Looking for Publishing Advice? Why Offline May be Better.

On the internet, there is no shortage of publishing advice. You can often find this advice from people who work in the publishing industry (authors, agents, publishers) as well as from people who don’t (fans, readers, reviewers and some marketers or booksellers). While I do sometimes give publishing advice, I try to put that advice into context based on my experiences because when it comes to this industry – I believe that everyone’s experiences may be different.

Regardless of how the advice is given, there is often a reason why the advice is being offered in the first place. Many people try to establish themselves as an “expert” for some reason or another; others, like in my case, provide advice to either “pay it forward” or to help their blog readers get to know them. Regardless of the reason why the advice is being offered, the content of that article or blog post may (or may not) be accurate. By “accurate” I mean that the advice could be outdated, colored by personal experience or stretched a bit for some reason or another. That’s not to say that “all” advice is bad; nor am I saying that people knowingly give crappy advice. In many ways, people provide advice as a means of helping themselves reach their goal just like you are reading the advice to (hopefully) reach yours.

As I mentioned earlier, my goal for providing advice to you – my readers – is to help you think critically about your choices. I don’t expect you to take every word I say verbatim, nor do I believe that you’ll agree with everything I say. It may “seem” otherwise (especially when I’ve had too much caffeine) but I really and truly believe that everyone has their own path.

However, no matter how much advice you read online there is one thing that you’re missing – and that is the 100s of conversations that happen offline. Those are the conversations that, if you’re interested in writing within the publishing industry, you need to be involved with, listen to and watch for. Why? Well, just like you have an online reputation to manage, foster and protect – so does everyone else. As a result, there is a lot about the publishing industry that is not revealed on the internet. From the inside skinny on what publishers are really looking for to understanding which agents not to query, there are a lot of business-facing conversations that happen offline.

I’m sure by now you’re wondering how these offline conversations happen. Well? I can tell you that those conversations don’t happen overnight because often they require a level of trust after you’ve developed a rapport with other people in the industry. While that trust does not come easily, the publishing industry is really no different from any other business. In order to be a part of it, you need to network and approach it like a business (Which means keep writing!). Where can you meet people in publishing? Book clubs, conventions, author signings and critique groups in your area might be a few places to start.

Regardless of where you get your information, I strongly encourage you to take all advice with a grain of salt and be sure to follow up and research thoroughly.

July 27, 2009
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The Importance of Being Persistent

In an earlier post, I wrote a letter to new writers where I described how the path of a writer is one that winds, ebbs and flows. How do you keep following the same path? One of the qualities that a writer must have is the ability to be persistent. Well, that one word can have a lot of connotations, so I’d like to explain what “being persistent” means to me.

So what does it mean? Well, if you want to be a writer it means you don’t give up. It means when you “think” you have no readers, no chance of success, or that you’ve just written something terrible you keep on the path. You see, it is too easy to drown in self-pity or thoughts about how you’re a horrid writer, but the truth of the matter is that you (and only you) have control over that. To be blunt, if you think you suck — get an editor, or get your work critiqued. If you believe you can’t write horror because your fight scenes are terrible, try perfecting your dialogue for a while instead. Practice, practice, practice and play with your words. If you take a break, plan to get back on that wagon, but don’t ever give up completely.

I’d like to share with you a personal anecdote, because I think it applies here. Not every story I’ve written I enjoy, and truth be told I never read my work after it’s been published. (Unless it’s for an author reading). I did once, when I was nine. I had won a Halloween fiction contest for a community publication; seeing my words in print was a very meaningful experience for me, so powerful that I read that story over and over again. It seems a little silly to me now, but I still have this vivid feeling of “winning.”

When I was young, the world was a magical, musical place. I didn’t realize how many writers were out there, and I didn’t understand writing is a multi-faceted business until years later. When I did, I put down my pen and paper for a time because the competition was overwhelming. Once I started writing again, though, I never stopped and never looked back.

Writer Lucien Soulban had an excellent thought related to that recently on Twitter. “Words of Wisdom for Writers: Their success is not your failure.”

Everyone’s path as a writer is unique, including my own. Just like there isn’t “one way” to write, there isn’t “one way” to follow that path. However, if you want to be a writer, you need to be persistent about it. There is enough opportunities in the publishing world for many writers out there, and just because you may admire another writer or you’re not finding yourself on the fast track to success, doesn’t mean that you are a crappy one. All it means, is that your path may be different. Remember, your words are footprints on that path, so don’t give up. I didn’t.
🙂

April 29, 2009
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An Open Letter to “New” Writers

Dear Writer,

First? I’d like to congratulate you on your decision to become a writer. Being a writer has never been an easy thing for anyone to do, at any point in history. I’m not talking about technology, I’m talking about writers like the Marquis de Sade or Edgar Allen Poe or even Beatrix Potter. Journalists like Margaret Fuller, Alice Dunnigan, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward have challenged the way we think about our world through their reporting. From comic book writers to biographers and everyone in between, the list of writers who’ve influenced our social consciousness goes on and on.

WalkwayBut I’m not writing this letter to talk to you about why writing is “difficult” or why it’s “important.” No, I’m putting these words together for an entirely different reason. You see, the path you take to becoming a successful writer really has three trails that intersect with one another. The first trail is the one that led you to your decision to write — whether that be “just” a short story or a blog post, that’s what started you on the path.

The second trail is very hard to see and is, at times, invisible. It’s the journey that you have to take with your dreams. It’s an ever-shifting mist of visions that you’ll be on the New York Times bestsellers list or ending up on Oprah. This mist-filled trail always appears to be just out of reach, even though you try to grasp the shapes that seem to appear right out of thin air. Where can you find this second trail? Believe it or not, it hovers right above the third one.

The third trail is your journey, the one that you take to achieve your goals as a writer. You must cross oceans, deserts, mountains and green valleys. Sometimes the trail is marked, and it’s really easy to jump over that next puddle. Sometimes you have to blaze your own path.

In all my years as a writer and as a presenter, there’s really one fundamental reason why “new” writers fail. They simply gave up. Why?

Let’s go back to that trails analogy. Remember the second one, where the mist is kind of a distraction? Your dreams are important, because they inspire you. Unfortunately, some new to the craft latch on to those dreams and try to follow them by talking about writing without actually doing it! They’ll talk about how great their novel is, but they haven’t written a word. Then, when an agent or a publisher hasn’t deemed them to be a great writer, they give up. In another example, I’ll often see writers who berate themselves because they are “new” by saying: “I’ll never write like…” or “I can’t make any money doing this…” No one said the path was going to be easy: there are a million and one reasons I can give you not to become a writer, but there are equally as many reasons why you should.

The secret to achieving your dreams has nothing to do with someone else coming down from a cloud in the sky, validating your work as a writer. The secret is not about being positive or having luck, and it certainly isn’t about having blinders on about “how great” you or your work is, either. In order to unlock your dreams, you simply need to be persistent and (at times) a little stubborn.

What does that mean? Well, part of that journey is up to you. I have to get to my own writing now, but I’ll share more about how to make your own luck later this week.

In the meantime, I encourage you to pick up your pen and write.

    Kind regards,
    Monica
April 21, 2009
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Is Your Next Writing Project Worth the Trouble? Use the K.I.S.S. System and Find Out!

There are a lot of ways to communicate your point, but sometimes the simplest vocabulary and the shortest sentences offer the the biggest benefit. While every writer knows and understands that, what’s not so simple is our process for making decisions.

Enter the K.I.S.S. system, which stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. (The acronym can also be used to describe Keep It Short and Simple, too.)

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, the challenge for a lot of writers is this little thing called “the brain.” This spongy mass tends to get in the way of great writing because it’s easy to “over-think” your projects and what you’re working on. Having a strategy to write is one thing, but thinking about your writing so much that you end up either a) not writing or b) writing something you’re not happy about. Our writing ends up suffering because we feel obligated to write something rather than focus on something we want to write.

If you feel you’re over-rationalizing your projects, then read on because I’ve got good news for you. You can use the K.I.S.S. system to simplify your woes and get back to writing what you want to write. All you have to do is ask yourself these simple questions and limit your responses to one, two or three word answers.

I’d like to help you by using an example. Let’s say you are tasked with writing an e-book about how to use WordPress. Here’s how the K.I.S.S. system can help you:

    1. What am I writing? – e-book
    2. Who am I writing it for? – first-time users
    3. What is the format of my project? – how-to, non-fiction
    4. What is the primary focus? – explain main features
    5. Do I need to do any research for this project? – no
    6. Do I need to use any additional skills? – yes, screen shots
    7. Is the project paid or unpaid? – paid
    8. What do I achieve by working on this project? – money, publication credit
    9. Do I own the rights to the content? – no
    10. Is there a contract? – yes, work-for-hire
    11. Are edits including in the contract? – no
    12. Is this a project I want to write or have to write? – have to, money
    13. Am I getting paid fairly? – no
    14. Is the publisher reputable? – yes
    15. How much time will this take? – 10 to 15 hours

Here you can see that fifteen questions, broken down into simple answers, offer a wealth of information. In this example, the writer can see at-a-glance what the project will entail from the legal side of things to the production side. Based on these fifteen questions and responses, is this a project you would take on in your schedule?

If you’re interested in a related topic, I offered a little bit of information on this when I designed some writing exercises to learn word conservation. The K.I.S.S. system can also be applied to the way in which you write as well. A writer’s style is often something that develops naturally over time. Using simple, clear phrases can help improve your writing in some cases, but may not work for every project that you’re writing for.

What kinds of questions would you ask yourself when working on a project? Can you limit your answers like I did?

April 10, 2009
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The Importance of Chasing Rainbows

rainbow“Chasing Rainbows” is a phrase that describes someone who’s going after a dream that’s impractical and foolish. The phrase has often been used to describe writers who have unrealistic expectations of how well they can write and what they are worth. “He thinks he’s Hemingway, but he’s never published anything before. He’s just chasing rainbows.” “Can’t believe she thinks she’s going to make $100,000 off of her first book, she’s just chasing rainbows.”

No one can catch a rainbow, right?

We’ve all known writers who had unrealistic expectations. By “unrealistic” I mean that they expect to make millions of dollars on an uncompleted project or believe that they’re famous and everyone knows who they are — even though they’ve only written one short story for a free magazine. We’ve laughed at them, we’ve made snarky comments privately, and we’ve all rolled our eyes at them — up until one of them does “make” it. Then we wonder how the heck that happened. Was it luck? Fate? What?

The reason why I believe any writer finds that proverbial pot of gold at the end of their rainbow is not because they were lucky or because fate deemed that they were successful. It’s because they were persistent. Not only did they chase the rainbow, but they did everything they could to find that pot of gold by persistently improving their craft, submitting fiction and non-fiction, networking, etc.

We all know that being a writer isn’t easy, which is why our rainbows are so vital to us. Sometimes, when we talk about what could happen we allow ourselves to believe that it might. It’s up to us then to doggedly pursue those rainbows in the best way that we know how.

So the next time you think a writer is chasing rainbows, I encourage you to take a step back and find out if they’re really wearing rose-colored glasses. All writers need a rainbow, and as long as we’re actually writing? I’m okay with that. How about you?

March 6, 2009
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