Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts

Monday, April 17, 2017

TAKING CHANCES & ROLLING THE DICE...

Yahtzee, Dice, Luck, Game, Throwing, Fun

To all my current and future #DCSPeeps (DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED), welcome to my new series in my continuing effort to inspire, amuse, and entertain you! Each Monday I will select a new word to analyze how it might apply to our writing lives and also give you a peek into my childhood growing up in the swamps of southern Louisiana, so kick back, put your feet up, and check out my story about TODAY'S WORD:

CHANCES

When I was in high school, I won the coveted position of editor of my school paper. Coveted by me, but not so much anyone else in the school.

You see, I've always wanted to be a writer.

Started reading when I was four years old.

Started writing poetry when I was 8.

Won my first writing contest when I was 11 and the grand prize? You guessed it...a book!

I took CHANCES back then with my writing. Sometimes the words I wrote worked and sometimes they didn't, but I always respected the freedom I had to choose whatever words I wanted to use at the time.

Back to the high school newspaper thing...

Halfway through the school year I asked for poetry submissions for our latest edition. Poems flowed in and I selected which ones I wanted to take a CHANCE on. The teacher who overlooked the paper didn't like my choices and decided to REWRITE the poems to suit his personal taste.

I was shocked and angered at what he did. So I did the only thing I could do.

I walked out in protest.

I took a CHANCE my protest would get the result I wanted...the freedom to run the paper as I saw fit...and after three weeks the teacher caved and asked me to come back. He promised he wouldn't touch the poetry again so I returned as editor for the rest of the school year.

As writers we take CHANCES all the time.

CHANCES we will finish our manuscripts.

CHANCES we will find just the right critique group, agent, publisher, etc. to help our stories come to life.

CHANCES we will find some level of success on this publishing path we travel.

And what are the CHANCES anything will come of our writing?

No one knows...but if you would have told me back in 2010 when I became a professional writer that in a few years time I would have two stories published, a blog read in over 20 countries, thousands of people reading what I write online, and tons of awesome writerly friends all over the world...I probably wouldn't have taken a CHANCE on believing any of it.

But today, I just sent out a full manuscript request of my YA fantasy romance novel, LUNADAR: HOMEWARD BOUND, to a publisher that just might take a CHANCE on me. So I say, lets roll the dice and take a CHANCE there's another publishing credit in my future!

I hope you have an AWESOME day today cuz you deserve it!

Children's book author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a 'ninja' writer of children’s picture books, middle grade chapter books and young adult novels by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books. She is also a book reviewer for Harper Collins, and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Donna is a lover of dark chocolate, good stories, and an adoptive mom to 20-pound guard kitty in Knoxville, Tennesse

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Monday, January 18, 2016

THE FIVE THINGS I LEARNED ON THE WAY TO PUBLISHING

http://paradigmstaffing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/pmo-lessons-learned.jpg

My debut picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, will celebrate it's one year book anniversary on Wednesday and I have learned a lot along the way to becoming a published author. I find it hard to think of another industry than kidlit publishing with such a high percentage of passionately hopefuls. While it took me over three years of diligently working on improving my writing before I received my book offer, there are five other things I learned during this past year:

1. YOU'RE BETTER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

Writers starting out in their careers are like beginner ice skaters. They wobble as they learn to get their feet under them and with the right amount of practice they are soon steady on their path to becoming a stronger writer. With the right amount of training and perseverance there may even be a chance they can become a star! Writers tend to be self-doubters but we really can become better than we think...

2. LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR

Sometimes newbie writers search to publish a story only their children or other family members have heard. Sometimes they think they must be the next great (insert mega famous author here) just because they managed to complete their debut novel of a mere 250,000 words. I learned early in my martial arts training that there is ALWAYS someone better than you and that goes for writers as well. There is ALWAYS something more to learn, more writerly wisdom to be learned by someone further along the publishing path than we are...

3. LEARN HOW TO BE A GOOD FRIEND

The actual act of writing can be a solitary endeavor but your writing career doesn't have to be. Everybody has to start somewhere in the kidlit world and there is a huge community of passionate, friendly people eager to lend a hang and help whenever needed to those on the same journey. No matter how celebrated some writers become, they always find a way to pay it forward and never forget to have good writing friends being one...

4. INVEST IN GOOD HIKING SHOES

Newer writers tend to look at the path to publication as a race and grab the first pair of running shoes handy. What they don't realize is the journey to becoming an author is actually more like a hike through a steep mountain range with highs and lows all along the way. Slow and steady will get a good writer to their destiny. That and a pair of good hiking shoes...

5. REMEMBER THE BLESSINGS NO MATTER HOW SMALL

As writers, it's easy to get caught up in things like writer's block, tough revisions that make us doubt our skills, and a stack of rejection letters for every story we're brave enough to send out into the world. That's why this month I created a blessings box where every day I try to write down at least one thing I'm grateful for. It could be a special friend who reminds me I deserve to be called an author whenever I doubt myself. Maybe it's a small contest I entered and was chosen as one of the winners. Whatever it may be, I write them down and save them for those low moments when I need a pick me up.

Not everything we learn as writers has strictly to do with the actual craft of writing. Sometimes the lessons learned simply make our writerly lives easier on our way to becoming published authors and that's okay by me!

My blessings box...;~)

Monday, March 16, 2015

3 HELPFUL TIPS ON SELECTING AN AGENT...

Somewhere over the rainbow...an agent waits for me.

Not just any kind of agent. One that feels like the perfect match for the kind of writer I am and the kind of writer I hope to be one day. An agent who sees the potential in my work and doesn't just feed me fluffy answers about how wonderful my stories are or how they are destined to become huge hits on the NYC best sellers list.

I have no illusions about my skills as a writer. I'm better than average. Some say good even. I write the kind of sweet, visual tales that can draw a reader in and make them hurry to get to the last page. But I told a friend of mine the other day I wish I could write more like her. HER stories are humorous. HER stories tend to have a broader marketability than I think mine might have but maybe I just underestimate my own skill level. HER stories have that punch to them that make readers pop up their heads like little gophers when they see her books on the shelves in bookstores. She writes the kind of stories you just KNOW people are going to like.

That's not to say my stories stink. In my heart of hearts I don't think they do. Some of my stories are silly and some are cute and some are even a wee bit scary. But they lean toward the heartfelt, sweeter variety and the agent I'm searching for will understand my own writer's voice and will be captivated by it.

So what's a writer to do when she thinks she is more of a niche writer but still has something to share with the world?

She makes sure she has the three key ingredients to attract the right kind of agent.

HAVE A STRONG WRITING FOUNDATION

When I first became a professional writer over five years ago I thought I had this writing thing down. I had story ideas and all I had to do was write them down. Surely then a publisher will be all too eager to publish my little story, right?

Wrong.

It took three long years of working really hard to improve my skills before my first story was picked up and another year before my picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, received a contract. If I want my dream agent to work really hard for my stories, then I need to make sure I provide them with the strongest writing I can possibly create. THAT will make my agent's job a whole lot easier and my writing future a whole lot brighter.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

Are you the kind of writer who looks for the big dollar signs? Maybe you are the type of writer who is expecting a three-book deal every time you send out a submission? Or possibly you are a writer who realizes you might have to start small and work your way up from there? Take the time to sit down and make a list of what is important to you when it comes to selecting an agent. Because I guarantee those agents you are submitting to have done the same thing and created a list of what they want from writers they are willing to work with.

Know before you get "the call" what could be a deal breaker for you. For me, it's honest communication. I don't need to hear from my agent every second of every day but I'm a big girl and can handle the truth. And I actually prefer it...

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

Agents come in all shapes and sizes...from new and hungry all the way to highly experienced and extremely selective with whom they are willing to work. That being said, every writer should take all their own "wants", add in the potential agent's "wants", and then listen to their gut when it comes to making the final decision of what agency to go with. Remember, you are choosing a partner that hopefully will be with you for the long term and if the personalities aren't a good fit, then you are creating more obstacles for yourself than is necessary.

Maybe I will find my agent at the end of the rainbow and maybe not, but at least...if the legends are true...I should still find a leprechaun hiding a pot of gold and THAT is the kind of luck I don't mind having!

Blurb:

Addie comes from a long line of readers, or “story catchers,” as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own, though, the words play tricks on her. Addie tries everything she can think of to corral those wiggly letters, but it will take a little faith to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords

THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB:

Fan club membership includes:

Membership Certificate

Bi-monthly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news and other goodies

Reading log for earning Story Catcher Award

Short story starring YOU!

http://donasdays.blogspot.com/p/story-catcher-fan-club.html

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuB8FQXcmM&feature=youtu.be

Monday, January 26, 2015

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO GETTING PUBLISHED

I want to tell you a little story I don't think I've told anyone yet. It's about when I when I was offered a book deal for THE STORY CATCHER.

I'd pitched my story during a Twitter pitch party and received a message from my future editor, Jessica Schmeidler. A number of emails soon followed where she expressed her interest in wanting to offer me a book contract. I was so naive to the whole publishing process back then I didn't even understand what she was offering. I had to ask her to repeat herself to make sure I had heard what I thought I was hearing. I'm sure she was probably laughing at me (in a good way) and I can't blame her. It was funny when you think about it.

Here I'd been writing for more than 40 years. Most of those years were just for me but for the past 5 years I focused all my efforts on having one of my books published and now Jessica was offering to fulfill my dream of becoming an author.

But do you know what is even funnier?

Just how much I've grown as a writer and what I'm capable of doing going forward with my career.

I never realized just the fact that one book being printed by an independent publisher would give me credibility with people in the writing community outside of my friends. Less experienced writers are now asking ME for advice and I have to laugh because it was not too long ago I was in their shoes. I can still feel what it's like to be overwhelmed with everything involved and while in no way do I consider myself an expert at this whole publishing thing, there are now people out there who do and that concept is very funny to me.

I've learned handling all aspects of marketing and promoting my book may not be beyond my ability to do and again, people are coming out of the woodwork asking my advice about things like they think I know what I'm doing which makes me laugh.

I'm also learning that my book, THE STORY CATCHER, has a special meaning to many people and I think that surprises me most of all. I was fortunate. I never had trouble reading and my son was blessed with the ability to read at a very young age. Addie's journey, however, is similar to many children today who struggle to corral those wiggly words long enough to catch their own stories. People are already beginning to tell me stories of either their own struggle with learning to read or how their children currently are struggling. THE STORY CATCHER reaches out to all generations and may end up touching more hearts than I ever imagined possible.

But you know what? My amazing editor, Jessica, knew it all along. She told me people would like the wonderful illustrations and they have. She told me people would connect with my story more than I would realize and they are.

It's funny how we writers think writing is a solitary business where we're never sure if someone will like what we write. The reality of it all is we are just creating a canvas of words where everyone knows how to use the colors but we just got to them first. And THAT'S the funniest thing of all...

*************

I hope you learned something new today and be sure to check back tomorrow for the next post in my month long celebration!

Blurb:

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords

THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB: Fan club membership includes:

Membership Certificate

Bi-monthly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news and other goodies

Reading log for earning Story Catcher Award

Short story starring YOU!

http://donasdays.blogspot.com/p/story-catcher-fan-club.html

Book Trailer:

Sunday, January 25, 2015

DO YOU REALLY NEED AN AGENT TO PUBLISH A BOOK?

Actors have agents. So do athletes. Why even a circus clown can have an agent so why not writers? But maybe the bigger question should be...do writers NEED an agent to publish a book?

Maybe not.

It's going to depend on what your end goal is. Have you put together some favorite family recipes and just need a few copies printed? Then you definitely don't need an agent. Maybe you've self-published quite a few titles on your own and feel fairly confident about the whole publishing thing but now want to consider expanding into a more traditional market? You might do just fine without an agent when subbing that next manuscript to a larger publishing house if you have decent books sales, like in the thousands, to back up the titles already out there.

I feel I was lucky since I didn't have an agent at the time Anaiah Press offered me a book contract for THE STORY CATCHER. Maybe it was because my manuscript was simply that compelling that it didn't need an agent to sing it's praises. Or maybe it was because Anaiah is a small press just starting out and was willing to give my book a chance. No matter the reason my book is proof that at least for one writer, an agent wasn't needed to get a book deal.

But for the majority of writers out there, if you have long term goals (like I do) of really wanting to make a career out of your writing, then securing an agent is probably the best way to increase your chances of receiving a contract offer.

Look at it this way. I can either cast my fishing line in my backyard pond where there might be one or two fishies to take a nibble at what I'm offering. Or...I can hop on that agent's charter boat that's willing to take me out in the middle of the ocean to help me land a whale of an offer. Which do you think I would want to go with??

And just in case you aren't sure where to start, here are some newer agents who are actively seeking new clients. They just might cover the genres you write in. Check them out by clicking on their agency links listed below: