IWSG: Changes in the Publishing Industry

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

This month's question: There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?

My answer: I would really like to see an increase in the acceptance of all authors and all publishing paths. As writers, we love the process of writing, but sometimes the process of publishing causes finger pointing, raised eyebrows, and unkind comments. We all want the same thing: to share our written stories. Let's be kind about the different paths we may choose to climb that mountain and celebrate each other's successes and encourage each other through our setbacks along the way.

What are your thoughts? What changes would you like to see?

#IWSG -- Because Neil Gaiman Said So!

"Let go and enjoy the ride!" @neilhimself

I've quoted Neil Gaiman many times (like HERE and HERE). I love his speech "Make Good Art" so much, I've featured it twice on my blog! Click here to view it (especially if you've never seen it.)!!

In that well-known commencement speech about making good art, he gives the following advice:

"Stephen King said to me, "This is really great. You should enjoy it." And I didn't. Best advice I ever got that I ignored. Instead I worried about it. I worried about the next deadline, the next idea, the next story. There wasn't a moment for the next fourteen or fifteen years that I wasn't writing something in my head or wondering about it. And I didn't stop and look around and go, "This is really fun." I wish I'd enjoyed it more. It's been an amazing ride, and there were parts I missed because I was too worried about things going wrong, about what came next, than enjoying the bit I was in. That was the hardest lesson for me. To let go and enjoy the ride, because the ride takes you to some remarkable and unexpected places."

Since this is the first Wednesday of the month ... time to post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group ... what's a better thought for us than to "Let go and enjoy the ride!"? No matter what stage of the writing and publishing process we're in, let's enjoy it and celebrate it. Because it is remarkable.

Enjoy every bit of 2015!

Join the group! www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

#IWSG - A Writer's Resource

Over a hundred talented authors from around the globe contributed content for The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. It contains something for every writer. Whether you are starting out and need tips on the craft of writing, looking for encouragement as an already established author, taking the plunge into self-publishing, or seeking innovative ways to market and promote your work, this guide is a useful tool. Compiled into three key areas: writing, publishing, and marketing ... this valuable resource offers inspirational articles, helpful anecdotes, and excellent advice on dos and don'ts that we all wish we knew when we first started out on this writing journey.

ISBN 9781939844088
235 pages, FREE
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Smashwords (which offers the Kindle version for free)

How can such an awesome resource for writers be FREE? It's because the writers who contributed believe in helping and encouraging each other along this path of publication. If you'd like to join this wonderful group of writers, visit the Insecure Writers Support Group website and sign up today!

 

 

X is for eXactly write

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


X is for eXactly write (uh, yeah, pun intended)

Okay, we're coming down the final stretch, and OH. MY. Gosh. This is freaking hilarious ... CLICK HERE - trust me - YOU WON'T REGRET IT ... This awesome link gets the whole writing eXperience eXactly write. ;)

 

 

W is for Writer Unboxed

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


W is for Writer Unboxed

Go now:  http://writerunboxed.com/    
Come back and let me know what you think in the comments. (Please do come back.)

R is for Rachelle Gardner

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


R is for Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Rachelle is an active blogger, providing great information regarding writing and the publishing industry: RachelleGardner, Literary Agent

What agents do you follow online because they provide great information?

P is for Predators & Editors - AND - Publisher's Marketplace

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


P is for Predators & Editors - and - Publisher's Marketplace

I could not choose just one resource for the letter P. Both of these websites are essential tools for you in the publishing world:

Predators & Editors

Publishers Marketplace

J is for Jane Friedman

 

So … you want to be a writer? Where do you start? How do you get there? No worries. This month I’ll be sharing my A to Z list of writer’s resources: books, blogs, and beyond! Check back each day to find helpful resources for improving your writing and navigating your way through the publishing industry.


J is for Jane Friedman 

Jane Friedman certainly has her finger on the pulse of the publishing industry, and her insights are very educational. I always learn something new when I check out her blog.

http://janefriedman.com/

Worthwhile Blog Posts

I've been blog hopping, and I thought I'd share some really great posts with you. :) Be sure to click on the link for the full article. I've included a tiny snippet below to catch your interest.

A great post about making money as a writer (self-publish or traditional or hybrid?):
"For authors deciding how to publish their work, the key question is this: Is there some set of practices that any author might adopt to improve chances of gaining readers and income from self-publishing, or are there advantages related to being a traditionally published author that might remain out of reach for the vast majority of self-published authors?"


An interesting post about the role of literary agents:
"... the agenting world has changed dramatically, a reaction to the emerging digital reading marketplace and the changing acquisition strategies of publishers are a result of ownership changes at the biggest publishing houses."


A GREAT post about query letter problems:
"... they are something that gives us pause and makes us rethink whether or not this is something we’re willing to take on, because all of these things do give us a more difficult job going into the relationship.  And yes, we have said No to projects in the end because of the above reasons."

AND ... here are two great blogs that I'm excited to be a part of:
OneFour KidLit
Darkly Delicious YA


Have you found any great blogs post recently?
Share your favorite! (Please.)

Great Blog Posts

As promised, here are some great blog posts for you to read:

From The American Scholar
A wonderful (but long) post about writers and their lives. Here's a snippet:
"So my first answer to why do we want to hear about writers’ lives is that we want to understand the mystery of creation. We are not satisfied with the sacral view of the writer. We want to learn the secret of creativity, because it can be the secret to happiness. We turn to all kinds of literature, biography and fiction both, to learn how to live, and in a way, all books are self-help books."

From Press Democrat
An author settles her lawsuit against her publisher for massive amounts of typos.

From Terri Bruce
The author from the above link describes the situation in her own words. Here's a snippet:
"... I’m involved in a dispute with my publisher, Eternal Press (a division of Damnation Books) ... basically the gist is that the final version of Thereafter is riddled with errors that make it unreadable and the publisher, knowing this, published it anyway."


From Rachelle Gardner
Unrelated to the previous two links, here is an awesome post from literary agent, Rachelle Gardner about the publishing industry. Here's a snippet:
"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."

ENJOY! And let me know which link you liked the best!

Agents, Coaches, and Monsters

I've found some interesting blog posts lately ... which is not convenient when I'm trying to finish revisions on WIP.

So ... I'm sharing:

Interesting look at the ever changing roles of agents in the publishing industry:
http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/07/agent-assisted-publishing-an-interrupted-debate/


Can Agent-Author relationships still be of value in today's publishing world:
http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/07/how-close-can-todays-agent-author-relationships-be/


Coaches make a huge difference - this one relates to running:
http://www.denverpost.com/styleheadlines/ci_23664823/running-coach-makes-difference-making-miles-happen


Monsters in YA books:
http://authorericprice.com/2013/07/17/guest-post-joshua-david-bellin-the-ya-guy-and-monsters/


Writer Platforms:
http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/2013/07/create-your-writer-platform-by-chuck.html?spref=tw


How about you? Have you found some great blog posts recently worth sharing? Let me know in the comments! :)

Authors & e-book Profits

A very interesting post (and a short read) on the profits authors make versus the profits publishers make on e-books:
e-books-and-profitability

What do you think? Are authors compensated adequately for their work?

3 Great Blog Posts

I visited some really great sites during a blogfest middle of December, and about half way through, I wished I had kept a list of the best posts. So, I didn't start making notes until late in the game, but I wanted to share some of my favorites with you.

How to Write an Epic Adventure ... now interestingly enough, this post comes from a gaming site, but the concepts presented would help ANY writer take their story to the next level. Definitely worth stopping in and reading!

Create a Personal Universe Deck ... create a *what* ?? Seriously. At first, I scrunched up my eyebrows, and thought, what the heck are you talking about? But, after reading it twice (seriously, I can be a little slow-to-grasp sometimes) I realized what a great idea this is ... I had never heard of it before. I'm going to give it a test drive and see what happens. I let you know in a future post.

Traditional Publishing vs. Self Publishing ... I don't think this blog post was actually a part of the blogfest, but somehow I happened upon it, and I thought it presented a great discussion of the topic.

What's the best blog post or tip you've read recently?

How I Got My Agent!!

I'm a believer in writing short blog posts. If you're a believer in reading short posts, then simply read the next sentence, skip down to the bottom, and leave a comment; that will work out fine. :)

Short story:
I wrote a query letter, and she liked it.

or ... check out the ...

Long story:

2009, January: I decided I wanted to change careers and pursue a long forgotten dream of becoming a published author (sound familiar?). I purchased Janet Evanovich's HOW I WRITE and Writer's Digest's GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS, and I began my research into the industry.

2009, July: I finished my first manuscript, MANIFESTED, and I started sending out query letters.

2009, August: Rejections started flooding in. I thought I had a pretty tough skin. I knew rejections were part of the process, but one in particular really bothered me. The agency's website had listed SO MANY specifics of what needed to go into a query for them to consider your project; it was a lot of work to tailor my query letter to meet their exact specifications, but I did it. So ... when I received back (via snail mail) a form rejection that was crookedly photocopied and addressed Dear Author ... for some reason that one rejection sent me over the edge. I lit it on fire. Literally. I went outside with a match and sent the piece of paper up in flames. I found it quite liberating. And, then I went back to work and sent out more query letters.

2009, Fall: In the meantime, I knew (based on my industry research) that the most important thing I could do after finishing my first manuscript was to start the next one. And, that's what I did. But, I also, bought more books on the craft of writing, subscribed to magazines and journals that would help me better my skills, and wrote flash fiction to tighten my story telling. And, I hooked up with some great critique partners that I met through the Writer's Digest Community online.

source: http://simplenda.com/tag/winter-rocks

2010, April: Even though I'd received requests for partials and fulls, I came to the harsh realization that my first manuscript, MANIFESTED kinda-blew-chunks-even-though-my-kids-thought-it-was-great (aka was-not-so-good) in the writing department. I shelved it and stopped sending out query letters for it. I focused my time and effort on learning the craft of writing and finishing my next manuscript.

source: http://jessica.mumstudent.com/2011/02/12/slow-down-embrace-the-spring-for-rest/

2010, August: I finished my second manuscript, THE EDUCATION OF THIA, and started sending out query letters.

2010, September: I received a very different response from agents regarding this ms vs the first one. I received quite a few requests for partials and fulls right away, and I just KNEW this was going to be "it!" I was so excited!! When rejections came back from the full requests, I paid attention to the feedback received from the agents. But it was tricky, because while one said, "The main character is too naive" another said, "The main character sounds too adult." Okay. Revisions, none-the-less.

2010, October: With a bright and shiny revised version of THE EDUCATION OF THIA, I headed off to my first ever writer's conference. I met up with my first critique partner, Melissa, who'd I'd met through the WD Community, and we had an absolute blast at the conference. Furthermore, I left the conference with two agents requesting the full ms, and they were very excited about the pitch I'd given them. I just KNEW this was IT!! One of these fantabulous agents was going to offer me a contract. Yes-sir-ee!! Let's celebrate! I went home too excited to work on any writing. I was waiting to hear from the agents. I stopped sending out queries, because I knew one of these agents was gonna be THE ONE!! Wahoo!!

2010, November: I sent very polite follow-up emails to the agents who'd requested fulls at the conference. Both responded right away explaining how busy they were (of course, I get that, I want them to take care of their current clients first, that makes sense). But I was extremely demoralized. I couldn't seem to start a new ms. So, I pulled out MANIFESTED and dusted it off. I figured I could work on rewriting it and improving it until I found my writing mojo again.

2010, December: I started sending out new query letters for THE EDUCATION OF THIA. I changed the title, twice, and changed the query letter many times. I stopped getting requests for partials or fulls for it. Just rejections, or worse yet, no responses at all.

source: http://www.winterwanderland.com/

2011, February: Received email from one conference agent (who had been SO EXCITED about my pitch) telling me that she had decided to shelve my ms, unread. She was no longer looking for new clients, but when she was ready to look again, she'd read the ms then.

2011, May: Received email from second conference agent (who had been SO EXCITED about my pitch) apologizing for the delay in reading my ms. She said the writing was great, but it just didn't excite her. *sigh*

2011, Summer: I went through ups and downs working on rewrites of MANIFESTED, sending query letters for BUT HE LOVES ME (aka The Education of Thia), and trying to rekindle my passion for writing. But, honestly, I was bummed! The "conference experience" had messed up my motivation and broken through my tough skin.

2011, September: I was diagnosed with a pineocytoma, or a cyst, or a tumorous module, or a lesion, or something (ah ... my love for the medical community really soared during this time period). I became distracted with that process and forgot about writing for awhile. But, when the doctors decided it was too dangerous to remove the 12mm thing in the middle of my brain, I had to decide if I was going to be happy or sad and move forward. I chose to be happy and get back to writing.

2011, Fall: I decided I would finish my rewrite of MANIFESTED, and I seriously got back to work. I wanted to achieve my goal. I had hit a tough spot in 2011, but I was finally ready to pick myself back up and get back to what I loved: writing.

Hold on to your seats, here comes the exciting part ...

 2011, November (aka 11-11-11): I sent out 11 queries for BUT HE LOVES ME. The eleventh agent (for reals!) I queried that day requested a partial the same day (it was a Friday). Monday, she requested the full. Wednesday, she requested a phone call. Thursday, we discussed ideas for revisions. I LOVED all of her ideas, and my MOJO exploded with excitement!! She said if I could accomplish these revisions, she'd offer me formal representation. So, I put my head down and got to work. I was on fire!!  I sent her the revised ms about a week and a half later (I know, I know, it's sounds like I rushed it, but I'm telling you: I was ON FIRE!!). She read it right away and requested more revisions. At first I was sad I'd missed the mark, but then I realized, she didn't reject me; she wanted to keep working with me!! So, I got right back to work on more revisions. YAY! I was still so excited about the process of writing and revising. And I was SO THRILLED to think that someone had caught the "vision" of my story. So, while I was busy working on more revisions. She surprised me and mailed me a contract!!! ACK!

2011, December (aka 12-12 (for reals!) 2011): Brianne Johnson of Writers House sent me a contract for representation. And, I haven't stopped smiling since. My husband got up in the middle of the night last night to go pee (I know, TMI), and it woke me up. I couldn't go back to sleep, because I was just so excited about the fact that I, Margo Kelly, have an agent!!! YAY!

So ... that's how I got my agent.

Simple formula for getting an agent = write a manuscript, research the industry, get a critique partner, listen to feedback, revise, revise, revise, write a query, revise it, send query, revise it, write another ms, research the industry, learn from the research, better your skills, revise your query, never give up, keep writing, send more query letters, find another critique partner, listen to feedback, write more, learn more, never give up, send more queries, revise, revise, revise, write more, research more, ... and eat chocolate, lots and lots of chocolate ... and then start the process all over again.

Oh wait ... maybe that's not a simple formula.

How about you?
Do you think there is a "simple formula" for getting an agent? If so, what is it? :0)

So ... You Have an Agent ... What Does That Mean?

haha

The one question I received more than any other this weekend (from non-writerly-people) was, "I heard you got an agent. Congrats. But, so, you have an agent ... what does that mean? Can't you just go onto Amazon and publish your stories without an agent?"

Well, I'd like to answer this way, "It means I get to jump around the house and dance all day."

haha

Right. I suppose I could have done that before signing a contract with an agent. But, it is simply so much more fun WITH one.

haha

Okay. Maybe I'm still a little too giddy with joy to write a realistic post about anything. :)

But, I'll try to answer the question.

Here's what it means to have an agent:
1. Validation. Someone who works in the publishing industry thinks my manuscript is of worth. (yeah, yeah, I know ... I should reach deep within myself and find value with my own self-worth ... whatever.)
2. One Small Step (in the publishing industry) One Giant Leap (for the writer trying to break into traditional publishing) ... I'm one step (leap) closer to my goal of having my manuscript published and on the shelf in a book store.
3. Cheerleader. I have an agent on my side cheering me on and shouting to others about the story I've written.
4. A Ticket to the Party. An agent gives me access to editors and publishers that I didn't have prior.

A few of you have asked various questions in the comments of the previous post, and I will be thrilled to tell you more of the story. Check back for a more-down-to-earth-with-less-dancing post Wednesday. :) Well ... maybe I shouldn't make promises ... I'm kinda enjoying the writerly high I'm flying on ... haha!

What about you? Do you have an agent? Want an agent? Or do you think they're unnecessary?

Submitting Query Letters & Manuscripts in the Digital Age

Maybe I should just post helpful links this week... What do you think?

I stumbled upon this post Monday and learned a few things about submissions! Check it out:
Query Letters & Manuscript Submissions

Have you come across a helpful blog post recently?

Borders Reports a 74.4 Million Loss in Q3

Dear Santa,

Please buy me a brand new book for Christmas. Not a used book. A new book. Purchasing new books helps support the wonderful publishing industry which I so badly want to be a part of in the near future. But, if people stop buying books... what will happen to my bright future as an author? Please, Santa, all I want for Christmas is a brand new book.

Sincerely,
Margo

Borders Reports a 74.4 Million loss in Quarter 3

Picture from: http://www.allaboutyou.com