There Are Always Possibilities

Yep, my title is quoting Spock. As rigid and rule-bound as everybody's favorite Vulcan is, he's also smart enough to realize everyone, including him, needs a little flexibility.

And flexibility is the thing I LOVE about the new publishing paradigm! It's like potato chips. You're not limited to just one.

Contrary to what some people think, I don't advocate my path for every writer. Yes, I love being an indie because I'm the proverbial Scorpio. I NEED to control as much as possible, particularly when it comes to my career.

And also contrary to what some people think, I won't say no to a trad deal as long as it's not asking me to bend over and pick up the soap.

To that end, I actually submitted a short story last night to an editor. The story is something I wrote specific for this gentleman's anthology. Will it be selected? I don't know. It's the whole Schroedinger's Cat dilemma.

But I can tell you this--in today's climate, I'm a lot more selective about who I do submit to.

Submission Day

Currently reading - Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Yet another baby has departed for the wilds of the publishing world. For some folks, the anxiety of submitting is only beginning. They fret and they fume, huddled by their phone or computer. (Though now days it's pretty much the same machine, isn't it?) They chew nails to the quick as they wait for word as to their fate from a person whose hundreds of miles away.

I'm wired differently, as my crit partners who read my blurbs yesterday will attest. I feel a profound sense of relief when I hit 'Send.' My guess is this will be the same feeling I get when I pack GK off to college some day. The feeling that I've done my best, I can't do anything else, and it's time to PARTY!

Some Good Advice From a Friend - Part 3

Here's Part 3 in Jenn Bray-Weber's series on submitting and pitching.

Just to add to Jenn's wise words: It doesn't matter what YOU want to read. It doesn't matter how great YOUR book is. What matters is what the editor wants to buy. Welcome to Economics 101. Sometimes it sucks.

So, what's on your bookshelf? How recent is the latest book?

Some Good Advice From a Friend - Part 2

Here's the link to Part 2 in Jenn Bray-Weber's series on submissions and pitches.

I have to agree with Jenn. Submissions = resumes and pitches = job interviews. If writers don't approach the task from that mindset, they're fooling themselves.

Business Plan Part 6 - Who Do You Submit To?

Currently reading - My own novel before I submit it

Before you send out any submissions to agents or editors, did you do your homework?

By this, I mean (1) do you understand what genre your opus falls into (and for the record, I consider literary fiction a genre) and (2) do you know who's looking for the type of work you just created?

If you're reading my blog, then you've got no effing excuse for not entering search criteria in your internet search engine. For those of you who may not have done this yet, look at this as homework: go find sites that list agents and editors and start weeding through them. Yes, it takes work. But you want to send your precious babies to a good home, don't you?

I've got Excel spreadsheets for each manuscript with a list of my dream agents for the genre of that particular novel. Use whatever method works for you, but I've got a quick snapshot of who's repeatedly asking for partials and fulls with a short entry of what he/she liked about my writing. For me, this method narrows the focus on who would fit best with my style.

Your mileage may vary.

Business Plan Part 5 - Sending Your Work Out

Currently reading - Surprisingly nothing. I've been busy doing final checks on requested material and finishing a project for submission.

You've written your opus, your crit partners have ripped it to shreds, and you've re-written and tweaked until the blisters on your fingers burst.

Now comes the first second major hurdle (just finishing a story was the first) -- sending out your baby into the cold, cruel world.

This is the point where another huge chunk of writer wannabes falter and die. Why send out the story when it might be rejected? Or even worse *gasp* ACCEPTED! Then everyone will see it and know what a pathetic and horrible writer you are!

Submissions are part of the game of publishing. If you're having a major problem dropping that envelope in the mail or hitting the SEND button, then you need to do some soul searching. Either you want to be published or you don't. It's that simple. If you do, it means sending out submissions.

Even if you take one of the multitude of new routes to publication, it still means you have to put your work out in the world.

To paraphrase the marketing guys at Nike, if you want to be published, just send it.