The Write Team by Teryl Cartwright

Of course you’ve heard that writers work alone. You’ve probably also heard what a lonely job it is. But one of the best kept writing secrets around is that you are not alone. The best writers work with a team. Sure, you may have to sit in front of the computer by yourself and each word comes from your hand, but you need a team to make it to the next step.

I’m not referring to writers’ groups or classes. I don’t mean the online friends who give you research tips or like your status on Facebook. And please say “no” right now critique clubs and authors’ events. I’m talking about the team you recruit to help you write. You will need a cheerleader (to save your world), a mentor, a coach and finally, Simon Cowell. And you need these people in that exact order.

When you begin to write and the words gush freely and so beautifully, who do you go to share this wondrous miracle? Who gets as excited about you writing as you do? Whether it’s your BF, your spouse, your mom or the cheerful checkout gal, this person is vital to keep the spark alive, to get you to actually put the words on paper and get started. Their enthusiasm feeds yours and you need this person to be there and be energizing for you.

Yet even as you begin your writing adventure, you may start to have doubts or get stuck on how overwhelming it is to try to write when so much else demands your attention. Do you ever find it impossible to keep typing because you can’t get the image of the weeds in the backyard out of your head? Do you ever feel guilty when the kids get their snack ten minutes later than normal because you didn’t want to lose your train of thought and had to get it on paper first? Think about who you can call to listen to your struggles. You need a different person from the cheerleader who would tell you everything is great or going to be fine. In fact, at this stage, cheerleading might be annoying to you because that person “just doesn’t get it.” Find a mentor, someone who listens without advice, someone who cares without trying to solve your problem for you. Their support will help you balance writing with living and let you go through the process yourself.

In the next stage of a book (which is often the before the middle), you’ve been writing but you’ve lost the first glow of enthusiasm and your persistence is waning. You can see you’ve gone far, but you are not at the top of the hill, you are still in no man’s land. It’s at this point many writers give up and leave a half finished book to start another with a “better” idea or put their book down to finish later since “there’s not much more left to do.” Let me warn you now that half finished books are the hardest to finish because you will forget the ideas and the reasons you wrote the first part if you stop now. You need someone to hold you accountable. While you might consider this next person a personal trainer, a coach might be a better term to use. Personal trainers can’t make you do the exercise, but a coach is someone you admire and respect enough to want to impress. Get that someone, whether another writer or a co-worker, to ask you how much writing you’ve done each day. Don’t ask someone really close to you such as a spouse or parent to do this job—you will only resent their questions. Ask someone who will get you to keep going. Your coach will get you working through the middle of the book, through the writer’s block and help you set your sights on the goal, the homestretch.

Finally, you’ve finished the book. Is it time to celebrate? Yes! But there’s still one member left on your team to see. Still one more person you need for your book. I saved Simon Cowell for last. This person is not merely the critic; this person is the honest voice. You do not want to talk to or even recruit Simon until AFTER the book is done and AFTER all of your other three teammates have read it. To let Simon comment on a work in progress will guarantee you won’t finish it. Ever. Your Simon shouldn’t even know you are working on a book until you are done. This is really important. There are enough critics in the world, why let one judge you before you want anyone else’s opinions?

Choose your Simon wisely. Don’t pick someone with an agenda (such as a rival writer) and don’t pick someone who would like to take over or tell you what to do. Pick someone neutral and fair, someone who reads all different types of writing, because that person can speak from a broader base of experience.

If you can let your team help you write, you will find success and hold a finished first draft. You will cherish the joy of the cheerleader, the support of the mentor, the push of the coach and finally, the measured and deserved words of your critic as you start to revise your book into the next bestseller. Just go through the same process listed above for your book again…and again. With your team helping you “write” along.

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Perseverance after Rejections

I wrote an article for FarmLife magazine on my rescue dog Rocky. He is a beautiful black and tan Husky that was hit by a car and left for dead. His back leg and tail had to be amputated, but the day after his surgery he walked out of the veterinarian’s office and into our hearts.

When I saw my article about Rocky’s harrowing experience in print I was hooked. I set an original writing goal to have something published to honor each of my beloved family pets for all eternity.

With the success of publication came the inevitable rejection. Oh the devastation of receiving those initial rejection letters in the mail hurt deeply. I could have given up, I wanted to give up a few times, and then my stubborn nature took over. When I received a rejection in the mail I would immediately submit the story to another publisher, or magazine, based on the theory that ten separate publishers could give me ten different reactions to what I had crafted. Perseverance means determination, and I was determined. The key in writing is to find the right match for your manuscript, short story, or article. A rejection doesn’t mean your writing is lacking it could mean the publisher has met their quota for your genre at the current time. I received enough rejections for my first novel that I could have wallpapered my den with them. If I would have abandoned my determination I would never have received the publishing contract from Vintage Reflections for my first picture book, What If a Zebra had Triangles?

Rejection can arrive in many forms, some rejections are a form letter, sometimes you don’t get a response, and sometimes the letter contains a glimmer of hope such as, good premise, shows promise, but…

Take the “but..”, fix it and re-submit. Don’t scream artistic talent, or writer’s prerogative! Publishers have been in this business long enough to make informed requests for changes.

Set your goals, be determined, and persevere. Rejection is part of the process of publication but if you are lucky enough to get a suggestion from a publisher, take it with a grain of salt and a shot of─perseverance, and resubmit. Please feel free to visit my website at www.victoriaroder.com

Victoria Roder lives in Central Wisconsin with her husband Ron and a house full of pets. She is the author of The Dream House Visions and Nightmares, Asylett Press, Bolt Action, Champagne Books and coming soon from Vintage Reflections Publishing, What if a Zebra had Triangles?

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Good Author References

Sometimes when people find out that I am an author, they ask me a lot of questions. Usually this comes from those who say they always wanted to write a book, but just somehow never got around to it. They might ask me where I get my ideas. For me ideas can come from anywhere. I might see something on TV and it will bring an idea to mind. For example, at the beginning of the Iraq war a female soldier named Jessica Lynch made headlines when she got captured and later rescued. I really admired her service and those of other brave soldiers, both male and female. But I really wondered what would make a woman sign up to join the army and march off to war. Since I really love historicals, I did some research and found out that lots of women did just that during the Civil War. Thus, my character, Charlotte “Charlie” Garrett was created as a woman who follows her husband into the Confederate army.

Once you open your eyes and your ears to the world around you, there will be no end to the story ideas that can come to mind.

People also ask me how I was able to get published and other questions dealing with the publishing industry. I tell them you have to first finish that book and write it the best you can. Then you have to learn some of the business involved. I’ve put together a list of books and links that I hope will be helpful to anyone just starting out writing that book or trying to get one published. Don’t give up!

~Diane Wylie, author of four historical romances

http://www.dianewylie.com

———————-

Great reference books to have on hand:

Good dictionary

Thesaurus

Any style guide, example: Chicago Manual of Style

The Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D.

Good websites for writing information:

Fair Use of Copyrighted Materials – http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

Grammar Usage and Style –

http://www.refdesk.com/factgram.html

Guide to Grammar and Style –

http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/index.html

The Word Detective –

http://www.word-detective.com

Publishers Marketplace –

http://publishersmarketplace.com/search.html

Preditors and Editors –

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

Writer Beware –

http://www.sfwa.org/beware/

Directory of ePublishers –

http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/epublishers.html

http://www.dianewylie.com
Secrets and Sacrifices – 4 1/2 stars Romantic Times
Jenny’s Passion – 5 Angels and Recommended Read
Lila’s Vow – “Extraordinary story” 5 Cups and Coffee Time Reviewers Recommend
Adam’s Treasure – Out now from The Wild Rose Press
http://dianewylie.blogspot.com

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Navigate the Publishing Maze

Beginning a publishing journey is daunting. As an aspiring author, you’re not quite sure what to expect when you knock on that first publisher’s door. Maybe you’ve listened to other authors or read some information online, and you think you know everything you need to know. But do you really know what to expect from a particular publishing company? Do you know how to approach a publisher by putting your best foot forward?

Maybe you’ve gotten an offer of a contract from a publishing house. Do you know the process and what to expect? What are your expectations? Are they realistic? Do you understand the terms of the contract or what to do if you don’t? As a new author, you may have a lot of questions, and you’re not sure where to go to get the answers you need. You can find those answers here beginning with How to Research Publishing Companies and How to identify the Red Flags.

In your excitement to be published, it would be very easy to throw caution to the wind and accept the first contract that is offered you. In fact, many authors have done just this and have the battle scars to prove it. What scars, you ask? The ones left behind by publishing companies that have closed up shop without advance warning or the ones remaining after an author has been mistreated.

So before you jump in and begin to submit your manuscript to any and every publisher or e-publisher, we’d like to give you a list of necessary steps that will not only protect you personally but your career as well.

In order to properly research a publishing company, you’ll need to pay attention to the following: (Because the research is so important, this will be separated into two blog posts.)

The publisher should not charge any fees. By fees, I mean any money which is deducted from an author’s royalties and for any set-up fees for the paperback or hardback edition of the book. If you’re looking for a subsidy publisher, then this article really isn’t for you anyway.

The publisher should not advertise that established authors or those with more credentials than you will receive preferential treatment. This has come to light previously with publisher’s announcements that established authors will receive higher advances, etc. this begs the question: who decides whether you meet the guidelines of an “established” author? Do you have to have two books published or more? Do you have to be published with certain publishers in order to meet the criteria? It’s best to bypass such publishers.

Pay careful attention to the publisher’s website. Is it error-free? Can you search for a book by author? (This is important because you don’t want your book to get lost in the shuffle.) Is the website pleasing to the eye or does it distract you with garish colors? Are any of the links broken? When was the last time it’s been updated?

Do a “Google” search for that publisher and spend some time reading for a publisher’s reputation is all over the Internet. Just remember to weigh the good and the bad against one another. Optimally, you want to avoid a publisher who has three or more negative discussions, is not recommended by Preditors & Editors or Writer’s Beware, and one which has had its business tactics questioned.

Talk to some of the authors published with that company before you submit, especially if it’s a smaller publisher. How do the authors respond? Are they guarded as if they’re concerned about retaliation? Or are they open to your questions and willing to talk freely about their experience with their publisher.

While it’s important to sign with a publisher you feel comfortable with, it’s much more important to sign with a publisher who knows what it’s doing.

We’ll go over more research in the next post. There is a lot more to do to make sure you have the publisher who is right for you before you sign on the dotted line.

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Frequently Asked Questions from New Authors

We receive a lot of questions from writers who have just completed their first novel or who are looking for advice on many different topics. So we’re going to post our most frequently asked questions (we’ll break it up into several posts), but please feel free to ask your own in the comment section.

What is a query letter and what should it include?

Your query introduces you and your book. There are myriad courses and articles on the Internet which can teach you how to write one of these jewels, but the three most important things to remember are:

• The opening hook followed by a short summary of the book;

• A little about yourself and your credentials and

• A request to send in a partial or full.

An editor or an agent will appreciate a succinct letter which delivers a powerful punch, and you will be one step closer to getting your work noticed. In summation, the query letter is a snapshot of your novel, designed to give the editor a quick, but powerful, look at your writing ability and your topic. While I know it might not seem fair that you’re judged on the query letter alone, think of the hundreds, no, thousands, of manuscripts an editor receives every year. A short, concise query letter enables an editor to see who you are, what you’ve written and how well you’ve written it without spending an hour reading a five page missive.

For more on writing query letters, visit the following links:

http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/apr98/keegan7.htm

http://www.poewar.com/how-to-write-a-query-letter

http://www.charlottedillon.com/query.html

What is a synopsis and what should it include?

Your synopsis is the book report of your manuscript. It needs to tell all without being too verbose. Without going into too much information, here are some quick steps to assembling a synopsis. It’ll make it easier and give you a checklist to go by.

Determine your hook.

List at least three major points for each chapter of your book.

Determine if any of the points are unnecessary or redundant.

Write a paragraph about each main point.

Determine your ending.

The last step is a new one, but just as important as the opening hook. You want to leave the editor with a feeling of completion. Do not, under any circumstances, allude to a major plot point which you’ve neglected to include or end the synopsis with a question or without a wrap up.

For more on writing synopses, there are various websites online as well as books which give an in-depth view. Try visiting the following links:

http://www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml

http://www.writing-world.com/publish/leblanc.shtml

http://www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html

What is a partial? How do I choose the chapters to include?

A partial is generally the first three consecutive chapters of your manuscript unless the publisher specifically asks for the first one hundred pages or so. If the publisher doesn’t specify, you’re safe to send the first three chapters.

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