Romance in YA--How Far Can You Go?

Yes. This is really me. Yes, I have
bangs now to cover up my
spotted forehead!

How far can you go when writing about romance in young adult novels? What kind of love are young readers looking for? Is sex allowed? How graphic should it be?

It's a big debate for some writers, as well as, some readers.

Remember when the Twilight book series first came out? Keep in mind, I'm talking about before all the craziness of the movie versions. Most of the people I talked to about this series were really into the romance of it, the lingering looks between the two main characters, the blatant yet unsatisfied desire, the sexual tension! This is the type of romance that many older YA readers(20s-30's) remember experiencing in high school or really wanted to experience. It's just one of the reasons they like romance in young adult stories.

But then comes the sex.

I recall sitting around with a group of women at lunch and one of them was talking about how Edward and Bella were getting to the point of having sex in the book. This woman didn't have a problem with the progression of the relationship, but she'd decided that she would not allow her daughter to read any further in the series until the daughter was much older. She also felt like once the writer brought sex into the book, the romance factor was gone. To me it sounded as if the story had taken a turn into adulthood that the reader wasn't willing to follow.

I think that's an interesting phenomenon and really very personal to the reader. And as a writer, it's something you have to be aware of. Romance and sex can make or break your young adult book depending on how you use them. Sometimes it’s the factor that sells books. Sometimes it’s the factor that turns your audience off. It all depends on how you weave those things and what style of YA book you are writing.

When I write YA, I don't intentionally set out to have a romance in the story. However, because of the age group, because of the hormone factor, because it's virtually impossible to put two teenagers in the same room and not have them notice each other, some sort of relationship usually develops. That's life though. That's reality. That's what YA readers cling to.  When it comes to sex, I only let my characters get there if its part of the natural progression, but it's still something I'm cautious about. In my young adult novel, Bayou Myth, sex is a factor in the story, though it's not something my main character is doing. However, we do learn a lot about my protagonist's thoughts on the subject! Though my book is mainly a YA horror novel, it does have a romance in it that helps drive the story along.

  

Going back to Twilight, think about when Edward and Bella finally consummated their love. After they got married. Very traditional and something that probably satisfied lots of mothers in the fan base. However, is that realistic? I'm not asking is it right or wrong, but is it how most teens think today? Hmmm….not for most of the ones that I know! In comparison, I've also read the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristen Cast. Their characters definitely are having sex and dealing with the norms (like them or  not, parents) that occur in many teen lives. The same could be said for many other book series like Gossip Girl or The A-List.

In the end, a writer should let the romance and sex angle develop how it will. What would be the natural progression for your character? Put aside the audience you are writing to (yeah, I know lots of people will contradict me on that one) and allow your characters to just develop!

Mary Ann Loesch is not only a contributor to All Things Writing, but the author of Bayou Myth and Bayou Scar, a YA horror novel series about voodoo, Greek myths gone wild, and a dash of betrayal. She has also written an adult fiction urban fantasy, Nephilim, and contributed short stories to the anthology, All Things Dark and Dastardly. Visit her website at www.maryannloesch.com.

A miss is as good as a mile

It's an old proverb but as true now as it was the day that it was coined. From the perspective of a book publisher, it means missing the market - a case of not understanding demand or missing out on a fickle fad or trend. Explaining it is also a problem the aforesaid publisher can have with authors whose egos bizarrely stand between them and literary success.

The problem lies with the definition of what constitutes 'well written'. A contract may be well-written in that it is clear, covers all eventualities and is fair to both parties, a wedding speech may be well-written in that it embarrasses the bride or groom by just the right amount without its cringe factor exceeding the socially acceptable norm, and a song can contain lyrics which are truly meaningful to its listeners. Being well-written doesn't make any of these three examples worth turning into a book - this is the message that publishers frequently finds themselves having to communicate to authors who've convinced themselves (or allowed themselves to be convinced) that their novel is 'hot stuff' and destined for great things.

Aim carefully!

The thing is that it might be - but often not in its presented condition. A canny publisher will be au fait with the latest trends in the market and fully aware of what the public is buying en masse. A new book may tap into this demand but then deviate to such a degree that the publisher knows full well that the novel's publication would be a frustrating and fruitless experience. For obvious reasons, that's not a decision which some authors find easy to accept.

While originality is not to be discouraged in author submissions, in most cases an excess of it is counter-productive. This is the point - the book may be extremely well written but, through being 'weird and wonderful' (in the eyes of the average reader), it renders itself non-commercial and against the primary raison d'être of the publisher which, like any business, is simply to be a profitable enterprise.

Another reason for authors missing the target occurs when they decide to mix genres. An erotic space opera family saga or a western romantic crime story may sound original but they’re also highly confused. Each theme will, in principle, appeal to three discrete markets yet each of these three markets will be 'turned off' by the other two genres represented in the book. For example, someone who wants a crime story is unlikely to be keen on reading pages of cow-poking and bodice-ripping. While a book publisher can see this from their more remote and 'universal' perspective, the average author, having invested months of hard effort in producing their book, will not want to hear that what they have written just won't sell.

It's so, so easy to go off on a tangent and anyone can do it - even the most experienced and famous of authors. That's why the lasting advice has to be to listen to the words of your friendly publisher because they know the market best. After all, you want a hit, not a miss.

Any Subject Books is both a publisher and provider of self-publishing services. New authors are welcome to submit their books for inclusion or independent authors may be interested in the range of publishing packages which are on offer - everything from brainstorming and ghost-writing to editing, cover design, blog tour arranging, distribution, book trailers and autograph hosting.

The Dreaded Query

Throughout my writing career I have met scores of writers and not a single one of them likes querying. I keep waiting to find that solitary individual who just loves curling up with a mug of hot cocoa and lovingly crafting that query letter, but so far I feel like I'm stalking Sasquatch.

Early in my career I studied a lot of queries and read a lot about them. In the end, I decided that each agent has what they say they like, and then what they actually choose. This was best illustrated by a book on querying I once read. It was written by a literary agent, in which the author went step-by-step through the makings of a great query letter and also listed things to avoid. At the end of the book were examples of queries that had caught the agent's eye over the years. None of them followed the structure the author had just outlined and most of them broke other rules.

The same thing happened at a conference, when a well-known agent based in L.A. (who amazingly, looks FAR younger in her publicity photo) went through her litany only to pass out a sample query letter that had no relationship to anything she'd just told us. I had the temerity to ask her what was up and she explained how, in this case, because of the story, what the querying author had done was appropriate. Er... right. This is why writers hate querying. We spend years crafting our manuscripts and then toss them into a randomizer.

The reason I bring this up is because I'm about to re-enter the query lottery. I am in the final stages of a dystopian, nominally YA manuscript that is, in my opinion, my best work to date. It is the fifth novel I have written and I have had two of those published by an independent press. While they've not sold thousands of copies, they do continue to sell and have generated a lot of positive reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

While querying is always a high risk endeavor I am hoping that I have a few things going for me this time that I didn't have in the past. For one thing, as Clive stated in his last post, characters are important, and these are the best characters I've written. In modern fiction, as we all know, character is king whether that is right or not. In addition, despite the fact that I'm indie published I can cite that The Silla Project is a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Awards, Montaigne Medal. The Eric Hoffer Awards are 100% legit and represent an objective evaluation of my work. Should I actually win it will be that much better.

However, there is one factor that I am hoping will outweigh the others. All my previous novels were L-O-N-G. The Silla Project, while an adult novel, is over 140K words. Multiplayer is shorter than that but is YA and is over 100K. Sure, long debut novels do get published from time to time, and some authors say don't worry about length, but when I was querying those other novels, I always cringed when I wrote down the word count. For this novel I will be more than proud to write "85K words" even if it feels to me like a pamphlet.

So as I put the finishing touches on this manuscript I will be sharing my thoughts on queries and I'd love to hear yours. What structure do you think is best? Three paragraphs? Four? Does it make sense to tell the agent you're looking for representation or do I lead with a hook? How much do I say about my previously published works? What kind of synopsis do I include? Lots of questions to ask and to answer.

In the end, as I have learned previously, the structure of the query doesn't matter at all. But then again, as I also know to be true, it means everything.

Until next time,

John C. Brewer

John C. Brewer is the author of Multiplayer an MMOG YA SF novel, and The Silla Project, a North Korean nuclear romance that is a finalist for the 2013 Eric Hoffer Awards, Montaigne Medal. You can learn more about him and what he is doing at his website, JohnCBrewer.com

Learning To Not Write

I can't not write. I'm sure some of this blog's readership would say the same thing. We writers are an obsessive lot. We have these... ideas. An entire plot just pops into our heads (or so it feels like) and we must write it down. It's catharsis for us. It helps us keep the world in order. And it gives us hope that someday, our books too will be on shelves.

But what about when we can't write, meaning: the time or energy just isn't there? Sometimes for weeks. Perhaps even months. This used to drive me bananas! All these stories clamoring to get out and here I was embroiled in equations, or some such activity. I needed to get the stories down and the queries sent or nothing was ever going to happen. The frustration would nearly cause my brain to rupture. Of course, that's when you sit and check your email every 30 minutes to see if you've had any replies. Not a healthy situation!

For some time now I've been unable to write. Due to our current political situation, the funding for the satellite development program I was working on dried up rather suddenly in early November. One would think that would give me more time to write. Actually, the opposite is true. With bills to be paid, I suddenly had to engage the hyperdrive to find new business. The added anxiety took care of any free time by draining my creative spark. I even had to fall back on one of my hobbies to help bridge the gap.

However, I am now very much enjoying myself and have discovered that I can make money building cabinets! More than I can make doing engineering. The trade off is, it takes a lot of time and energy. Fortunately some consulting work also happened to pop up, working on a proposal for a DOD program. It has been long hours too. Very long. But also pretty darned satisfying. Not only do I get to do some engineering and keep that part of the machine well-oiled, it is, surprisingly enough, a lot of writing!

Of course, while all this is happening, I have absolutely no time to work on my writing. It's been frustrating. I'd been pouring a lot of energy into my writing for about a decade. Pushing hard to get out the next book. Sending out those queries. Marketing my work that is out there. Somewhere in the midst of this flurry of activity, it hit me. All that rushing, all that fighting the order of events, hadn't done me a bit of good. It was like swimming up stream. Maybe I'm just getting older, or maybe I'm growing, but I backed off the writing and just decided to let things unfold as they will.

The transformation in my own life has been remarkable. I sleep better. My wife sort of likes me again. Exercise is more enjoyable. The work I am doing is more satisfying. I get more relaxation from just reading, instead of constantly comparing. Sure, sometimes I get hit with that frantic feeling that I'm missing writing opportunities. That if I had just sent that query!!! But then I force myself to remember that hurrying doesn't help. I've tried it. Things will unfold as they will. I will write when I can. Market when I can. But live TODAY.

At the moment, I'm wrapping up two projects and have no time to write. At the same time, one of my books is a finalist for an award. Sales aren't too bad - considering I'm doing ZERO marketing. Some incredible (non-writing) opportunities have sort of materialized out of thin air. And, I'm making great progress on my next novel. That's right. I'm writing my next novel. Or rather, doing some reordering and revision of the last draft. Without all that frustration and anger I find I'm able to get a lot more done in my head. So, in the next few weeks when things calm down a little, I can start fresh and ready, with a host of ideas to turn this next project into what I really want it to be.

All of which leaves me wondering: Were I writing in frustrated anger, forcing out pages, would I be able to convey the messages I really want to share? Or would my frustration come out, and chase everyone away? Maybe sometimes, not writing is good. You just have to learn how to do it.

Until next time,

John C. Brewer

John C. Brewer is the author of Multiplayer an MMOG YA SF novel, and The Silla Project, a North Korean nuclear romance. You can learn more about him and what he is doing at his website, JohnCBrewer.com

What Ray Bradbury Taught Me about Censorship and Freedom by Guest Author Diane Lefer

The master is gone. I've been thinking about Ray Bradbury all week and I'm sure you have been too. Is there a writer or a reader anywhere who does not respond to Fahrenheit 451?

In Bradbury's novel, not only are books burned but newspapers disappear due to public indifference. People are instead entranced with their "parlor walls," the flat screen TV's that Bradbury imagined back in 1953 that can now represent the internet and Wii and all the virtual worlds that have usurped the role of books. But to me, the "walls" carried me back to the immigration detention center where I was a volunteer interpreter for people held for months, even years, awaiting their hearings. Books and magazines were prohibited while TV sets blared at full volume all day.

And I thought about a friend who was convicted at age 16 for a stupid youthful incident in which no human being or any living creature was injured in any way. After being sentenced 35-years-to-life, he spent a year in solitary, supposedly for his own protection--and inmates in solitary were not allowed to have books. A wonderful person on the outside Xeroxed entire novels and put three double-sided pages in the mail every day, in envelopes thin enough that they would not be confiscated. Reading novels in 6-page installments was what kept my friend sane.

I have other true stories like this and it has always been a struggle to get any of it into print. (Talk about censorship: the media is barred from California prisons and detention centers.)

But Ray Bradbury was able to offer a scathing critique of our society and see it not only published but a bestseller. David Ulin, Los Angeles Times book critic, suggested perhaps writing genre fiction--in Bradbury's case, science fiction--gave an author more freedom.

Yes! I thought of my late friend, Ted Gottfried (aka Ted Mark), who wrote dirty books from the Sixties up until around (coincidence?) 1984.  Ted believed teenage boys were gonna learn about sex from porn and he wanted them to learn healthy attitudes, especially respect for women. In the Man from O.R.G.Y. series, Steve Victor travels the world solving sexual problems, always taking the advice of his feminist girlfriend, Stephanie Greenwillow. Along the way, Ted's books addressed every controversial issue of the day. As long as there was arousal material on every page, the publisher didn't care if Ted expressed his opinions.

Ted's porn career came to an end when smut went visual: dirty movies and then the internet. As Bradbury understood, you don't have to burn books to make them disappear. I wish Ted could have still been writing books during the era of AIDS. He could have saved lives by making safe sex very sexy.

I think Ted would have enjoyed my new novel, Nobody Wakes Up Pretty, which Edgar Award winner Domenic Stansberry described as "A sexy, funny, tender-hearted puzzler about a young woman sifting the ashes of America's endless class warfare." And I realized my NYC noir--my genre novel--says more about race and class and says it more overtly than anything else I've had published.

Is genre the only way to write uncensored fiction? Maybe it's just that you can't write a genre novel without telling a good story. And when you tell a good story you have freedom.

Bio: Diane Lefer is a playwright, author, and activist. In addition to Nobody Wakes Up Pretty, her recent books include The Blessing Next to the Wound: A story of art, activism, and transformation, co-authored with Colombian exile Hector Aristizábal and recommended by Amnesty International as a book to read during Banned Books Week; and the short-story collection, California Transit, awarded the Mary McCarthy Prize. Her works for the stage have been produced in LA, NYC, Chicago and points in-between and include Nightwind, also in collaboration with Aristizábal, which has been performed all over the US and the world including for human rights organizations in Afghanistan and Colombia. Diane has led arts-and-games-based writing workshops to boost literacy skills and promote social justice in the US and, in Spanish, in South America. Her website is www.dianelefer.weebly.com

Review and Interview with Becca Smith, author of Riser

Today our guest is a terrific writer! The one, the only, the amazing....Becca Smith! (wild applause please!) She is chatting with us about her book, Riser, and talking shop about writing in general!

Mary Ann: Becca, I really loved your book, Riser. I thought it was a unique idea and I loved the futuristic quality. I'm excited to get to interview you at All Things Writing! What prompted you to set Riser in the future?

 Becca: Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked it! The seed for Riser started when I read an article about a scientist at Cambridge University that claimed he’d have the “cure” for aging in ten years time. It got my mind going, thinking of how much I wanted him to succeed, but also what the consequences would be in a world where people could live forever. The only way to truly show those consequences, in my opinion, was to have it take place in the future. That way it gives the world I created with Age-pro in it enough time to turn into what I call a utopian-dystopia, lol.

 I love Chelsan's character. She is still your typical teenager worried about boys and dates while balancing this incredible gift. How difficult or easy was she to write?

Chelsan was very easy to write, because she’s basically me with superpowers. I was always an awkward teenager. I had secret crushes on boys I’m absolutely positive didn’t even know my name, lol. Drawing on my memories of my high school days, I was able to put some humor into Chelsan’s awkward moments, because we’ve all been through that. Having her power to control the dead only made her life more complicated than a normal teenager. That was where I was able to have the most fun, using her power to put bullies in their places.

 Riser deals with voodoo and I think you gave it an interesting twist. Was this a subject area that you had to do much research in?

Yes. I had to do a lot of research on voodoo. Although the spells and rituals are pure fiction in Riser I wanted to give it a foot in reality. I actually found spells that supposedly raise the dead, and from there I tried to create a world with a mixture of science and black magic. It was a lot of fun.

  Jill was a great "nasty" villain. Did you have any Jills in your life that inspired you to create this character?

Oh yes. It’s funny because an old classmate of mine contacted me through facebook and had read the book and she asked me the same question. I told her no because I knew she was still friends with some of the girls that were mean to me. In fact, she was one of the girls. What’s crazy is that so many years have gone by no one ever remembers being a bully. Or if they do they don’t admit it. It’s such a stigma today and rightfully so. Let’s just say I had a lot of experience to draw on when dealing with girls being mean to me.

What's next? Is there a sequel? What is your next writing project?

I’ve actually already released the sequel to Riser, it’s called Reaper, and the third and final book in the trilogy will be out this fall. My next writing project will be another trilogy in the Riser universe. The main character is a character I introduce in the third book, Ripper. She’s a three hundred year old assassin, so it should be pretty fun to write!

 Do you have an agent? If so, what has that experience been like?

I actually don’t have an agent. I’ve had them in the past and in my experience, I still had to do all the work, lol.

 What have you learned the most from the publishing world?

The number one thing I’ve learned from the publishing world it not to be offended if someone doesn’t like my book.  It’s like watching a movie with your friend. The two of you can have the same opinion on 9 out of 10 movies, but on that 10^th movie one of you hates it and the other one loves it. People have their opinions and what speaks to some may not speak to others. You can’t control what others like and don’t like, so I just enjoy the good feedback and accept the bad as gracefully as I can.

Thanks for being with us today! I look forward to reading more of your work!

Riser Review

Okay, not only did I get to interview Becca Smith about her book Riser, but I get to review it as well.  Ah, some days I'm just too spoiled….

So let's get to it. Here is the book synopsis.

Black swirling holes churning madly in the center of every corpse. This is how eighteen-year-old Chelsan Derée sees the deceased. Her ability to connect to the black spinning holes allows her to control every dead thing within a four-mile radius. But that's the least of her problems. It's 2320 and Chelsan Derée has to survive another year of high school, which for her is pure and utter torture, mainly due to the fact that her schoolmate Jill Forester's favorite activity is making Chelsan's life a living hell. If that isn't enough, Chelsan's impossible crush on Ryan Vaughn makes her brain do somersaults on a regular basis, especially since she is positive he doesn't know she exists. And being eighteen Chelsan has to deal with the pressure of whether or not she should take a little pill called Age-pro, which cures aging, making the world eighteen forever and highly over-populated. When Chelsan's mother, Janet, is brutally killed, along with everyone else in her trailer park, Chelsan finds out that she was the intended target. Chelsan must use her power to raise and control the dead to save herself, protect her friends and take down the man responsible for murdering her mother.

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Riser rocked. That's all there is to it. It's a fast paced, futuristic YA that touchs on something many people worry about at one point or another in their life: aging. In Ms. Smith's future, they've created a handy dandy little pill called Age-pro which if you take it at the right age makes you look around nineteen or so forever. Pretty sweet, right? Um….well, kind of. Like anything Age-pro has its drawbacks as Chelsan (our heroine) discovers. But then again, aging is the least of Chelsan's worries. She has an extraordinary talent for raising dead things--and not just dead people. Dead spiders, dead plants, some really pissed off bees, and cockroaches are just a few of the things she works with.

I thought this was a clever idea and a new twist on necromancy. All the characters are well developed, and the bad guy is pretty darn bad. The world the author created (futuristic L.A.) was creative and I suppose if you are from that area, it's filled with landmarks the reader would recognize. As someone who just released a book that deals with voodoo, I thought it was interesting to see how voodoo might be used in the future.

The other thing I liked about this book was the eye catching cover. Nice work!

This one is a keeper! Here is the Amazon buylinks!

Riser's Amazon Buy Link

And here is how to find all things Becca Smith.

Becca's Website www.therisersaga.com/

Becca's Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4201733.Becca_C_Smith

Becca's Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Riser-Saga/140711422626243

Becca's Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/beccacsmith

Hosting an Online Book Tour--Welcome Innovative Online Book Tours

Last week I blogged about how successful my virtual book tour was for Nephilim. As fate would have it, All Things Writing is now going to be a host for Innovative Online Book Tours. What this means for our faithful readers is that in addition to the crazy ramblings of Kaye George, Steve Metze, and myself, you will also be getting access to new author interviews, book reviews, and guest bloggers who represent a wide variety of genres. Also, for the next day or two, you can follow the Blog hop going on and check out lots of other great blogs. Just click on the link to the right of this page.

 Yep, they sure have a pretty banner don't they? But just who is IO Book Tours? What can they offer an eager author who wants to promote but can't afford a publicist? Here's the direct quote from their website:

Are you an Indy writer, a newer author or and established author just looking for a new way to market your book? Maybe you are self published? Or you desire to participate more actively in promoting your work? Enjoy the excitement of readers experiencing your book for the first time while we do the promotion piece for you.

Why Innovative? We bring our deep enjoyment of books and a passion for the written word to promotion. We appreciate that this world is a melting pot of diverse people with a variety of interests in many genres and styles. We endeavor to accommodate both you and your readers in every way possible.

Innovative online blog tours offers you an easy friendly way to promote your book and meet your readers without traveling the country. Not only will we promote your book by getting reviews posted on assorted blogs but we also strongly encourage all of our blogging partners to post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and B&N. Another unique tool we offer is a click-able Link to purchase your book at many of the main retailers including Amazon, B&N, and any other you may be utilizing. We offer a variety of packages for you to choose from and are excited partner with you in promoting your book.

Curious about their pricing and who else is hosting book tours for them? Click on their link to find out more information! INNOVATIVE ONLINE BOOK TOURS

Magic Numbers

They say three is a magic number. I guess that worked for me.

I tried to write who I know. I'm a classically-trained violinist and I like to arrange and compose, so my sleuth was a musician. I made her a composer and conductor with thoughts of injecting my own compositions into the mix somewhere--mixed media and all that. The brilliance amazed me. She could travel the world guest conducting and thus avoid Cabot Cove Syndrome. I envisioned this as a cozyish series and wrote two novels which got rejected, over and over.

Next, I followed a passion of mine, archeology and human origins. New discoveries are still being made almost weekly about Neanderthals, so I created a tribe and a sleuth and labored long and hard on one and a half mysteries for them. The first was well received by almost everyone except the agents, some of whom liked the manuscript, but said they didn't know how to sell it. Since I consider that their job, I couldn't scream: Send it to Scholastic!!! (Rowling's publisher)

Third, comedy. I've always considered writing comedy a cop-out because it's so easy. I found out that it's not easy for everyone, which was really a surprise. So I ran with it--past the boundaries of where I thought I should go, over the top with characters and situations, and--behold!--got it published!

If only they sold lotto tickets where all the numbers were three!

Do you have a magic number? If so, what's it done for you?

Second Annual Austin Publishing University

For those of you who may not know, I started working for Greenleaf Book Group about two months ago. I have since taken over organizing and promoting Austin Publishing University, which is an annual event that takes place at Book People. The event occurs every Sunday in August from 1-2:30 in the 3rd floor class room of Book People located at 603 N. Lamar. There are five sessions total. The fees is $15 for one or $50 for all five (so  a nice discount if you want to attend them all). Tickets can only be bought in person at Book People. Space is limited to 60 people, so you want to hurry!



Here are the topics for each session:
Session 1: Industry Overview—How the industry works and publishing options available to authors.
Session 2: Content Is King—What editors look for in a great book.
Session 3: Killer Covers—What makes a book stand out and the basic elements of a cover.
Session 4: Storming the Market—Marketing and promotion before, during, and after a book release.
Session 5: Take Control of the Internet—How to build an online platform.

Each session features one of Greenleaf's experts. Session 4 and 5 will also have a publicist and Bookstore associate on hand to answer questions on placement and marketing. I will be presenting at the 5th session, but I will be on hand for all five to answer any questions and to also serve as a liaison for the Writer's League. We are creating downloadable one sheets on topics like how to query, getting an agent, putting together a book proposal, and marketing. Resources and links  will be available on the website in the next week or two and more will be added  throughout the year.

You can also follow what's happening by using the twitter hashtag #austinpubu or by becoming a fan of APU on Facebook. This is a great and affordable opportunity to learn about the industry and what publishers look for. You can also learn more by viewing our white papers on what publishers want and other related topics.

An Insider's Takeaway From the 2010 Writer's League of Texas Conference

June 25-27, Austin played host to the annual Writer's League of Texas Agents Conference. I attended the event last year as a newbie writer. This year, I attended the event as a publisher and moderator. My position at the publishing firm gave me the opportunity to partake in insider conversations and glean information most writers weren't privy to. Much of this information didn't fit in my recaps I did for the Big Bad Book Blog or Reflection's Edge Magazine, leaving me with a ton of tips to share with you lovely folks.

My first round of tips relates to agents. I spent a great deal of time hanging out with agents, listening to them vent their agitation at certain behaviors that frankly came down to a lack of education and not (for the most part) a blatant disregard for decorum on behalf of the writer. Here are the main points the agent's hit on:

1. Don't pitch to an agent who doesn't represent your work. Too many writers went around blanket pitching every agent listed in the guide. Agents represent works they are passionate about and that they know how to sell. Pitching something outside of their expertise is a waste of time for you and them. 
2. Speak in brief talking points. You have less than sixty seconds to peak the agent's interest. Lead with a brief, one sentence hook. If they're interested, they will ask questions. For every question answer with a quick sound bite. Long narratives about your motivation for writing and character backstory makes them loose interest and hurts you cause. Clear and concise is best.
3. When they say send it to me, stop talking! You've won, you sold them on your idea enough to warrant a review. droning on and on about the process and details in the book just wastes their time. Plus, there is usually a long line of hopefuls standing behind you hoping for a moment of their time. Accept your accomplishment and get out of the way.

The next series of takeaways revolves around publishing options. As writers we are trained to chase the big house dream. It has merit, and is often the best and sometimes only way for writers (like me) to get published. Still, publishing is not a one-size fits all venture. Writers do have options.

1. There are options beyond the big house. The rise of self-publishing, independent publishers, and new technology have changed the playing field. Which option is best is different for each writer. I have developed a white paper that goes into greater detail about this, but essentially writers should research the industry and choose which direction best fits their goals.
2. Quick doesn't mean better. Just because a writer can go an pay someone to publish their book, doesn't mean its a good book. Oftentimes, self-publishing and new technology publish every work that comes their way, regardless of quality. This can hinder a writer's chances of getting national distribution and media coverage. Again, do your homework. 
3. Marketing falls to the writer regardless which option they choose. Its important that writers understand that their publishing success falls largely in their hands. Writers are responsible for marketing themselves, which leads me to the next section.

Marketing is key to a writer's success. To truly be effective, an author's marketing strategy must include both online and offline activities. Publishing is a business, and writers should treat it as one. The marketing panels also hit on some other key points:

1. Start marketing now. Even if you don't have a a published book you need to be marketing yourself as a writer. Publishers are looking for authors who are actively building a community of potential readers. The further along your are in the game, the better your chances of selling through.
2. Don't overextend yourself. Although your marketing efforts need to be divers, don't think you have to be involved with every social media tool and group out there. Your marketing message may not be conducive to every outlet. experiment, find whats best for you, and stick with.
3. Quality and consistency over quantity. You don't need to be marketing 24/7. You do need to be sharing quality content on a consistent basis.
4. Video rocks. Panelists agreed that video content is powerful. You don't have to buy an expensive camera to do the job right. There are many free options out there including muvee, animoto, and AuthorStream.
5. Be authentic and sociable. Yes its marketing and the goal is to eventually sell books, but people turn off when they feel like there's a dollar sign hanging over their head. Be authentic and natural and engage people in conversations. Share information and tips. Be willing to support other people and they will return the favor.

I'll have even more items to share from the conference in the coming weeks,  plus other great insider tips as I learn more from inside the publishing house. If anyone has questions, I am more than happy to help any way I can, so leave them in the comments section and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Happy Writing!

It Makes Sense

For the last two months I have been taking an awesome creative writing course through author Jeremy Shipp (he has another one starting--check it out here). During that time he had us do some great exercises and gave us feedback on many aspects of writing. Among the lectures and assignments, he focused on the importance of incorporating the senses into your work.

Just to recap. The five basic senses are:

1. Sight
2. Sound
3. Smell
4. Touch
5. Taste

You can also have a sixth sense, private thoughts, and other extrasensory perceptions, but the big five are the main way most people perceive their world. As such, you have to make sure they are in your work. You don't have to put all five in every paragraph, but you do need to sprinkle them throughout the entire piece if you want to create a vivid and believable story.

Jessica Morrell in her book Thanks, But This Isn't For Us, has a great tip for making sure you have incorporated enough sensory detail. She recommends printing off your manuscript, getting at least five different colored highlighters (one for each sense) and highlighting each sensory reference with the appropriate color. You'll be able to easily identify which senses are lacking and where to incorporate them.

It may not seem like much, but since I have been using this method I have been able to create richer more vibrant scenes. It makes SENSE to use all the SENSES (bad pun but I had to!)

Happy Writing!

12 Step Program for Writers

Being a writer is a tough life to pursue. Inevitably you find yourself battling the “amicrazies” and questioning everything you are doing. We’ve all been there. Living in those moments when running away to Mexico and joining the circus seems like a more viable career choice, if you could just figure out how to shoot yourself out of a cannon without inflicting mortal injury.

Have no fear. I introduce to you a twelve step program to recovery for the aspiring writer. Follow all twelve steps and you will successfully overcome the “amicrazies” and find solace in the fact that you are not alone.

Step #1: Acceptance

First and foremost you must accept the fact that indeed you are crazy. You have to be to pursue a career as a writer. It’s how you get your ideas and what drives you to keep plugging along for that $5 token payment for ten hours worth of work.

Step #2: Say it out loud

Visit your local writer’s group and repeat after me “My name is (insert the name of your commonly accepted identity, real or implied, but otherwise held accountable for acts committed to paper). I am Crazy. I love to write and write I must.” Relish in the gratuitous round of applause that undoubtedly will follow.

Step #3: Say hi to caffeine

You’ve found a group who accepts you for the whacko you are. Now it’s time to ingest large amounts of caffeine and affix yourself to your typewriter/computer/stone tablet. There’s no other way.

Step #4: Buddy up

No one can go it alone. I know the stereotype is the loner writer versed in catspeak hidden behind vicariously overflowing bookshelves and discarded bottles of (insert drink of choice here). In reality, the writing community is honest, open, large, and supporting of all aspiring writers. Get in there and start mingling. Whoa, slow down. You’re invading my bubble.

Step #5: Know that it’s a journey, not a destination.

Writing is an ongoing activity. The path to recovery can’t be found overnight. It’s a long road filled with heartache, deleted scenes, occasional bouts of useless sobbing, and maybe even a three city action scene if you are truly feeling industrious.

Step #6: Rough drafts are supposed to be rough; otherwise they’d be called smooth drafts

Genius doesn’t happen the first go round (unless, of course, you’re me—just kidding). It takes several passes to get it down right. It even takes multiple sets of eyes reviewing it multiple times to get it right. One suggestion, use people with eyes inside their head to review your work. Just passing eyes over you paper isn’t very productive, can sometimes be messy, and is illegal in at least three states.

Step #7: Get connected

All the cool kids are doing it. Not enough? Getting connected through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Linkedin lets you stay on top of the latest trends and news in the publishing world. Agents, publicists, magazines, editors, and other authors are actively tweeting, facebooking, and otherwise overwhelming the electronic airwaves with useful information and tips. Plus, if you’re addicted to videos of babies dancing and useless trivia you may find yourself in terminal dependency.

Step #8: Become like Grasshopper

I don’t mean aimlessly jumping in random patterns that repeatedly bring you back underneath the shoe you are trying to avoid. I mean become a student. Read about writing. Read about the business of writing. Attend workshops, get subscriptions to Writer’s Digest, and look for opportunities to advance your knowledge of the industry. If you insist on jumping around, you can do it so long as you’re making your way to the nearest learning opportunity.

Step #9: You must submit!

I don’t mean total domination (although that is my endgame). No, I mean you’re never going to be a published author if you never submit anything! Go ahead, take the plunge. Send that great story to the magazine or agent you’ve been eyeing from across the internet. Just remember to follow their guidelines, be courteous and gracious, and did I mention to follow their guidelines?

Step #10: There are other fish in the sea.

Okay, so you took the plunge and got your heart ripped out, stepped on, thrown in a blender set on mutilate, and doused with lemon juice (graphic, but true). Frame that rejection. Put it up on your wall and scream with fists waving “I’ll show you!” Accept the fact that, just like the blue eyed honey in tenth grade, it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe you both weren’t in the right place. Maybe, deep down, that agent or magazine just didn’t have the right “je ne sais quoi.” Pick yourself up by the bootstraps and get back in that saddle (sorry, I AM a Texan).

Step #11: Shake that money maker

Whohoo! After several nights of fist waving and a hundred more submissions you finally found an agent/publisher who sees you for the ass-kicking, wordsmith you are. Shake what your mama gave you and rejoice in the fact that you stuck it out, pursued your dream, and are reaping the rewards of your hard work. Ignore the Bravo inspired outbursts and tantrums that occurred along the way.

Step #12: Share the Love

Now that you have made it through the eleven rings of hell, it’s time to pay it forward. The student must become the master (and the student). Share the heartache, trials, and mistakes you have made with others. Let them know they’re not alone and that if they truly want to pursue a career in writing they must understand that to do so is crazy (see step #1) but damn well worth it!