When Asked for Apples, Don't Offer Oranges

This morning I read a post from literary agent Rachelle Gardner called, "Give Them What They Want". In it, she shares some feedback from a recent call for guest bloggers on her site. There were many pitches made that simply did not meet her guidelines. I can relate. In the last six months, I have received pitches from writers who clearly had not read my submission page. And why would someone offer to write a guest post about plastic surgery, childcare, or dating on a blog about writing? 

Offering budding authors a place to showcase their talents and build their online platforms is a great opportunity that isn't widely available. So it should not it be taken lightly. Therefore, when you find bloggers who are willing to share their space with you, it is important that your pitch is a good fit for their blog and your platform. Also, follow the guidelines for submission down to the word count and font. You may miss out on a chance to expand your audience because you failed to give them what they want.

Here is an excerpt from Ms. Gardner's post. Enjoy and take heed.

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"Give Them What They Want" by Rachelle Gardner

Back when I was in school, I embraced an important truth: If I wanted to succeed according to someone else’s standards, then I needed to give them what they wanted. It started with my teachers. To get a good grade, I needed to understand exactly what they wanted and give it to them. Using my own creativity and trying to give them something I thought was better wouldn’t always work. If I wanted to be brilliant and creative, fine, but I might sacrifice a good grade. If I wanted the “A” then I needed to give the instructor exactly what was expected.

This lesson served me well as I spent a couple of decades in various roles in the corporate and business world. To be considered a good employee and get promotions and raises, I needed to understand exactly what was expected… and do it. If creativity and innovation and big ideas were valued in that company, then that’s what I focused on. If simply doing your job was valued, then that’s what I did. As long as I was in an environment where someone else’s standards determined MY success, I always focused on what those standards were.

Success often depends on giving your boss what they want; giving your clients what they want; giving your professors what they want, giving your readers what they want.
You’re always free to write what you want, how you want. You’re free to approach the process of publication however you like. But when your success depends on other people, it’s smart to ask yourself: Are you giving them what they want? This applies whether you’re querying agents, pitching publishers, or thinking about your end reader. What do they want? Are you giving it to them?

Read the entire post.

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Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

Publishing Is Tough, but Are You Going to Quit NOW?

No matter how difficult your circumstances become, life goes on.  The fact that the housing market has reached all-time lows doesn't mean that people no longer need a place to live. And while it is getting more difficult to find jobs and earn a living, we all still have to find ways to meet our basic needs. And for those of us who seek to reach some level of success in the publishing industry, it is too easy to focus on all of the current challenges. People do still read, (believe it or not) and they are looking for new voices, great stories, and helpful information. The world still needs writers. In order to meet the needs of the readers, we must find ways to adapt--that is what the most successful people do.

Realtors, brokers, and home builders all agree that it is tougher to sell homes due to the economy, unemployment rates, and the subsequent flood of lower-priced inventory available. One thing they know is that when everything is all said and done, people still need a roof over their heads. So to survive, they adapt. They find new ways to market properties and make them stand out from the rest (polish your manuscript). They become more knowledgeable about financing to help qualify their clients (study the industry and step up your game). They use modern technology and social networking (build your platform). Many cater to a niche market (identify and connect with potential readers). They are creative, aggressive, innovative, and they stay in the game (emulate all of these things). Success in publishing is no different.

I believe that now is an exciting time to be a writer. There are so many avenues to publish your work from blogging, to freelance writing, to self-publishing, and, of course, traditional publishing. Writers can have the best of both worlds. Rejected manuscripts no longer have to sit in a desk drawer or be archived on a computer hard drive. Writers can generate interest in their work, publish it, and promote it with the possibility of still landing that elusive book deal. If you have a great product, a vision for it, a clear plan, and you are willing to roll up your sleeves, it is possible to be successful in the face of adversity. But, you have to believe it and you have to keep your shoulder to the plow.

Check out literary agent Rachelle Gardner's post, "Is the Sky Falling?", where she advises us all to "pull on our grown-up pants and deal with it". There will always be challenges. Life is full of them. 
Are you going to quit now?

Why Are Published Authors So Busy?

In her blog post, "Life As A Published Author", literary agent Rachelle Gardner addresses why signing a publishing contract means more work, more responsibility, more challenges, and added pressure. So much for the limelight, glitz, and glamour--life on the other side requires that you roll up your sleeves and really get down to business. But, I bet that the rewards are worth the sacrifice! Read on and then decide for yourself.

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Life As A Published Author

This week I’m answering questions from readers, and today I’m responding to Megan, who was curious about why published authors always talk about being so busy. What’s taking up so much of their time? Megan’s trying to decide if she’s really ready to take on everything publication would entail, since her life is pretty full already.

I think Megan’s smart to consider this. Sometimes the dream of finally being a “published author” is different from the reality. So here are a few hints.

Life is going to get harder, not easier. There will be so much to do that you never really thought about. The minute that publishing deal is done, you might begin receiving requests from the publisher. Do you have a video we can show our sales reps? Can you send us your thoughts on cover design? Do you have any other ideas for your book title? And that’s just the beginning.

You’ll be busier than you can imagine. If you’re contracted for multiple books, consider that 18 months from now, you may be simultaneously trying to promote book #1, edit book #2, and write book #3. All on top of your current job and family responsibilities.

The writing itself can be more challenging. This may be the first time you’ve written under contract and under deadline, especially in book-length works. If you’ve always written on your own schedule, with no one to please but yourself, it could be a rude awakening.

The necessity for marketing can be daunting. You already know you’ll need to be doing everything you can to engage your tribe, using social networking and anything else at your disposal. Around the time of a book release, the time commitment can be overwhelming.

Did you get an advance? Staring at a blank screen is a totally different thing when people have already paid you money for words you haven’t written yet.

Are you ready for the pressure? Are you ready for the demands on your time and energy? What are you doing to prepare yourself for your dream coming true?

What does the “dream”of being a published author look like for you?

Read the original post here: http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/05/life-as-a-published-author/
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Don't forget! National Picture Book Writing Week (NaPiBoWriWee 2012) starts today. The challenge is to write 7 picture books in 7 days! I'm in! Are you?

Sketch the Story! Contest deadline for entry is Friday, May 4, 2012. Details here!

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

6 Reasons Authors Self-Publish by Rachelle Gardner

Here is a great post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner that sums up the benefits of self-publishing. Enjoy!

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On the heels of our lively debate the other day on my post “6 Reasons Authors Still Want Publishers,” today let’s look at the other side of the coin. Many of you are still trying to decide which path is right for you — or if maybe some combination of both might work. So hopefully these posts and the discussions in the comments will be helpful.

So here are six reasons writers choose self publishing:

1. To supplement an established writing career.

As we talked about a couple of weeks ago in our series on making a living as a writer, it’s a lot of work to be a full-time writer and be able to make a good income. These days many full time writers with traditional publishing contracts are self-publishing both new books and their backlist as a way to supplement their income and keep their work out there in front of readers, growing and expanding their platform and audience.
 

2. To revive a flagging traditional-publishing career.

Some writers get the bad news that their publisher doesn’t want to do a new contract with them. But they’re still writers and they already have experience with the whole process, from writing to editing to marketing. While this situation used to mean a writer was basically finished, nowadays self-publishing opens up whole new horizons.

3. They’d like a bigger piece of the pie.

Most self-publishing deals will pay anywhere from 30% to 70% royalties, which is much higher than traditional publishers pay. Of course, they don’t have nearly the investment or do nearly the work of the traditional publishers; nevertheless, many writers prefer to do the work themselves in exchange for a higher royalty.

4. They have the time, skills, and the money to do it well.

Some people have an entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to be a good business person and a great marketer. Not everyone has these skills, but they’re pretty much a necessity for self-publishing. Some people are writing to a niche audience and they have the ability to reach this audience on their own without the help of a publisher — another good reason to choose self-pub. The ability to cover the upfront cost is also a big plus if you’re considering self-pub.

5. Frustration

Some people can’t get the attention of agents and publishers; or if they are, they’re getting rejections. This is a very frustrating place to be — and even very good books get passed over simply because of the huge numbers of books that are being pitched. Many writers get fed up with the “system” and decide to go it alone.

6. Freedom

In self-publishing, you don’t have to listen to anyone’s vision for your book but your own. You get to choose your cover, your title, and everything about your book. You don’t have to wait years to be noticed; you do not have to wait a year or two for your book release after the decision is made to publish it. You set your own pace, answer to yourself, and take responsibility for your own success or failure.

What other reasons might lead you to pursue self publishing?

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Read the original post on Rachelle's blog: http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/04/6-reasons-authors-self-publish/

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

Great Blogs for Authors and Illustrators!

There is a lot of great information about the world of publishing in cyberspace if you know where to look. I would like to make your quest for knowledge a bit easier, so I am sharing a couple of blogs that I find extremely valuable. Feel free to add to this list in the comments below!

Inkygirl by Debbie Ohi http://inkygirl.com/

My Name Is Not Bob by Robert Lee Brewer http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/

Literary Agent Rachelle Gardner http://www.rachellegardner.com/

Raychelle Writes by Raychelle Muhammad http://www.Raychelle-Writes.blogspot.com (I hear this one is pretty good. :) )

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

How to Make a Living As A Writer, Parts One and Two by Rachelle Gardner

Today's offering is a great 2-part article written by literary agent Rachelle Gardner. She provides some really spot-on practical advice about how to approach your career as a writer. I have printed  excerpts of both. Find the links to each of the full posts below. Enjoy!

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I’m going to make this very simple: The secret to making a living wage as a writer lies in two words: volume and variety. Today let’s talk about the first one.

Volume

The biggest mistake writers make with respect to their “publishing dreams” is hoping for that one big break that’s going to change their lives, allow them to quit their job, and propel them into the life of the full-time writer.

Making money in this business, for the vast majority of writers, isn’t about having one huge hit. Or even two huge hits. Instead, it’s about building a career, book by book, and building an audience that wants more of your books.

Writers begin to see a “living wage” when they have a stack of books out there in the marketplace, each one bringing in royalties regularly. Even if each book is not selling a huge number of copies individually—if you have a whole bunch of books out there, each selling some copies, it starts to add up.

It’s all about building a foundation, building a reputation, so that each book you release builds on the last and each one expands your audience so that your new readers are always wanting to go back and find your older books, too.

You’re not ready to “quit your day job” until those royalty checks coming in regularly are adding up to the amount you need to support yourself. Hopefully this is in addition to any advances you’re getting.

Now, this is difficult because you’re only one person. You have limited time, and you can only write so much. That’s why it’s important to take the long view. You’ve got to methodically and strategically build your career. The writers who are doing it full time are able to do it because they have a large volume of product out there, and they’re having enough success that their audience keeps growing.

Read Rachelle Gardner's full post.

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Variety

Yesterday we discussed “volume” as a key to being able to support yourself as a writer. Today we’ll talk about the second key: Variety.

Now a lot of people are wondering what I mean by this, because we’ve all had it pounded into us that we need to “brand” ourselves, we need to find a niche and write to a certain audience in order to build a following. That’s all true, especially for writers just getting established and trying to find their audience. Your best chance is to “specialize” so that each book continues to build your audience.

If you’re traditionally published, you also have an obligation to your publisher, not only to abide by the specifics of your contract and whatever the non-compete section says, but also to help make sure you’re putting your energy into making those contracted books as successful as possible. This means writing them to the best of your ability (without so many distractions that you can’t do your best work) and it also means having the time and energy to devote to marketing.

But there are people who have found a way to make “writing” their full time living. How do they do it? It’s variety… even more than volume. And I have to tell you the truth, few people are cut out for this kind of writing life, the kind that involves “piecing together” a living from a variety of different writing-related income sources.

Read the complete post.

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Ms. Gardner's Bio:

I’m a literary agent with Books and Such Literary Agency based in California, founded by Janet Kobobel Grant. (Click to meet the other members of the Books and Such team.)

I work at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. I’m a voracious reader, a mom, a firefighter’s wife, and a huge fan of Starbucks.

I never get tired of talking about books and publishing, and working with authors is my dream job. This blog is a place where I get to hear the concerns and perspectives of writers in the trenches, so that I never lose touch with what’s happening on the other side of the desk.