WRITER'S RAINBOW

[margin notes] Honing the pitch: some excellent tips

2012-02-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a super useful blog post from Anne R. Allen that cobbles together some very specific tips for honing your pitches and other selling tactics. If your goal this year is to find representation and publish your book, this is required reading. Hooks, Loglines, and Pitches: What Every Writer Need to Know

[African-American History Month] Three novelists you might not have read yet

2012-02-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

Touré in 2006

February is National African-American History Month. Writer's Rainbow will be posting a weekly citation of individuals who helped to put African-American literature on the map. This year's theme, chosen by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is "Black Women in American Culture and History." Writer's Rainbow joins in celebrating those African American women who helped to shape our nation's rich multicultural identity and to remind us all to study and reflect on the value of their contributions to American history. Thus, my citations will lean toward women's voices in literature. Writers are listed in birth order (oldest first).

CHARLOTTE CARTER

(1946 - )
Best known for her challenges to crime and mystery writing conventions as well as her evocative settings.
Series

The Nanette Hayes series
The Cook County Mystery series

What critics say: "Charlotte Carter (in Trip Wire: A Cook County Mystery) blends street savvy with wry urbanity and delivers a truly modern big-city crime tale." -- The New York Times

NNEDI OKORAFOR-MBACHU

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio (1974- )
Best known for donating her archive to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Collection of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the Northern Illinois University Library.
Novels

Zahrah the Windseeker
The Shadow Speaker
Long Juju Man
Akata Witch
Who Fears Death
Iridessa and the Secret of the Never Mine

What critics say: "There's more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." -- Ursula K. Le Guin

TOURÉ

Born in Boston, Massachusetts (1971- )
Best known for being an NBC contributor and regular on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show. Also the host of The HipHop Shop and On the Record (both aired on Fuse network).
Novel

Soul City

What critics say: "Touré has a knack for putting his subjects at ease, and he blends their intriguing candor with apt observations on the nature of their careers. He describes his own place in events without overshadowing the story itself. He's just interested in bringing us along for the ride, even if that means sitting shotgun while DMX pulls a full-speed 180 in a Cadillac Escalade on Sunset Boulevard." -- Publishers Weekly

[margin notes] Help for unpublished writers is on the way!

2012-02-13T16:42:00.000-08:00

Have you visited Authors on Show yet? Here's a description of what they do:

"We are a site that promotes unpublished authors looking for an agent and those who are unpublished or self-published and seeking to secure a traditional publishing deal. We have recently also been promoting self-published authors to give them a helping hand in being seen, but are now reverting back to the original role of helping those who are unpublished."

Sounds like something you'd like to check out? Visit them here.

[margin notes] Check out these tools in Jay Lake's toolbox

2012-02-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

I love the way writer Jay Lake breaks out the differences between writing the short story and the novel in his counterpoint to a recent post from Richard Parks. And you might be surprised to find out that he DOESN'T say writing a short story is like writing the chapter of a novel. Check it out at jlake.com.

[African-American History Month] Read a play a day this week!

2012-02-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

"Zora Neale Hurston" image courtesy Library of Congress

February is National African-American History Month. Writer's Rainbow will be posting a weekly citation of individuals who helped to put African-American literature on the map. This year's theme, chosen by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is "Black Women in American Culture and History." Writer's Rainbow joins in celebrating those African American women who helped to shape our nation's rich multicultural identity and to remind us all to study and reflect on the value of their contributions to American history. Thus, my citations (seven per week) will lean toward women's voices in literature. Writers are listed in birth order (oldest first).

W.E.B. DUBOIS

Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts (1868-1963)
Best known for being a co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), DuBois also founded the Krigwa Little Theater in 1926 and advocated that all African American theater should be "about, by, for, and near Blacks."
Notable works

Plays: Playthings of the Night
Essays: The Souls of Black Folk
Magazine: The Crisis

Famous Quote: "The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife,—this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost... He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American..."

GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON

Born in Atlanta, GA (1880-1966)
Best known as the poet who hosted 40 years of weekly "Saturday Salons."
Notable works

Plays: Blue Blood, Plumes
Poetry: An Autumn Love Cycle, The Heart of a Woman and Other Poems

Famous Quote: "Your world is as big as you make it."

ZORA NEALE HURSTON

Born in Notasulga, Alabama (1891-1960)
Best known for being an anthropologist and folklorist, her literary work was left to relative obscurity for most of her life to be appreciated more widely after she died.
Notable works

Plays: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Literary Anthropology: Mules and Men, Tell My Horse
Memoir: Dust Tracks on the Road

Famous Quote: "I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all... I do not weep at the world--I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife."

LANGSTON HUGHES

Born in Joplin, MO (1902-1967)
Best known for his focus on the real lives of blacks in lower social-economic classes and criticized biases based on skin color within the black community.
Notable works

Plays: Black Nativity, Soul Gone Home, Mulatto, Little Ham
Poetry: Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz, Montage of a Dream Deferred
Fiction: The Ways of White Folks

Famous Quote: "I swear to the Lord, I still can't see, Why Democracy means, Everybody but me."

JAMES BALDWIN

Born in Harlem, New York (1924-1987)
Best known for his social criticism of integration for both African Americans and homosexuals.
Notable works

Plays: Blues for Mister Charlie, The Amen Corner
Essays: Notes on a Native Son, The Fire Next Time
Novels: Go Tell It On the Mountain

Famous Quote: "Education is indoctrination if you're white, subjugation if you're black."

LORRAINE HANSBERRY

Born in Chicago, Illinois (1930-1965)
Best known for her family's battle against racial segregation in Chicago. She also supported the American lesbian liberation movement.
Notable works

Plays: A Raisin in the Sun, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window

Famous Quote: "Never be afraid to sit awhile and think."

SUZAN LORI-PARKS

Born in Fort Knox, Kentucky (1963- )
Best known for winning the 2002 Pulitzer prizewinner for drama. Wrote a short play each day From November 2002 to November 2003.
Notable works

Plays: Topdog/Underdog, In the Blood
Screenplays: Their Eyes Were Watching God (adaptation), Girl 6

Famous Quote: "I realized that my circumstances, while causing me despair and heartbreak, also held great possibility, if only I could see it. I knew that I was learning one of the most important lessons of my life: that instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, I should work toward a realization that every opportunity is perfect. Each moment is perfect and heaven-sent, in that each moment holds the seeds for growth. Difficulty creates the opportunity for self-reflection and compassion."

[margin notes] Show, don’t sell

2012-02-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Check out editor Alan Rinzler's new author pitch: Show, don’t sell. As always, excellent advice from one of today's most savvy book editors.

[margin notes] How 2011's avid book buyers behaved in the marketplace

2012-02-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

Want to get a snapshot of book-buying behavior over the last year (including both print and electronic books)? Here's a really interesting and easy-to-read and understand survey from Verso Digital that's really worth checking out:

2011 Survey of Book-Buying Behavior

Pacific Northwest Regional Writers' Calendar [Feb 1-29]

2012-02-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

"Theo Chocolate Logo," Ballard/Seattle, WA.
©2010, 2012 Tamara Kaye Sellman. All Rights Reserved.

Note: The following calendar highlights literary events in the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR) region. I choose these highlights based upon personal interests and the interests of my regular readers. I cannot hope to be all-inclusive for every appearance or reading or workshop in the region so I do apologize if I've left out your particular event. I also cannot be held responsible for cancelled or rescheduled events, as these occur far beyond my control.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
I'm excited to announce the upcoming launch of the anthology, Penumbra: Speculative Fiction from the Pacific Northwest, at Eagle Harbor Books (Bainbridge Island, WA) at 730p. Event is free and open to the public. If you're a reader of this blog, you already know that I'm a contributor to this anthology and also served as production editor and coordinator. It would be great to see you all there!

Also to note: National Novel Editing Month is March. You can prepare to revise your NaNoWriMo novel from last year next month by registering at the NaNoEdMo website.

Feb 1
Kristin Hannah (Home Front) reads from her book at Liberty Bay Books (Poulsbo, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 2
Katherine Grace Bond is now teaching workshops for adults modeled on her popular Teen Writing Program. “Adult Write” Winter: Map Your Novel (Duvall, WA) starts Thurs Feb 2 and meets for 6 sessions (skipping March 8) at 630p. Workshop is $175. Registration
Michele Longer Edo (Salt in Our Blood: The Memoir of a Fisherman's Wife) reads from her book for the Portlandia Group Luncheon at Portland City Grill (Portland, OR) at 7p. Event is $35 and requires registration at Portlandia.org.

Feb 3
Christopher Howell (Gaze) reads from her book at Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 4
Sheila Bender of Writing it Real hosts a one-day Flash Fiction/Flash Nonfiction workshop at The Writer's Workshoppe (Port Townsend, WA) at 10a. Six-hour intensive workshop is $80. Register

Feb 5
Ellen Sweets (Stirring It Up With Molly Ivins) reads from her book at Elliott Bay Books (Capitol Hill/Seattle, WA) at 2p. This event is free and open to the public.

Feb 7
YA author Jolie Stekly moderates a panel discussion on using Scrivener and Margaret Chodos-Irving (Ella Sarah Gets Dressed) offers portfolio critiques for this month's meeting of the Western Washington SCBWI held at 6:45p at Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA) in Demaray Hall, Room 150. $10 for nonmembers; $8 with membership card.

Feb 8
William Landay (Defending Jacob) will sign his new book at Seattle Mystery Bookshop (Seattle, WA) at noon. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 9
Paula Friedman (The Rescuer's Path) headlines this month's It's About Time Writers Reading Series (Ballad Neighborhood, Seattle, WA) at 6p. She'll be joined by Larry Ebersole and Don Harmon. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 10
Pam Houston (Contents May Have Shifted) read from her new book at Powell's City of Books (Portland, OR) at 730p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 11
Matt Ruff (The Mirage) reads from his book at the Seattle Public Library Ballard Branch (Ballard/Seattle, WA) at 1p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 12
Carola Dunn (Gone West) reads from her book at Murder by the Book (Portland, OR) at 2p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 14
Peter Zuckerman leads the writing workshop, "Triage Revising More Effectively," at the Attic Institute (Portland, OR) at 730p. Workshop is $40. Registration

Feb 15
Ramona Ausubel (No One Is Here Except All of Us) reads from her book at Powell's City of Books on Burnside (Portland, OR) at 7:30p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 16
Jeannine Hall Gailey (She Returns to the Floating World) and Martha Silano (The Little Office of Immaculate Conception: Poems) headline the SoulFood Poetry Night at Soul Food Books (Redmond, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public; open mic follows.

Feb 17
JA Jance (Left for Dead) will read from her work at Port Book and News (Port Angeles, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 18
Ismet Prcic (Shards) reads from his work to launch the 2012 Manzanita Writers' Series held at Hoffman Center (Manzanita, OR) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 19
Cheryl Strayed reads from her work at 7p at Newport Visual Arts Center (Newport, OR) for the Nye Beach Writers' Series. Event is $6; free to students.

Feb 21
Elizabeth George (In the Presence of the Enemy) presents her work for the Whatcom Reads! Author Event at Blaine Performing Arts Center (Blaine, WA) at 730p. This event is free and open to the public.

Feb 22
Lisley Tenorio (Monstress) reads from her book at Powell's City of Books on Burnside (Portland, OR) at 7:30p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 23
Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm) reads from his work at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (Portland, OR) at 730p in a special event sponsored by Portland Arts & Lectures. Tickets start at $15 with student discounts. Tickets

Feb 25
Brayden Hirsch (Shadow Catalyst) reads from his book at Elliott Bay Books (Capitol Hill/Seattle, WA) at 5p. This event is free and open to the public.

Feb 26
Ryan Boudinot (Blueprints of the Afterlife) reads from his new book at Eagle Harbor Books (Bainbridge Island, WA) at 3p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 27
Tupelo Hassman (Girlchild) reads from her book at Powell's City of Books on Burnside (Portland, OR) at 7:30p. Event is free and open to the public.

Feb 28
The Richard Hugo House (Capital Hill/Seattle, WA) hosts Matthew Hooper, who will review a typical literary contract and discuss issues directly affecting writers in a free presentation intended to help local authors better understand their legal rights. Event takes place at noon.

Feb 29
Kevin Fox (Until the Next Time) will read from his book at Village Books (Fairhaven neighborhood, Bellingham, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

[margin notes] January is over: do you know where your resolutions are?

2012-01-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

I have been a resolution maker for quite a few years now, but this year I resisted. It seems that no matter how scaled back I make my resolutions, however realistic I write them, they're still more than I can manage. Okay, so I've always been way too ambitious for my own good. But now that I'm my forties, I recognize that and don't have a problem with shedding projects or saying no to new ones if it means keeping up with the ones I already have that I really want to complete and succeed at.

Anyway, what good can come when I don't keep my resolutions? I feel like a failure for not making them all my new favorite priorities. Which is ridiculous. My priorities will always be my family, writing on my terms, my health, a creative life, etc. These aren't goals, they are ideals that I have already obtained and want to maintain. Why aren't they enough?

So I think I resisted writing resolutions this year because, sometimes, I think focusing on self-improvement doesn't allow me to see where I'm already doing well. Resolutions don't take into account what's already working. It's like saying you don't have anything to eat for dinner when, really, your pantry is full; you just don't have that key ingredient for that fabulous feast you wanted to make. Or it's like you're sitting around, bored, because the power's gone out; meanwhile, you have a closet full of board games to play with your kids.

Most of us have more abundance at our fingertips than we are aware of. Most of us, as writers, are also doing far better then we ever credit ourselves for.

The impulse to always do better can backfire in this way.What about doing "good enough" or completing things "merely" to my own satisfaction, without the yardstick of someone else's values prevailing? Not every project I take must be launched in a Mt. Everest all-or-nothing attempt. That includes writing.

Thanks to ZenHabits blogger Leo Babauta, I felt much better about not writing resolutions this year when I read his post, Quashing the Self-Improvement Urge. If you wonder if, maybe, goal-setting is actually counterproductive and out of balance with the life you are living in this moment, you might find this a liberating piece.

[margin notes] Writing a Grand Finale

2012-01-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

I love editor Alan Rinzler's advice. He has so much experience and he really knows a good book when he reads one. And best of all, he generously shares his ideas for all writers to consider.

One of my big challenges, of late, has been in fine-tuning the ending of my novel. Here's what Rinzler has to say about Grand finales: Tips for writing great endings. Hope you find it as helpful as I did!

[margin notes] Can you mess up your online author's platform? || The Creative Penn

2012-01-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

Joanna Penn highlights 7 Social Networking Mistakes To Avoid, and she's spot on, as usual... but you're improving upon your platform this year anyway, as a New Year's resolution, right? RIGHT?

[margin notes] Self-Publishing: A Three Step Primer

2012-01-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you've decided you're going to take a risk and self-publish your latest book. It was hard enough to make that decision, let alone to follow through. Need some targeted first-timer's guidance? Writers On The Move offers a A Three Step Primer to get you started with self-publishing.

[margin notes] Join a Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

2012-01-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

Do you have a new book out or forthcoming but don't have a lot of marketing support from your publisher? Are you self-publishing your book? Do you feel like you're alone and deep in the weeds when it comes to getting the word out about this manuscript you've worked so hard on?

Rachel Harrie offers writers one solution that draws on the talents and resources of an entire community of writers: the Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

[margin notes] Getting published can break your heart? You bet it can

2012-01-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

I love Anne R. Allen's reality checks!

I haven't gone as far as publishing a book of my own and being heartbroken about it, but I can see how it's possible (I've been heartbroken about covers of anthologies my work has appeared in, does that count?).

But one thing I've learned as an editor and writing coach, (then,I suppose, re-learned as a writer) over the last few months is how "in the weeds" most writers are about the world of publishing... how so many believe they have a lot more power than they do when it comes to working with a legacy publisher, OR the converse, how so many believe they have a lot more freedom than they do when it comes to working the electronic, self-published route.

Check it out: this is a great guest post from Ruth Harris: Blog: 6 Prescriptions to Cure the Heartbreak of Being Published

[rant] Be "all in" or don't bother

2012-01-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

This is not the portrait of a successful writer.

Listen, I'm not saying that it's right that writers have to spend equal amounts of time marketing their work as they do writing it. But if I hear one more writer tell me "I don't have the time for that," while complaining that no one will publish them because they don't have a platform, even though they proclaim a bazillion credits and decades of expertise behind them, I think I might just hang up on them.

Yes, hang up.

I got a call from someone the other day who was looking for an agent. (Which I'm not and never have been.)

Dear writer:

Mistake number one: Don't call an agent outright. Or anybody else, for that matter, unless you have more than a passing in-real-life acquaintance with them.

Mistake number two: Check my website first. If you had gone to my website you would have seen right away that I retired my business more than a year ago and stopped taking clients almost two years ago. And you would have also figured out I wasn't an agent.

This writer, after finding out I wasn't her magic bullet, proceeded to wail and complain that she had physical issues that kept her from writing for more than an hour or two at a time.

Dear writer:

Mistake number three: Even able-bodied people can't hope to squeeze in that much time between parenting and working and caring for aging parents, etc. EVERYBODY'S BUSY. I hate to seem so insensitive here, but my friend, the writer Jay Lake, has gone through, what, his fourth year of cancer treatment (chemo, etc.) while still being a single working dad and he's still just as productive as ever. If you really want something, you work around your obstacles.

Then this writer complained that she didn't feel like she needed a platform, she had several decades of expertise to back up everything and putting together a book proposal was a waste of time.

Dear writer:

Mistake number four: You should never assume you can just write well and that's all you have to do. Books, regardless whether they are commercial or academic or niche-driven, are still things that require manufacturing, and manufacturing isn't free. Book publishers and sellers and distributors also take a cut. For a book to pay off, you and your subject matter need some sort of pre-publication proving ground, which is what a book proposal is: a sales tool. If you can sell your idea to a publisher, then that means they believe they can sell your book to readers. If all you have is a manuscript, that's all they have to go on. There are thousands of writers willing to go the extra step. You really can't expect to compete with them unless you play the same game, can you?

Mistake number five: If you are that big an expert, then putting together a book proposal on a subject you know as closely as the back of your hand should be a cinch. Get to work!

This writer then went on to talk about all the Big Names she knew in publishing.

Dear writer:

Mistake number six: You are not going to know more about your industry that someone working the ropes 24-7. Name dropping doesn't make up for the hard work of putting together a platform or a proposal.

I tried in every possible and polite way to tell this writer I was not going to be able to help her and offered her the link to my referral page so that she might be able to find someone more appropriate to her needs. She knocked down every person whose name I brought up.

Dear writer:

Mistake number seven: If you're not a published writer, you don't have any business cutting down those editors out there who could help you attain that goal. Editors DO know many many things that writers don't.

Mistake number eight: Social skills are tantamount here; if you get the feeling the person on the other end of the line is trying to close the conversation, take a clue.

When I suggested that this writer might be better off choosing the self-publishing route, she said she couldn't because of her physical limitations and because she didn't have the time to learn how to do that.

Dear writer:

Mistake number nine: If you don't know how to do something, find out! Or hire someone, or meet with a group of like-minded writers and help each other out. If you can't do something because of some limitation, then surely you are used to asking for help at this point? If you aren't willing to ask for help, then you really can't expect to make any forward progress otherwise, can you?

Then the writer began to ask me questions about my background.

Dear writer:

Mistake number ten: Don't waste my time, I already told you I couldn't help you and offered you some other options. There I was, in my robe on the couch recuperating from a bad case of gastroenteritis that put me in the hospital. I had no business even being on the phone. And you didn't even ask if it was a good time for me to talk. Yet I listened, I was kind and you still took away time I will never get back.

That was MY mistake.

The title of this post says it all. "Be ALL IN or don't bother." It's the state of the union these days. Either you really want to be a published writer with a real career or you really don't. If you really want it, then you will find a way. If it all sounds like too much hassle, then find yourself another career and write for yourself as a hobby. It's not that I wish to dissuade people from their dreams, but publishing has undergone huge disruption over the last decade and there's really no end in sight regarding these changes. Those who are willing to learn, to make mistakes, to put in the time, to make it work: you'll do fine. But those who think they know it all, aren't willing to try new things, don't feel the need to follow the rules or have the work ethic really can't hope to get beyond a manuscript tucked inside a drawer, never to be seen.

Rant is concluded.

Blackout to protest SOPA and SPIPA

2012-01-17T22:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.stopthewall.us/?gclid=CIm_v9j32K0CFQp9hwodwFOFlA

[letters] The MFA in hard times: a good investment?

2012-01-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Recently I received this email inquiry and thought I would share it with all of you because I think it speaks to a common concern among writers. The writer of the email has extended me permission to reprint it here.

Dear Ms. Sellman,

I apologize for the unsolicited email, but I just read your 2007 article on how to have an accomplished writer's life without an MFA.

I wanted to thank you for both writing and publishing this piece on the internet. I am currently in an MFA program and with a very heavy heart have decided to end my affiliation with the University. Perhaps I am the most challenged writer on the planet, but in this economy I just don't feel I am getting a return on my investment. I work full time in Federal law enforcement, travel globally, have a family and writing was my only escape -- my mini vacation.

Unfortunately, the MFA program turned me away from wanting to write. It took the pleasure out of reading and the fun out of writing. Pulling out of the MFA program was the same feeling a person gets when they realize they've just lost their wallet -- panic. Obtaining an MFA had always been on my bucket list, I was thrilled when I got accepted into the program. I couldn't wait to dive in and start learning -- it literally drained the creativity right out of me. At this point in time, my BA in Liberal Arts will have to suffice.

I've survived three police academies, Iraq, Afghanistan, several high profile federal investigations and have a passion for biometrics. I'm a bit disappointed that I've quit on this MFA -- but it just doesn't seem like a fit for me. I wanted to learn to tell a story that people would enjoy and get lost in. Reading your article made me realize I don't need an MFA to do all this. I just need to commit the time to develop this passion. I accept that mastering time management and the obligations of everyday life will always be a challenge for me. I will always be a work in progress.

I'm committed to reading some of your work with the "new" time I have carved out of my schedule.

Again, thanks for being a great inspiration and a much needed sage for those of us still swirling in words out here.

Your guidance and advice is more appreciated than I could ever convey.

Regards,

MaryJo Thomas

And here was my reply:

MaryJo, thanks for writing. I'm really glad my thoughts about the MFA have been helpful for you. It's interesting... I gave that presentation long before the economy tanked and now I think just as you do that it is not going to provide the return of your investment that you really need these days.

Also, the expansion of opportunities for writers outside the legacy publishing world has made it possible for writers to achieve their dreams without the aid of expensive creative writing degrees or high-profile agents (I expect they may be an extinct species, except for those who work with celebrities, within 5 years).

On top of it all is the bountiful world of learning via the Internet as well as a lot of great freelance/indy editors and book developers out there who can help you bring your work to life out in the world.

Where there's a will, there's a way, right? More than ever before, you can find all sorts of affordable ways to learn to become a better writer without shelling out thousands of dollars to do it.

Tamara

[margin notes] Time to clean up your writing space

2012-01-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

With the holiday decorations put away, it's now time for me (and, probably, for you) to clean out the ol' writing space. I don't know a writer out there who doesn't work in a firetrap of some kind or another. Aside from the fact that your writing space is a firetrap, it's also a dust trap, a dead spider wasteland, a bacteria factory (just your keyboard alone!) and a repository for all sorts of other things that shouldn't be there (like, all the board games you got out to play for the holidays, maybe?). Leo Babauta at Zen Habits offers some handy ways to tackle the clutter monster.

[margin notes] Suspense Novelist: Self-Editing, Elizabeth George Style

2012-01-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

There are never enough articles that talk about this. And I like it that the image they incorporate in this blog is a pair of scissors. Yep. Thanks to the blog, Suspense Novelist, for sharing Self-Editing, Elizabeth George Style.

2012 Guide to Pacific Northwest Writer's Conferences and Conventions (WA, OR, ID, MT, BC)

2012-01-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

Creative Commons image: "Conference Table."
This file is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Pacific Northwest writers have no excuse for not attending at least one conference or convention a year, as the region hosts a multitude of events for every kind of writer.

YEAR ROUND
(Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012!) Fishtrap, Inc. || Enterprise, OR

JAN
RustyCon SciFi Convention || SeaTac, WA || Jan 20-22

FEB

South Coast Writers Conference || Gold Beach, OR || Feb 17-18
Potlatch || Seattle, WA || Feb 24-26

Rainforest Writers Village || Quinault, WA || Feb 29-Mar 4

MAR
Whidbey Island Writers Conference || Coupeville, WA || Mar 3-4

Rainforest Writers Village || Quinault, WA || Mar 7-11

Writing the Breakout Novel with Donald Maass || Hood River, OR|| Mar 26-Apr 1

APR
Norwescon SciFi Convention || SeaTac, WA || Apr 5-8

The Get Lit! Literary Festival || Spokane, WA || Apr 10-15

(Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012!) Oregon Writers Colony Writers Conference || Newport, Or || Apr 25

SCBWI Western Washington Children's Book Conference || Redmond, WA || Apr 21-22
Field's End Writers' Conference || Suquamish, WA || Apr 28

MAY
Icicle Creek Writers Retreat || Leavenworth, WA || May 4-8

Write on the River Writers Conference || Wenatchee, WA || May 19-20

CryptiCon Horror Writers Convention || SeaTac, WA || May 25-27

MisCon SciFi Convention || Missoula, MT || May 25-28

JUN
West Coast Haunters Convention || Portland, OR || Jun 1-3

ClarionWest SciFi Writers Summer Intensive || Seattle, WA || Jun 17-Jul 27

Chuckanut Writers Conference || Bellingham, WA || Jun 22-23

JUL

WesterCon || SeaTac, WA || July 5-8

(NEW! Two week-long conferences, back to back!) Centrum's Port Townsend Writers' Conference || Port Townsend, WA || Jul 8-15, July 15-22

Tin House Summer Writers Workshop || Portland, OR || Jul 8-15

PNWA Summer Writers Conference || SeaTac, WA || July 19-22
Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival || Denman Island, Vancouver, BC || Jul 19-22

AUG

Willamette Writers Conference || Portland, OR || Aug 3-5
SpoCon SciFi Writers Convention || Spokane, WA || Aug 12-14

(Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2012!) Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts || Sechelt, Vancouver, BC || Aug 16-19
Sun Valley Writers' Conference || Sun Valley, ID || Aug 17-20

SEPT
Foolscap Convention || Redmond, WA || Sept 21-23

OCT
Environmental Writing Institute || Missoula, MT || Oct 3-7

Montana Festival of the Book || Missoula, MT || Oct 4-6

Write on the Sound || Edmonds, WA || Oct 6-7

Wordstock Literary Writers Festival || Portland, OR || Oct 11-14
Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival || Vancouver, BC || Oct 16-21

Women Writing the West || Lynwood, WA || Oct 19-21
Surrey International Writers' Conference || Surrey, BC || Oct 19-21
Emerald City Writers Conference || Bellevue, WA || Oct 26-28
SteamCon SciFi Writers Convention || Bellevue, WA || Oct 26-28

NOV
The Nature of Words || Bend, OR || Nov 2-6
OryCon SciFi Writers Convention || Portland, OR || Nov 11-13

Creative Commons image: "Conference Table." This file is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

[the writer's platform] Mailing List Development

2012-01-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

This is the January 2012 entry for The Writer's Platform series.

One of the first things writers should do, but don't always think to do (or want to do) is start developing a mailing list. Believe me, you want to start on this early... there's nothing worse than having a future publisher ask you for your network contacts and not being able to respond with a solid list (or stopping all work on a project that's on deadline to generate a half-a#$ mailing list).

Listen, I get it, it's not the most exciting and glamorous part of the writer's platform. But it's necessary and super worthwhile to start now, even if all you do is set up a cursory list. You have to start somewhere!

The Mailing List
Really, what I'm talking about are two lists. One is for digital contacts; it includes basic identifying info plus URLs and email addresses. The other is for traditional contacts: identifying info plus surface mail addresses and phone numbers. Why the second one? If you want to do trade in print books, you'll need this info to send out ARCs (advance review copies), for one thing. Also, postcards are still a decent and inexpensive way to get the word out, so don't discount direct mail as part of your bigger plan.

The good news is you can incorporate both the digital and the traditional contacts into a single file. How to do that? If you're familiar with setting up spreadsheets and/or databases, then you already have your favorite software in mind. Use that. Seriously. And if you already have something resembling a contact list in a web mail manager like Constant Contact, then you can export the data there to start a more comprehensive list in a database or spreadsheet file that resides on your home computer. Use whatever you've already got (Google Spreadsheets, Microsoft Access or Excel, FileMaker Pro). Don't waste your energy learning new tricks if you don't have to. Building a platform will be enough of a learning curve; save the rest of your brain space for your writing.

Luddites, it's not too late!
If you have NO IDEA what I am talking about when I say "spreadsheet" or "database," that means you DO have a learning curve. You can't really do this part of your platform without this kind of basic knowledge. I know, I know, I hear you cursing my name in the darkness, but the fact is that writers can no longer rely on "just writing well" to sell books. These strategies aren't really optional anymore for writers who want to publish even just one book. This is 21st Century publishing, after all.

My suggestion? Take a class at a local college or follow an online webinar that teaches the basics for these kinds of software options. You may just discover that these hard-working computer tools can help you in myriad ways besides the writer's platform, too! And today, these computer programs are super easy to learn (when compared to what they were 15 years ago), so don't be intimidated.

Or, you can be intimidated, you can decide you don't need this extra busywork, and I'll just say, well, good luck to you then. Your choice. But do you really want to be the odd man out in the increasingly competitive and disrupted world of publishing?

Setting up the list
Okay, so how do you set up your mailing list? It's important to set up your system before adding contacts so that you can be as thorough as you can when performing the data entry necessary to complete each contact. Basic identifying info should include:

Contact first and last name
Contact job title
Contact place of business, organization or other affiliation
Contact surface mail address (street, city, state, zip); international contacts should have separate "cells" for their postal codes so you can spot them at a glance when preparing mailing labels, etc.)
Contact email address
Contact phone numbers (work, cell, home as appropriate to your project)
Contact URLs (relevant to your project: their workplace website, their blog, their social network landing page, etc.)
Also useful: a cell indicating where and when you met this contact (if you do a lot of conferences or other networking) and/or any other info that will help you remember them later

Filling up the list
It won't take long to set up your mailing list with these basic categories. What takes longer is filling in the blanks. Thankfully, if you have that info more or less close at hand, then you just have to spend some time with data entry until you get everyone "plugged in."

Note: There will always be people you want to include, but you won't have all their information right there. That's okay. This first stage is just to plug them into the list, even if all you have is a name.

The next stage, then, is to research the missing information and plug it in. This is a good thing to do between writing sessions; you use a different part of your brain when researching than you do when writing new narrative (or revising). Think of this rather tedious job of mailing list development as a way to keep your brain muscles limber and that should help you get past the fact it's pretty boring work (because it is).

Once you have a beginning mailing list, pat yourself on the back. This is not a project you start and complete in one day. It's an ongoing information "trap" that you will, with the luck of a publishing opportunity, use as a critical part of your publicity campaign. Trust me, you'll be glad you did the work ahead of time. My suggestion? Spend your time entering or updating contacts while watching your favorite TV show. Storage Wars and I have become good friends this way!

Who to include?
This might be the most pressing question for many of you. Whether you do a lot of networking or just have a small circle of contacts, it's important to include anyone who might have an interest in your book (either because they want to read it, they want to sell it, they want to promote it, they support your ideas, they are your best friend, etc.). That means everyone! How do you approach your "keeper" list without overwhelming yourself?

I break things down into smaller parts all the time, not only in mailing list development, but in writing, in household tasks, everything. Learn to compartmentalize and you can get your mind around just about any monolithic project.

I had four areas of focus when I first developed my list. These subcategories still exist as I maintain my lists. (Yes, that's plural: I have separate lists because I have some really disparate projects that demand I keep contacts separate; while these lists have some crossover, they don't include each other's lists in their entirety). These lists, as I've deconstructed below, are probably not exhaustive, but they do offer you jumping off points for thinking about who to include. If you can think of other subcategories to include, by all means, go for it. Also, you may have people who fit into more than one subcategory. Great! They might be some of your best advocates down the road. The point is to include them in the master mailing list somewhere; no need for repeat entries.

List subcategories
1. First, there is the Personal list, which is comprised of people you know (for real):

Personal friends
Family members
Neighbors
Writing peers
Classmates
Alumni
Writing group members
Coworkers, past
Coworkers, present
Your published writing friends
Your want-to-be published writing friends
Those friends with a personal interest in your subject matter

Intimidated by the idea of approaching people with your book or book idea? You need to learn to get over that and be your book's best advocate. Your confidence will generate confidence in others. But cold calling is a rough place to start if you're not the most extroverted person in the world. The easiest way to practice this is to approach people you know.

Think of approaching them like you would job interviews. Let's say you have 3 interviews. You really want job #3, but you interview with jobs #1 and #2 first, anyway, because you would still take those jobs if you didn't get job #3. Practicing during those first two interviews is a great opportunity to polish yourself for that third interview, right? Practicing on people you know offers the same opportunity to get the nerve and confidence you need to move forward in promoting your book or book idea.

Use your judgment, all the same. Your contact list shouldn't be arbitrary (just like your short-form submissions shouldn't be blanket submissions; nobody likes to be carpet-bombed!). Make sure you include only and all of those people you know who might have an interest in your book.

2. Second, there is the Industry list, which is comprised of people you probably don't know, but can find information for:

Agents
Editors
Publishers
Writers in your field who you don't know personally
Experts in your subject matter
Publishing bloggers
Writing magazine columnists
Mentors or teachers
Media members (newspaper editors, radio program contacts, contact managers for websites, YouTube and Flickr contacts)
Special interest organizations and affiliations
Independent booksellers
Librarians

This list will require some research. But in researching all of these people, you will also gain a bit more insight into the publishing industry, into your specific subject matter and into the inner workings of publicity. People on this list will change frequently, so keep your radar up as you do your research so you can keep their information up to date.

Another way to increase additions to this list category is to ask for the business cards of relevant people you meet during conferences, workshops and other events.

3. Third, there is the Network list, which is comprised of people you may or may not know but who you have opportunities to network with in real life or online:

Writing conference organizers
Writing organization contacts
University department heads
Book groups
Members of sister or separate writing groups from your own
Literary events
Author readings
Writing retreats
Like minded bloggers
Social network “friends” (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and the like)

Again, collect those business cards wherever and whenever you can "in real life" and pay attention to those people you interact with in social media on a regular basis. Those with whom you have an affinity could become great advocates for your work, even if you've never met them in person.

4. Finally, the last list is the Business Community list, which is also comprised of people you may or may not know but who you have opportunities to network with in real life or online:

Charitable organizations who could benefit from your book
Local businesses or organizations who could sell your books
Partnerships with local or regional experts/celebrities
Collaborations with "known quantities" (local or regional artists, co-writers, web developers, etc.)

This is not the same as stalking, by the way... but if you just happen to take a workshop and meet a semi-famous person, ask them if they'd like to stay in touch. They'll deliver the boundaries that work for them. Honor those boundaries. Keep regular contact with them. Don't overdo it, though. Have a purpose. For instance, offer to help them with their own projects wherever they intersect with your interests. Remember, your goal is to find advocates, and your best way to inspire people "in the know" to advocate for you is to be square with them, passionate about your project and earnest in your intentions. Being an authentic person will grab many more word-of-mouth referrals than being someone out to sell a book without a thought toward those who might best help them. At some point, your book will grown into something bigger beyond you, anyway. These advocates can be a critical part of that gestational process if you respect what they have to offer as well.

What's next?
Get busy! Once you have your list up and filled out, schedule a regular time to spend updating it. You will, I hope, be culling more contacts for your list. Start a hard copy file (I use a basket for collecting business cards and leads and toss them in there) until you are ready to make additions. A cellphone app can also come in handy here, digitizing new contacts as you go.

Maybe you will add new contacts to your list the first of every month according to a reminder you set in your preferred calendar. Or maybe you will sit down on Monday morning after a weekend of conferences, readings or classes and add new contacts then. Or maybe you do the additions on a daily basis. Whatever you do, just keep doing it.

Updating also means periodically checking the old contacts to make sure they're still "live." An easy way to check up is to click on the URL/s for each contact to ensure they are still "live." People change jobs, move to different websites, replace old email addresses with new ones (thanks to hackers). I'd say do this maybe twice a year, and keep a special eye out for those contacts you really desire to maintain, whether you know them personally or not (a celebrated editor, for instance, or a favorite teacher or expert in your subject matter).

Updating is WAY easier than starting fresh, so you'll come to look forward to seeing your list grow. Believe me, once you're there, you'll begin to really feel like you have a writing life. You'll know more about the business of writing, industry networking, the Who's Who in your genre. This, like studying your markets, will serve you well over time.

But the only way you can get there is to start building a list. Good luck!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note to Readers
I hope to offer readers an e-book they can download from Writer's Rainbow at the end of 2012 which will approach all of these topics in deeper detail for those writers who have started developing their platforms but are ready to move beyond basics. The extended e-book version of [the writer's platform] series will be sold for a nominal fee, but ALL WRITERS WHO COMMENT ON THE POSTS FOR [the writer's platform] SERIES WILL BE ENTERED INTO A DRAWING FOR A FREE COPY AT THE END OF 2012, when I plan to give away a baker's dozen.

You can start commenting right now by dropping me a note in the comment space below and letting me know what your biggest platform development challenges are. The more I know about your challenges, the more precisely I can tailor the series' posts and the final e-book.

Good luck writers, and I hope to hear from you soon!

[margin notes] Writers On The Move: When You Can't Attend A Writer's Conference

2012-01-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it When You Can't Attend A Writer's Conference? I know I do. I have the basic writer's personality: on the one hand, I'm a writer because I'm a bit introverted, and yet I love to hang out with other writers and there are fewer better ways to do that than by going to fabulous conferences. But just because you miss a favorite conference (I missed Centrum last summer and will miss AWP~Chicago this year, boohoo) doesn't mean you can't find other ways to balance these two sides of your writing personality. Writers on the Move reminds us all that there are always alternatives.

Pacific Northwest Regional Writers' Calendar [Jan 3-31]

2012-01-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

"Chestnut-Back Chickadee"

Note: The following calendar highlights literary events in the greater Pacific Northwest (WA, OR) region. I choose these highlights based upon personal interests and the interests of my regular readers. I cannot hope to be all-inclusive for every appearance or reading or workshop in the region so I do apologize if I've left out your particular event. I also cannot be held responsible for cancelled or rescheduled events, as these occur far beyond my control.

*Jan 3
The Richard Hugo House (Capital Hill/Seattle, WA) presents "Apocalypse Not: 7 Poets for 2012" at 7p. Featured poets include Elizabeth Austen, Elizabeth Colen, Jen Curran, Sarah Mangold, Linda Russo, Ed Skoog and William Stobb. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 4
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (Sisterhood of Dune) will read from their book at Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing (Beaverton, OR) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 5
Greg Bear (Halo: Primordium) will read from his book at the University Bookstore (U-District/Seattle, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 6
The Pacific University MFA in Writing Program presents its annual reading series from Jan 6 through 13 at 730p at the Best Western Ocean View Resort (Seaside, OR). Readings are free and open to the public. Featured writers include Laura Hendrie, Sandra Alcosser, Craig Lesley, Frank Gaspar, David Long, Marvin Bell, Kwame Dawes, Elinor Langer, Katherine Dunn, Pam Houston and many others.

*Jan 7
Ann Rule (Don't Look Behind You) signs her new book at Seattle Mystery Bookshop (Seattle, WA) at noon. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 8
Sarah Jio (The Bungelow) will read from her book at Liberty Bay Books (Poulsbo, WA) at 3p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 9
Alexis Smith (Glaciers) reads from her new book at Powell's City of Books on Burnside (Portland, OR) at 730p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 10
Andrea Cremer (Bloodrose: A Nightshade Novel) readers from her new book at Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park/Seattle, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 11
Amy Chua (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) reads from her book at Powell's City of Books on Burnside (Portland, OR) at 7:30p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 12
Spokane-area readers are invited to learn how to download Google eBooks from the website for Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 13
Bruce Taylor (Magic of Wild Places) reads from his book at Balderdash Books (Seattle, WA) at 6p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 14
The New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz will present her popular fiction writing workshop, "Five Secrets to Getting Published," at the Lakewood Pierce County Library (Lakewood, WA) at 2p. Event is free and open to the public but requires registration.

*Jan 15
Adam Johnson (The Orphan Master's Son) reads his book at Powell's City of Books on Burnside (Portland, OR) at 7:30p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 16
Polina Olsen (Stories from Jewish Portland) reads from her book at Annie Bloom's Books (Portland, OR) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 17
Marcia Rudoff will discuss how to "Know Yourself to Know Your Characters" at this month's Field's End Writers' Roundtable at Bainbridge Public Library (Bainbridge Island, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 18
Leigh Stein (The Fallback Plan) reads from her work at Elliott Bay Books (Capital Hill/Seattle, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 19
Vanessa Veselka teaches her 5-week class, Mastering Plot, at 10a at the Attic Institute (Portland, OR). Tuition is $185. Registration

*Jan 20
SR "Rudy" Martin Jr. (Seaside Stories) reads from his book at Elliott Bay Books (Capitol Hill/Seattle, WA) at 7p. This event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 21
Karen Fisher-Alaniz (Breaking the Code: A Father's Secret, a Daughter's Journey, and the Question That Changed Everything) reads and signs her book at 1p at A Book For All Seasons (Leavenworth, WA). This event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 22
Cara Diaconoff teaches her 6-week class, "Carving? Casting? Sculpting the Novel: A Later-Draft Workshop," at 10a at the Richard Hugo House (Capital Hill/Seattle, WA). Tuition is $207 (members). Registration

*Jan 23
Ryan Boudinot (Blueprints of the Afterlife) reads from his work at Powell's on Hawthorne (Portland, OR) at 730p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 25
Pico Iyer (The Man Within My Head) reads from his work at Town Hall Seattle (Seattle, WA) at 730p in a special event sponsored by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Tickets start at $15 with student discounts. Tickets

*Jan 26
Thrity Umrigar (The World We Found) reads from her new book at Eagle Harbor Books (Bainbridge Island, WA) at 730p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 27
Elizabeth Austen (Every Dress a Decision) reads from her book of poems for the RASP Reading Series at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center (Redmond, WA) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

*Jan 28
The Richard Hugo House (Capital Hill/Seattle, WA) hosts Matthew Hooper, who will review a typical literary contract and discuss issues directly affecting writers in a free presentation intended to help local authors better understand their legal rights. Event takes place at noon.

*Jan 30
Kathryn Kay (The Gilder) will read from her book at Bloomsbury Books (Ashland, OR) at 7p. Event is free and open to the public.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T08:14:00.000-08:00

Be safe!

Have fun!

Get ready for a great

2012!

[margin notes] Self published writers, what's the hurry??

2011-12-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

Sage advice worth reviewing every time a writer begins to lean in the direction of self-publishing. Not only relevant during the late fall, by the way. Inside, you'll find tips on publicity, timing and the like at Let the Ink Dry from PR by the Book