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If you know me at all, you probably know I have this annoying little habit of getting out for exercise everyday. Either the gym, or outside for a hike or bike ride. I admit I love my exercise. But not for the reasons you might think. I mean, physical health is important and all, but honestly, would that be enough to motivate me? No way.
The truth is, I go to the gym for YOU. When I’m at the gym, I have all kinds of insights about the writing life, then I come back and share them on my blog and you might think these things just sort of come to me, but they wouldn’t if I hadn’t been at the gym.
Case in point. I’ve been thinking lately about the fact that there are parts of a writing career that writers don’t enjoy. It’s different for each person, and some of you might be very strange and actually enjoy all of it, but the parts writers typically don’t enjoy include:
→ Writing a synopsis
→ Writing a proposal
→ Writing a query
→ The entire query process
→ Blogging and social networking
→ Being patient for things to happen
→ Any aspect of marketing the book
To be successful in any business, sometimes we need to step outside the comfort zone. It isn’t enough to just write your book; there are other things that need to be done.
I was thinking about this while I was going through a similar thought process about my gym regimen. I needed to shake things up a bit, kick it up a notch. I decided to try some new exercise classes. So I went for it, and here’s what I learned:
→ Lesson 1: If you’re focused on how much you hate something, you’re not going to do it well.
Class: Zumba. Can I just tell you how much I detest Zumba? Possibly as much as some of you hate synopsis or query-writing. I’m not at the gym to shake my booty and swivel my hips, but I tried it anyway. From the first song, I was in torture. Hating every second. Doing the fancy footwork, shimmying my shoulders, all that stuff. I wanted to leave but I promised myself I’d stay at least 30 minutes. It felt like 30 hours.
And you know what? Since I was so focused on my intense dislike of all things Zumba, I was unwilling to try hard. I couldn’t give it my all. I couldn’t break a sweat, my heart rate didn’t even go up. I wasn’t getting a good workout because I wasn’t giving all I had.
For you: Ask yourself: is this something I must do? Or is there another way to accomplish my goal? If the activity is a must (i.e writing a query) then face the dislike head-on and figure out a way to get past it so that you can truly give it your all. If there’s another way to accomplish your goal, by all means, head that direction!
Which is what I did. Next up:
→ Lesson 2: Sometimes, the fact that you know something will help you is enough to motivate you.
Class: Interval Step. An advanced step class where the movement never stops for 55 minutes. I never took step classes because the complicated foot work scares me. At the beginning, it seemed pretty easy to follow. Gradually the steps became more complicated until it became laughable to try and keep up. I persisted and to my amazement, it got my heart rate up and I was really sweating. I was getting a good workout regardless of how goofy I looked, and that was incredibly motivating for me. Now step class is my go-to, and surprise! I love it.
For you: You may not enjoy social networking or writing a proposal, but perhaps if you focus on the end result, the task will become easier. Who knows, you might end up enjoying it.
→ Lesson 3: Sometimes results come slowly. Don’t quit too soon out of impatience.
Class: Bosu Core Training
. This is a class of slow & steady movements that are difficult and awkward yet they don’t seem like they’re doing much good. I prefer a quicker pace in my exercise classes, and I prefer not to feel like a dork, so I didn’t really like this one.
Until the next day. Wow, muscles I hadn’t talked with in awhile were communicating loud and clear. I finally realized that slow and steady sometimes works, and that I should do this class once in awhile to shake up my routine.
For you: Don’t quit blogging and social networking because you’re not seeing immediate results. Don’t quit querying, don’t quit improving your craft. Give it time.
What parts of the writing career do you find less than enjoyable? How do you deal with them?
Comment below, or by clicking: HERE.
TWEETABLE:
There parts of a writing career that writers don’t enjoy. What to do? Thoughts from @RachelleGardner. (Click to Tweet.)
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The post Lessons from the Gym appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
It seems in the last few years, dialogue about all-things-publishing has been focused on platform, marketing, increasing output, distribution platforms, technology, and self-publishing. But I think it’s important to call our attention back to the work.
Two years ago in January 2014, I posted a prediction for the coming year:
“I think authors will re-focus on the foundational importance of writing a good book. Conversations will be more about mastering the craft and less about the logistics of publishing. People are becoming aware that while options are expanding because of self-publishing, and it may be easier than ever to get your work out to readers, the process of writing a good book is the same as it’s ever been. It’s challenging, it’s grueling, it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting — and it can be incredibly satisfying. People will have a renewed awareness that ultimately, the great writing itself is the very best platform there is, and determine to put most of their efforts in that direction.”
I’m not sure if my prediction came true. Are authors re-focusing on the writing? Some are, some aren’t. But here’s what I know: It’s easier than ever to get a book published because of self-pub and indie publishing. But it’s not any easier to write a good book.
In fact, it may be even harder to write a good book than it was in days past, because both you and your reader have more distractions. You’re tempted by the Internet, your ability to concentrate for long periods of time has been compromised, and deep focus is more challenging. Meanwhile, your reader has infinite sources of information and entertainment. So a book has to be darn good to to keep both your attention and your reader’s. Now is the time to make sure we’re not minimizing the importance of mastering the craft.
Platform is important if you want people to read your work. But ultimately, great writing is the best platform. A million followers are meaningless if you don’t have something worthwhile for them to read. Marketing challenges, evolving technology, and competition will always be with us. But it’s irrelevant without a good book.
I sense, out there in writer-land, an increasing focus on writing more-more-more. Many want to publish as fast as possible. Volume + speed = more money, or more success, or some such equation. But readers can only read so much. They’ll have shrinking patience for works that feel sloppily crafted and hastily written.
The only way forward is the same as it ever was: run away from the noise, hunker down and wrestle mightily with your prose.
As an agent, I’m here to help with the “other stuff.” Only you, the writer, can do the most important part. Write that book. And make it great.
Let’s collectively settle into 2016 remembering that mastering the craft is the best object of our focus. There is a time for considering various publishing routes and promoting our works, but only when we have in our hands a book that is the absolute best it can be.
So where are you on this? Are you mainly focused on craft, or do you spend a great deal of energy focused on other aspects of publishing? What’s the right balance?
Tweetables
Let’s go into 2016 focused more than ever on the craft of writing. Click to Tweet.
It’s harder to write a good book today – you & your reader have more distractions. Click to Tweet.
A million followers are worthless if you don’t have something good for them to read. Click to Tweet.
Image credit: kbuntu / 123RF Stock Photo
The post Focus on Writing the Best Book You Can appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
Okay, so you notice there’s no shortage of advice out there about how to make the most of a conference. But what about those of us who are introverts? It can be even more difficult for us to navigate these social situations. Oh, how we envy our extrovert friends! Are there any special tips for people like us?
Well, yes, there are. Here are a few ideas to consider:
1. Change your mindset from “me” to “them.” You’re at the conference to learn and to network, but paradoxically, the best way to do that is to focus on the needs of others. Set your own discomfort aside, and look for others who may also be uncomfortable, and see how you can make things easier for them. Even if you’re talking with an agent or editor, focus on them instead of yourself. Ask questions about their experience. See if there’s anything they need. This is one of the best ways for an introvert to get out of their shell.
2. Research before the conference. If there are authors, editors, or agents you’re interested in talking with, Google them ahead of time to get some ideas for possible topics of conversation. They won’t seem like total strangers, and you won’t feel like an idiot in trying to have a conversation.
3. Reach out before the conference. There may be some people to whom you can send a quick email or Facebook message, inviting them to coffee, asking if they’d like to sit with you at a meal, or otherwise planning ahead for some of your social interactions. This is especially important if you’ve had online communication with people but don’t know them offline. You’ll feel more comfortable if you have some planned meetings with others.
4. Have some questions or opening lines ready. Think through the range of people you will likely meet, and write down a number of conversation openers that will help you overcome any awkwardness when meeting someone. Try to avoid yes/no questions, and make sure you listen carefully to the answers, which will give you clues for continuing the conversation. Some possible conversation-starters:
- What’s your favorite part of the conference so far? (Or, what are you most looking forward to at the conference?)
- What brings you to this conference?
- What do you find most valuable about these conferences?
- What did you think of today’s keynote speaker?
- Can you tell me a little about your work?
5. Also, have some answers of your own ready. Plan some concise and fascinating answers to questions like, “So, what do you write?” and “Tell me about yourself.” You don’t want to be tongue-tied at those moments!
6. Prepare your book pitch. Make sure you’ve organized your thoughts about the book(s) you’re pitching, so you can easily give a 1 or 2 minute spiel when asked.
7. Approach it with a friend. Make sure you and your friend encourage each other to talk to new people. Be each other’s wingman and moral support—DON’T use each other as a crutch and don’t just talk to each other. You each may know different people, so plan to introduce your friend to people you know, and she can do the same for you. You can also highlight each other’s accomplishments in a conversation.
8. Be a part of the conference. Volunteer to help! A great way to overcome introvert tendencies is to put yourself in a place where people are coming to you for help or answers to questions. When you’re volunteering, be as friendly and outgoing as you can, allowing for serendipitous connections.
9. Rejuvenate yourself as needed. If, as an introvert, you need solitude to get re-energized, plan time for this. Whether it’s quiet time in your hotel room, a half-hour in the hotel gym or a walk outside, make self-care a priority in your schedule.
Readers, anything to add? Any questions about conferences?
TWEETABLES
Are you an introvert? Going to a conference? This post is for you! Click to Tweet.
Advance preparation is the key to successfully navigating a conference. Click to Tweet.
[Image copyright: sifotography / 123RF Stock Photo]
The post The Introvert’s Guide to Conferences appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
How many times have you heard the new-writer’s advice: Develop a thick skin.
You’d think this would be even more of a requirement for an agent. It’s good advice for anyone who’s visible on the Internet, frequently giving their opinion on things. So all in all, you probably think I’d be a person with a thick skin.
However, I have a confession: 
I don’t have a thick skin.
Not at all. I have a fragile heart, I take things personally, and I don’t just bounce back right away when I receive criticism.
Paradoxically, I truly appreciate helpful critiques of my work,or advice on how to improve any area of my life. I crave it. I value the input of others. Yet at the same time, if it’s not always positive, I have a hard time getting over the hurt feelings (or the knee-jerk angry reaction) and moving on to actually learning from the criticism.
The reason I’m telling you this is because I know people are telling you “develop a thick skin” and I know some of you are thinking, “I don’t know how to do that.” And I’m here to tell you: Some of you will never develop a thick skin.
But the important thing is: You’ll survive.
If I’ve survived all these years in the competitive environment of publishing, and previously, five years in the extremely dog-eat-dog world of network television, you will survive, too. You survive by first, allowing yourself to experience the pain. You find ways to express it in a healthy way, perhaps by taking a day to cry, or talking it over with your best friend, or calling your mom because she’s the one person who always supports you no matter what.
Then, you turn it around. You ask yourself if the criticism came from someone to whom you should listen. If the answer is yes, then you begin looking for ways to learn from what they said. You ask yourself whether you disagree or agree with what they said. (You give yourself permission to disagree with at least part of it.) Then you take what you can learn from, and discard the rest. Move on to the next thing.
Easier said than done, of course. And I admit, it sometimes takes me awhile to work through this process!
So what about you? Are you thick skinned? If not, how do you handle criticism? Are you able to learn from it anyway?
The post Thick Skin: The Key to a Writer’s Survival appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” - Phillip Pullman
“And what do you do?” asks the polite professional lawyer in the group of polite professional people at my polite professional neighbour’s Christmas party.
“Me? Oh, I'm a writer,” I answer, equally politely.
“Oh, really?” A wave of heads turn in my direction, polite smiles become suddenly more interested. “What kind of writing? Journalism? Novels?”
“Well, I write stories for children and young adults,” I begin confidently, but oops, I'm losing them already. Smiles have taken on a glazed quality and I'm starting to be relegated to the category in their minds that houses lolloping bunnies, plucky hobbits and talking lions. I follow up quickly with a couple of my adult plays and novels but I can see in their eyes that my status has already been set. Children’s stories! – how quaint.
“But we all tell stories, don’t we,” I begin jovially, in what my husband would term my instructively-speaking-to-a-three-year-old tone. “Our reality, our economy, our social structures are all governed by stories, aren’t they?”
Deep nods and a strained kind of silence greet this; though a couple of people look a little as if they’re trying to work out if I'm insulting them in some covert fashion.
“And whether you subscribe to the idea that there’s only seven stories in the world or not, it’s amazing how these stories get replayed over and over in media and advertising isn't it? The small company who fights back from the edge of extinction. The underdog who wins through on the X Factor.”
Oh dear, the mention of X Factor – the professional version of Godwin’s Law after which any proponent can lose her credibility. And I haven’t even watched it in years!
A chorus of agreement, though with no discernible words, follows this, and mercifully our hostess comes to our rescue with a tray of mince pies. People break up into twos and turn to each other with noticeable relief. “Have you heard about X?”
I take refuge in a mince pie, and think. Why should we be afraid of confronting our stories? We adults absorb stories as voraciously as if we were children. The middle-aged lawyer creates a story to the judge and jury about why they should believe his client’s version of events. The saleswoman on my left creates stories that we will look better, feel happier and be more successful if we buy her product. And don’t even get me started on the advertising director opposite.
Stories are all around us, shaping our world and our outlook – and let’s face it, stories are not all capitalist cynicism. Good stories are centuries old, and they’re around for a reason. We NEED the story that we can succeed in whatever we do against insurmountable odds. We NEED the story that the bad guys will get punished and the good guys triumph.
Stories are acutely important for learning. They are the models by which children see the world and learn from it. Telling my son a story to deliver a message is ten times more effective that merely telling him the message. When I see him playing, I can see that games are stories in action. He’s already channelling the “rescuing hero” story, the “quest” story and the “overcoming the monster” stories all by himself.
Where does the power of story come from? As psychologists Melanie C Green and Timothy C. Brock note in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the mechanism of “transport” – using detail and emotional affect to involve the reader – is essential for a narrative. Highly transported readers find fewer false notes in a story than less transported readers, they evaluate protagonists favourably and show many other similar story-consistent beliefs. Interestingly, corresponding beliefs tend to be generally unaffected whether the reader knows a story is fact or fiction. I can know that a cream will not make me look younger, but I’ll buy it anyway.
And we’re at a Christmas party after all. Christmas is a great story. Though I'm an avowed atheist, I love Christmas! The human story of birth in humble adversity; the strong baddie that searches to kill the saviour of mankind, the call to adventure, the exiled and returning hero, the love that lays itself down for another; the elements are all there. And beyond the advent of Christianity, I feel the pagan solstice of Yule as instinctively as one born in the Northern Hemisphere can; the affirmation of life in the midst of snow, the fire lit against the cold and darkness, the shadows on the wall of the cave that mystics interpret, making sense of the sun and the stars, winter and summer, life and death.
Along with other wonderful stories passed down from times immemorial –The Flood, the Apocalypse, the Exodus – the story means something to us because in a sense (whether you are a believer or not) stories ARE real. Stories hold a deep psychological purpose, about our relationship to the universe and to Time. Stories give us hope, they give us meaning. In my book, the greatest story ever told is that of life; that we exist, and we do.
Around me the conversation has moved on, and now they’re talking about the recovery. (Belief in the market’s one of the best stories around at the moment!) I don’t have much to add to this so I gather my things together and start to slide unobtrusively towards the exit, when I feel a tap on my shoulder. It’s the polite lawyer.
“I thought it was interesting,” he says breathlessly, “what you said about stories back there. It really made me think.”
My heart warms to him. “Why thank you,” I say.
“I've got to get my niece a Christmas present, and your book sounds ideal. Would I be able to get a signed copy?”
“So how’s the writing going?” my well-meaning friend asks me cheerily over an all-too-rare cup of coffee. “Are you still working on your book? And how’s that play doing?”
I feel my stomach plummet. “Um, yeah!” I grope for words. “The writing’s going well. Yes, really well. And ... uh ... how about you?”
The truth is, I haven’t written a word in days. I can go weeks, months – though admittedly not quite years – without writing a single sentence.
My astute friend sees the panic in my eyes. ““Ah, but you’re probably busy with the little ones, aren’t you?”
She’s throwing me a lifeline here. I could grab it and agree the obvious; with two young children under three, I have no time; what mother does? My day is segmented into bottles, breakfasts and nappies, nursery pick-ups and drop offs, the intricate calculations of naps and lunches.
And yet it’s amazing how I do make time to do non-essential rubbish. I manage to fill up the chinks of precious me-space with the garbage of social media discussions or watching YouTube videos. I make time to send indignant tweets on Twitter, text my friends or run out for yet another coffee.
This morning both my children were at nursery for a couple of hours, and instead of catching up on some much-needed research or throwing a couple of experimental paragraphs onto a blank computer screen, I spent the valuable time pottering. I washed up a bit and portioned up some food in the freezer! I did the stuff I HATE ... but didn’t prioritise what I wanted: write.
Why?
Because I didn’t have the “perfect setting.” A setting in which I would be simultaneously invigorated yet calm, in a tidy house with no chores to do, having bathed, dressed, eaten and washedup, with a strong latte and an unbroken length of time stretching before me.
AIN’T NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!
All the while, writing seems like a huge mountain, looming reproachfully over me, a vast task too complicated to be attempted.
And yet –time spent writing makes me feel refreshed in a way that the Internet never can. It makes me feel like me again, not a lumbering food-stained, milk-encrusted mammoth, veering from domestic crisis to domestic crisis.
So why do I avoid it so much?
There’s lots of reasons why we procrastinate and these differ from person to person: lack of confidence, interest or motivation; rebellion or resistance against expectations; fear of failure or equally fear of success. But the kicker for me – and absolutely the most devastating – is that I fear that it won’t be good enough, so often I sabotage myself. In the words of David Burns, cognitive therapist and writer of “Feeling Good”:
“The payoff for procrastinating is protecting ourselves from the possibility of perceived "real" failure ... You may often fill your schedule with busy-work so that you have a "legitimate" reason for not getting around to more important tasks.”
Well that’s Tess to a T!
I’m not a perfectionist in the way some people might understand the term. I don’t colour-code my wardrobe or alphabetise my DVDs. Yet I am a perfectionist in terms of writing, which is hilarious because no single piece of writing can ever be deemed “perfect.” Quite simply, I fear I will never live up to my own standards.
This lovely article on Why Being A Perfectionist May Not Be So Perfect outlines my particular dilemma;
Our desire to “perfect” everything makes us overcomplicate a project. What’s actually a simple task may get blown out of proportion, to the extent it becomes subconsciously intimidating. This makes us procrastinate on it, waiting for the ever “perfect” moment before we get to it. This “perfect” moment never strikes until it is too late.
OK doctor, diagnosis delivered.
But what do I do about it? The most valuable piece of advice I ever had was from a tutor on my playwriting course at the Royal Court Theatre, who used James Thurber’s quote: “Don’t get it right, get it written” as a constant mantra. We were encouraged just to turn in the first draft. It didn’t MATTER if it was absolute rubbish. It didn’t MATTER if it veered off topic or was inconsistent or had typos or was badly formatted. The point was that we faced our fears and DID it and once it had been done, we could work on it. And very often, it wasn’t too bad at all.
But as fellow sufferers will attest; procrastination is a constant; you might beat it once, but it will always be there at your elbow. So this week I’m using a number of strategies to overcome it.
By far the most effective to get me started is the 5 minute rule. No matter HOW uninspired I am, if I sit down and work on my book or play for five minutes, very often I find that five minutes stretching into ten, and the ten into fifteen. Life coaches use this strategy to inspire people into a habit of exercise. Flexing that muscle builds muscle memory, and the good habit of plunging right in.
The second most effective is NOT CHECKING EMAIL before I’ve done my writing for the morning. Or Twitter, or Faceb
Thirdly, setting a time limit. Parkinson’s Law tells us that work expands to fit the time available. I can do some really good stuff in half an hour, and making it three hours won’t necessarily increase its quality.
Lastly, breaking down the task into small steps – useful if it’s something like planning and doing the publicity for a show or a book launch. All perfectionists enjoy the feeling of ticking something off a list. You just have to make it the right list.
So by employing a mix of the above strategies, this blog post is now finally finished and I’m off to reward myself with a coffee and five minutes on Twitter!
But how about all you other procrastinators and perfectionists out there? What strategies do you use to get things done?
(This is a re-post from one year ago.)
Here’s the deal: I don’t like the fact that you have to “build a platform” these days, any more than you do. But I get weary of writers complaining about it. I get frustrated by hearing that publishers are “abandoning writers” and “bringing nothing to the table.” I know it’s hard to market your books — I feel your pain — and yet I dislike it that people saying that publishers are shirking their duties by “leaving it all up to the author.”
REALITY CHECK:
Publishers did not create this brave new techno-world we live in.
It is not the publishing industry that has created this society of ubiquitous electronics, Internet noise, YouTube, X-Box, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, and the decline of reading. It is not the publishing industry who put a computer in more than half of all American households, allowing millions of folks just like yourself to write books they want to sell.
It is not the publishers who brought our society to a place where it’s no longer possible to “market” books the old-fashioned way. It’s not the publishers’ fault that average human beings everywhere are being bombarded with literally thousands of pieces of information every day, making it more challenging than ever to draw a person’s attention to one little book.
The fact is, publishers are doing everything they can dream up, and everything they can afford, when it comes to marketing books. They have the same limitations you do: Time and Money. But they’re coming up with new ideas and innovations all the time.
Publishing is an “old world” industry, figuring out, day by day, how to thrive in this “new world.” We all face these challenges together. We all have to figure out how to get people to want to read our words… to want to PAY to read our words. We all have to figure out how to get our books to rise above the “clutter” and get the attention of readers who are willing to pay for them.
Those of you who find yourself bemoaning that “writers are expected to do everything” and concluding “we might as well self-publish” — perhaps the self-publishing route will work out better for you. For certain kinds of books and certain authors, it’s working out great. Give it a try!
But I want to point out that publishers are still in business because of the value they bring to the table — not just in marketing but in every aspect of the editing, production, and selling of books. It is harder these days to sell books than ever before, yes, but publishers are more than just a business selling widgets, they’re entities who take seriously the responsibility of preserving and disseminating the written word. And so publishing persists, despite the challenges, despite our changing world.
Part of the value publishers bring is a sense of history, a sense of tradition and permanence. Many authors still want to be a part of that. It’s about great stories and important thoughts. It’s about legacy. It’s about a dream. People in publishing still see this dream as worth it. They’re willing to swim against the tide because publishing isn’t just a business, it’s a life, it’s a calling, it’s a passion.
To all writers who believe in the dream, who have the passion, who feel called to the legacy — I’m right there with you, and so is everyone else who has staked their livelihood on this crazy, unpredictable, totally unrealistic business called publishing. Thanks for being here, and hanging on for the ride. To those who are frustrated by the ways it seems publishing can’t meet your expectations, I commiserate with you and I apologize that things aren’t the way we wish they could be.
To each and every author, I sincerely wish the very best for you as you seek your own way of getting your book to its intended audience. I am doing my best to be a positive and helpful part of this process.
Are you in it for the legacy? Or something else?
Comment below or by clicking: HERE.
TWEETABLES
Publishing is an old world industry, figuring out how to thrive in this new world. Click to Tweet.
Publishing isn’t just a business, it’s a life, it’s a calling, it’s a passion. Click to Tweet.
To all writers who believe in the dream, the passion, the legacy – I’m with you. Click to Tweet.
The post The Brave New World of Publishing appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
Last week, I had a very sad experience. We found a stray cat in the woods and brought it home, hoping to find its owner. The cat was horribly thin but very friendly and I was certain he belonged to someone, although he had clearly been lost for some time. So we did what we could - fed him, stroked him, nicknamed him Huck and the next day, took him to the vet to see if he had a microchip.
The vet had bad news: Huck wasn't chipped. Even worse, he needed a raft of expensive tests and treatment, which I couldn't afford on my own. So I put a shout out on Twitter and Facebook, asking people to donate if they could to Help Huck to recover from his ordeal and get back to his family. Many, many people donated and we smashed the £500 target in less than twenty-four hours. It didn't take long before I noticed something: almost all of the people who gave money were writers. Now you might think that there's nothing so very unexpected about that - I know a lot of writers, after all. But I think there's more to it than that. I have a few thousand followers on Twitter, several hundred Facebook friends. The proportion of people donating from that pool was very small, especially when you factor in retweets and shares. And they were mostly writers. Lovely, lovely writers.
I think it's because as writers, we empathise. In Huck's case, we empathised with the owners, searching in vain for their lost cat. We imagined he was our cat, lost and scared, and hoped that someone kind might find him and do what they could to help him. Some of us put ourselves in Huck's place, lonely and hungry. And because we could imagine ourselves in some or all of those situations, we were moved to do something to help. And we wanted a happy ending, the one where Huck got better and was reunited with his family. We wanted that so much.
Ultimately, the kindest thing for Huck was to let him go to sleep one last time, without fear and hunger. I am still desperately sad about that. But one of the things that helped me do this very difficult thing was the messages I received from the people who'd donated. Eloquent, heartfelt messages of support, reassuring me that I had done the right thing, thanking me for caring and pledging support to my idea of using any left over donations to create a small bursary for any owner who was struggling to pay for their pet's care. Some people donated even after I'd told them Huck had gone, wanting to help another animal in Huck's name. These people were writers too.
It's proof (if proof were needed) that writers are the best people. Writers empathise to make their characters and stories work. Of those people donors who were not writers, I am willing to take a gamble that they are readers, because readers make the best people too. And it's why I will argue and argue that children need to have access to books, need to be readers for pleasure. Reading teaches empathy and empathy makes the world a better, kinder place. In fact, we all need to be readers.
Artwork by Melva Medina
In the wake of a conversation about, well, just about everything, a son flagged up an article to me called "How to be Polite". It was excellent and funny and true. As I read, I thought "Yes! This is such good advice!" and then also "Yes! Politeness is the writer's friend!"
Listen, if you will, to this -
My ability to go to a party and speak to anyone about anything, to natter and ask questions, to turn the conversation relentlessly towards the speaker, meant that I was gathering huge amounts of information about other people.
Here’s a polite person’s trick, one that has never failed me. I will share it with you because I like and respect you, and it is clear to me that you’ll know how to apply it wisely: When you are at a party and are thrust into conversation with someone, see how long you can hold off before talking about what they do for a living. And when that painful lull arrives, be the master of it. I have come to revel in that agonizing first pause, because I know that I can push a conversation through. Just ask the other person what they do, and right after they tell you, say: “Wow. That sounds hard.”
Because nearly everyone in the world believes their job to be difficult. I once went to a party and met a very beautiful woman whose job was to help celebrities wear Harry Winston jewelry. I could tell that she was disappointed to be introduced to this rumpled giant in an off-brand shirt, but when I told her that her job sounded difficult to me she brightened and spoke for 30 straight minutes about sapphires and Jessica Simpson. She kept touching me as she talked. I forgave her for that. I didn’t reveal a single detail about myself, including my name. Eventually someone pulled me back into the party. The celebrity jewelry coordinator smiled and grabbed my hand and said, “I like you!” She seemed so relieved to have unburdened herself. I counted it as a great accomplishment. Maybe a hundred times since I’ve said, “wow, that sounds hard” to a stranger, always to great effect. I stay home with my kids and have no life left to me, so take this party trick, my gift to you.
A friend and I came up with a game called Raconteur. You pair up with another Raconteur at a party and talk to everyone you can. You score points by getting people to disclose something about their lives. If you dominate the conversation, you lose a point.
And you lose a chance. As a person and as a writer.
The next time you're asked where you get your ideas, try answering, "By being polite."
P.S. Please don't jump on me because you think I'm implying politeness is nothing more than a cynical tool for doing your job. I'm not. And really, I'd much rather hear about you ...
The sad suicide of Robin Williams last week has sparked another 'conversation' in the press and on social media about mental illness - and more particularly about the link between creativity and depression.
I think this 'conversation' - and the dispelling of ignorance and myths about these conditions by those of us who are sufferers speaking out honestly - is very important indeed. It is, if you like, the inner and unseen darkness we need to make visible, which is why I have written before, both here and elsewhere, about my own battles with the Beast of chronic depression and how, in some of those darker moments, I turn to writing poetry as a way to battle the demons. Externalising them on paper is, for me at least, a way of dispersing some of their power over me.
Sometimes, though, when the despair becomes a deep physical paralysis, even the act of writing a single word seems impossible, and it at those times that the 'world would be better off without me' thoughts creep in. To the 'well brain' this is inexplicable - but the 'well brain' of a depressive is not always in charge. That is what the people who accuse Williams of 'selfishness' need to understand. Suicide, where mental illness is concerned, is not a choice. It is the last, most desperate act of a despairing brain which just wants the demons to stop eating it.
When I was first officially diagnosed with depression, I had a deep need to find a way to understand it which avoided medical jargon (to which I am deeply allergic). Being a writer, I turned to other writers to see what their experiences were - and how they had coped. The first name which came up was William Styron, whose book, 'Darkness Visible', about his own journey through depression became my manual. The title comes from
Milton's
'Paradise Lost'. 'No light, but rather darkness visible served only to discover sights of woe'
Writing is, for the most part, a solitary profession. In my case, I mostly sit in a room, on my own, making stuff up and setting the visions that churn around in my head down on a screen. It is hardly surprising that, living as I do in a daily creative world where evil Egyptian crocodile deities demand human sacrifices, immortal beasts battle horrid heroes and skeleton dragons with flaming red eyes menace innocent children, my own mind should sometimes rise up against me.
Every writer, whether with depression or without, will know that little nagging head voice which tells us that what we do is unutterably useless and pointless. Styron describes his thought processes 'being engulfed by a toxic and unnameable tide that obliterated any enjoyable response to the living world.' Reading those words was, for me, a recognition akin to a light being turned on in a dark room. When I first read Styron's book I did what I never do (being a respecter of the sanctity of the printed page). I underlined and made comments and wrote 'YES!!' in large capitals in many places. I have scribbled a lot more on it since. I felt as if, finally, I had found a fellow wanderer in an empty desert who could describe not only what and how I was feeling, but also do it in words simple and direct enough that others--those 'healthy people' on the outside of this condition--might be able to understand too. When Styron speaks of the 'weather of depression', I understand precisely what he means. For him its light is a 'brownout', for me a greyish fog impossible to see anything in except blurred shapes and outlines.
It's hard for me to describe how strengthening and comforting it felt to read something which made sense of my own experience, and which reminded me gently of how many other writers have been in the depths of the pit too. Shakespeare certainly understood it - how else would he have written Hamlet? Emily Dickinson, John Donne, Camus, Manley Hopkins, Beethoven, Van Gogh - these and so many more were troubled by the Beast, so I am in hallowed company when I travel through Dante's 'dark wood'.
For now, I am in a stable place, where it is possible to 'riveder le stelle' - to 'behold the stars once more.'. But when the Beast visits again (as it inevitably will, because that is its nature) I will try to remind myself that I am not alone.
"What right-minded child could resist his allure?" Books for Keeps
It’s meant to be the summer holidays and I’ve hardly left my desk. Do you miss having the whole summer off? my teacher friends ask me. (They secretly think my whole life is a holiday now, I suspect, but they’re much too nice to say so.)
It’s now a year since I became a fulltime writer. A year since my last teaching pay cheque. So I’ve been in a bit of a stock-taking frame of mind.
When I left fulltime teaching, I did worry that I might lose something very valuable to my young adult fiction – the daily contact with young people. However, this year, rather than teach a relatively narrow socio-economic group of academically able teenagers in a Belfast grammar school (where I had been for nineteen years, mostly in the same classroom), I have worked with student teachers; children in care; young offenders and ex-offenders; primary school children; adults with learning difficulties; care leavers; young people with drug and alcohol issues; in-service teachers; gifted sixth form writers, and several hundred young people of the sort I’ve always worked with. This contact has happened in schools; prisons; youth centres; Arvon; literary festivals, all over Ireland and the U.K. So – no; not lacking in contact with young people, or indeed any kind of people.
I blogged in March about the tension between finding time for writing and saying yes to projects that would bring in actual money, so I won’t dwell on this again, except to say that I’ve since found out it’s very common with freelance workers in all professions. Recent reports about the low incomes of many writers have also reassured me that I’m not alone. And as writers for young people, we are at an advantage because we tend to be offered more work in schools than ‘adult’ authors, and that has become the main source of my income.
Which means that, in a way, I do have summer holidays, because the schools are closed. But with my diary filling up for the autumn (phew),that means I have to use the summer wisely. I know how difficult it can be to settle to writing work when it’s constantly interrupted by travel and teaching. So summer has to be catch-up time. At the start of July I set myself the challenge of completing the first draft of my work-in-progress by the end of September. This means writing 6,500 words a week. So far, so good – I’m halfway through, which is exactly where I need to be. For the last two weeks I’ve been editing my forthcoming novel, Still Falling (its third and forever title) every morning and writing new stuff in the afternoon. I wasn’t sure I could do that, and I don’t think I could do it for long, but because it’s summer, when days are long and commitments few, it’s possible.
And after all, what did I used to spend my summers doing, when I was teaching fulltime? Writing. So, though there are days when it has been a struggle to sit myself at my desk for much of the day, working with the kind of intensity that in former lives would have meant an essay crisis or exam-marking season, I console myself that there is no looming start of term for me. In fact, when the editing and the first draft are done, I may just book myself a wee holiday. When everyone else has gone back to work.
So. You finished your book? [casual tone to hide true thought: About time: you have damn all else to do and how can a mere YA novel take that long?]
Yes. Well, there’ll be more edits when my editor sends it back to me – she says it’s not quite there yet [careless tone to pretend am totally fine with that] but for the moment, yes, all done.
So what happens now? Are you taking the summer off [not that you deserve it]?
No. I’ve started a new book.
What – already? So it must be a series? [God, they really do just churn them out.]
 |
| first book |
No. It’s totally different.
How can you have another idea already? [Still, it’s only YA; isn’t it all the same book?]
Oh, I’ve had this story in my head since December. I’ve had an outline since March. The characters have been talking in my head for ages.
That’s a bit weird. [More than a bit.]
Not to me. That’s kind of what I do. You know, being a writer and all.
Ah – so you must have a really tight deadline? Is it one of those three-book-deal thingies? [impressed tone: maybe she is a real writer after all.]
I wish. No, I haven't got a contract. I'm writing it on spec.
 |
| second book |
What, you still have to do that, even when you’ve had a few books published and they’ve done OK?
I do. I shouldn’t imagine John Green does.So you could take the summer off if you wanted? Nobody is actuallywaiting for this book? You’re just kind of – hoping? [oh dear; that's a bit sad.]
Well, I have a deadline for myself. I suppose the characters in the story after that would be a bit pissed off if I kept them waiting round for too long.
That’s definitely weird.
Maybe. Now, I have to go and write this book. Have a good summer.
It's not as if I'm doing a lot of writing - well, I am, but not writing writing. Not novels. And it's no secret that a novel-writer who is between novels is not a pretty sight. But I do have one, short piece of fiction writing to do, for an anthology. I said I'd do it. I want to do it. And how's that going for me? Well, look at the photo. Says it all.
(Though, you'll notice, in the photo the passengers have helpfully disembarked, ready, no doubt, to give a shove if needed. Catch my characters doing that. Fat chance.)
Writing's like that sometimes. A stalled bus on a virtually vertical hairpin turn. You know that. I know that. And it'll get going again, some time, some how. But in the meantime ...
... sigh.
[Photo is of the infamous Devil's Elbow in Glenshee, from Maurice Fleming's book More Old Blairgowrie and Rattray]
Joan Lennon's website.Joan Lennon's blog.and, for news of a bus of quite a different nature,Patron of Reading for a Bus blog.
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By:
Linda Strachan,
on 6/17/2014
Blog:
An Awfully Big Blog Adventure
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| My shed- 'Tuscany' |
One of the best things about being a writer is that no two days are the same. I love having the chance to stay locked away in my shed at the end of the garden, losing myself in my characters and their world, and shutting out the everyday things of real life. But writing is only part of the picture, soon it comes time to put on the glad rags and go out to meet the readers, and other writers, and do all the other things that are part of being a writer - particularly a children's writer.
I have a lovely time with my books for younger children and I get to spend time with my cuddly friend Hamish McHaggis. I never thought almost 10 years ago when I started to write the Hamish stories, that I would have such fun or that children would take him to their hearts..jpg)
Although I love speaking to little children I also enjoy the challenge of writing and speaking to a young adult audience. But I suppose in some ways the challenge is the same. It is my job to be saying something that will grab their interest, whether they are 2 or 8, 12 or 18.
Another aspect of my writing life is being a creative writing tutor and I get great pleasure in assisting aspiring writers, in all areas of writing, to realise their potential. I found tutoring the week-long Arvon Foundation courses an amazing challenge, with so many different kinds of people at all stages in their writing.  |
| At Moniack Mhor |
I also really enjoy running shorter, day long or weekend courses with adults, such as the Words in The Landscape workshops recently at Moniack Mhor Scotland's Creative Writing Centre, in conjunction with the Abriachan Forest Trust. It is important to get any group to work well together and foster a sense of trust, so that people feel they can share their writing for fair and constructive criticism. I love the scenery I discover on my travels, the wonderful wilds that inspire stories of all kinds.
And most of all the amazing and interesting people I meet along the way.
I feel privileged to be able to have such a wonderful and varied career. As with anything there are times when things don't go well, frustrations and of course there are disappointments but these are the times when I go back to my shed and disappear into my writing. By the time I emerge nothing ever seems quite so bad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linda Strachan is the author of over 60 books for all ages from picture books to teenage novels and the writing handbook Writing For Children
Her latest YA novel is Don't Judge Me
Linda is Patron of Reading to Liberton High School, Edinburgh
website: www.lindastrachan.com
blog: Bookwords
I’m blogging at Books & Such today. Here’s a preview:
I frequently field phone calls from clients who are going through a rough patch in their frame of mind. It turns out being a contracted and published author doesn’t automatically fill you with self-confidence and unending affection for your own work. Who knew?
The reality is that the publishing journey is fraught with emotional land mines—dealing with the editorial process, reading your reviews, settling on just the right idea for that next book—that can make you feel insecure and like a fraud.
I can’t write! I have everyone fooled. I am an imposter. What made me think I could call myself a writer?
his, of course, is normal. If all goes well, you will have some moments of loving your work-in-progress and you’ll appreciate your newly published books when they land on your front porch in that UPS box. You’ll even continue to enjoy the process of writing. But you’ll probably also have moments when you’re sure that everything you’ve written is garbage and you’re terrified you’re going to be found out.
Click HERE to read the full post at Books & Such.
The post Are Writers Ever Insecure? Nah! appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
The author was packing up after a boisterous session with 5 classes of 8-9 year-olds in a large, echoy gym. She became aware that someone was quietly trying to get her attention.
It was a small boy.
The boy was bespectacled, goopy-looking, earnest. A boy who did not now, nor probably ever would, find the world his oyster. The author looked at him. It was like looking at a small boy version of her own small self.
The boy looked at the author, as the noise of the dispersing classes swirled around them. "I keep your books in a box under my bed," he said. "And when I can't sleep in the night I take one out and read it."
The author babbled. She thanked the small boy for saying such a lovely thing and that he couldn't have said anything nicer to her. Ever.
"That's all right," said the small boy, and walked away.
The author knows that she cannot go round schools and libraries and festivals saying, "Hello! I'm an author and I'd like to live under your bed." But in her heart, she thinks it would be the nicest thing. Ever.
Joan Lennon's website.
Joan Lennon's blog.
Children's writers are a bit like fish in those shrinking ponds in a drought. We're not yet at the stage of trying to breathe mud, but still, times are tight. So, is competition good for us?
First, watch the video ...
Now, discuss!
Joan Lennon's website.Joan Lennon's blog.
Children and adults alike often ask how long I’ve been a writer and, have I always wanted to be a writer? Adults also share the fact that they too would like to be a writer and ask how they should go about it. I answer these questions as honestly and truthfully as I can of course. Inside, I have felt that I’ve been a writer for a very long time – though at first I didn’t actually do any writing. So tell that if you really want to write then you need to sit down and write. Every day if you can, but certainly most days if not.
I started writing whilst in full time employment elsewhere - so you might like to get a job first so that you can live and pay the bills. I was lucky in that publishers seemed to like some of the things I was writing so, after a few years I was able to go part time in my ‘day job’. I was fortunate again a few years later when I was offered freelance work that paid quite well and was incredibly flexible – allowing me time to write and to schedule school visits to fit in with the school’s requests. It was always comforting to know that I had another little job beneath me so that I could be sure that a little bit of money would be coming in to keep things ticking over. But wouldn’t it be good to be able to take that final step and become a full time writer. A real writer...
I blogged earlier this year about being determined to be more organised and business-like in my writing. No more procrastinating and time wasting for me, I thought. This resolution has been going quite well so far, and I’ve definitely tried to be more business-like in what I do. There’s always room for improvement though and a recent change of circumstances has made me realise this and has also helped me make that final leap.
Did I jump or was I pushed? you might wonder... Enough to say that my comfort blanket has been pulled from under my feet and I’ve finally made that big leap into the waters bellow. It’s not a problem though – it’s an opportunity. And hey… I’ve finally made it. I’m a full time writer. And at the minute, despite the worried look on my face, I'm waving, not drowning.
It’s scary. It’s exciting. It’s what I’ve always wished for. Now I've got the time to write what people want me to write and also to write the things I want to write. The only thing is, I’m sure that terms like ‘Bestseller’, ‘Rich and Famous’, ‘Castle of the Hill’ or ‘Cottage in the Country’ were supposed to be involved and, sadly, so far, they’re not.
Another question I’m occasionally asked by children is “why don’t you write a bestseller like J.K.Rowling or Roald Dahl or David Walliams?” Why indeed...
It brings to mind an interview I saw many years ago with Jeffery Archer – perhaps on Terry Wogan’s show. Jeffrey was explaining how he had been bankrupt, or close to it, so he'd decided to sit down and write a novel. It makes me wonder what I’ve been wasting my time for all these years. I just need to sit down and write a bestseller… My wife, Vicky is incredibly supportive of what I’m doing so I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help.
It’s perhaps a little ironic that, upon 'Googling' Mr Archer to check the spelling of his first name (was it Jeffrey or Geoffrey? I wondered) I was taken to his website which is proudly displaying the cover of his latest novel – ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’.Damian Harvey - www.damianharvey.co.ukTwitter me @damianjharvey
“Miss Molly had a dolly who was sick sick sick…”
Many writers create playlists of the music which inspires them to write (my publishers revealed the playlist for my own recent teen novel earlier this month) but I doubt that the nursery rhyme Miss Molly Had A Dolly is on many novel playlists.
However, a couple of weeks ago, I was in an Edinburgh library, grabbing half an hour to write while one of my children was at a music lesson, when I realised I was in the library for exactly the same half hour as the local Book Bugs rhyme time session.
So I wrote most of a scene about treachery and betrayal in a library filled with the noise of nursery rhymes and bouncing songs.
And it didn’t distract me
at all. It was very noisy, but it was pleasant noise, noise which made me smile whenever I surfaced briefly from my fictional world to listen to boats being rowed or bus wheels going round, and it didn’t prevent me writing.
Which made me consider what does and doesn’t distract me.
I spend a lot of time visiting schools and book festivals etc, so I do a lot of writing in trains, staffrooms, libraries and cafes. And I get a lot of serious focussed work done in those places. I can ignore teachers talking about unruly pupils and difficult families (they must assume that anyone typing on a keyboard can’t hear them…), I can ignore waiters dropping glasses and drunken hen parties at the other end of the carriage.
I can write efficiently in the midst of any amount of noise. Provided it’s nothing to do with me.
Because the one place I absolutely must have peace and quiet for writing is my own house. At home, the slightest creak of a child getting up unexpectedly early in the morning can knock me right out of my imagination (who is that? is she ok? do I have to make breakfast already? oops, I’ve forgotten what I was about to type…) Whereas in a library, a dozen adults singing Miss Molly Had A Dolly to a dozen children
who are not my children, is just background noise.
At home any loud noises or even quiet sounds (is anything more distracting than someone making an effort to tiptoe past your study door?) feel like they are my responsibility, so they pull me out of my imagination. But outside the house, the toddlers treating dollies or the waiters clattering or the teachers gossiping are nothing to do with me, so I can stay happily in my own wee writing world.
In order to write at home, I prefer everyone else to be away at work or school, or soundly asleep. Anywhere else, I can write with any level of volume at all, so long as the noise is not my responsibility. And usually, however cheerful the singing or fascinating the gossip, the real world isn’t nearly as compelling as the story I’m creating…
Indeed I often find the outside world inspiring. Unlike some writers, I don’t tend to get ideas from other people’s conversations (so those teachers can keep gossiping…) but I do watch people: how they dress, how they walk, how they act with each other.
I watch the landscape too, from moving trains. And I change what I’m writing if I see something more interesting through the train window.
A couple of years ago I was writing a scene set in a playpark, when the train taking me up the east coast of Scotland passed the bright flags of a golf course. Suddenly a golf course seemed like a much more interesting place to set the hunt, chase and fight. So now
Mind Blind, my new teen thriller, has a couple of chapters set on a golf course (though no-one plays a round of golf, it’s all sprinting and martial arts) and those chapters would have been very different if I’d written them sitting at home.
I’m now wondering whether I should write all my books out of the house, where I’m less easy to distract and more easily inspired. That strategy would cost a lot in train tickets and herbal teas though! So probably I should just keep getting up early and staying up late, to write in my nice quiet study…
I’m also wondering if I could test this 'nothing distracts me' theory, and try to write in the middle of a rock concert, a soft play area, or a thunderstorm. Does anyone want to challenge me to write in loud and potentially distracting locations?
Lari Don is the award-winning author of 21 books for all ages, including a teen thriller, fantasy novels for 8 – 12s, picture books, retellings of traditional tales and novellas for reluctant readers.
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I have a post up at PubSmart today. In case you haven’t heard, PubSmart is a new writers’ conference debuting this April in Charleston, SC, with the goal of bringing together self publishing, traditional, small press and hybrid. PubSmart is about introducing new models that lead to smart decisions about how to seize opportunities in today’s transformed book marketplace. I’m thrilled to be on the faculty of this terrific new conference! Keynote speakers are Hugh Howey and Jane Friedman, and the faculty includes heavy hitters from all walks of today’s expanded publishing world.Learn more on the PubSmartCon website.
Here’s a preview of my post:
What’s Your Book About?
Everyone attends conference for their own reasons—to learn, to network, to get a break from home. One of the primary advantages of a conference is the opportunity to talk to people, including fellow writers and others in the industry. Naturally, one thing you’ll want to talk about is your work, whether you’re in a formal pitch session or just hanging out having drinks. But talking about our work is sometimes challenging! So here are seven tips for discussing your book(s) effectively.
1. Be prepared. You never know when you’re going to come across someone who will ask, “So what’s your book about?” Mealtimes, hallway chatting, elevator rides, and designated pitch sessions. Prepare ahead of time so you’ll never be caught stammering, “Well, it’s um… it’s kind of an… uh…”
2. While preparing, remember that you’re going to be talking to someone. There are differences between verbal and written pitches. Your speaking voice is different from your writing voice. Make sure you don’t prepare something that sounds too “canned” i.e. written.
Click HERE to read the complete post.
→And don’t forget our special Facebook event today! Books for writers specially priced at 99 cents, plus all-day chats happening with the authors of these books. Click here for more info.
The post What’s Your Book About? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
Tomorrow (Friday 2/28) I’m participating in a fun online event in which authors of 16 e-books specifically for writers are discounting their books to 99 cents, and will be hanging out on a special Facebook page to chat and answer questions from writers. The graphic below shows all the books available, and each one is individually clickable.
This is a great opportunity to expand your library of writer resources (dirt cheap!) and get some questions answered. The authors involved will be on Facebook at different times. I’ll be there 3 to 6pm EST.
Click HERE to join the Facebook event, and then on Friday you can show up, hang out, chat, ask questions and enjoy talking books with your colleagues in the business!
Each of these books is going to be 99 cents for Friday only, and then return to their regular prices.
Join us!
The post A Facebook + Amazon Event for Writers appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
I’m blogging at Books & Such today. Here’s a preview:
When you’re a debut author trying to break in to traditional publishing, one of the most important things to remember is this:
Minimize the obstacles.
You already know it’s not going to be easy to break in, so you want to avoid making it even more difficult on yourself. This is why agents give so much advice on their blogs. Not every piece of advice applies across the board to every author, but we’re trying to help you have the best chance of attracting an agent and publisher.
Assuming you’ve written a terrific book…
What are some possible obstacles to finding an agent and publisher?
Read the post at Books & Such to find out. Click Here.
The post Minimize the Obstacles appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
Today I’m ranting a little, but I figure you know me well enough by now, you can take it.
Here’s the deal: I don’t like the fact that you have to “build a platform” these days, any more than you do. But I get weary of writers complaining about it. I get frustrated by hearing that publishers are “abandoning writers” and “bringing nothing to the table.” I know it’s hard to market your books — I feel your pain — and yet I dislike it that people saying that publishers are shirking their duties by “leaving it all up to the author.”
REALITY CHECK:
Publishers did not create this brave new techno-world we live in.
It is not the publishing industry that has created this society of ubiquitous electronics, Internet noise, YouTube, X-Box, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, and the decline of reading. It is not the publishing industry who put a computer in more than half of all American households, allowing millions of folks just like yourself to write books they want to sell.
It is not the publishers who brought our society to a place where it’s no longer possible to “market” books the old-fashioned way. It’s not the publishers’ fault that average human beings everywhere are being bombarded with literally thousands of pieces of information every day, making it more challenging than ever to draw a person’s attention to one little book.
The fact is, publishers are doing everything they can dream up, and everything they can afford, when it comes to marketing books. They have the same limitations you do: Time and Money. But they’re coming up with new ideas and innovations all the time.
Publishing is an “old world” industry, figuring out, day by day, how to thrive in this “new world.” We all face these challenges together. We all have to figure out how to get people to want to read our words… to want to PAY to read our words. We all have to figure out how to get our books to rise above the “clutter” and get the attention of readers who are willing to pay for them.
Those of you who find yourself bemoaning that “writers are expected to do everything” and concluding “we might as well self-publish” — perhaps the self-publishing route will work out better for you. For certain kinds of books and certain authors, it’s working out great. Give it a try!
But I want to point out that publishers are still in business because of the value they bring to the table — not just in marketing but in every aspect of the editing, production, and selling of books. It is harder these days to sell books than ever before, yes, but publishers are more than just a business selling widgets, they’re entities who take seriously the responsibility of preserving and disseminating the written word. And so publishing persists, despite the challenges, despite our changing world.
Part of the value publishers bring is a sense of history, a sense of tradition and permanence. Many authors still want to be a part of that. It’s about great stories and important thoughts. It’s about legacy. It’s about a dream. People in publishing still see this dream as worth it. They’re willing to swim against the tide because publishing isn’t just a business, it’s a life, it’s a calling, it’s a passion.
To all writers who believe in the dream, who have the passion, who feel called to the legacy — I’m right there with you, and so is everyone else who has staked their livelihood on this crazy, unpredictable, totally unrealistic business called publishing. Thanks for being here, and hanging on for the ride. To those who are frustrated by the ways it seems publishing can’t meet your expectations, I commiserate with you and I apologize that things aren’t the way we wish they could be.
To each and every author, I sincerely wish the very best for you as you seek your own way of getting your book to its intended audience. I am doing my best to be a positive and helpful part of this process.
Are you in it for the legacy? Or something else?
Comment below or by clicking: HERE.
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The post The Brave New World of Publishing appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
I’m blogging at Books & Such today. Here’s a preview:
The business of publishing gives us frequent opportunities to feel like a success or … not a success. At every step of the journey, we receive feedback and results that tell us whether our efforts are working. It’s an uncertain path riddled with possibilities for disappointment.
→ We pitch our book at a conference and nobody seems to want what we’ve written.
→ We search for an agent, to no avail.
→ Our book is being submitted to publishers, but none are biting.
→ Our book is available for sale, but the numbers aren’t good.
→ We arrange a booksigning event at a bookstore, and nobody shows up.
When things happen that don’t make us feel exactly like a “success,” the instinct is to brand our efforts a “failure.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and I no longer believe the opposite of success is failure. Instead…
Click HERE to read the entire post at Books & Such.
The post What is the Opposite of Success? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.
The definition of doubt, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. It also defines my frame of mind at the moment, and the problem with that is that while a certain amount of it is very good when writing, too much of it is very, very bad. It’s inhibiting, and for a while it has been paralysing. It has affected my confidence in my ability to write, and my self-belief was shot. Words were written and then scrubbed. More words were written, and then rewritten to be scrubbed again and then not written at all. I got to the point where I seriously didn’t think I could write anymore.
Somehow, despite the doubts of the past year, an ending to my WIP was reached and written. That’s when the doubt sneakily crept back in and I decide to write an alternative ending. Which ending was the right ending? I didn’t know and couldn’t decide.
Was the ending the problem or was it the book itself?
Now I’m back at the beginning of the current WIP because having read it through, I wasn’t happy. It wasn’t working, the voice was lost. I tried rewriting the book, making it sharper, more immediate, but still it wasn’t working.
Was it time to shelve it and walk away? Well, I did for a while.
With the end of the summer looming, I managed to push all the doubts aside, and by now there were very many of them, and started again. It hit me straight away. I was writing the book in the ‘wrong’ person. I rewrote the first few chapters quickly, setting the ‘I’ aside for the third person, and I think it’s working. It’s got to be done quickly, before I change my mind, before I let the doubts creep back in.
I’ve been wrestling with the question of why I’ve been experiencing so many doubts this year for a while now. Writing is a solitary occupation; there are lots of rewards, few of them financial, and lots of knocks, which I’ve weathered as best I can. But recently I’ve been wondering whether it’s the right occupation for me. The problem is that there isn’t anything else that I’d rather do. So I’m writing again. And hoping and working towards being published again. I’m persevering, another word which, like doubt, I’d rather scrub from the dictionary.
I was going to write a nice little post on Dr. Seuss, which would have been far more uplifting, interesting and fun. So when I find the right frame of mind, that’s what I’ll write - next time.
Twitter @savitakalhan
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If you know me at all, you probably know I have this annoying little habit of getting out for exercise everyday. Either the gym, or outside for a hike or bike ride. I admit I love my exercise. But not for the reasons you might think. I mean, physical health is important and all, but honestly, would that be enough to motivate me? No way.
. This is a class of slow & steady movements that are difficult and awkward yet they don’t seem like they’re doing much good. I prefer a quicker pace in my exercise classes, and I prefer not to feel like a dork, so I didn’t really like this one.
I sympathise madly. Someone suggested I should change something from third to first. I couldn't do it but I hope the opposite works for you!
Wishing you better times, Savita. Sometimes a mixture of small things attack the confidence, each almost easily brushed away, but theys it there present in your mind all the same. Besides, the demands of home & family don't stay constant either, so when things like that meet a complex Work In Progress, there's all sorts of unsettling, conflicting feelings. Wasn't there a post about Not Giving Up the Day Job here on this blog about a week ago? It made a lot of sense.
You could change your perspective. What job worth doing doesn't need constant reevaluation. Can you imagine a doctor or scientist who didn't constantly go over their methods, the way they do things? This book may or may not work but what you're doing is right. Try it like this. Give it that one more go. Then if you're still unhappy start something else and shelve it for a year. Then you can look at it with fresh eyes.
What Anne C said! And I'll be in London one day next week (think it's next week), all being well, so shall we meet for a gossipy, writerly coffee? I can push positive vibes at you :-)
Thanks for this post. Your experience of rewriting to find the right voice chimes with me. Take Anne's advice!
As Shakespeare said, 'Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.'
The Bard was right; doubt is the unfortunate friend of writers and philosophers. Perseverance is 75% of success. Good luck.
I went looking for David's quote and found this: "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." Bertrand Russell. YAY!
It's horrible, this doubting, isn't it, but it will pass. Impossible to believe when in the midst, but true nevertheless. Here's to that!
The comment I made a week ago is apposite here too:
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7780182174577095197&postID=1589578625247270941
Feeling for you here... I too got to the point where I considered that life might be better if I just stopped trying. But I never quite managed to stop! I suppose there's your answer?
Thank you all! I'm still working away at the WIP with the third person finally working. I may change my mind again on that when it's finished... Sticking the doubts where the sun don't shine for the moment, and hoping not too many of them escape.
Stroppy - Yes please! Only problem is that on Wednesday I get injected in the gammy leg for the second time, which means bed rest for four days, so I hope you're in town on Monday or Tuesday!
Anne - you're right about the constant reevaluation, but when it seems to be leading to the same conclusion, then it becomes a problem. However, I'm not allowing it to completely bog me down, just yet!
Joan - I'm going to write that Bertrand Russell quote in block capitals and stick it up in my study! Thank you.
Really glad you've stuck to this, Savita! Self-doubt is always the default setting for the gifted, but when it starts to get crippling, it can be a real destroyer of talent. But you have persevered, and your strength of character is shining through. And what Anne C said is right, of course. Finish the draft, give it another go, and be proud of yourself for an impressive achievement--not giving in to doubt, just as you haven't given in to the unfair hand you've been dealt recently. Fight on! xx
Jane - Thank you. I'm still fighting...just!
Good Luck with your writing xx
Sympathies, Savita. I'm pretty sure every good writer has doubts (except Patrick Ness), usually on a smaller scale than yours but you're not alone. Anne's advice is great - good luck with third person swapover and don't be afraid to start something new.
Damn! I'm in London on Thursday :-( Next time - and good luck with the leg xx
Stroppy - thanks, and definitely yes to next time you're in town!
Anonymous - please don't be anonymous so I can thank you for your kind wishes.