to spend time doing that? Then you'll likely have to find another area of your life (another strength area) that can help give you an advantage in the publishing landscape. For instance, do you have a phenomenal network through churches or a wide-reaching organization? Do you have expertise in a media channel that will help you spread the message about you and your work? Do you have friends in high places? You need something other than luck and a fool's hope to help you in the publishing journey. (As the F+W CEO likes to say, "Hope is not a business strategy.")

3. If you don't have time to spread the message about you and your work, then who will? The best promoter of any book is its author. Period. And unless you are best friends with Oprah or TV/radio producers, the best tool you have to spread your message is through online channels.

4. Are you willing to make sacrifices for your writing and publishing career? I often tell writers that getting involved with marketing/promotion doesn't take nearly as much time as they might be imagining. On the other hand: Yes, it will require an investment, and maybe your time is extremely limited and precious. In that case, decide what you're willing to give up. Sleep? Exercise? TV shows? We're all given the same amount of time in the day. You decide and control how you spend that time. (For advice on getting more stuff done, visit Zen Habits.)

5. Do you have discipline? This blog is no stranger to the words "persistence," "passion," even "chance." These can all be essential for every writer. But the most boring secret of best-selling writers I know is discipline. Discipline to put in the time it takes, and discipline not to get sucked into time-wasting activities. (Discipline means checking e-mail at predetermined times each day and keeping it a focused activity. Same with Facebook, Twitter, and other online media.) Being able to focus on a task to the exclusion of all else is fast becoming a rare trait.

Finally, for me, there is an intangible element here of work as play. Authentic author marketing and promotion, the kind that builds on your strengths, should be a labor of love. (See here.)

Your audience/readers shouldn't feel like you are "working" when you are interacting and communicating with them. They should feel like you're at play.

That's what you're shooting for. Or that's what I shoot for.

Hiring a Professional Editor vs. Getting Amateur Critiques

Jane — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:23:17 GMT

Today I gave a live online class on The First Five Pages—how editors evaluate your manuscript in an instant. It is one of my favorite classes to teach because in one page, you can easily show the tremendous improvement that can be achieved usually by cutting alone.

Here's a small example of what I mean (and thanks to the writers today who bravely offered up their first pages to my knife!).

[Note: The opening paragraph says that Danny, while off-duty, stumbles into the restaurant where he works to see a friend.]

Original:

“Hello, Liesel,” Daniel said as he grinned, brushed fresh snowflakes from his wavy brown hair.

“Danny, what are you doing here so late?” Liesel asked from behind the hostess stand. “Look at you. Are you drunk?”

“It’s wonderful to see you, too. You look exceptionally lovely tonight. Hey, is Andre still here? What kind of mood is he in?”

“He’s in the back room. He’s bearable tonight,” she whispered. “Danny, seriously, why are you here?”

“Tonight deserves one more. Then I’ll be on my way home,” Danny replied.

“Oh? What’s the occasion? A Christmas party? Your birthday?”

“It is an anniversary of sorts. But I’m not celebrating. It’s a day to forget, and so far, alcohol is the only way I’ve found. Just a little something for the pain, you know?” Looking around, he asked, “Who are all these people?

Edited:

“Hello, Liesel,” Daniel said as he grinned, brushed fresh snowflakes from his ~~wavy brown~~ hair.

~~“Danny, what are you doing here so late?” Liesel asked from behind the hostess stand. “Look at you.~~

"Danny! Are you drunk?” Liesel stood with arms crossed behind the hostess stand.

“It’s wonderful to see you, too. You look exceptionally lovely tonight. Hey, is Andre still here? What kind of mood is he in?”

“He’s in the back room. ~~He’s bearable tonight,” she whispered. “Danny, seriously,~~ Why are you here?”

“Tonight deserves one more. Then I’ll be on my way home,” Danny replied.

“Oh? What’s the occasion?" ~~A Christmas party? Your birthday?”~~

~~“It is an anniversary of sorts. But I’m not celebrating. It’s a day to forget, and so far, alcohol is the only way I’ve found. Just a little something for the pain, you know?”~~ Danny looked around. “Who are all these people?

When I do classes like this, it's often the first time writers have seen a professional go through their work with a fine-tooth comb. And so the question arises, "Can you recommend an editor?"

It's always tough to make a recommendation—there are so many variables!—the editor's background/experience, the kind of editing work you need, the editing approach you have in mind, your sensitivity level (yes, it matters!), the personality of the editor, and so on.

But 3 things are critical:

Make sure it's really time to pay for a professional edit. (And realize it's not the key to publication or an agent.) I recommend you read about writer Jim Adam, and his advice on how/when to hire a professional.

Make sure you know what kind of editing help you need: developmental, content, copyediting, or proofreading. The editing I've done above could be part of a developmental edit or an extensive content edit, which are far more expensive than a copyedit or proofread. A developmental edit will give you high-level feedback on how to rewrite and revise (on your own), often with major structural changes or complete redirection. A content edit may be just as thorough, but may not require a lot of new material or restructuring. Copyediting and proofreading looks at your material at a surface level (grammar, syntax, punctuation, typos).

Follow a thorough process to hire someone. Do your research. And try to get some kind of sample or idea of their work before committing. Here's an article that describes how one writer did it.

Another option is to take online classes with a professional editor/author that includes a critique component (like our own WritersOnlineWorkshops.com—Advanced Novel Writing Workshop is one of the most popular classes).

Never forget: A professional editor can make a good manuscript great, but they can't work miracles if your story line is weak or not marketable. If you want an editor who can speak to market concerns in your work, select one who has a background in published and commercial authors.

Not everyone has the money to hire a professional editor, but many writers, if they put in the time and effort, can benefit from a critique group. (We have a book coming out this December on working with critique groups.)

Some online critique groups and writing communities worth checking out:

Critters.org
Authonomy
Online Writing Workshop for SFF & Horror
Ray Rhamey's blog offers a free critique of your first 16 lines
Writer's Digest forum

Do you have recommendations for excellent free (or paid) online critique groups—or how to start a local/regional critique group? Please share in the comments!

5 Reasons Pitches Can Be Detrimental Rather Than Helpful

Jane — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:59:09 GMT

I've read and listened to hundreds if not thousands of pitches during my decade in book publishing. And while I think it's important for writers to get out there and interact with and understand professionals in the business, I also think pitching can be a very difficult and unrewarding process for some writers.

Consider:

You may have little experience or practice in pitching, and walk into the pitches unbelievably nervous and anxious. All of that anxious energy usually detracts from the quality of the pitch. (So many writers fill the first few minutes with apologies for being nervous—not sure what to do, or what to say.) While it's a skill I wish more writers would practice (the art of persuasion or the art of selling), most writers expect their heart and passion to carry them. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
You may consider the pitch a make-it-or-break-it moment—like awaiting the official verdict on whether your idea is worthy of further review and publication. The reality is that in-person pitches have about the same success rate as a cold query (less than 1% in my experience).
Because you are so focused on this mythic opportunity (and hearing that "yes" or "no" verdict), you might miss out on the greater benefit of the pitch experience—getting instant feedback on your project, or having a meaningful conversation about the market for your work. Such information can dramatically reduce future frustration and shorten your path to publication. Sometimes just 5 minutes of very insightful professional advice can change your perspective, approach, or slant. Plus flexibility and openness to change in today's publishing environment is important to long-term career growth and success.
That said, most pitch sessions don't offer enough time to have a solid conversation about your best path forward (next steps). At least 75% of the writers I meet with have a fuzzy or misdirected goal or path, and no clear idea of how to make progress. Fifteen minutes (or less!) isn't enough time to have a coaching session, plus most writers are so focused on the pitch they aren't in the right mindset to receive redirection. (Not to mention that such redirection can be a huge blow to a writer because it equates to rejection.)
Most writers don't experience the pitch process as part of the business of being a writer. Most writers I meet experience the pitch as a highly intense, emotional, and personal process. Unfortunately, whenever engaging in a business conversation (which is what a pitch is), it's important to have some distance and perspective. That's why I always love meeting potential authors who have a business or marketing background, because they know that getting an idea shot down isn't personal, and they're more likely to be receptive to a conversation about marketability of a project and alternative routes to success.

Bottom line: Sometimes it's more valuable and important to know if you're headed in the right direction, rather than to succeed with a pitch.

But this mindset is tough to adopt. "Education" and "course correction" is not the dream. The dream is "get an agent" or "get published."

For all writers who walk away disappointed from a pitch, remember that success is rarely attained in those 5-15 minutes. Rather, it's all the years of work leading up to that moment, and how the years of work and experience (and your passion, your confidence), give you the smell of success.

Agents/editors can tell when someone is on the brink of success (though we might not know when someone is years away from success). But you'll rarely see a publishing professional be that direct or blunt in a pitch session. That's because writers approach the pitch with so much of their personal life on the line that agents/editors (as human beings too) don't want to be the one to poke holes in your soul. It's better to say, "Sure, we'll take a look" … and then reject in business-like fashion after it arrives in the mail. But we knew in our gut when we heard your pitch it would not be ready for the market.

Photo credit: fadderuri

The Art of Live Pitching (3 Rules)

Jane — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:19:37 GMT

Today I arrived in Portland, Oregon, to participate in the Willamette Writers Conference. I first came here in 2004 to hear pitches and take appointments, and I often return to Cincinnati with a great author for Writer's Digest (e.g., Christina Katz and Sage Cohen as the most recent).

Tonight I took part in a "pitch the pros" panel with Jeff Herman (agent), Charlotte Cook (Komenar), and Krista Lyons (Seal Press). More than 20 writers had about 3 minutes to pitch their work and get feedback from the panel. Overwhelmingly, most pitches could have been improved if they followed these three rules:

Keep it short. (Brevity is your friend!) Just because you have three minutes (or 5 or 10) doesn't mean you should take up all the time. Never talk for as long as possible—it can take a mere 15 seconds to deliver a convincing storyline. The longer you talk, the less time the agent or editor is talking. And isn't that why you're meeting with them—to hear THEIR feedback and reaction?
Focus on a character and the character's problem. When it comes to fiction, it's much easier to follow a pitch and remain interested when we can connect to a character and immediately understand the problem or conflict facing that character. Why are we going to care? What are the stakes? So what?
Stop at a moment of tension and wait. Rather than talk and talk (which sometimes happens because you're nervous), remind yourself that it's OK not to explain all the details or the final outcome. It's more effective to stop just as you've established the key stakes or tension, and wait for a reaction from the agent. Let them guide the discussion; find out what's caught their attention or what piece is missing.

In the next few days at Willamette, I'll be taking appointments, sitting on another panel, and also giving an educational workshop. Hope to have another update with some more advice, including tips from the many talented agents/editors who are gathered here.

Are You Too Ambitious for Your Own Good?

Jane — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:06:48 GMT

Ira Glass has some of the best advice I've ever read for writers, at least in relation to great storytelling. He's said that you have to be willing to be bad at what you do for a long time until you actually can achieve the vision of perfection you have in your head. He even puts himself out on a limb and offers recordings illuminating how bad he was at radio when he first started.

I was reminded of Ira when my writer-friend Teresa Fleming shared with me the following letter from Charles Dickens, where he responds to an aspiring writer.

Tuesday, Feb. 5th, 1867.

DEAR SIR,

I have looked at the larger half of the first volume of your novel, and have pursued the more difficult points of the story through the other two volumes.

You will, of course, receive my opinion as that of an individual writer and student of art, who by no means claims to be infallible.

I think you are too ambitious, and that you have not sufficient knowledge of life or character to venture on so comprehensive an attempt. Evidences of inexperience in every way, and of your power being far below the situations that you imagine, present themselves to me in almost every page I have read. It would greatly surprise me if you found a publisher for this story, on trying your fortune in that line, or derived anything from it but weariness and bitterness of spirit.

On the evidence thus put before me, I cannot even entirely satisfy myself that you have the faculty of authorship latent within you. If you have not, and yet pursue a vocation towards which you have no call, you cannot choose but be a wretched man. Let me counsel you to have the patience to form yourself carefully, and the courage to renounce the endeavour if you cannot establish your case on a very much smaller scale. You see around you every day, how many outlets there are for short pieces of fiction in all kinds. Try if you can achieve any success within these modest limits (I have practised in my time what I preach to you), and in the meantime put your three volumes away.

Faithfully yours.

Yikes, right? (You can read more Dickens letters here.)

Here's the secret, though: If you're the writer, do you read this and think: I should just stop trying.

Or do you read this and think: He doesn't know how wrong he is!

Writers in training know they're not good, but they know they're getting better. And they go on to fight another day.

Photo credit: wallyg

The Four Stages of Marketing & Promotion (and MWW Recap)

Jane — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:01:58 GMT

This past weekend, I spoke at the Midwest Writers Workshop in Muncie, Ind. It was my seventh year speaking there, and remains one of my favorite conferences. (Read my three recaps from last year, starting with Day 1.)

Among other things, I gave a two-part session on essential tools for online marketing and promotion—and did my best to explain what it means to use Twitter, Facebook, sites, and blogs to build meaningful relationships with an audience.

One of the key takeaways: you can't decide it's time to market and promote on the day of your book's release. By that time, it's far too late. You need to establish relationships and connections the day you decide you want a career as an author.

To help break this down into a manageable process for people, I outlined four stages to marketing and promotion, especially when you're entering any online community and trying to be an authentic member:

Sign up, observe, and educate yourself (sometimes called lurking). Many people stay at this stage for a long time, simply soaking up good information.
Participate. Start to make yourself known. This could be as simple as making status updates, posting photos or sample writing, or creating a profile.
Share something and grow relationships. Focus on what you give people or what you can share that's of value. As you participate and share with others in the community, and do things for each other, relationships grow and develop.
Ask for help. This is when you might actually put your connections to work as a means of soft or hard marketing. Maybe you want to tell people to pre-order your book on Amazon on a specific day. Or you're hoping that your network will spread the word about an upcoming event you're hosting. So you ask.

People who know you and trust you will be more likely to help you. That's why it's important to establish relationships far before you market and promote a product/service. The relationships have to be meaningful before they have value in a marketing/promotion effort, particularly online.

(Because most authors don't realize the importance of marketing/promotion until it's too late, the first annual Writer's Digest Conference is focused on these types of strategies and skills.)

Other notes from the conference:

I had a good conversation with author Kelsey Timmerman, who wrote Where Are You Wearing (Wiley). He found his agent at Midwest Writers two years ago, and is now shopping his second book. He's a great example of an author with a strong online brand, partly due to the kind assistance of his publisher. Also: Check out this YouTube video he did on book signings versus book clubs.

Dennis Hensley gave a rousing keynote about the "re-create 8" — or eight ways to be a better creative thinker (e.g., reduce, rearrange, expand, reverse).

Eric Butterman, an expert freelancer, gave sessions on how to earn more money writing even in a down economy. He struck me as one of the most engaging and prolific freelance writers I've met in a very long time, who really knows his stuff. (If you can manage to find a workshop or class with this guy, jump on the chance.)

I was alerted to a poetry contest that has first prize of $500 or a colonoscopy. Go here to read more about the Bottom Line contest. Tip of the hat to Irene Fridsma, who also shared this Dave Barry column on the topic. And note that Irene's blog was set up in the past 48 hours by following my advice in the online marketing and promotion session! :-)

Many thanks to the MWW committee (I'm pictured above with members Alan, Jama, and Barb) for another lovely year. I highly recommend the event to all writers for its hands-on craft/technique sessions as well as access to literary agents.

Looking for more?

Check out the Writer's Digest Conference.
Our very own Chuck Sambuchino is hosting an online class on how to find an agent using online tools. Visit his blog on agents.
One of our best books on establishing relationships to further your career is Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz. Visit Christina's site, read an excerpt (Why All Authors Need a Platform), or view the table of contents.

Monthly News from Glimmer Train

Jane — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:47:33 GMT

Glimmer Train has just chosen the winning stories for their May Short Story Award for New Writers competition. This competition is held quarterly and is open to any writer whose fiction hasn’t appeared in a print publication with a circulation greater than 5,000. No theme restrictions. Word count range: 500-12,000. Their monthly submission calendar may be viewed here.

First place
Noa Jones of New York, NY (pictured above), wins $1200 for “Brother Ron”. Her story will be published in the Fall 2010 issue of Glimmer Train Stories, out in August 2010.

Second place
Farley Urmston of Sherborn, MA, wins $500 for “Pretending”.

Third place
Benjamin Janse of Jamaica Plain, MA, wins $300 for “The Great Storm”.

A PDF of the Top 25 winners can be found here.

Deadline approaching!

Very Short Fiction Award: July 31. This competition is held twice a year and is open to all writers for stories with a word count range not exceeding 3,000. No theme restrictions. Click here for complete guidelines.

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If you didn't know, Writer's Digest partnered with Glimmer Train to publish two compilation volumes of the best stuff from their Writers Ask newsletter. Be sure to check them out.

5 Elements of Query Letters

Jane — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:38:14 GMT

Earlier this year, I taught an online class where I offered "extreme makeovers" on query letters. To help ensure everyone took away some concrete advice, every attendee was invited to submit a 1-page query for review.

It was a successful workshop, so we're repeating it again this Thursday. In preparation for the workshop, I take the query letters that are submitted and categorize their basic elements into "good", "OK", and "needs revamped." The five elements I look at are:

Personalization. What effort has the writer made to ensure this letter has been customized for a particular editor, agent, or publishing house?
Hook. How effective is the hook? Is it too long? Is it clear? Does it cover everything an editor/agent needs to know to say, "Yes, I've got to see more!"
Bio. For nonfiction, people often slip up and don't emphasize the right aspects of platform or credentials. For fiction, it can be difficult to know what to mention, if anything, when you're unpublished. So I always give examples showing the best-case scenario, as well as examples when you rely on your hook and overall charm or professionalism to carry you to the finish line.
Basic info. Have you included the necessary information about title, genre, word count?
Opening/closing. There are lots of red flags and stumbles that can make it onto the page. Some aren't deal breakers, others are. I show examples of both.

I speak at conferences frequently about query letters, but seeing real examples of what's working and not working can be the best way to learn how to fix your own. Go here for the link to register ($99); after the event has concluded, you'll have access to the recording for a year. Plus I'll share a recap of the event on this blog, offering some takeaways for everyone.

In the meantime, here are some excellent query resources.

Essential Blogs

QueryShark (by agent Janet Reid)

Guide to Literary Agents blog

No longer active but still helpful Miss Snark

The Rejecter

Great Posts From the Guide to Literary Agents blog

10 Query Letter Tips

Breaking Down the Query Letter

Where Can Writers Examine Good Queries?

Example of a Mind-Boggling Horrible Query

Concerning Agents and E-mail Attachments

Conflicting Advice About Query Formatting

How to Word a Follow-Up Query to an Agent

Will She Ever Reply to Your Submission?

Want to know more about upcoming online events? Click here for more.

Turn Your Dragons Into Princesses

Jane — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:45:36 GMT

Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet is one of the greatest writing advice books of all time. You can highlight nearly every passage as an inspirational gem. But there isn't any quantifiable advice in it.

As much as Writer's Digest focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of craft/technique, and beats the drum of marketing and promotion, everyone on staff recognizes that what sets the successful apart from the unsuccessful is rarely quantifiable.

Maybe there are some numbers you can look at, for a vague generalization:

Kevin Kelley's 1,000 fans
Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours (as explained by Seth Godin)
John Grisham's many rejections

These numbers only point to a larger felt sense that a writer knows in his gut, physically (but may intellectually ignore) when it comes to recognizing the effort or determination required.

But your motivation and desire to write or express yourself doesn't lie in the numbers. Whether you like it or not, it keeps its home in the hopes and fears that go much deeper than the writing goals you might have set for yourself.

One of my favorite passages from Rilke:

Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deeps something helpless that wants help from us.

We all have some kind of dragon holding us back, and we typically give it a name that obscures its real identity. Maybe your dragon is "not enough time" or "writer's block" or "publishing industry is unfair." But is that really the true, felt sense of what's holding you back? Only you can tell. (And I recommend this book to find out what that true, felt sense might be.)

Every creative person, every artist, needs someone who encourages them, who can see the potential inside, who can see the princess in the dragon. My father told me as a little girl that I could do anything and be anything that I wanted. And I could tell he really believed it. And so I believed it too.

What do you hang onto? What can turn your dragon into a princess?

Note: It's a busy week for me, so I'll have guest blogger Jim Adam here on Wednesday-Friday. (Curious what I'm up to? Check out my live, online class on query letters this Thursday, and the Midwest Writers Workshop.)

Photo credit: james_michael_hill

Read My Writing and Tell Me What to Do

Jane — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:50:01 GMT

I laughed out loud today when reading a post by one of my favorite bloggers, Derek Sivers, where he describes the single most common request he receives from people.

It's EXACTLY what we experience every day at Writer's Digest—and he offers the absolute right response!

… the single most common request … “Take a listen to my music and let me know what I should do.” …

Most of the time, the music is good. Not the best or worst thing you’ve ever heard, but good. … The music itself usually doesn’t make it clear what someone should do.

What if I was in a different industry and people said:

“I’m trying to find a spouse. Look at my photo and tell me what I should do.”

or:

“I want to be a millionaire. Look at my bank account and tell me what I should do.”

The real answer is “it depends … ”

What are your goals? Why are you making music?

What have you done so far? What’s worked? What hasn’t?

What is your reaction to criticism or setbacks?

Are you future-focused or present-focused?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What are your habits? Are you growing or coasting?

How do you measure success? Fame? Money? Emotional response?

What’s your timeline? 1 year? 3 years? 30 years?

… and 50 other questions that would make this article too long.

It’d take many hours of conversation to get enough information to responsibly tell someone what to do.

I receive a lot of phone calls from writers who ask, "Can you please take a look at my writing and tell me what to do?" Or they simply want to be told if they should continue in their efforts to get published.

Without having a deep understanding of the person, it's tough to offer useful information. I usually ask a couple of the questions above, but end up delivering a few of the key business facts: You have to offer something unique and be passionate enough that you don't stop in the face of (years of) rejection.

Do you wonder if you have what it takes? Really only you can answer that question.

But if you're looking for more advice, here are a few places to start:

My previous post on this topic, Leading Indicator of Success
Page After Page by Heather Sellers
Do I Have What It Takes to Be a Writer? (excerpt from my book, Beginning Writer's Answer Book)

Photo credit: Stillframe

Not All Books Need to Be Well-Written to Sell

Jane — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:58:18 GMT

If you're writing a nonfiction book, the first question you need to ask yourself is whether your book is more about ideas/information or art.

If your book is more about ideas/information, it means:

you need credibility or authority of some kind in your subject area to be taken seriously by publishers and other insiders
you need expertise and/or experience to understand the conversation/community you're entering into and how to present fresh and compelling ideas or information
you need an excellent understanding of your audience and their needs
your platform (or visibility) in a community will be essential to selling and promoting yourself and your book
you don't do the book first to become an expert; you're an expert or credible source first (with a platform) which justifies having a printed book
you write a book proposal because you need to present a business plan for why the market needs your book
your audience doesn't care as much about the quality of expression (artform) as the quality of ideas and information

If your book is more about art, it means:

you need skill at the craft to be taken seriously, which usually means years of practice
you may not need any expertise/experience of any kind if your writing evokes strong emotion, passion, or deep meaning
you often need to write the book first, and write it flawlessly, in order for it to sell (assuming you are not a celebrity or notorious or bizarre person who can garner media attention)
you might write a proposal, but when it comes to art and making meaning, storytelling is much more powerful than statistics and business plans (of course, remember that even a book about ideas/information needs a mythical story behind it or a way to help people find meaning to stand out from the crowd)

If your book is about ideas/information, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be as well written as possible. In fact, the most powerful books about ideas (by people like Malcolm Gladwell) are works of art.

But when you're pitching an agent or publisher, make sure you know whether your book is idea-driven or art-driven. It makes a difference in your perspective and slant.

When it's about the ideas or the information, you're a salesperson armed with information on the market and your authority. You can do the same with your art, but if the art doesn't match your sales hype, you're back to square one.

Photo credit: Sailing: "Footprints Real to Reel"

That Unquantifiable Factor That Helps You Get Published and Succeed

Jane — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:17:58 GMT

Lately I've come across a refrain of advice that gets truer the longer I'm in the business: the strength of your relationships is essential to getting ahead, which means having a network of people who like you and/or trust you.

A few examples:

I'm reading a yet-to-be-published business book by a woman who was the first female VP of manufacturing at Procter & Gamble. Her entire argument comes down to trust. Are you creating experiences with your colleagues that lead them to trust you, recommend you, and essentially "vote" for you to get the new project, get promoted, or get a new job?

Here's a story of a 14-year-old who got hired at Apple. Years later, he says success is attributable to people liking him. Quote:

Recognize that by being useful and good to others, you will eventually build a very strong team of supporters. They’ll lift you up to new heights and protect you. If you falter they will be there to bring you back up and support you.

I think it’s one of the most overlooked components of business. Simply, we’re always able to say that at the end of the day, all you have is your friends.

Seth Godin speaks in this 1-minute video about social networking done right—how it can be relevant and helpful, or entirely pointless, depending on how you're using it. Are you helping people achieve their goals, reliably and repeatedly? Collecting masses of followers will not help you succeed.

For writers, this is why I advise going to conferences and meeting with people in the industry. Even if you have only a moment to make an impression, if that person likes you or is impressed by you, then it makes your job easier when it comes time to query or submit.

Part of the problem with the cold query or cold contact is that no relationship has been established, and the person on the receiving end doesn't know if you're nice or crazy. That's why referrals are so valuable to writers—because they help agents/editors feel confident and compelled to pay attention if the recommendation comes from someone they trust.

On side note, but related: In my final month of high school, there was a highly unfortunate incident where I unwittingly distributed to the entire school, via e-mail, another student's private and unflattering opinion of an administrator. As a student with a trouble-free record, it was mortifying—and even more mortifying when I got raked over the coals for it. I had to call my mother in front of the head administrator and describe the entire embarrassing incident, then was grounded to my room for a week, except for class time and meals. (It was a residential high school.)

I'll never forget that administrator staring at me squarely and declaring, "I would not say to THIS WALL what I would not say to THE WORLD."

Point being: Your interactions with people—and what you say and do—matter tremendously. When you complain, cast aspersions, or talk negatively about any situation or person, no matter what the setting/environment, always consider the repercussions. Sometimes, even when we think we are confiding privately, it is much more public than we realize. And it can lead to people being wary of us and less trusting.

Think about the kind of person you trust, like, and recommend—they probably make you feel good afterward, not drained. It's like Aunt Josephine said in Anne of Green Gables: "I like people who make me like them. Saves me so much trouble forcing myself to like them."

Photo credit: Sara Lechner

There Are 2 Types of Writers: Which Are You? (The Other Side of the Slush Pile)

Jane — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:44:53 GMT

Today's guest post is from the insightful Jim Adams (Migdalin.com). I met Jim at the June WD Editors' Intensive. He also contributed this piece about the benefit of hiring a professional editor.

The Fire in Fiction, by Donald Maass, informs us that there are two types of writers:

One type writes in order to write.
The other writes in order to be published, obtain fame, and receive impressively large royalty checks.

As with any dichotomy, this one has its problems, but recently I gained a better understanding of why Mr. Maass would come up with such a dichotomy in the first place.

Recently, I got a chance to sit on the Other Side of the Slush Pile.

Most writers' workshops qualify, in some sense, as slush piles, but the online community Authonomy, run by HarperCollins, takes things one step further. Authonomy lets authors post their books, or significant portions thereof, and then lets them vote for each other's work. Books get rated based on how many votes they have, and books at the top of the ratings get looked at by one or more purchasing editors at HarperCollins.

While you can only vote for five books at a time, you can comment on as many books as you like. Having posted a goodish portion of my own book, I set about providing comments to several individuals who had befriended me or who had suggested a bout of mutual mastication, so long as I went first …

So, I began to read, and I began to critique.

My efforts were unappreciated. I had failed, you see, to follow the prevailing custom, which was to write a critique thusly:

This book was so good, I was tempted to cut off my fingers, because compared to you, I don't deserve to write even a grocery list. Excuse me while I go change my underthings: that's how much your words moved me! I especially liked how you capitalized the first word in every sentence. Masterful!!

Let me reiterate that Authonomy is a slush pile. While I haven't been part of the community for long, the few books I've read and commented on so far are (in my inexpert opinion) not ready for publication, and I don't mean they're in need of a thorough proofreading. The problems I've seen have been fairly major. But, using Mr. Maass's dichotomy, most people on Authonomy appear to be Type 2 writers. They're looking for validation, not criticism. They're looking for publication and a paycheck, not insight into how they might improve their work.

Naturally, it's difficult to accept criticism on a book that took you a year or more to write. And who wants to hear that a book they believe is finished still has significant room for improvement? Move a few commas around? Be happy to! Revise a few sentences for clarity? Well, if you insist. Rewrite the book so it begins on page one, ends at a meaningful destination, and accomplishes something at regular intervals along the way? How dare you!

Of course, tact plays an important part in writing any critique, but having learned my critiquing skills at critters.org, I write tactful critiques as second nature. After all, my book is out there too, and if it's to be savaged, I prefer to have it savaged without unnecessary invective or rancor. But tactful or not, I get the impression that most of the writers on Authonomy aren't interested in meaningful feedback.

To be fair, another part of the equation here is: Who to believe?

Do you believe the fifty people who agree with you that, "Oh my God, this is going to be bigger than Harry Potter," or do you believe the one lone voice of dissent? In all likelihood, the voice of dissent is just a psycho-killer wannabe who fills his time between stalkings by pulling the wings off budding novelists. Your best bet is to quote the immortal Buzz Lightyear ("You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity."), and go on about your business.

Still, whatever the psychology, the end result is the same. Individuals stroke each other and promote books that are half-baked.

It's possible that over-eager writers are outnumbered by those who suffer from the opposite problem: the curse of endless revision. We can't know for sure, but it's worth mentioning. Balance in all things. Sooner or later you have to pull the cake out of the oven, put the icing on it, and let people cut themselves a slice. If someone then tells you the cake could have stayed in the oven just a bit longer, well ... who knows. Maybe they have a point, or maybe next time they don't get invited to tea.

Are You Needlessly Worrying About Your Work Getting TOO MUCH Exposure?

Jane — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:03:15 GMT

As writers become more and more comfortable with online media, I receive more and more questions like this:

If I post my work on my own site, will anyone be willing to consider it for print publication?
How much of my novel can I post online before a publisher won't take it any more?
Do I lose rights to my work if it's posted on XYZ site?

Here are key points to remember.

1. First things first: You own the copyright and all rights to your work when you post it online, unless you specifically agree otherwise. It may be easier to steal when it's online, but you still own it.

2. Always check the terms of service when regularly posting content to any site. If you're posting your work on major sites like Authonomy, WeBook, etc., you really have nothing to worry about. In such cases, you're not relinquishing any exclusive or vital rights to your work by posting it. (If someone knows of exceptions, please note in the comments.)

However, there may be an implicit agreement—by very fact of you using a website—that the site owner has nonexclusive right to use the content in a limited (or expansive) way. Such use is usually justified or reasonable, and sometimes it might profit the site owner. You need to decide what you're comfortable with and if the trade-offs are worth it. I have yet to see an agreement that is unethical or not upfront.

For example, here is Amazon's language governing book review content, which you agree to when using their site:

If you do post content or submit material, and unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Amazon a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such content throughout the world in any media. You grant Amazon and sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such content, if they choose. You represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content that you post; that the content is accurate; that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity; and that you will indemnify Amazon for all claims resulting from content you supply. Amazon has the right but not the obligation to monitor and edit or remove any activity or content. Amazon takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content posted by you or any third party.

This basically means that while you retain rights to your work, Amazon has the right do whatever it pleases as well. The key is the word "nonexclusive." If Amazon decided to publish a collection of the most kinky book reviews ever written, and used your material, they would not owe you any money or need to ask your permission, though of course it would be considered good practice and common courtesy to notify you.

3. If your work doesn't have a lot of commercial value, who cares? Here is where I have to be completely insensitive and say bluntly: Writers are overly worried about work that is not commercially valuable. Many things that people post online, whether on their own sites or elsewhere, are online precisely because there isn't a commercial value attached. So, when you post your work without compensation, there is an essential value statement made that, right now, you're valuing exposure (or service or community) more than payment. Or that you're marketing and promoting yourself, your brand, or a work that does have commercial value.

4. That said, the value of your work CAN change or be discovered later—which only opens up the commercial value and potential of your work. Remember that online exposure and online media are not the same as print exposure and print media. They are usually written and edited differently, presented differently, marketed differently, and read differently. The online audience is not 100% the same as the print audience (and sometimes not even 10% the same!).

Think of it this way: If you participated in a poetry slam and became wildly successful as a poet-entertainer, with thousands of followers, would that detract from your ability to publish books of your poetry? No, in fact, it would help make the case for print publication. Would a presentation of your poems online, in a way that gathered 10,000 unique visitors every day, detract from the sales of a beautiful physical chapbook? Of course not. It would help.

For the most part, online and print are complimentary—they are not competitive. Any book publisher who refuses to consider a work that has been successfully published digitally or online or in a multimedia format has not caught up with the times. Magazine and newspapers are a little different, but if they become a fan of your online work, most likely they will ask you to produce an original work for print publication.

5. You're always producing more work, right? Don't hold on so tightly to each piece of work that you're not focusing on new production.

Yes, even I hang onto my creative writing from senior year in high school, and have a catalog of all the places my work has appeared over the years (online and in print, often without pay), but even if a third party is profiting off my work online, that work has no commercial value to me anymore. I'm producing better stuff now. Plus the old work serves to offer additional exposure, little guideposts leading people to the more recent work.

Key takeaway: Just because your work is "published" when it appears online doesn't mean you've destroyed its market value. That's a very old-school way of viewing the value of content—a viewpoint that's based on decades of print publication tradition, when whoever had the "first" rights to print publication had the "best" rights, and paid the most.

If you haven't noticed, things have changed.

P.S. ... and a final word on theft: Stop worrying. When writing becomes a lucrative profession and when demand for writing far outstrips supply, then maybe we can discuss. In the meantime, feel flattered that someone thought your work was good enough they wanted to bother taking the time and effort to market, promote, pitch, and/or publish it themselves.

UPDATE: I recently read this post from Stefanie Peters, which makes 2 more important points about posting your work online, especially in forums like Authonomy.

Photo credit: Wetsun

Risking Failure (from the Glimmer Train Bulletin)

Jane — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:07:07 GMT

Every month, Glimmer Train sends out a monthly bulletin with information about their contests, as well as helpful advice from established writers. In the most recent bulletin (Bulletin 30), you'll find:

Making Stories Out of Stories by Randolph Thomas
The Music of Words by Lynn Ahrens
Risking Failure by Josh Henkin (pictured above)

Incidentally, the next issue of Writer's Digest magazine (September 2009) will feature an essay from Henkin as well, in the MFA Confidential column.

Here's a little of what Henkin has to say in his Glimmer Train piece:

I believe this is one of the most important lessons a writer can learn: You must always be willing to risk failure. Another lesson: Don't take rejection personally. So much is luck—finding the right editor at the right moment when he or she will be receptive to the story you've submitted. I know this first-hand.

Click here for Bulletin 30 (and to find archives of other bulletins).

Better Than Brad Pitt? (Why You Should Go to Book Events)

Jane — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:28:41 GMT

Today's guest post is from becoming-a-regular-and-fabulous-contributor Darrelyn Saloom. Above she is shown with Tim Gautreaux, the recipient of the 2009 Louisiana Writer Award and author of three novels and two story collections. The picture was taken at Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans. Follow Darrelyn on Twitter.

A book event! Authors read from their latest masterpiece, sign copies, and, if you’re lucky, share stories of their writing journey. Maybe an author will reveal how he/she found the plot (in a newspaper), the characters (popped into their head), or even the theme (a song on the radio).

It’s easy to project grandiosity on an admired author. Born to brilliance, for them it comes easy. Such a perfect sentence, and look at that verb. Oh the ease!—the ease from which he/she writes—larger than life, and so much smarter than me.

That’s what I tend to think of writers I admire. And that’s what I thought of Tim Gautreaux. My friends knew this about me. I drove around with his books in my car. Recommended his short story collections and novels to strangers in airports and on the streets (yeah, that was me). So I was thrilled when Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans sent me an e-mail to announce his scheduled book signing.

The day of the event, I checked into Hotel Monteleone and found my way to Prytania Street. The bookstore had a small coffee shop to the side of the building, and I spotted Gautreaux and his lovely wife, Winborne, sipping coffee in a window seat. And, yes, I was nervous. This was better than a French Quarter Brad Pitt sighting for me.

The Louisiana native did not disappoint. With Cajun accent he read from his latest novel The Missing. And then he talked about his writing process. The audience sipped wine, nibbled cheese, and asked questions. And his answers were generous.

Generous because his stories were often rejected by editors—yes—rejected! And he told us that red marks mapped the pages of his returned manuscripts! But here was the key (and what I believe separates a talented writer from becoming a published author—or not).

When Tim Gautreaux’s stories and manuscripts landed back in his mailbox, he read suggestions and criticisms with an open mind. He explained how he’d carefully tear apart a rejected story, rewrite and revise it, put it back together, and send it out again. And again. And again, if necessary. Until he got it right.

If you’ve read Gautreaux’s novels and stories, you know he’s a man obsessed with machines. His characters are camera repairmen, piano tuners, welders, train engineers, and a priest. Okay, so maybe a priest has nothing to do with machinery, but there’s an old Toronado in the story with a “huge eight-cylinder engine and no muffler.”

Tinkering is Tim Gautreaux’s lifelong hobby. He told us about the barn in his backyard in Hammond, Louisiana; and about his collection of antique steamboat whistles, lanterns, and gauges, an amusement that seeped into his novel, The Missing.

“Find what you love,” he said, “and write about it.” What Tim Gautreaux loves has served him well. Tinkering with machinery seems to have taught him the patience to be a writer. To construct something, to take it apart (piece by piece), and then to build it again is not easy. It’s hard work. And it’s akin to writing a poem, a story, a novel. It took him nearly five years to write The Missing.

There are other reasons to attend a book signing: to support a fellow writer, a favored bookstore, (did I mention they often serve wine and cheese?). But to connect to an admired author, and to share his/her struggles are valuable lessons for an aspiring author. And there really is no excuse not to go. Because—they are free.

(The day I completed this blog post, the June issue of The New Yorker arrived in my mailbox—bearing a stapled gift—a new story by Tim Gautreaux! “Idols” is about Julian Smith. And he is a typewriter repairman. So add typewriter repairman to my earlier list. Follow this link to read Julian’s comical and stubborn journey to defeat.)

Writing Advice Hasn't Changed Much Since 1921

Jane — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:36:40 GMT

On my desk I keep a copy of one of the first Writer's Digest titles, How to Write Short Stories by L. Josephine Bridgart, published in 1921. It is a subtle reminder of how little things have changed when it comes to writing and publishing. Below is an excerpt from the very first chapter, "Common Sense in Viewing One's Work."

—

Writing for publication is a business. If the new writer will accept this fact he will have laid a foundation upon which, if he have the necessary natural ability, he can build success.

If a young woman tells you that she intends to take up nursing, and later reveals that her chief reason for doing so is that the uniforms in a certain hospital have attracted her, or that she enjoys reading to the sick, or dislikes the business life her father has suggested for her, or has heard that nurses make a great deal of money, you immediately feel that her nursing will not be a great success. You reason that nursing involves some very hard and disagreeable duties and that a girl who think only of the incidental pleasures or the monetary rewards is pretty sure to fail. It is not common business sense to enter a profession without taking into consideration the requirements of that profession.

I have read this lack of common business sense between the lines of many a first story. Some of these stories tell how a young girl with no experience won a prize in a short story or novel contest; often the prize-winning story was written in an afternoon, or an evening, or in the dead of night as the result of an idea which came to the author after she had retired. Some of these stories are about attractive young women who sold an editor a manuscript because she was attractive, or because she was poor, or because she was sick or saucy. Such stories show plainly that the authors are depending on personal charm or "an inspiration" or luck rather than upon hard work to win acceptances. They do not stop to reason that before they can hope to sell a manuscript they must learn how to produce a manuscript that some editor will want to buy. …

Unless you respect the principles governing the construction of a story or an article or a poem you cannot produce a manuscript that the careful editor will consider worthy of a place in his magazine. In any other trade or profession, the beginner expects to encounter a great deal of hard work. He expects to master certain rules, learn to apply them, and then make himself skillful by practice. Writing for publication means careful preparation and a great deal of hard work, just as millinery and surgery and sculpture do.

In her autobiography Ellen Terry tells of actresses who had explained to her that they did not care to be hampered by the rules. The successful actress had replied that it was wise to learn the rules before one decided to abandon them. "Before you can be eccentric," she commented pithily, "you must know where the circle is." …

The editor does not care at all about rules as rules. He wants a manuscript that will hold his readers' interest. If you can break the rules and still produce a manuscript that will grip the attention from the first sentence to the last you need not fear that your irregularities will cause you a rejection.

Monthly News From Glimmer Train

Jane — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:28:31 GMT

Glimmer Train has just chosen the winning stories for their April Family Matters competition. This competition is held twice a year and is open to all writers for stories about family, with a word count range 500-12,000. Monthly submission calendar may be viewed here.

First place
Randolph Thomas of Baton Rouge, LA (shown right), wins $1200 for “According to Foxfire”. His story will be published in the Fall 2010 issue of Glimmer Train Stories, out in August 2010.

Second place
Amy S. Gottfried of Thurmont, MD, wins $500 for “Chim Chiminy”. Her story will also be published in an upcoming issue of Glimmer Train Stories, increasing her prize to $700.

Third place
Abe Gaustad of Germantown, TN, wins $300 for “A Month of Rain”.

A PDF of the Top 25 winners can be found here.

Deadlines approaching!

Fiction Open: June 30

This quarterly competition is open to all writers for stories on any theme, with a word count range of 2000-20,000. Click here for complete guidelines.

Best Start: June 30

This new category is different from their others in that the piece should be an engaging and coherent narrative, but it does not need to be a complete story; it needs to be an important part of a story in progress. Only open to writers whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed print publication with a circulation over 3000. Maximum word count: 1000. Click here for complete guidelines.

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If you didn't know, Writer's Digest partnered with Glimmer Train to publish two compilation volumes of the best stuff from their Writers Ask newsletter. Be sure to check them out.

How to Save Time and Money with Professional Editors

Jane — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:32:31 GMT

This post has been adapted from material by Jim Adams, at his site Migdalin.com. I met the talented Jim this past weekend at the WD Editors' Intensive, and we discussed his passion for editor George H. Scithers.

—

After 30 years of rejection, I finally got tired of not knowing why my writing wasn't working. Before trying to find a publisher or an agent, I sent the novel I'd just finished (or so I thought) off to a professional editor.

The year that followed was expensive (professional editors don't come cheap), but it also taught me things about plot, protagonist, pacing, and novel structure that I hadn't picked up from 15 credit hours of undergraduate creative writing courses, an M.A. in creative writing, and reading untold books on writing (some of them with titles like PLOT).

Professional editors are more efficient than how-to books. They give you feedback specific to your project. It's one thing to read a "rule" in a book, it's another thing to have an editor point to a spot in your opus and say, "Here's where you broke the rule, and here's how your writing was weakened as a result."

Professional editors can be more effective than a degree in creative writing, since half your time in getting that sort of degree will be in ancillary class work. Worse, unless you're careful and choosy, you could easily wind up (as I did) at a university where the creative writing teachers sneer at pedestrian concerns like plot. If you dream of getting an M.A. or M.F.A. in creative writing, you might consider finding a professional editor instead. Not only could you learn more in less time, the editorial route might even be less expensive (depending on the university you're applying to), especially if going back to school means giving up a decent-paying job.

As sold as I am on getting help from professional editors, though, when I started working on a new novel, I faced a real dilemma: an insufficiency of funds. Although I hope this new book will need less editorial hand-holding than the previous one, getting the full manuscript critiqued still represents a major expense.

Also, I never feel I've mastered something until I do it right three times in a row. As such, I still have doubts about my ability to spot major plot holes and plot sidetracks on my own.

My brilliant solution to this conundrum?

I sent my editor a detailed synopsis rather than a complete novel.

Getting a synopsis critiqued is not only less expensive, it can save you a lot of time. In my case, although I already had a complete draft of the novel written, revising generally takes me twice as long (at least) as writing the rough draft. Thus, by spotting major non sequiturs in the synopsis, my editor can save me from tweaking pages, chapters, or even (please God, not that again!) an entire book that needs to be tossed out and rewritten from scratch.

If you like to outline and plan books ahead of time, you could even save yourself time during the drafting stage by getting an editor to look at your story premise and outline straightaway.

While they might tell you things you don't want to hear (such as that your underlying story idea won't hold water), wouldn't you rather find that out before you've spent months or years of your life working on the thing?

Even getting a synopsis edited can cost $200 or more, but it's money well-spent, since this particular $200 could save me weeks, even months, of fruitless revision and polishing. Even better, it could save me several thousand dollars, compared to sending a full manuscript to my editor, only to find that my novel has major structural problems—problems that could have been fixed via a review of my story outline.

Wondering how to find a solid professional editor? Preditors and Editors is a good resource for checking out an editing service before you give them your money or your manuscript. I've been using The Editorial Department, and the editor they assigned me to (Peter Gelfan) is the greatest: cruel, insensitive, tactful, patient, and very insightful.

My first book is still making the rounds of agents and publishers, and may still wind up turning into a trunk novel. While I'm convinced it's technically solid, that isn't enough to make a book sell given the difficult publishing environment these days. But whether my first book makes it or not, I feel much better about what I'm doing. I no longer feel like I'm spinning my wheels fruitlessly, repeating the same mistakes over and over again without realizing it.

—

Have you used a professional editing service that you've had a good experience with? Recommend it in the comments!

You can also check out:

Writer's Mart, where editorial services advertise with Writer's Digest
Advanced Novel Writing Workshop at WritersOnlineWorkshops.com, a long-term course that offers critiques of your work by the instructor and peers
As always: the next Writer's Digest Editors' Intensive (upcoming in October and December)

5 Common Flaws in Memoir Projects

Jane — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:55:19 GMT

Most everyone knows how difficult it can be to sell a memoir when you're not famous (or infamous). I often advise writers that if you don't have a celebrity-like fan base, or a loyal and captive audience, then you need to write like a master—or have such a fantastical story that no one will be able to divert their attention from it (the kinds of personal stories that get aired on the morning shows, like that guy who had to cut off his own arm when stuck in a mountain crevasse).

Many writers I meet tackle memoir as their first serious book project, which often means their writing has not yet advanced to the level that will enrapture editors/agents. There are exceptions, of course, but I've only met one or two in my time at Writer's Digest, and they have significant writing history behind them. (Here is one example.)

Here are the five common flaws that I see in manuscripts I review at conferences.

You have written a story focused on pain or victimhood—and nothing more. You get extra (negative) bonus points if you wrote it as part of a grieving process, either at the recommendation of a therapist or as part of a therapy group. Writing through grief and tragedy is a proven method to heal, but it is not a proven method for getting published. I say this not to be insensitive, but to bring needed attention to the fact that these stories are prevalent, and very few publishing houses are accepting them. This is especially true of stories of (1) abuse (2) cancer (3) caring for aging parents.
Your source material is a diary or journal. And you're using that as your rough draft, or the book is structured in that manner. Such materials are fine for inspiration and to remember vivid details. But very few diaries or journals are suitable starting places for a publishable memoir. (And I say this as a fan of Anais Nin.)
You want to tell about your experience as a means of self-help for others—that is, you mix the memoir and self-help genres. I have never seen this work on the page. You have to choose one or the other. Self-help is a better option if you have the credentials/authority to back up your advice. Life experience, or overcoming a personal challenge, is not enough expertise to help others, especially when it comes to physical and mental health.
You have no definitive story arc or story problem. Are you attempting to tell everything about your life, from beginning to end, starting with childhood, where you were born, where you went to school, leaving no stone unturned? Why? Are you sure it's essential to the story? Memoirs need a beginning, middle, and end, and there needs to be a story problem, just as you would find in a novel. And it needs to be told in scenes, and have characters. And you need to leave out a lot of detail.
The story is not told with a fresh or distinct perspective. You need to find the voice or perspective that makes the story compelling and offers vibrancy, and create an effective and engaging dramatic persona.

One of the more fascinating pieces I've read on memoir was in a July 2002 article in Writer's Digest magazine. W.W. Norton editor Alane Salierno Mason discussed the difference between the "I" memoir (which is all about the narrator) and the "eye" memoir (which is about point of view and relationship to the greater world as well as self).

Most people I meet are undoubtedly writing the "I" memoir, but it leads to a lot of talking and talking and talking (as Mason points out), and unless that talking is absolutely captivating, it's tough to take the project further than your own friends and family.

Looking for more help on this topic?

This is by far my favorite book on writing personal narrative, by Vivian Gornick: The Situation and The Story
Our quarterly WD Editor Intensives give you an opportunity to have your first 50 pages vetted by an expert.
Our online workshop series offers a course on memoir, taught by Writer's Digest author Gloria Kempton (next start date: August 6)
Writing Life Stories (from Writer's Digest) offers comprehensive instruction that was recently revised. You can read an excerpt here, and read a Q&A with author Bill Roorbach here.

Photo credit: Jurvetson

Does Talent Eventually Get Discovered?

Jane — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:55:38 GMT

Many writers attend conferences to pitch their work to industry professionals, and nowhere is that more true than at our BEA event that we held on May 27, where more than 400 writers showed up to participate in our Pitch Slam with 70+ agents/editors.

One of the writers in attendance, Lystra Pitts (also an Editors' Intensive graduate), wrote up a reflection on this event that illustrates what I've seen happen to many thoughtful and sensitive writers:

There is nothing like a convention room filled to the brim with writers to illustrate how desperate my situation is. These writers, who I am sure believe in their work as much as I believe in mine, all paid their hard earned money, money they didn’t earn writing, to be there. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF US IN THAT ROOM. Hundreds, who like me crossed great distances and spent extravagant amounts of money to get a few precious moments with an agent. Writers are not in short supply.

I wondered what would happen if every person in that room had a brilliant masterpiece, a novel of unequaled quality, the magnum opus of their genre in our time—would the agents be able to take them all? Would they all get published?

I believe that the sad answer to that question is no. There are too many of us for all our talent to be recognized. The system cannot take everything it is offered, no matter how good it is.

Luckily, I am sure that only a handful of the people in that room had good stories. Right? That is what they would have you believe, that is how the system is set up. But I don’t know. I heard a lot of pitches, both practicing with strangers and overhearing the guys and gals in front of me and I liked most of the story ideas I heard. I am sure that a lot of people in that crowd had mediocre stories or mediocre writing skills and they will be rightfully culled from the herd. Won’t they? Again I am not sure. I have read a lot of really bad books, and I know you have too.

The system cannot guarantee that it will discover all the talented writers nor can it weed out the untalented. So I have to wonder how does one succeed in such a fundamentally flawed establishment? The only answer I have is luck. You have to get lucky, bottom line. It sounds bad right? But it isn’t as bad as all that. You can work with luck.

[Read the full post from Lystra here.]

I've debated this question for years:

Does talented work eventually get discovered? Does it bubble to the top?

Or do many talented writers go undiscovered?

For many years, I've thought that eventually talent gets its due. It gets discovered. (Yes, I've been called naive.)

Now, I think differently. But not because I've become cynical.

Talent isn't enough.

Frankly, luck plus talent isn't enough either.

Of course there's persistence, that's key. Because lots of people give up when success is around the corner. (I blogged about that here.)

Then there are those who are persistent but stubborn in their ways. It's those writers who can't seem to change direction or vision when they've received the kind of consistent or expert feedback that calls for a course correction.

Some people are stubborn and refuse to change. And sometimes bitterness follows. These are often the talented people I see who won't get discovered.

If you feel like a stranger or outsider to this whole publishing business, if you get downtrodden and bitter and start to beat yourself and others up about it, and try to make the publishing world submit to your will, it's a big problem.

Which side of the question do you fall on? Does talent eventually get discovered?

Photo credit: wstryder

What Does It Take for a Blog to Become a Book?

Jane — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:01:19 GMT

I find myself advising writers more and more frequently to develop an online presence first—sometimes by blogging—before attempting to get a book published. Some types of content simply work better online, or when you're engaging in real time with a community.

Online platforms allow you to test ideas, develop your readership, and craft a stronger premise for a print product. Plus, if you really catch on fire with a particular readership, you can start attracting editors and agents to YOU, rather than you chasing them. Doesn't it sound better to be fielding offers rather than begging for them?

Of course, this process takes patience. You can't launch your online efforts today and expect interest overnight (or even in a year). You have to be invested and dedicated to what you're doing, and involved in an authentic way, for you to produce something of value.

And you also have to let go of this idea of being online only to reach the holy grail of a print book. You need to NOT want it in order to get it. That is, you have to be Zen about it. Have goals, but no expectations. Know that your project will likely change, or your goals will change, as you put yourself out there more and more.

Key to remember:

Even the most popular blogs don't necessarily translate into great (profitable) books or a book deal

No matter how much positive feedback you get on your blog, that doesn't mean it's going to interest a publisher. It's the same thing as telling an agent, "My mother loved it." You always need to back up "positive feedback" with hard-core numbers about subscribers, unique pageviews, newsletter subscribers.

So, what does it take for a blog to become a book? It often takes someone in the mainstream media (or a trusted voice or opinion maker) to scream to the world, "Have you seen this person's blog? It's a must-read!"

When notable people talk you up to agents/editors, and/or when you are featured by the so-called mainstream figures of online/offline media, then you can bet that agents/editors will start to take notice and ask if you've thought of doing a book.

Now, keep in mind that most blog material is not suitable for straight-to-book publication. Bloggers turned authors usually have to start book manuscripts entirely or partially from scratch, or undergo a very thorough revision process. But if industry professionals see that you have a strong voice, a strong message, and a strong following, they'll work with you to figure out what your best book is, and help you adapt your ideas for the best book product.

Here are a few extremely successful and visible examples of bloggers turned book authors.

Chris Brogan, Trust Agents
Gary Vaynerchuk, Gary Vaynerchuck's 101 Wines and Crush It!
Chris Guillebeau, untitled so far, book deal with Perigee, to release in September 2010

If you want to transition from blogger to book author, consider how a book will offer an experience or a benefit that is unique or distinctive apart from the blog. Why would people want the book in addition to or instead of reading the blog? Is it simply because you think you can reach a broader audience? Sometimes that's not reason enough. Consider why and how the book can be a vehicle for what's not easily or feasibly accomplished online, and how readers would benefit from the book format.

Photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Everything You Need to Know About Self-Publishing (Sort of)

Jane — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:47:32 GMT

In the March/April 2009 issue of Writer's Digest magazine, our staff collaborated on a feature package that explains in plain English the hows and whys of self-publishing. Our goal: To be fair and honest about the advantages and disadvantages.

While the print issue has great visuals to help you understand the options available, we've also posted much of the content at WritersDigest.com.

I wrote the opening article for the feature package, giving writers straight expectations on the self-pub path. Here's a snippet:

2. WILL I KILL MY CHANCES WITH A TRADITIONAL PUBLISHER IF I SELF-PUBLISH?
Of course not. Even if you publish what in hindsight is a terrible book, or you’re embarrassed by the results, no agent or editor would turn down your subsequent work if it looked like a surefire winner in the marketplace. But, you may ask, have you ruined your chances of traditionally publishing that same work?

Click here to read the full article I wrote.

Links to related content:

Click here to read/review the self-pub feature package on WD.com

Click here to buy the entire March/April issue in print form.

Click here to download the issue as a PDF for $5.99.

Click here for my blog rant on self-publishing from February 2009.

Persistence Doesn't Matter If You Make This Common Mistake

Jane — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:47:47 GMT

I've talked with thousands of talented writers over the years, and nearly all unpublished writers have 1 thing in common that trips them up, every time.

They rush to submit their work before it's ready or before they are ready—especially those writers who are fresh with the excitement of having just completed their very first book-length manuscript.

A typical example: Countless writers at our BEA pitch slam had just completed their books, and some were so new to the business they didn't realize that their manuscripts of 100,000+ words are a tough sell for a first-time author. (However: Good for them for understanding, maybe by accident, that you can speed your path to publication by meeting agents/editors in-person and learning these lessons more quickly.)

If you've just spent months (or years!) writing a manuscript, why rush it to an agent or editor, and why rush it to just ANY agent or editor? And why rush it if you're new to the publishing business?

When I read Tim Ferriss's Four-Hour Workweek, I loved reading about his process of due diligence in learning what it would take to write and publish a New York Times bestseller. He talked with dozens if not hundreds of people who knew how to achieve the results he was looking for. And he developed an excellent and concrete plan of how to position himself for success.

There are two things to always remember after you complete a manuscript or proposal:

Is the book really done? Is it really the best you can make it? And have professionals (whether editors, agents, or published authors) encouraged you, because they see and know you are ready? Do you feel confident that it's ready to submit?

Are you informed enough about the publishing business to understand where to submit the work, how to submit the work, and what obstacles you might face? Does your work break the rules of the industry? (If so, that's OK, but know it going in!)

For beginners, it can be difficult to connect with experts and professionals who can get you moving down that path of readiness. A good place to start? Local writers groups, online writing workshops, and writing conferences. (Shameless plug: Our next Writer's Digest Editor Intensive on June 20-21 will give you an editor's take on your first 50 pages, and teach you about industry expectations.)

You should also find a mentor, someone who has accomplished something you're after.

Your work and your success is worth the wait. Slow down.

Photo credit: aussiegall

Recap of 2009 BEA/WD Writers Conference

Jane — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:40:22 GMT

We had another amazing year at our writers conference hosted in conjunction with BookExpo America. Here are a few places you can find reaction and summaries:

LA Splash has the most comprehensive take on the event, and offers insight into several of the sessions, as well as the writers attending. And there's a photo of me.

Literary agent Janet Reid (and blogger behind QueryShark) helped with pitch slam practice by entertaining a crowd of nearly 400 writers, showing them how to tighten and structure their pitches. Here's her inspiring take.

Literary agent Robin Mizell also mentions starting to receive submissions from writers at the pitch slam, plus shares wonderful insights from Mike Shatzkin, who gave an educational session at BEA on the day following our event.

WD author and presenter Christina Katz has a great scrapbook of the event, with videos of Karin Slaughter's keynote address and the bookstore signing!

Writer's Digest editor Chuck Sambuchino has a brief recap on his Guide to Literary Agents blog, as well as a summary of agent Ted Weinstein's advice from the agent panel.

Conference attendee Michelle Reynoso blogged about her experience here and here.

We were honored to have Ron Hogan from GalleyCat at our conference, where he live-tweeted N.M. Kelby's session:

Sitting in on N.M. Kelby's Closet Writer's Workshop. She's got 2 books coming out in September.

N.M. Kelby's advice starts with believing in yourself.

N.M. Kelby quotes Robert Frost: "No writer has ever been corrected into importance."

N.M. Kelby has another Frost: "Why have we wings if not to seek friends at an elevation?"

"write. read. write more. travel. write even more. repeat. And show people your work!"

"When I say 'get a hobby,' I mean it. There's nothing that will drive you crazier than writing."

N.M. Kelby also preaches the importance of proper nutrition for writers. Live mindfully!

"When you write, it's art. Once you send it out, it's business."

"If you can give the book to your mother-in-law," it can become a bestseller. "But more importantly, if the publisher doesn't treat the book like a bestseller, it's unlikely to be one."

"Publishing is all about relationships. Play nice." Join writers groups, be active in the literary community.

You can find Ron Hogan's Twitterfeed here.

If you'd like some images from the event, I've posted several on my Picasa account—click here.

Monthly News From Glimmer Train

Jane — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:03:49 GMT

Glimmer Train has just chosen the winning stories for their March Fiction Open. This quarterly competition is open to all writers for stories on any theme, with a word count range of 2000-20,000. Monthly submission calendar may be viewed here.

First place
Justin Torres of New York, NY, wins $2000 for “Surrender Unto Us”. His story will be published in the Summer 2010 issue of Glimmer Train Stories, out in May 2010.

Second place
Vauhini Vara of Iowa City, IA, wins $1000 for “We’ll Rise Above the Sky”. Her story will also be published in an upcoming issue of Glimmer Train Stories.

Third place
Keith Meatto of New York, NY, wins $600 for “Tierra Santa”.

A PDF of the Top 25 winners can be found here.

Also: Short Story Award for New Writers competition (deadline soon approaching! May 31) Glimmer Train hosts this competition twice a year, and first place is $1,200 and publication in the journal. It’s open to all writers who haven’t had their fiction appear in a print publication with a circulation greater than 5000. Word count range 500-12,000. Click here for complete guidelines.

And beginning June 1, Glimmer Train opens a brand new category! Guidelines here: Best Start

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If you didn't know, Writer's Digest partnered with Glimmer Train to publish two compilation volumes of the best stuff from their Writers Ask newsletter. Be sure to check them out.

Just a Start (How a Writer Builds Confidence)

Jane — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:46:35 GMT

Today's guest post is from the lovely Jane Koenen Bretl—an aspiring author taking one day at a time, and writing about it. Her blog, jane, candid, is a sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, often irreverent account of one mom trying to start a writing career and make the kids catch the bus. Really, it’s just one jane’s look at life.

As someone just embarking on a new writing career, I am hard-pressed to offer hard-earned wisdom or sage writing advice. I have, oh, maybe 20 more years of rejection letters to look forward to before I will feel qualified to offer those nuggets of wisdom to the readers of this blog. What I can share is one jane's journey to become an Author, the kind I think of with a capital A.

Technically, I have no formal writing education. A business degree, ten years in the food industry, nearly a decade as a full-time mom, a children’s photography business of my own—none of these pursuits specifically qualify me to write more than newsletter cover articles and the Christmas card letter. Still, through career after career, one thought returns time and again—the desire to express myself through writing, and to ultimately be published. Sometimes it is better for me not to know how much I don’t know. The publishing industry might serve as a good example. However, a series of serendipitous events landed me in a writing course last June, where I finally found the courage to pursue my dream of becoming an author—to step off the ledge of comfort and face failure as a viable, admittedly probable, option … at least, I thought, until I figured out what I was doing.

Start by starting.

I worked on a few children’s book ideas, and threw myself into my new career the same way I did each one before it—by researching and reading and absorbing everything I could find about the topic. I had bookmarks of writing websites; the list was a mile long. I bought lots of books and writer's market guides and reference materials. The Elements of Style sat on my bedside table, as if the contents would continue to seep into my subconscious while I slept. All this research quickly led to lots of thinking about writing and reading about writing and planning for writing—without much actual writing about writing.

Did I mention start by starting?

I did submit one story to an anthology, because a writing instructor advised that anthologies were a good place to start building clips for a resume that had none. I wrote a second anthology piece but never bothered to send it in, since by then I hated the first submission and was seriously questioning the sanity of breaking into the publishing world in the first place. The more I read, the more intimidating the whole proposition seemed.

But I continued to read, read, read about writing until last December, when I signed up for the Writer’s Digest Editor’s Intensive event. How lucky that the F+W Media office is in my hometown! Serendipity strikes again! In my newbie enthusiasm, I glanced over one little detail: it is a really, really, REALLY good idea to have actually polished something before I sit down for 30 minutes with an editor.

Good thing we don’t know how much we don’t know or it would be hard to ever try something new.

So I showed up at the event, all bright eyed and shiny, ready to learn, learn, learn. It quickly became obvious (at least to me) that most everyone else in the room had several novels under their belt, had paid their dues, logged their hours, and were blogging or freelancing or had been writing full-time for years. I swear some attendees had tattoos with long-suffering potential book titles on their arms, and those were just the ones I could see. Oh, and they had actually written something great to discuss with the editor the next day.

Oops.

When I arrived for my 30-minute time slot, I wasn’t feeling so shiny. I did have a crackin’ query letter that received good feedback, but my chosen editor kindly and gently indicated the actual story needed a lot of work. Like the “start by starting over” kind of work. Not a surprise, really—after only a few months working on the story (in between all that reading), I already knew it was not ready for prime time. I did receive a wealth of helpful information and actionable advice from the editor. It was a great experience, even though I was secretly hoping the work contained a glimmer of brilliance somewhere deep down. Well, not this time. But the good news? I now had my first (albeit unofficial) "rejection" under my belt. Now I felt free to make more mistakes along the way. Rejection in any form, even the most kind, is painful yet still liberating. It was like that first scratch on a new car—it took away the need to worry about my mental bumpers.

So I listened, and I walked out the door with a new focus. Jane Friedman and the rest of the staff inspired me to join some social networks to build contacts and connections with other writers and potential readers. I could commit to writing (something) daily. I would start a blog (as soon as I figured out what a blog was) and use that as part of my daily writing practice, and as an idea incubator and network builder. I would start visiting lots of other blogs, leaving comments, and building up my own readership while creating more and more contacts along the way. Learning something new every day.

The fellow attendees of the conference? Several of them formed a Facebook discussion group, invited any attendee to join, and shared a heap of experience and information. And, of course, I learned that some of them shared my state of mind, the writer's blessing/curse to never think the words are quite right, yet. To keep revising and rewriting and wondering when. I wasn't alone with my doubts, or my over-active imagination. (I still wonder about the tattoos.)

That anthology piece? It was actually published this spring, and that gave me a shot in the arm. Actually it is still an IV drip of confidence as I keep the book next to my computer, there to remind me how I felt the day that book arrived in the mail. The book with my name in it. And my little story. Someday, my name could be on the cover, if I work hard.

Using Jane's advice to become more productive while becoming cyber-savvy, I started using (for the love of god) an RSS reader. Now I could satisfy my need to read voraciously about writing and still have time to write something. And, four months after its launch, I can say I truly enjoy the process of blogging and have, through that social media, found a new voice within myself. I just passed the 5,000 hit mark for jane, candid, a small number by many blog standards but a big milestone for me. I am not sure yet where this voice will take me. Actual income is a rational goal. I have to start by starting …

5 Ways Writers & Book Publishers Need to Embrace Change NOW

Jane — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:41:59 GMT

In today's writing and publishing industry, knowing how to change and quickly adapt to change can be your biggest competitive asset.

This has been a key takeaway for me from the weekly Twitter editorchats that I started participating in last week.

The discussions often focus on industry change and trends, especially in relation to new media and technology. Part of the discussion last night was about the generation gap in publishing, sparked by Time's article on how by 2019, leaders will have to manage and motivate people in new ways due to generational changes.

I read the Time article and thought: Yes, but this kind of change can't wait 10 years! Just like magazine and book publishing can't wait 10 years to find a new model for survival.

The editorchat was insightful, but I don't see a generation gap. Rather I see a gap between those who can adapt to change and shape a new vision of the future (on a daily basis these days!), and those who get stuck and/or have pessimistic outlooks on the change.

There's a stereotype that "old" people can't adapt to change as well as "young" people—but my experience has shown it's more of a mindset or attitude.

Some people have the ability to act as soon as they know a change is needed, while others think so long and hard about making a change (in order to make the "right" decision and feel comfortable) that it's too late.

Here are 5 specific ways that writers/publishers need to embrace change now.

Writers: The book is not the beginning or the end. Let me restate that: Do not make it your life's work to get that first book published. It's not the Holy Grail any longer (if it ever was to begin with). The book is only one piece of a much larger effort that you need to focus on. Stop thinking you need a book to accomplish your goals (E.g., "I can start speaking/promoting once I have a book.")
Publishers: The act of reading is not tied to books. Stop thinking that if physical books disappear, that reading will also disappear, or that reading will be diminished, or that your jobs will evaporate. Books are not tied to the act or survival of reading. It's a romantic and lovely object, I agree, but it's merely one (sometimes limited) vehicle for something much, much bigger (storytelling, innovative ideas, inspiration, instruction).
Writers: Power lies in your reach to readers, not in the prestige of your publisher. Kevin Kelley has become famous for saying that it only takes 1,000 loyal followers to really make a go of something. If you develop those followers, you can have a much more stable and rich career that is not dependent on publishers to distribute and sell your work—because you already know where and how to market to your audience.
Publishers/agents: Be a true partner and add value to authors' careers. Or become irrelevant. Because of #3, publishers stand to suffer more in the long run, because today's (and tomorrow's) savviest authors already have the tools they need to be successful without a publisher's distribution strength. (Just not all of them have learned this yet!) Publishers who truly partner with authors, and start offering support in new and meaningful ways (see this great idea of a Digital Concierge over at PersonaNonData), will attract the best authors, the best content, the best value, the best readers, the best community.
Publishers and authors alike should focus on vertical communities/niches. The more connected to a specific community you are, the more you understand what it values, what it is willing to pay for, and what sparks action. Paradoxically, the wider you cast your net in terms of audience, the harder it is to get anyone to notice or care.

When you take these 5 things together, I think authors will partner with publishers who offer a community of other like-minded authors (networking/growth potential), who offer diverse opportunities and methods of support, across all types of media, and who share the same values.

New media and technology has made the world transparent. Everyone is going to partner and invest based on mutual benefit/support and values. Those who don't stand for anything special, who lack a great story (or myth) to share, will struggle. (See this cover story from Inc. magazine for an example of a company and CEO who intimately understands this.)

The world is changing, and I'm grateful for it.