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Posts Tagged ‘self-publishing’

Why Pay It Forward?

October 3, 2014

I’m getting ready to go to the seventh annual Rochester Writers’ Conference at Oakland University tomorrow … an event I look forward to every year. Over the years I’ve found it a great way to bone up on the basics of the business, while I network with other writers and industry professionals.

Early Fall on the Oakland University Campus, Rochester, Michigan

The Seventh Annual
Rochester Writers’ Conference
Saturday, October 3, 2014
Oakland University

A good conference, which this one always proves to be, can offer an interesting inside look at the craft of writing.

In fact, if you’re a newbie, or just new to writing conferences, I suggest you start with a smaller, local conference like this. It’s less expensive and much less intimidating than big, national multi-day events, but you can still make vital connections.

As much as I may think I know, I learn something every year. You may only occasionally meet a literary agent but, and probably more importantly, you get to network with other local authors.

But I won’t lie to you; it can be an exhausting experience. There are a lot of choices to make and a lot of ground to cover in a day.

Good Writing is Hard Work
Good writing is very hard work, but the journey is worth it. Why do I say that? Well, the answer could be as simple as “writers write.”

Every fiction author I’ve ever met says pretty much the same thing. They all write to tell a story, make an esoteric point, chronicle an era or expound on an event. Some say they actually write to please their readers.

But I think they really write for the same reason I do … the joy of the writing process itself.

It’s for those almost mystical and ethereal moments when the all the hard work you put in finally allows the muse to spit a few words from your brain onto the page … in the process creating something exciting and new.

Publishing Has Changed
Publishing has produced its own exciting, dynamic story arc since I first submitted a story for consideration … way back when I was seventeen (to give yourself some idea of just how long ago that was, think pterodactyls).

Back then, except for the monthly magazines that bought a lot of fiction, we all knew that in order to be published in a book, you had to pitch a traditional publisher.

After I decided (much to my sweet bride’s dismay) to take an early retirement from my nine-to-whenever corporate marketing job, I thought, OK, pitch to a publisher, that’s writing, too … I can do that. How hard can it be?

Of course, I soon discovered that in order for that to happen I first had to secure an agent, since no large publisher would deign to talk to me without one.

However, at my age, finding an agent willing to take a chance on my writing was tough. I suspect every one I contacted really wanted to find an erudite thirty-something with many, many years of writing time ahead of him.

They probably didn’t see me fitting into their picture of a nice, long, sustained collaboration. Which was ultimately fine with me because, conversely, I didn’t feel like I had the time to search for someone who would.

Since self-publishing was quickly becoming the new pathway for getting noticed, as good, entrepreneurial indie authors made ever more assured strides in the marketplace, I decided to join them. I became a published indie author.

Once I made up my mind I was an indie, my path was set. Good things have followed, and I don’t regret it.

But why a conference?

You Will Get Energized
The real answer is why the hell not? It may sound like an obvious statement, but where else can you meet so many people at varying stages in their writing careers?

I find that writers, as a group, are very supportive. If you sit at tables with people you don’t know and make an effort to say hello, it’s easy to meet others who are not only willing to talk, but are willing to offer help and advice for any problems you encounter.

It’s one of the reasons I write this blog in the first place.

Call it paying it forward. I’ve already met others who’ve been there before and who were ready to go out of their way to help me as I tried to figure out some of the rough spots, so why shouldn’t I pass it along to everyone I can?

Besides, there’s nothing more infectious than a bunch of people all excited about the same thing.

My brother-in-law, whom I affectionately call Little Brother, does it with his buddies and baseball. I go to a writing conference with an ear to listen, because I guarantee there will be speakers who seem to be talking directly to me.

You might attend a session on how to query an editor, create dynamic characters, or even self-publish; or how to effectively use social media, as I’ve talked about here so often.

You might even find one on exactly how to pitch to that publisher you’ve been salivating over … and those sessions can be just as interesting as college classes. Sometimes even better.

The only difference … there are no tests … and everyone wins.

Excited now? I am. I can hardly wait for tomorrow!

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You can find my books as eBooks or paperback on Amazon, or at Barnes & Noble. You’re also invited to visit my web site, BROKEN GLASS, or like my Book of Face page. You can also follow my shorter ramblings on The Twitter.

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Comments posted below will be read, greatly appreciated and perhaps even answered.

Tags:indie writers, Rochester Writer's Conference, self-publishing
Posted in Award-Winning Fiction, Independent Publishing, Self-Published | 2 Comments »

And The Reason Is…?

June 11, 2014

Photo courtesy BigStock

“Things happen for a reason.”

My father used to tell me that all the time when I was a kid. Usually right after he discovered some chain of events I’d set in motion had culminated in a flooded basement, or a broken window.

I’m sure I’ve said something similar to my own kids (now grown men) once or twice over the years.

It came to my mind again last Saturday, as I sat on my deck … laid on it would be a better term … wondering what the hell had just happened, and why did my shoulder hurt so much?

Seems I’d overlooked a basic prerequisite for working with electricity (other than have a licensed electrician do it) … turn off the power.

I was changing some rusty, 28-year-old light fixtures on the back of the house. One of the two was finished and, as I went to work on the second one … controlled by a different circuit … I remember thinking I should go inside and check the light switch.

But the light wasn’t on (turns out the bulb was burned-out), and that particular sliding door is one we never use … ever.

There’s a sofa in front of it so we treat it like a big window and the light is seldom turned on anyway … so, I forgot all about that basic safety prerequisite.

Everything was going along fine. I had sliced through the caulking that sealed the fixture to the house, loosened the screws holding it to the electrical box, and removed the wire nuts that connected its wiring to the circuit.

I even took the time to place all the wire nuts on top of the garden storage chest just outside the door, so they wouldn’t fall through the decking.

As I returned to the fixture, my left hand brushed against the now bare wires and …

You guessed it, didn’t you?

I felt the tingle on the back of my hand, and the next thing I knew I was laying on the deck. I remember falling, and bracing myself with my left hand as I went down.

I also remember thinking: Whew! That was close!

Then there was the impact. My left shoulder hurt like hell from the stress of stopping my 200+ pound body from planting my face on the deck boards. It was a mini-hell trying to get up.

My shoulder still hurts when I try to lift it, although it’s much better today than it was Saturday or Sunday. I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon, to assess the damage.

I’ve had accidents before which tore my rotator cuff (other arm), so I know the drill.

Thankfully, this injury seems to far less serious than the last one (which was hurt after snowmobiling with friends up north).

Why am I telling you this, and what in the hell does it have to do with writing?

Well, I’m probably looking for a little sympathy … but it’s also a good segue into a writing mantra for all indie writers (with apologies to the Boy Scouts):

Be prepared.

Read the acknowledged good books that are out there. Study how the author has gathered … and kept … your attention.

Study character development. There’s a neat (if I do say so myself) free pamphlet about it available right here on this blog (you may need to come back to it, if you’re a subscriber, since I think your subscription only shows the blog post, not the whole page).

Learn how to tell a story. I gave you a valuable link in my last post to On Writing, by Stephen King … the best-selling book on how to write that’s ever been written.

Research dialogue, so you’ll understand how to craft it yourself.

And by all means, if you feel like fooling around with electricity yourself someday, remember to turn off the circuit first. It’s a lesson I knew, but overlooked … and will never forget again.

I might not be so lucky twice.

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Tags:award-winning writing, indie writers, self-publishing
Posted in Award-Winning Fiction | 10 Comments »

Where Do You Find Inspiration?

June 5, 2014

Finding Inspiration Is Hard Work

Now that my “Reichold Street” novel sequel “One Way Street” is finished, I’ve started to brainstorm about the ideas I originally had for a trilogy.

It’s one of many times I’ve wished I could peek inside the mind of one of the world’s greatest writers and find out exactly what makes him tick. Wouldn’t you, if you could?

Well … actually you can.

On Writing
Whether you’re a fan or not, Stephen King has published 50 novels, all of them bestsellers. He’s sold more than 350 million copies of his works. According to Forbes, he earns approximately $40 million per year, making him one of the richest writers in the world.

In 2002, he temporarily abandoned writing horror novels to publish On Writing, a book discussing exactly how to become a fabulously good writer. Since then, it’s become the most popular book about writing ever written.

Here’s why: The book is magic.

As you read through it you can’t help being exposed to the fundamentals of the craft. You also discover writing isn’t meant to be a chore. It’s more like an adventure through undiscovered worlds, where no one knows what’ll happen next.

Where other writing books are focused on the mechanics of the written word, King shows you how to capture the joy of the craft.

You’ll find yourself wanting to write … because it’s fun.

Personally, it inspired me more than any other book about writing I’ve ever read. If I could recommend only one book to writers, On Writing would be it.

Here are some of the quotes you’ll find:

“I’ve written because it fulfilled me. Maybe it paid off the mortgage on the house and got the kids through college, but those things were on the side … I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.”

I’m sure we’d all agree money, adulation and prestige would be nice. But since I don’t expect that’s going to happen, it’s not what drives me to the keyboard. It’s really about the rush of watching an idea take shape on the page.

Everything else, should it happen, is just a happy bonus.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

I’ve mentioned this before, but that’s really how it works. Every popular writer reads an enormous amount … and writes every day. I’ve been known to read three novels a week and I try to write a minimum of 1,000 words each day. It may seem like a lot but success, if it comes, comes at a price.

As a writer, are you willing to pay it?

“All the arts depend upon telepathy to some degree, but I believe that writing is the purest distillation.”

In school, we’re taught writing has three and only three purposes: to inform, to entertain and to persuade. However, that maxim is missing a subtle requirement.

To inform, first you have to be informed. To entertain, first you have to be entertained. To persuade, first you have to be persuaded. So read. Then and only then are you ready to write.

And when you do, your job isn’t so much jotting down words on the page as it is beaming the ideas inside your head into the heads of other people.

Words are just the medium through which the transfer happens.

“Write with the door closed, and rewrite with the door open.”

The truth is, any great piece of writing is preceded by hours and hours of thinking. You must have more respect for the power of words than to spit them out without any real forethought.

To understand better what that means, try this:

Write as if no one in the world will ever read it.

Say exactly what you feel. Don’t think. Just get your thoughts out there in all their disheveled, chaotic glory. This is what Stephen King calls writing with “the door closed.”

It’s just you and your work … the very first stage of writing.

The second stage is opening the door to the rest of the world — a metaphor for pondering how the average Joe might respond to your new creation, and making the changes necessary to help it survive. And yes, don’t fool yourself, there will be changes.

Lots and lots of them.

To many aspiring writers, a great piece of writing is something mystical, filled with an almost frightening power. They look at the writers who create such magic with reverence, longing for the day they can discover the closely-guarded “secrets.”

It’s silly. Yes, there is some magic to it, but the same magic exists in every type of art and it’s accessible to everyone. Here’s how: Write. Every day. For years. And know your audience.

Is it hard work?

Yes, but so is any job worth doing.

“We’ve all heard someone say, ‘Man, it was so great … I just can’t describe it!’ If you want to be a successful writer, you MUST be able to describe it, and in a way that will cause your reader to prickle with recognition.”

If you pay attention to only one quote in this article, pay attention to that one.

A writer’s job isn’t so much saying what he thinks as it is putting his readers thoughts into words. He needs to describe actions with such clarity and intimacy they suspect him of reading their minds.

Understand what they want. Don’t tell them the action; show them. Do that, and you won’t have to beg your readers for their attention. They’ll follow you to the ends of the earth.

The mistake most wannabe writers make is never trying anything new at all. They do whatever their English teachers told them is “right.” And that’s just sad (sorry again, Mrs, Bliss).

The reason most writers fail isn’t a lack of technical know-how. It’s a refusal to take what they do seriously. They never put in the work to make it anything worthwhile. They never understand what their readers want.

So, as I head home from visiting my oldest sons and my grandkids to begin the final book in the Reichold Street trilogy, I’m trying to do the work to understand what the readers want to see.

I’ve been writing with “the door closed” and I’ve got my thoughts together already for Chapter One, in all their disheveled, chaotic glory. Let me know what you’d like to see next. I promise I’ll listen. Believe me, your comments are most welcome.

After myself, you’re the ones I’m writing for.

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You can find my books on Amazon. You’re also invited to visit my web site, BROKEN GLASS, or like my Book of Face page. You can also follow my shorter ramblings on The Twitter.

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