A few days ago, I received an email from Chuck Sambuchino (editor of Writer's Digest's Guide To Literary Agents, author of the hilarious How To Survive A Garden Gnome Attack, and extraordinary gentleman of the publishing world), asking whether I would like to contribute a guest article on the Guide To Literary Agent's blog.
The blog has how many readers? Over 100,000? Uh, yeah. I can make time for that...
About a month from now, I will receive the final book cover design from Jamie Keenan, and The Great Lenore will be made available for pre-order. I asked Chuck if I could wait until then to send along the article, and he said, Sure, that's absolutely fine.
Now, I face a single-cell problem...whose solution can evolve in any number of ways. The problem: What topic should I explore within the article?
And so, Dear Reader, I come to you. If you have 30 or 40 seconds that you can contribute to a writer in need, help me understand...
What items inside this internet home of mine (excluding the Biggest Mistakes Writers Make When Querying Agents post), have you found most useful?
When you visit other writing-related blogs, what is your primary purpose for going there?
What do you hope to glean from any article regarding the world of writing, publishing, and literature?
Think about those rare blog posts and articles you have read in your blog-post-and-article-reading-days that have made you say, "Wow. That was fantastic. I want to see some other thoughts this person has let loose." And tell me: What elements stand out to you in such articles that make you want to dive deeper into the dark ocean of that writer's mind?
To every one of you who continues to travel alongside me as I decorate this internet home with material that I hope will aid you in your quest for publication, thank you! And to every one of you who can take a moment to let me know what elements comprise the most magnetic blog posts you can remember ever reading, I am endlessly grateful.
How about it, Dear Reader? What do you find most helpful in writing-related posts from any of the websites you visit?
If you hang out on Twitter or facebook or Absolute Write Watercooler or any other place where Writing Thoughts get flung around, don't be bashful; help spread the word, and see if others care to drop by and pitch in as well.
Keep writing.
Keep reading.
~JM
Play nice and share with others
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I personally like to read about where a writer's inspiration comes from. We hear a lot about going through painful rewrites of drafts and slogging through the publication process and developing characters, but I think that very few people really take the time to explain where their inspiration comes from, to explain what makes the magic happen. That's more interesting to me than anything else.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank for the shout-out on the blog. Much appreciated. :)
Interesting, Josh's comment above. I think my purposes are about 10-15% encouragement and inspiration, the connecting with other writers that energizes me. Usually I don't need help with my muse or my motivations.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I soak up marketing, editing, and revision info like a parched sponge. Anything I can get--inside tips, what agents look for, how to construct a solid query letter, how to hone the opening hook, how to round out characters, etc. Perfecting the craft. It's a free online course on writing, spread out all over the blogosphere! I love it.
Josh & Carol - Your comments are nearly opposite, and both are awesome! Looks like I have a lot of pondering left in front of me...
ReplyDeleteLike Carol, I thrive on connecting with other writers- you never know who is going to know someone who is looking for what you've got. Also, it's incredible to see how/what people write and what methods they use for self-promotion.
ReplyDeleteOutside of that, I read a blog from a writer who was accepted by an agent, got her manuscript accepted by "the dream publisher", went through edits, rewrote the manuscript, and had the project sloshed. I was broken hearted, disillusioned, and strengthened as a writer to know that even when you think you're in, you may not be- you have to be strong and you have to keep going until you see it on a shelf/in digital format/any other format you're going for.
Happy pondering and writing. I can't wait to read it. (Because I soak up how-to guides!)
First and foremost, congrats! That is really awesome news and well deserved. Continued success!
ReplyDeleteSimilar thoughts, and agreement with the previous posts.
From your blogs, the ones that stood and made me contemplate for a days afterwords was your painful process with agents and publishers. Most aspiring novelists want to hear the stories so that they are better prepared. We want to learn from others. We want to know that we're not alone, and the authentic expressions of the pain and gift of being signed go a long way for me.
Your post on music was also a lot of fun. What inspires us and generates new ideas. How we stumble on those "hidden bones" as Stephen King says.
Again, great news. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.
~Ara
Renee - It's interesting that you mentioned the story about the writer who was accepted by an agent/publisher, only to see things fall apart.
ReplyDeleteThose who have been visiting this page for a while know I had a similar experience (minus the getting-accepted-by-a-publisher-before-seeing-them-drop-the-project part), and I have considered writing the article from that angle: The perseverance required in order to reach the finish line, and the benefits of never giving up.
One issue I see with such an article, however, is that it seems such an article is more impactive if the reader has followed the writer all along the journey, rather than reading about the whole story - from scratch to triumph to despair to triumph again - in a single 600 word article.
Renee, if you return to this post again, I'm especially interested in your thoughts on that. Would you find such an article to have an impact on you if you read the entire thing at once, or do you feel such a message only has an impact if you've been following it all along?
Ara - Your post came through as I was typing the response to Renee. First off, thanks so much for the words. Secondly, you seem to have answered (from your perspective) the query I posed to Renee in my response to her.
ReplyDeleteOne thing you said in your comment that definitely resonates with me is the idea of being entirely honest and laying everything bare for the benefit of the reader. We all love brutal honesty - especially honesty that displays a certain amount of vulnerability - and I want to make sure I hit that note, even though it is uncomfortable to do so. After reading your thoughts, I'm definitely leaning toward the idea I detailed in my response to Renee.
I welcome any and all thoughts on that idea!
This may be entirely subjective, and it may be too complicated, but I'm always looking for answers to the question "How perfect is perfect?" In other words, what absolutely must be mastered before querying, and what are the experts willing to work with you on? Will they reject you because they don't like your setting, or will they ask you to change it and resubmit? Will they work with you on choosing a setting they like better? Its always been a gray area in my knowledge - what exactly are editors willing to edit, and what are the parts you have to nail down to pass the slush pile?
ReplyDeleteWhen is it time to give up desperately seeking an agent...and simply become an agent? Just kissing - I mean kidding.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on everything, JMT
Paul - That's a really interesting thought. I wonder whether that might work better as a blog post, as the answer might be entirely subjective also. Definitely a unique (and essential) path to explore.
ReplyDeleteThe Lisas - Trust me...I've been there before!
I am in it to see the process. As I have just begun writing my novel, I enjoy seeing the road traveled by others. To see what paths they choose and where it leads them. I understand not all paths will lead to the wizard, but sometimes it isn't about the right path (the one that leads to publishing), but the best path at that time (the one that teaches the lessons most needed at that point). It is fun to see how many authors are going for the traditional publishing methods versus the digital formats.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I also look for inspiration and wisdom. Like I said, just starting on my own path, I know I have a lot to learn. Who better to learn from than the people who are further down the road, either where I want to go, or at least working towards that goal.
I don't think that helped you much at all, but you asked for my two cents. So. There. Congrats on the article, by the way. I can't wait to read it.
Sal - Helpful for what I'm needing help with? Maybe. Maybe not. One of the most well-organized thought-spills I have read in a while? Absolutely.
ReplyDeleteJMT, Thanks. Strangely enough, my novel is starting to look like a collection of thought-spills. Maybe the organizational aspect gives me a little hope. :)
ReplyDeleteSal - Sometimes, the best way to write is just: "Get it down now; deal with it later."
ReplyDelete