5 Common Myths About Getting Published, Part Two

***This is PART TWO of a five part series to uncover some myths about becoming a published author.  Make sure to come back next week and find out more insider secrets about the writing industry!***

Last week I talked about the first myth in this series where some new writers think you need to have a college degree in children's literature or writing before you can actually call yourself a writer. If you missed last week's post you can go here to check it out.

Now I'd like to talk about the next myth some new writers think is necessary to become a published author.

MYTH #2...YOU NEED AN AGENT TO GET A FOOT IN THE DOOR

I worked hard my first year as a "professional" writer to strengthen my writing skills. I also started setting goals for my writing career and one of those goals was to land an agent. I thought the ONLY way to become an author was to find an agent willing to represent me and then THEY would magically get my stories published. 

I was wrong.

There are many larger publishing houses that won't consider an unagented submission, but there are still ways for writers today to get their work in front of a publisher. Here are some of the opportunities I have come across over the years where writers don't need an agent to get noticed by a publishing house...


1) WRITE ON CON (http://www.writeoncon.com)...a FREE, week long writers conference usually held in August and including things like critique forums, guest speakers, twitter pitches, editor chats and chances to pitch to publishing houses. 

2) PITCHMAS (http://www.pitchmas.blogspot.com)...Twitter pitch forum under #Pitchmas usually held twice a year in July and December. Agents and publishers requests manuscripts pitched during a one day pitch party and even publishing houses not normally open to unagented submissions will occasionally sign on to read the pitches.

3) PITMAD (http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitmad)...Twitter pitch party held four times a year under #Pitmad and hosted by author Brenda Drake where writers pitch their completed manuscripts to agents and editors. This is where I met my editor, Jessica Schmeidler, from Anaiah Press and where my story went from a twitter pitch to a book contract in SIX DAYS!

4) #MSWL (http://www.twitter.com)...Twitter forum where agents and publishers list their manuscript "wish lists".  Just do a search for #MSWL and the wish lists will pop up. Just make sure to research any agents or publishing houses before submitting and ALWAYS follow the publishing house's guidelines to make sure your manuscript has the best chance at being considered.


For those of you interested in pursuing agency representation, here are a couple of ways to bypass the slush pile as well as some agents looking to add to their client list...

1) JULIE HEDLUND'S 12 X 12 FORUM (http://www.juliehedlund.com)...in my humble opinion, probably one of THE best pipelines to get your work into the hands of agents. Registration is closed for this year but any writer serious about their career and interested in finding an agent should definitely check this forum out! 

2) RATE YOUR STORY (http://www.rateyourstory.blogspot.com)...not only can you receive FREE professional critique ratings on your picture book stories up to 2000 words, creator Miranda Paul also provides membership levels where writers can receive special newsletters loaded with contests and insider links to agent opportunities.

3) AGENT WHITLEY ABELL (http://www.inklingsliterary.com)...newer agent looking for Middle Grade, Young Adult and select Upmarket Women's fiction. She loves mythology, heartbreaking contemporary novels, historical suspense, and cute romantic comedies.

4) AGENT ALEXANDER SLATER (http://www.tridentmediagroup.com)...established agent looking for children's, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction. 

5) AGENT RENEE NYEN (http://www.ktliterary.com)...newer agent looking for Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. She is interested in YA historical fition, mystery, science fiction, and thrillers.

For myself, I am searching for agent to partner with because it is right decision for my future writing career. However, I encourage every writer out there looking to become published to do their due diligence and research the market. Maybe you aren't looking for agent representation. While a writer can still become a published author without one, like I did, there are still huge advantages to being represented by an agent so make the decision that is right for YOU and remember no matter what path you choose...agented or free lance...it STILL all starts with a great story!

What other opportunities, publishing houses open to unagented submissions, or agents looking for new clients have I missed? Add to my list by commenting below...

Happy Anniversary To Me!

Sometimes in the rush to balance everything on my plate, I forget just how far I have come with this blog. I realized last night that today, December 6, 2013, is my official TWO YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY. Time to do the happy dance!

Then I had to stop and catch my breath for a second. Two years. Two wonderfully, turbulent, mesmerizing, overwhelming years where i worked hard to take this blog from an audience of one...thank you, Janet...to something much, much bigger. I looked over this blog's current stats and thought I would share just how far I have come in twenty-four little months:

Number of posts written or hosted...500

Number of pageviews...253,721 (That's a QUARTER OF A MILLION VIEWS PEOPLE!)

Number of followers...2525 (People who follow me or this blog through Blogger, Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Tumbler, and Quora.)

Number of countries visiting...19 (This little blog is read in the United States as well as Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, Russia, Germany, Australia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, China, France, New Zealand, Spain, South Korea, Bahamas, Bangladesh, and the Ukraine.)

Excuse me while I take a moment to put my head between my knees. My world is spinning with the possibility there are actually that many people who freely choose to stop by this blog. I am honored and humbled by such kindness and will strive to keep my posts worthy of such expectations.

These past two years have been a series of ups and downs. Some of the downsides included my Yahoo account being hacked and some people were worried I was stuck in some third world country without enough money to get home. Fortunately my friends were intelligent enough to know I never left Tennessee, so a simple change of passwords and creation of a different email account resolved that problem. Another downside was more insidious and ongoing. An ex-student of mine chose to stalk this blog and attempt to post comments which just meant I had to block the multiple accounts as they were set up, tag them as spam, and delete the comments. Small price to pay to keep my readers safe. The stalking continues but as long as that student chooses to refrain from posting comments, who am I to prevent them from enjoying my posts? Maybe they will learn something along the way...

The ups have been far greater in number. I have participated in three of Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo challenges and came out a winner with 98 PB ideas to show for it. I have participated in Julie Hedlund's 12 X 12 forum where I now have 10 completed manuscripts and 19 works in progress under my belt. My FREE AUTHOR PROMOTION grew from 31 authors participating the first year with 350 autographed items to 43 authors this past year and 1000 autographed items! I've submitted some of my stories to 53 agents, received 2 requests for additional submissions, and managed to get one of my stories published in January of this year through Chicken Soup For The Soul: Angels Among Us edition. My WRITERLY WISDOM series (which is sadly coming to a close at the end of December) has been a joy to host where all kinds of lovely authors, agents, and illustrators have taken the time to share their own wisdom with my readers. And then there was my RAYS OF SUNSHINE blog post which has received over 15,000 page views to date! You can check it out if you'd like by clicking on the link...http://donasdays.blogspot.com/2012/05/rays-of-sunshine.html. I'm not sure why that particular post connected with so many people but it sure makes me giddy inside to realize it has!

So what's in store for the new year? 

You know me. Forever changing, forever evolving. I gave it a lot of thought and have decided to make a few changes with my readers in mind and to continue my mission to support this wonderful writing community as much as I can. With that in mind, here is my new blogging schedule beginning in January:

Monday...my readers will still receive inspirational posts but I might expand it a bit more instead of just focussing on writing analogies.

Wednesday...as an extension of my FREE AUTHOR PROMOTION, I will create my BOOK NOOK REVIEWS in which I will shine the spotlight on various authors who have kindly provided autographed books as part of my giveaways during my city's Children's Festival of Reading every May. This way, not only do I get the chance to show off their books to the over 15,000 people who walk by my booth each year, but I will now expand that FREE AUTHOR PROMOTION to my over 2500 followers...and maybe THEIR followers as well as I help spread the word about great books!

Fridays...I'm trying something new. I'm calling it my TALES FROM THE BAYOU. Whenever I tell stories about some of the things that have happened to me both as a child  growing up in the swamps of Louisiana and as a young woman trying to find her way in the world, people have said, "you aught to write a book!" So I figure, why not just tell you about the wild and crazy things that helped me become the person I am today?  Some of my tales will be good for a chuckle, some might bring tears to your eyes, and some might even touch your heart. At least that is what I will set out to attempt and you, my dear readers, will let me know if I succeed or not.

Well, there you have it! A look back at the past two years of this blog and my life as a writer. What will the next two years hold? Maybe an agent offering representation? Maybe a book deal? Maybe another Chicken Soup story to add to my collection?

I can only hope...

Looking To The Future

Yesterday was a time of reflection.  It was my birthday and every year at this time I look back at the past 365 days.  I take a moment to say my goodbyes to the not so great moments since my last birthday and remind myself of all the wonderful blessings I've enjoyed over the past twelve months.

Goodbye to...

1. Restful sleep.  For some reason I am not sleeping as well as I have in the past. I have calculated that over the eleven weeks of summer I will have lost over 220 hours of sleep which equates to 27 1/2 DAYS of sleep at summers end which I can't get back.

2. My old mailbox. Things have been exceptionally quiet on the other side of the hedges and I can only pray it stays that way. My new mailbox isn't looking quite so new after the last 4 am party but it's still hanging in there and for that I am grateful.

3. Household clutter. I have been gathering things in preparation of a yard sale next month and my study is starting to pile up. I'm counting down the days and hopefully when it's over my house will be a little more empty and my pockets a little more full.

4. Rejection letters. I'm collecting those like trophies. All are wonderfully positive but in the end I am discovering my voice is too unique for this market. Either I need to uncover an agent who will boldly go where no agent has gone before...or I need to check out new markets.

Hats off to...

1. Publication. My short story "Shortcut To Peace" was picked up by Chicken Soup For The Soul: Angels Among Us and released in January of this year. It was a much needed validation that at least some of my writing has merit.

2. Picture Books. I started off last year with not even a strong idea for a story and now, after PiBoIdMo and 12 X 12, I have 9 solid stories with 5 of them ready for querying and the other four in final revision stages.

3. WIPs. I have 16 other works in progress where I have written the basic outline or even written a very rough draft but need to go further with them.

4. Novels. I worked some on Lacey's Bridge but it has been Lunadar: Homeward Bound which has captured my passion at the moment.  So little time and so much of this story floating around in my head and nowhere to go until I can free up some moments for my writing.

5. Nonfiction. Expanding in an arena I have had an interest in for more than a year.  Working on research is like searching for buried treasure! Can't wait to see what I uncover next.

6. Contests and submissions. I have spent time this year doing a lot of submissions. Agents, Contests. Magazines. I'm testing the waters and narrowing my search for representation.

7. Participating in Julie Hedlund's 12 X 12. Where else are you GUARANTEED an agent specializing in picture books will actually read your story? And in most cases, they are providing valuable feedback on how to improve our writing.

8. Rejection letters. Yeah, you read correctly. Hats go off to these as well because in the whole scheme of things they assure me that I am doing the right thing. I am getting myself familiar with the processes involved in getting my work seen by the right people. Those letters might contain NOs for now, but one day soon there will be a YES and then I will be forever grateful for the ones who taught me perseverance.

Goodbye to my old life when I was a year younger. I better grab some sunglasses. I'm looking to the future and my future is looking pretty bright!!

What Pink Elephant?

There are times when I can plainly see what is wrong with my manuscripts.  Maybe the words don't flow smoothly, or the characters stumble along not knowing where their path might lead them.  But a short revision and things are quickly back on track.  Then there are times when my blinders are on and no matter how hard I try, I still can't manage to see the pink elephant standing right in front of me.

You know the one...that big, cotton-candy pachyderm who storms his way through your story...pushing here and shoving there until your manuscript flounders to a stop.  If we, as writers, refuse to acknowledge when our words have gone astray, how can we ever hope to set things right?  Pride should not be the shield we hide behind, but rather that pride in our work should drive us to perfect those words, even if that means turning to others for help.

Critique groups, freelance editorial services, and workshops all offer ways to fine tune the craft of writing. The fact we write...and write every day...improves our stories with each polish but a single, individual look can still run the risk of not seeing the obvious.  That is why I like forums like Julie Hedlund's 12 X 12 (http://www.juliehedlund.com/registration-for-2013) where I can post portions of my stories for review.  

Authors and established writers have a chance to critique my work on Julie's forum while supporting my right to write.  Together we go in search of those pink elephants and banish them to other realms where they are more welcome.  Then all that is left is a strong story and just the memory of those pesky pink intruders trying to sneak into my stories in disguise...

One Word Is All It Takes...

(image courtesy of Zazzle.com)

Only six days into the new year and I feel like my writing is on fire!  Or maybe it NEEDS to be set on fire so I can start over?  I'm a talkative person.  I also read.  A lot.  I'm used to being around words.  You would think a person like me could put those two endeavors together and be able to tell a good story.  Or at least write one down.  But it takes just the right words strung together to create something the world wants to see.  Otherwise it's just vomiting words on paper for a personal, warm fuzzy feeling.

Julie Hedlund made the decision (and a rather tough one I'm sure) to expand what her 12 X 12 program will offer writers in 2013.  If you are just waking up to the new year and have no idea what I'm talking about, take a moment to go check out her post  here ...I'll wait.  

Like all new improvements to an already fabulous program, there are some bumps in the road, some fine tuning to be done, and Julie was burning it up yesterday trying to get everyone registered and linked to the closed Facebook group (12 X 12).  I should know as I was one of those people having just a bit of difficulty getting everything to work.  But that should be expected sometimes and certainly well worth the wait when you realize the fabulous benefits coming from joining.

I mean where else will a small time writer like myself on an even smaller budget have the chance to learn from industry leaders, get my work critiqued, be able to polish query letters with the help of others, AND have the chance to get my stories directly into the hands of agents/editors while bypassing the slush pile?  Now, I admit it took some heavy meditating on the decision to join...not because it wasn't worth every penny (despite some comments from a few people who seemed a tad upset Julie requested a small fee for all that will be available), but because I had to come to terms with just where I was in my writing career.

Am I really serious about taking something I've been doing for the past 40+ years to the next level?  Do I even have some type of writing talent to begin with?  Are there stories in my portfolio polished and ready to be submitted for an agent's or editor's review?  All it takes is one word to change my life...yes...and I can potentially get a little bit closer to following the footsteps of some children's book authors I have admired all my life.  

Just one word and a leap of faith in myself.  Not so hard when I really think about it.  And what a way to start out the new year!  What about you?  Are you ready for the next level...whatever that level may be?  Are you ready to take your writing more seriously and give yourself a chance to connect with the world in a whole new way?  All it takes is one little word...

Working Blindfolded

There are moments in a writer's life they will never forget.  The first "ahhh" story.  The first rejection letter.  The first acceptance email of your first story the world will see from you.  Even the first call from an agent saying they'd like to represent you.  But when you take time to think about it, those aren't really the "firsts" after all...

My first "ahhh" story was "Oh No Moe".  A little picture book I envisioned and received favorable comments from established professionals in the writing industry.  But that wasn't my true "first".  How can I forget about all the many days, nights, even months spent at this computer pouring over yet another story?  Buffing, polishing, shining until the best of me comes through.  Those are the "firsts" I need to remember for without them, "Oh No Moe" would never have been born.

Before that story was a little gem I called Super Duper Dog.  I thought I had a hit.  I thought I had the magic formula to a great picture book story.  And so I sent it off with a kiss to a publishing house accepting submissions.  And never heard a thing.  I mean crickets were screaming in the silence surrounding my query, for God's sake.  I was working blindfolded and never even knew it.

How I managed to stumble into this amazing writing community I'll  never know.  Maybe it was my participating in Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo.  Maybe it was being mentored and encouraged by great children's book authors like Suzanna Leonard Hill and others.  Maybe it was joining the writers hanging out with Julie Hedlund's 12 X 12 in 2012.  Or maybe it was the critiquing I received from Miranda Paul's Rate Your Story.  Whatever the trigger was, I felt a light bulb come on. Someone took the blindfold off and I could see my stories clearly.  All the bumps, bruises, and ugly scars I needed to deal with in order to become a better writer.

Was it scary?  Of course.  Did I doubt myself and the dreams I hold close to my heart?  You betcha.  But did I ultimately jump in with both feet and submerge myself in a sea of words...beautiful, tantalizing, mesmerizing, frustrating words that have the ability to drive me crazy at times?  Heck, yeah.  Because when it's all said and done, just what are we writers so worried about?

With billions of people living on this great blue marble, the chances that EVERYONE is going to like our stories is almost nil.  But what I DO know is that there will be someone out there who will one day open an email from me, or tear open a letter, or smile at me from across the table at a writer's conference and THEY will be mesmerized by my story.   And all those moments of working blindfold will have been worth it.