How to Get Published: Some of My Advice

Hi, everyone! It's hard to believe it is almost the end of January already! Some of you might have a goal to get published in 2017. One of my writing mentees sent me some questions the other day about publishing, and I thought it would be a great topic to explore a little more here on the blog. Here are her questions, and my answers. The main take-away is that there are a variety of options to publish your work -- all it takes is a little exploring and bravery to find them and submit!

And, if you have a flash-fiction story, essay, or poem you are interested in getting published online, please feel free to send it my way! I am currently accepting submissions for this blog and for the WordSmorgasbord online literary journal.

How do I find a publisher that will publish my book? 

There are some small publishers that you can submit your work directly to -- here is a website listing many of them: http://www.everywritersresource.com/bookpublishers/taking-submissions/

You will want to read through the publisher's website to get a sense of what they are looking for and if your book might fit. For submitting to traditional publishers -- big publishers like Random House and Scholastic, that you see in bookstores-- you need to have an agent. You can find agents listed in books like Jeff Herman’s Guide to Literary Agents and The Writer’s Market, magazines like The Writer and Writer’s Digest, and websites such as www.agentquery.com. When you find an agent you like, you send a "query" to the agent, which is a short letter about yourself, any publishing credits and writing experience you have, and why this book you have written needs to be published. This is where you sell yourself and make the agent want to read your work. Depending on the agent's submission guidelines, you might also send the first couple chapters and a synopsis of your book. After the agent reads this, they will contact you and ask for the entire manuscript if they are interested. And, if they like the entire book, they will ask you to sign a contract! Then they will work with you to revise the book and make it the best it can be before shopping it around to publishers.

Do you have a preference between self and traditional publishing? 

I think both are excellent options -- it just depends on where you are in your writing career and what you are looking for in a publisher. I was very happy to self-publish my first two books, and I learned so much about the industry and self-promotion to have "hands on" experience publishing my own books. Now, I am looking to venture into traditional publishing -- but it is taking quite a long time, for me at least, to break in! I have had two separate agents who believed in my books, but I have yet to get a publishing deal. Of course, some authors get publishing deals much more quickly, but for me at least, the lesson has been that it takes a lot of patience. When it comes to traditional publishing, you can control the quality of your writing, but beyond that it is pretty much out of your control. I think a lot comes down to luck and timing! Here, I have broken things down into lists of "pros" and "cons":

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

• Pros: big-name publishers can help market your book, you don’t pay publishing costs, get an advance up-front, can build a relationship with editors
• Cons: can get lost in the shuffle, lose control over book, can take a looong time, still need self-promotion!!

SELF-PUBLISHING

• Pros: relatively fast, you have control over your content and cover design, you can publish what and when you want, platforms like CreateSpace make books available online to a wide audience
• Cons: it's an investment, you bear costs up-front, self-promotion is vital, you might have a smaller audience for your work 

Do you think it is necessary to have an agent?

For traditional publishing with big-name publishers, yes, you need to have an agent. Those publishers will not accept work that is not submitted to them by agents. However, there are some smaller publishers that do accept work straight from writers, and then there is self-publishing, where you definitely do not need an agent! An agent is sort of like the connection between a big publishing house and a writer. They have established relationships with editors and, when it comes time to sell your book, they are the ones who are able to negotiate your contract. The standard rate is that an agent takes a small commission when they sell your work. They do not make any money if you do not make any money! Since my agent has not sold any of my books yet, she has not made a single penny from me (even though she has put in a lot of work on my behalf.) This just goes to show that if an agent signs you, they believe in you wholeheartedly! It is a neat relationship because you truly are a team.

***An Important Caution: If an agent asks to read your work or represent you, don’t be blinded by your excitement. You want to make sure this agent is the RIGHT agent for you – an agent that will represent you with honesty and enthusiasm, treat you fairly, and work with you to become a better writer. If an agent ever asks you to pay them money to read your work, they are NOT a legitimate agent. Find out about “scam” agents on the website Predators and Editors: http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/

Do you have experience having an agent?

Yes, I currently have a literary agent, who is actually my second agent -- a different agent signed me for my first book, we spent over a year working on edits, but she never felt it was "ready" to send out, and she didn't like the second novel I wrote. So we ended up parting ways and I found a new agent who I really like. Perseverance is KEY. It took me two long years to find my first agent, and another year to find my second agent. I could paper all four of my bedroom walls with rejection letters! Agents told me my book wouldn’t sell because it was too long, too short, too edgy, not edgy enough, I was too young, etc. etc. etc. But I believed in my writing and I believed in myself. I know there is a place for my novel in the literary world – I just had to find my “soulmate” agent who understood my book and who was as excited to find me as I was to find her! As of right now, I have written three novels, and my agent is currently trying to sell the third one. If this one doesn't sell, I will just work on a new novel and hope that one does! Publishing can be very fickle and confusing, and an editor might not buy your book for so many reasons -- they might be having a bad day, or they really like your writing but they already published a similar book, or the name of the main character brings up a bad memory of someone who was mean to them in elementary school. If you are rejected, it does not AT ALL mean that your writing isn't good enough. I have learned, and keep learning over and over, that the most important thing is to believe in yourself and persevere, and to enjoy the PROCESS of writing -- that is what you have control over.

Have you published without an agent?

Yes, I published my first two books without an agent, and they were both wonderful experiences -- I feel like my books were successful and I learned so much from the process! I also publish the Dancing With The Pen series on my own through CreateSpace. I think it is a wonderful time to be a writer because there are so many avenues available to publish your own beautiful, professional books!

Is it important to read the submission guidelines before submitting to an agent?

Yes! There are so many agents and they all want slightly different things, so it is CRUCIAL to read submission guidelines. You don't want the agent to think that you are sending out submissions to hundreds of different agents -- you want them to know that you chose them specifically because you think they will like your work based on what they have represented before. A great way to find agents is to look in the acknowledgments section or on author websites of books you really like that you think are similar to the book you want to publish. Usually you will be able to find the name of that author's agent, and then you can go on that agent's website and see if they are accepting new clients. Then it is really important to carefully read the submission guidelines and follow them when you send the agent your work! For example, some agents want to see the first three chapters; others want to see the first ten pages; some want you to attach your document; others want you to paste it into an email. The rules may seem silly or small, but if you don't follow them, your submission won't even be read!

Do you think there is an advantage to having someone else look at your writing before publishing?

Yes! Again, I could not agree more with this question! I think having someone else -- and it does not have to be a professional editor, it could also be a parent, teacher, friend, or relative -- look at your writing before you publish it is absolutely crucial. They can help you catch mistakes, fix small spelling or grammar errors that your eye skips over because you have read the pages so many times, and also they can let you know if anything is confusing or might be expanded or explained better. Often as writers WE know what we are trying to say, but sometimes things get lost in translation, so it is important to get someone else's perspective. Before you publish anything, you want to make sure it is the best it can be, and having someone else look at your writing is an important step of that process.

 

None of Us Will Have Enough Time

“I need a whole other life not to let this one go to waste.” 

― Lera Auerbach, Excess of Being

                                                                  _____________

In a recent interview with the poetry magazine jubliat, poet Lynn Xu was asked, "Why do poets want to publish? What part of the process or practice is publishing?" I love her response:

I don't know. I can't speak for everyone, but I think a lot of us publish because we want to be part of the history of reading, which is often a deeply private thing. 

[...] The book is at once made (the publishing model being one example, which includes the writer) and not made (it seems, so much of its life comes from the spontaneity of discovery, which is streamlined with one's life, where you happen to be, what you are doing, thinking, feeling, etc.)... As a child, it never occurred to me that books were made. They simply existed. And they belonged to everyone, no one. Their peculiar magic was that they seemed to exist at all times. 

To publish, maybe, is to borrow from this spontaneity of being. 

_____________

For the past few months, I've been thinking a lot about the place of publishing in our creative lives -- specifically, in my creative life. I've slowly come to realize that, without meaning to, for a long time -- since graduate school, it seems -- I've been living with this deeply held pressure to justify my creative work somehow, to make it fit into society's structure of money, business, productivity.

But art, by definition, does not fit into neat little boxes.

Maybe that is why it has been such a struggle for me at times to sit down at the computer and put in the writing time: I was trying too hard to cram my creative work into neat little boxes that could be packaged, commodified, sold. I've noticed that, for the past few years, I've muddled through long stretches of time when it feels like I am fighting my writing routine, thrashing against it, moaning to myself about how hard it is, and putting all sorts of pressure on myself. Sort of like a child who hates playing piano but his parents make him practice every day, so he practices for the exact amount of time he's supposed to -- not a minute more. In some slowly building way, writing has become something I have to do, and I lost sight of why I even want to do it in the first place.

Lynn Xu might say I lost my spontaneity of being. I lost track of that peculiar magic that links me to books, to communities, to other writers across time and space.

I found it again in the unlikeliest of places: Facebook.

_____________

I know, I know: Facebook is to a writer's productivity like sugar-and-caffeine-soaked soda is to a toddler's naptime. Not the most conducive. However, I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed the other day when I spotted a post by a writer acquaintance of mine. I met her at a conference years ago and, though we have not seen each other face-to-face since then, I have read and admired her work ever since. I especially remember how she treated me with such respect, even though I was the youngest faculty member by decades at this particular conference. She treated me like a peer, and I loved her for that. 

Her Facebook post was short and easy to scroll past, in the blur of cat snapshots and food snapshots and baby snapshots and election-related news articles. But something about it made me pause. What is she up to these days? I wondered, thinking perhaps this would be about a new piece being published somewhere, or one of her books winning another award. 

But no. In this post, just a few sentences long, she was saying goodbye. 

She explained that she had cancer and the tumors were steadily growing, outpacing her chemotherapy treatments, and that she was heading into hospice care soon. She stated, without a trace of self-pity, that she had enjoyed a rich and wonderful life and was grateful for all of the people and all of the love. She even apologized, writing that she knew everyone was hoping for better news.

I sat there, staring at my computer, utterly stunned and speechless and devastated.

This writer has published many beautiful and touching and important works during her time here. And yet, I am sure that she still has many more stories left inside her. Stories she won't have time to tell before her time runs out.

And in that moment, it struck me with force, like a punch in my gut: none of us will have enough time before our time runs out. 

photo credit: Dineshraj Goomany

I could live for a thousand years, and I know I would still die with stories left inside me, ideas germinating in my head, tales left to tell. 

For now, all I have is this day. This moment, here at my computer, translating the scattered thoughts in my head into words on this screen. This moment is all that I have guaranteed to me.

How valuable! How important! 

Why waste a single writing day? Why grumble and groan about how hard writing is? It doesn't matter if it's hard -- it is still a singular and precious gift. And I do not want to squander an hour that I could be writing with excuses and interruptions and chores. No longer. Not anymore.

It is a fact that I am going to die with stories left inside me. So until that comes to pass, it is my task, my journey, my calling, to let as many of the important stories out of me as possible. To share them with the world. To access the magical spontaneity of being that I am lucky to be a part of.

_____________

Lately, I have been feeling so much freer in my writing. I am trying to distance myself from publishing and worrying about readers or the future. Instead, I am sinking all of my energy into the process. For me, I am learning, the work itself is what is sustaining. The work itself is what matters. 

Rather than "clocking in" at my writing desk each day, now I sit down at my computer because I want to hang out with my characters for a bit. I want to listen to what they have to tell me, to discover what they have to share with me -- and to unpack the beatings of my own heart, too. 

I write for myself, and also for all the other writers who are no longer able to write. 

I write because I am part of a creative tradition, and that is a truly glorious gift. 

I write because these words, words that I wring out of my soul and onto the page one by one, slowly and steadily and joyfully and angrily and fiercely and rapidly and tiredly and passionately... these words are my legacy. 

Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Writing Career: Be Grateful

I often receive emails from young writers asking for advice and help in various aspects of their writing, and I am always delighted to help in any way I can. To be a writer is to be a part of a community, and I am so grateful for all the writers who have offered me advice and encouragement over the years. Being a mentor and cheerleader for other writers is the best way I can think of to "pay it forward" to those people who have bettered my life with their generosity and support.

However, I am not always the quickest to respond to emails, especially when life gets busy. Like this summer: I am in graduate school working on my thesis, taking a summer literature class, and teaching a creative writing class to college students. I feel like I'm barely managing to keep my head above water by trying to write a little of my own work every day, reading and working on papers for the literature class I'm taking, and grading papers and responding to emails from my students!

Most writers I hear from are beyond patient and gracious. But occasionally, I'll receive an email from a young writer that startles me with its rude tone and unprofessionalism. Often the email will include capital "shouting" letters, strings of exclamation points and/or question marks, and phrases like, "are you ever going to get back to me????" or "hellooooo???"

I consider myself to be an advocate for writers, and young writers in particular. I love teaching writing camps and working with mentees through Write On! For Literacy. Publishing Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today's best youth writing is a great source of pride and good feelings for me. So when I get an email from a young writer that perpetuates the negative stereotypes that society foists upon teenagers, it makes my skin crawl.

I believe the very first and most important lesson in regards to being a writer and getting published is this: respect, gratitude and professionalism are a must.

If you send an email with a rude subject line to a publisher, editor or agent, I can guarantee you it would be deleted without even being read. When you send your work to a publisher, it may take six or eight months for them to get back to you about it. That's just the way publishing is -- editors are very busy and they receive hundreds of emails every single day. And if you ever do email them to ask if they have had a chance to read your work, you need to make sure you have a tone of gratitude, graciousness, and respect of their time and busy schedule.

Here's a great article with tips and examples on writing professional emails: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/email/.

But I think all you really need to remember is just to be respectful and to treat everyone with common decency. When you adopt a rude tone, you send the message that you feel entitled to the person's help, rather than that you are appreciative of any time and help they can give you.

I think it comes down to this, not just in writing but in all areas of life: people will be more eager to help you when you treat them well and are humble and appreciative of their time, knowledge, effort and support.

Interview with Rebecca Guevara

What would you like readers to know about you as an introduction? 

When I first seriously started writing over ten years ago I did it only for myself to prove I could. Secretly I’d believed I could write since childhood, but I’d done little to make that happen. When my first book was published in 2006, and I experienced the heady excitement of signings, conference engagements, and best of all, compliments and encouragement on my writing, I wanted that to continue. Now I have learned more about the ebb and flow of writing, and I have returned to a quieter approach of genuinely enjoying the process while giving and gaining what I can. One way I keep myself connected is working with writers as they prepare their manuscripts. I have been able to help as mentor/coach and editor, and I find it very enjoyable.

Tell us about Blossoms of the Lower Branches. Was it difficult to revisit these memories? 

At times. Over twenty years had passed since my brother took his life, so the immediate sharpness had subsided, but as you know, true writing unearths more than writers sometimes want. I didn’t want to tell my story. I wanted to explain how the classic hero’s journey, first explained in myth, can be used to deal with grief from the death of a loved one, and I wanted to make it a “paper,” or a “study” that would explain like a teacher in front of a classroom. I thought that approach would give the subject more respect. I soon realized it needed a sincere, true story to weave through it to make it real and usable for others. After all, my readers are suffering grievers, not professors giving me a grade.

What was it like to publish a memoir? Was it a release? Freeing? Was there any anxiety in the publication process? Is publishing a memoir different from publishing fiction? 

Publishing a memoir has been different from fiction where it’s easy to hide behind, “It’s just a story!” whether that’s true or not. A surprise has been that I’m happy to talk about the idea I really do believe in with the hero’s journey as a grief recovery model, but I’ve been reluctant to encourage people I know to read it because it is personal. I was conflicted about putting my story out there, which is why I started trying to write a “paper.” I’d like to have anyone struggling with how to settle traumatic grief read it while keeping ear buds in my friends’ ears.

Was it a release? Not in the way many memoirs are because many memoirists are often writing to themselves for the first time. I had chewed over the issues in the book so often, for so long, that I had comfortably settled them, so it became closer to putting a period at the end of a last sentence, and closing the book before lending it to another.

 
How did you get started writing? 

First time: Fourth grade assignment when I wrote a two page love story and loved the process. That bout ended three years later with a puberty driven mania to write of a young girl who takes off to see the world. It started in Salt Lake City, where I lived, and traveled to San Francisco (Sounds like a bestseller, no?) where it abruptly stopped because I realized I knew nothing of China and I let it lock my creativity. Second time: When I wanted to expand my career and branch out to writing, I began interviewing and working for free lance articles. This bout ended when I was told of my brother’s death while I was having fun writing. I couldn’t settle how I’d been happy while he’d been so miserable. Third time: When I’d let so many years pass not doing something I thought I could be good at and I knew I had to try. Finally. Victory over myself in the third bout.

What is your writing process like? 

 I make notes in a small, carry around notebook, more notes in a spiral notebook, save clipped articles and related items of any kind in folders, and then I write on a computer. Next is revising for what can seem like forever. How do you get ideas for what you write? Ideas can seem to be in the air around me. Thoughts that sprout from nowhere, news stories, overheard conversations, a scene of people walking their dogs. Harnessing myself to develop them is often the harder task.
 
What are some of your favorite books? 

As my eyes fall on them in my writing room, and in no particular order, books I have enjoyed are:

• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes
• Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
• Down by the River by Charles Bowden
• My Secret History by Paul Theroux
• The Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy
• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
• Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky

What is your biggest advice for young people reaching for their dreams? 

That’s a tough one because I think everyone is an individual who needs different things, and often things I can’t imagine. Through my life I have felt the forces of dreams, realities, and drives collide. Dreams can be irreplaceable inspirations, but dreamers then need to square that with the realities of what is required for the dream to be real, and then again look at how dreams and realities connect with personal drives. It is possible to dream of something, understand what it takes to get it and still have to deal with personal ambition or lack of it, inability to deal with fear, or a need for approval that kills dreams. Sometimes there is a lot to push through. Everyone needs to understand their own situation.

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Visit Rebecca's website
 http://www.rebeccaguevara.com/Rebecca_Guevara/Home.html 

Writing Waters Blog
 http://thewritingwaters.wordpress.com/ 

Order her book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Blossoms-Lower-Branches-Journey-Through/dp/0979395836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323386706&sr=8-1%20

Order her book through Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blossoms-of-the-lower-branches-a-heros-journey-through-grief-rebecca-guevara/1105278836?ean=9780979395833&itm=1&usri=blossoms+of+the+lower+branches%2c+a+hero%27s+journey+through+grief

Interview with Margo Candela

I am so delighted to have the fantastic writer Margo Candela as our guest today! She is the author of The Brenda Diaries (SugarMissile, Oct. '11) Good-bye To All That (Touchstone, July '10), More Than This (Touchstone, Aug '08), Life Over Easy (Kensington, Oct '07), Underneath It All (Kensington, Jan '07) and the short story and essay collection, Life Observed (June '11). More Than This was a Target stores Breakout Book and an American Association of Publishers national book club selection at Borders Books. Good-bye To All That was the only novel picked by Los Angeles Magazine for its 2010 Best of L.A. list.

I have been an avid Twitter follower of Margo for quite a while now -- she is always full of great advice and inspiration! If you are on Twitter, I would definitely recommend following Margo @MargoCandela and @BrendaDiaries.  Read on for Margo's insights about filling the idea well, venturing into e-book publishing, and the merits of creating an outline for your book.

What would you like readers to know about you as an introduction?

I write novels that feature funny, smart, decent but flawed characters because I find those kinds of people interesting. I usually write with the radio or a movie playing in the background because I grew up in a big, noisy family and it helps me focus rather than distracts me. When I’m stuck on a plot point or not feeling inspired, I do something that is as far away from writing as possible like vacuuming.

Tell us about The Brenda Diaries. What was your inspiration/motivation behind this book?

I have a real fascination with work and how people identify with what they do for a living. When I was writing The Brenda Diaries I wanted to explore a character whose genuinely enjoys working, but isn’t ready to settle into a career.

What has it been like to venture into e-book publishing? Any advice for other authors?

It’s essential that the final product to be as professional looking as possible. I work with cover designer, ask for feedback on the last draft and, most importantly, hire a copy editor because I know I can’t and shouldn’t copy edit my own work. It’s a lot of work, but there’s also a lot of freedom that comes with e-book publishing.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve always been a voracious reader, but never imagined writing would be something I’d do professionally. As a teen, I’d write short stories just for fun, but it wasn’t until I joined the staff of community college newspaper that I saw that writing as a career was a real option for me to pursue.

What is your writing process like? 

Once I have an idea that I believe has real potential, I commit to writing a chapter-by-chapter outline. It makes the process of actually writing the novel much more manageable.  Plus, it forces me to see if there’s enough to idea to turn it into a story that has a beginning, middle and end.

I always write on a computer, my penmanship is atrocious, and write my first draft knowing there will be at least three others before I get to a final polish. I set word count goals and deadlines to keep myself on track.

How do you get ideas for what you write?

I get most of my ideas when I’m not forcing myself to come up with them. I read tons of magazines and am always keeping an ear and eye out for quirky things. The rest is just having a good imagination and the willingness to do the work to turn that idea into a novel.

What are some of your favorite books?

My all-time favorite book is Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth. I read it at least once a year just for fun. Anne Tyler has written more than a few books that I love including Celestial Navigations.

What is your biggest advice for young people reaching for their dreams?

There’s no way of getting out of doing the actual hard work to achieve a goal. It takes time, discipline and perseverance to achieve anything in life.

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Visit Margo's website at www.margocandela.com

She's on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/margocandela

Follow Margo on Twitter @MargoCandela and @BrendaDiaries

Publication Opportunities for Young Writers

It's been a while since I've posted a list of possible opportunities for young writers to get published. Here is a brief list of some of my favorite literary journals/websites that actively look to publish the work of kids and young adults:

• Cicada: a lit journal for teens: http://www.cicadamag.com/

• Stone Soup: http://www.stonesoup.com/

• Teen Ink: http://www.teenink.com/

• The Young Adult Literature Review: http://www.yaliteraturereview.com/

• Figment: http://figment.com/

Best of luck submitting -- and remember, rejection is something every writer has to deal with and is NOT a measure of your abilities and talents as a writer! The true joy should come from the process of writing and sending your work out there into the great unknown. It can be really fun and exciting to be part of the writing and publishing community by submitting your work, and I encourage all of you to give it a try!

As always, keep me posted, and feel free to leave a comment or email me with any questions or concerns you have. I am here for you!

Interview with James Garcia, Jr.

I am so delighted to have James Garcia, Jr. as a guest on my blog today! James was born in the Central California town of Hanford. He moved up the road to Kingsburg with his family as a child. After graduating KHS, he attended Reedley College, where he met his wife. They, along with their teenage sons, still make their home in Kingsburg which is also the setting of James’ debut vampire novel. Dance on Fire was published in 2010 and its sequel is scheduled for an early 2012 release.

What would you like people to know about you as an introduction?

I suppose the first thing I would like people to know about me is I’m just like them. I have a day job, a family, chores that need doing and I could use a few more hours in the day to be able to attend to everything, as well as my writing and everything that goes with all of that. I work as an Administrative Supervisor for Sun-Maid Raisin Growers of California. My day begins at 2:45 am and I’m in the office by 3:30 am. I work nearly 12 hours a day, five days a week. After squeezing in a little exercise, I can be found on my laptop, plugged into Twitter, Facebook and Google + while I catch up on networking and blog visiting. I head to bed at about 7:45 pm to try and get a little reading done before falling asleep.

Wow, that sounds like a full schedule indeed! Kudos to you for finding time to write even with such a busy schedule. Tell us about Dance on Fire. What was your inspiration/motivation behind this book?

I never intended to write a vampire novel, but found myself doing so quite by accident. I originally thought I was simply writing a crime thriller until a vampire came walking out of the shadows of one scene. The novel took twenty years because I pushed it away as marriage became family, and was followed by careers for each of us, etc., etc., etc.

I’m pushing 43 now, but when I turned 38, I really began to sense the regret that I was going to feel if I didn’t pull that manuscript out and see it completed. Over the course of the twenty years it went from being hard R-Rated material to the PG-13 crossover version that it is today. It went from being a crime thriller to vampires with Christian themes. I like to tell people that I thought the world needed another vampire story like a hole in the head, so I went with a crossover
slant to try and find my niche in the publishing world.

What have you learned through writing this book?

I learned that I am indeed a writer. I wrote a complete book with all of the components that one needs to have a working story. It may not be the next great American novel, but it has garnered fantastic reviews which I am forever grateful for. I did have that moment after the first one was done where I began to question whether I could do it again, considering the first one took so long. I wrote the first two drafts of the forthcoming sequel in eight months.

Amazing! So how did you get started writing in the first place?

I found horror novels while in Junior High. This was in the early 1980’s. I was inspired by The Amityville Horror, Jaws, most things Stephen King and Michael Slade. I grew my hair long and took up the electric guitar, thinking I might be a musician; however, I eventually began writing short stories instead of song lyrics.

What is your writing process like? Do you write on a computer? In a spiral notebook? Do you draw illustrations?

In the beginning I was a total pantser. I just turned on the computer and began typing. These days I have begun to outline a bit more. Creating an outline that is several binders thick takes the fun out of it for me. God love the ones that do that, but it isn’t for me. I want to be surprised a little by where a story is heading, too! For my third novel, which is only 10,000 words into its first draft, I have an outline that paces the plot for me with very general details.

The one thing that might make me a bit different from other writers is that I "see" the story. Once I hatch an idea, I begin to picture it and the direction that it might be heading. When I am ready to begin writing, I picture the first bit of action during the day before, as if watching a movie. The next day I sit myself down at the laptop and begin typing what I saw. Once I have written all that I saw, I leave and begin allowing the next bit of action to occur to me. The next day the process is repeated.

I don’t have the luxury of writing every day, although I am still attempting to figure out how I might be able to do so. At this point I spend most of my free time simply trying to get the word out there via networking and promotion.

How do you get ideas for what you write?

Once I had the first book, the sequel wrote itself. I have a third book in the series, too, but I have taken a break from those characters to write something else. I love haunted house stories and have always wanted to write one. I held off until recently because I didn’t want to simply retread over the same tired old ground. Too many ghost story films and books have started well, only to end poorly, and I didn’t want any part of that. Some inner office in the back of my brain has had staff working on this, searching for a great idea, and I think I may have found it. *laughs* I don’t want to say too much about that just yet. Perhaps spending most of the year networking, and little time worrying about next projects, helped keep the dreaded writer’s block away.

What is your biggest advice for other writers and young people reaching for their dreams?

It is easy for me to say, having one book published and another on the way, but please do not let having your name appear on a book be the defining characteristic that qualifies you as a writer. It only means that I was fortunate. You are a writer! If you are a writer, follow that dream. Move heaven and earth to see that dream come true. I just don’t want to be sitting in that old folks home at the end of my life with the thought that I should have tried harder, and you don’t either.

That is so true! My next question is, what are some of your favorite books?

Good question! I still think The Amityville Horror is one of the scariest books ever, whether you believe it happened or don’t. Headhunter by Michael Slade is fantastic. Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always is a fable that can be read to the kids. In spite of the fact that I write horror, my favorite book is Beach Music by Pat Conroy. My sister-in-law twisted my arm to read it. Once I did, I haven’t stopped reading it; so many plotlines and great characters. It is the most brilliant
piece of fiction that I have ever read.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Only that I have been blessed. Sometimes I wonder whether my job is to write more books or to inspire others to follow their dreams and write theirs. If so, I’m okay with that. Thanks so much to your audience for taking the time, and thank you, Dallas, for having me. It has been great to meet you.

Thank you so much for being my guest today, James! It has been wonderful to meet you!

Connect with James at his blog: http://jamesgarciajr.blogspot.com/

Interview with Young Author Corinne Fombelle

At just thirteen years old, Corinne Fombelle published her 245-page novel Below the Surface, which she describes as "a novel about a girl and her best friend who wind up in a wild ocean adventure full of sharks, dolphins, fun, and surprises." The book is available as a Kindle download. Read on for Corinne's inspirational interview!

How did you get the idea for Below the Surface?

I decided I wanted to write a book, and I was trying to come up with something. I remember looking around the room trying to come up with a random idea. I saw a picture of a boat on the water and imagined something big going on underwater. That's when I first got the basic idea, and it just snowballed from there.

What made you first interested in writing?

In the fifth grade, when I was ten years old, my teacher Mrs. O'Brien gave us a creative writing assignment. It wasn't anything crazy, just a few short pages would do. So I wrote my little story for class and ended up really enjoying it. After I had turned it in, I decided to write a longer story, more like a book.

What is your writing routine? 

When I was writing Below the Surface, I would go on our desktop computer in the basement about every day and type. My family didn't even really realize the extent of my project until I told them it was finished. I asked my mom if she would print it for me. I would always just call it "my story" so they assumed that it wasn't much longer than the one I had written for class. She told me that when she went to print it, the printer ran out of paper, and she was so surprised. That was when she realized that I had really written a book at the age of ten. I just liked writing so much that I would go and work on it nearly every day.


What do you like about writing?

My favorite thing about writing is probably that there aren't really any restrictions. You can take it wherever you want and think of anything that pops into your head and weave it into an entire plot.

How do you deal with disappointment and rejection?

As a writer, there are many times you get turned down. The biggest problem I faced was my age. To get a book published with a real company, you need to get an agent or they won't listen to you regardless. But I also think it's hard to make agents pay attention if you're under eighteen. When I finally realized that there wasn't a way to get agents to read my manuscript, I tried to find another way to get my book published, which was my ultimate goal from the time I finished it. I did many revisions and tweaked lots of things, just to get it that much better while I was trying to find another way to get the public to read my work. Finally, my uncle sent me an email about Kindle publishing, and how it was a great opportunity. I looked into it, and found out that there was no down side, and went through with it. Basically, I just always try to find a way to make things work out.

What is your biggest advice for a young person going after their dreams?

I would tell anyone who wants to get into writing or anything else that they should do the best they can to perfect their skills at whatever it is they're doing, and then things will just work out. If you're put a lot of work into something, people will notice and try to help you reach your goal.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I finished Below the Surface when I was ten and didn't get it published until I was thirteen. I never gave up on it. I didn't quit. I still was working on it even further and fixing little things in the story. I was still trying to find a way to make it happen, and finally my uncle gave me the last boost I needed, the information about Kindle publishing. If I hadn't still been editing the book and trying to make it better yet, I wouldn't have been told about Kindle publishing because I would have probably stopped writing. So, even if you face disappointments that seem to stop you, keep trying and always keep the things in your life that make you happy, and they will someday benefit you because of your passion for it.

Interview with Daniel Williams

Today we continue our Dancing With The Pen blog tour with an interview with young writer Daniel Williams. Daniel is an eighteen-year-old 12th grader from Fort Wayne, Indiana. In addition to writing, his hobbies include reading, dancing, singing, and riding his bike. He is passionate about giving back to his community and is very active within the youth antiviolence movement. He is a featured young writer in Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today's best youth writing. 

Your piece "Water-Bio Poem" was published in Dancing With The Pen. How did you get your idea for this poem?

It is a sort of autobiography poem I wrote about water where I describe what water is like. It comes naturally to me and I write how I feel. I write mostly about my life.

Have you been writing for a long time?

Yes, I have been writing for eight years. One thing I like about writing is that I can express myself the way I write and feel.

What books do you enjoy reading?

Sharon M Draper, Walter Dean Myers and the late E. Lynn Harris are a few of my favorite authors.

What are you working on now?

I’m publishing my first book titled Brothers Stand Strong. I will continue writing short stories. I plan to down the road do my own writing reality show on YouTube.

Do you have any advice for other writers, or for other young people going after their dreams?

Write what you know and write from your heart. In general, follow your heart with what you want out of life.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you for giving young writers like myself a chance to share our works with the world.

Links:

• Order Dancing With The Pen on Amazon. (It rose to a #2 ranking on Amazon.com in the "literature anthologies" category in its first week of release!
• Please take a few seconds to "like" our Amazon page!
• And, if you have a few minutes and could write a review on Amazon, that would be fantastic! 
• You can also follow Dancing With The Pen on Facebook and Twitter. We're now featured on Goodreads, too!
• Discounted bulk orders are available at the Write On! website: www.writeonbooks.org. 

Interview with author Randy Robertson

Randy Robertson is an experienced journalist and author of the new book Finding Mary: One Family's Journey on the Road to Autism Recovery. He was kind enough to stop by the blog today and tomorrow to talk about his new book, his writing journey, and advice for other writers. Randy lives in New York with his wife Debby and his three children. In addition to writing, he is an avid runner and sports fan, having completed the New York City Marathon and currently training for the 2011 Mohawk-Hudson Marathon in upstate New York in October. He also coaches youth basketball and baseball in Queens, NY and is the Special Needs Coordinator for his Catholic Church.


How did you get started writing?

I was born and raised in San Jose, CA. Around the age of 12 I became an avid sports fan and daily reader of the San Jose Mercury News sports section. I knew then that I wanted to become a sportswriter, and I worked toward making that happen for the next decade.

During college I wrote for several Bay Area newspapers, including the weekly Milpitas Post, the daily Peninsula Times Tribune in Palo Alto and the Modesto Bee (internship). I was sports editor of the Spartan Daily at San Jose State and earned my BA in Journalism in 1992. Upon graduation I was hired as a full-time sports writer at the Tracy Press in Northern California. I later worked for the Oxnard Press-Courier and the Ventura County Star.

In 1996 my fiancée Debby and I moved to Chicago. In a competitive newspaper market I was only able to find freelance work, so at that point I decided to put my writing on hold and utilize my developing graphic design and layout skills in a corporate setting. I’ve been working in the multimedia/graphics department for the global consulting firm A.T. Kearney ever since.

In 2001 Debby and I had our first child, Mary. We later had two sons, Charlie and Marty. In 2004, Mary was diagnosed with autism. Our family spent the next five years trying many strategies for improving Mary’s condition – some successful, some not so much. I was often asked for advice from other families coping with autism, so in 2008 I decided to get back to my writing roots and write a book to share Mary’s story.


How did Finding Mary begin?

I think there’s a part of each of us, deep down inside somewhere, which wants to write a book and hold that book in our hands and see our name on the cover of that book. I’m no different I guess. For years I toyed with the idea but never seemed to have the right topic. Then, as Mary’s autism therapy continued and she started making incredible progress, I knew I had the ideal content for a book. In addition to satisfying my internal passion for writing I also would be able to share some really helpful information with other families.

With Finding Mary, I wanted to reach two audiences: families struggling with autism first-hand of course; and, also, any readers who had heard of autism and maybe had a curiosity about what it is really like. This second group was likely to include neighbors, friends and non-immediate family members of people with autism. That is, people who knew someone with autism but didn’t really know or understand what that meant on a daily basis.

How did you structure the book?

The book moves along chronologically, starting with Mary as a young and healthy toddler who interacted with her family. Then I describe how she spiraled into a deep regression for about two years, throwing tantrums, pulling back from interactions with everyone and finally encasing herself in a cocoon of self-stimulation (“stimming” such as spinning in circles, repeating the same cartoon dialogue over hundreds and hundreds of times, etc.). One of Mary’s favorite things to do in that darkest of times was to watch the movie Finding Nemo. She probably watched it 100 times. So the book title Finding Mary is a play on words, reflecting Mary’s obsession with Finding Nemo and also our own desperate search to find the daughter we wanted and never gave up on.

Throughout the book I discuss various treatments we tried with Mary, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a gluten-free, casein-free diet, vitamin B shots, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). I also shared our experiences in dealing with the New York City school system to find the right placements for Mary and my thoughts on the impact of immunizations on children. (I believe kids are getting too many shots too soon, but I stop short of blaming autism entirely on immunizations. It is important to give the children immunizations, but they should start later and be spread apart instead of given in batches of 2, 3 or even 4 at a time.)

What has the response from readers been like?

Finding Mary shares some real-life success stories. These include Mary’s ability to learn to play the piano, her academic achievements at school and her independence to the point of being able to pack her own swimming bag, enter the women’s locker room by herself and go in and change out of her wet swim suit and back into her dry clothes on her own.

Readers have given me a tremendous amount of feedback on the book. Some are amazed at how many different treatments we’ve tried. Some are shocked at how difficult Mary’s behaviors have been at times. And others have commented on how down-to-earth and honest the book is. And almost everyone has asked when Finding Mary 2 will be available! I’m still thinking about that!

What have you learned through writing and publishing this book?

Through writing this book, I learned that self-publishing a book is actually quite easy and do-able. Yes, anyone can do it!! I didn’t spend a fortune on the book and I didn’t have to work 100 hours a week to make it happen. I actually wrote the book little-by-little, in the evenings, when the children were asleep, usually just one night per week. It took me a year to write the book, then another year to shop the manuscript, settle on self-publishing, edit the book and prepare the photos. Through my publisher, iUniverse, the book is available on amazon.com and has sold in countries around the world. Finding Mary is also now listed on the Autism Speaks website in its recommended books to read.

The other thing I learned is that people are incredibly caring and compassionate. Mary has become somewhat of a mini-celebrity in our little corner of Queens. The community has embraced her as a special little person and many more people understand her now, as opposed to seeing her as a quirky weirdo. She’s different, but because so many people in our community have read the book and gotten to know her, she’s better understood and accepted for who she is.

With such a busy schedule, how do you fit in writing time?

Once I decided to write Finding Mary, I knew I had to devote a specific time to writing. It would be the only way to get it done. With three young kids in the house and all of their activities and the daily chores around the house, there was and is little quiet time around here. However, on Tuesday nights Debby goes to a yoga class once the kids are in bed. So I decided that every Tuesday would be my writing night and I stuck to it.

Come back tomorrow for Part II of our wonderful interview with Randy Robertson!

Dancing With The Pen is on a roll!

 

The debut book from Write On! Books publishing company, Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today's best youth writing, has been getting a whirlwind of positive response!

• "A massive variety of writings, each one bursting with youthful exuberance and wonderful imagination. If you're looking for a fun and creative read, this book comes highly recommended!"

• "It's great to see kids who are utilizing their creative side and helping to make the world a more magical place. The stories they have created transcend age, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy this collection!"

• "Publishing so many diverse and interesting stories is sure to spark a lifelong love affair with writing within these kids. It is also a treat for us as readers, to gain an insight into what this upcoming generation is thinking and feeling."

Here's an excerpt from a stellar review that recently appeared in LA Parent magazine. (Read the full review here.)

There’s just something so honest and pure about stories and poems from a child or teen’s point of view. But don’t be mistaken, these are not amateurish writings; rather they are high quality written pieces from some very talented young writers. While reading the book, you’ll experience a gamut of emotions from laughter to tears and from surprise to awe. Some of the stories and poems are so wisely penned, I had to double check the ages of the writers in their short bios.

-- Debbie Glade, LA Parent Magazine

Dancing With The Pen has also been featured on the following media outlets:

• Ink Slinger's Whimsey

• The Golden Pathway

• Author Exchange Blog

• The Writer's Hotspot

• The Desert News & Telegraph (March 2011)

Dancing With The Pen even rose to a #2 ranking on Amazon.com in the "literature anthologies" category! (Order the book on Amazon here.)

Please take a few seconds to "like" our Amazon page!

And, if you have a few minutes and could write a review on Amazon, that would be fantastic!

You can also follow Dancing With The Pen on Facebook and Twitter.

We're now featured on Goodreads, too!

Discounted bulk orders are available at the Write On! website: www.writeonbooks.org.

Guest Post by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

On Editing and Pesky Adverbs

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

We are often warned that adverbs can be overdone. Then writers take the warning too literally; they think they shouldn’t use any at all!

Of course, we wouldn't have adverbs if they didn't serve a purpose. But when we examine them -- carefully (very carefully!) we often find that they duplicate a quality that the very has already achieved for us. That makes them redundant.

Or they are awkward. Or they slow down the forward movement of a sentence.

Authors also worry when an editor removes their adverbs. They think those edits will change their voices. Though an author can (and should) reject edits that he/she thinks aren't appropriate, these edits of adverbs rarely change a voice. Certainly voice isn't achieved by using adverbs or most other edits. It is achieved by much subtler elements of writing. Point of view. Use of colloquialism or slang. Choice of detail.

For the most part, I think most writers worry way too much on having their voice changed and not enough about improving their writing skills.

Having said that, I worry more about editors who don’t really have the training to be editors. Would an editor really remove all of a writer’s adverbs? And how would a new author know if an editor is overstepping if he/she doesn’t have lots of information on editing under his or her own little writers’ belt?

I do hope those of you who have been relying on an outside editor -- someone you hired or a friend -- will read The Frugal Editor http://www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor. It includes lots on how to partner with an editor, how to save money hiring an editor, and how to hire one that is compatible with your personality and the kind of writing you do. Many good editors like Barbara McNichol (www.barbaramcnichol.com) specialize in specific genres, nonfiction vs. fiction, etc. Larry Brooks (www.storyfix.com) helps writers of fiction specifically with structure. Good editors know that it is hard to be an expert at everything.

Editing is a two-way street. There's gotta be some trust and also some confidence. The more an author knows about editing, the better equipped she or he is to discard or keep edits.

So, yep. Examine every adverby "ly" word. And then use each one to your advantage. Know the other adverbs (like “even” and “just”). There is a list in The Frugal Editor (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor). Especially the ones you tend to overuse. Either discard each one or use one of the methods in The Frugal Editor to turn them into more visual writing.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults, and speaks on issues of publishing. Learn more about her other authors' aids at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com where writers will find lists and other helps on the Resources for Writers page. She blogs on editing at http://www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com and all things publishing (not just editing!) at http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. She tweets writers' resources at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo

Interview with Harriet Tramer

Harriet Tramer has worked for more than three decades as both a journalist and an instructor. Her latest book, Rounding the Circle of Love, was recently released from Ladybug Press. Read on for Harriet's insights about writing, caregiving, getting published, and more!

What have you learned through your years as a journalist and instructor?

During that period of time, one thing became increasingly more obvious to me. These professions have much in common as they both demand communication skills, something I have long struggled to hone. If you want to succeed in either of these fields, you must deliver a message that resonates with you. But that is only part of the picture. You must also learn to intuit what others are ready to hear. Otherwise, your words might "fall on deaf ears."

Tell us about Rounding the Circle of Love. What was the impetus to write this book?

I was a caregiver for my mother (now deceased) who drew the picture on the cover of my book. And that experience taught me that handling these "responsibilities" can prove very stressful. So, I wanted to write a book that would offer caregivers some guidelines There are no easy answers when it comes to caregiving or anything else in life. But I tried to present suggestions that would make their challenges more manageable.

In writing the book, I relied not only upon my background as a caregiver. I also brought into play my journalistic "skills" as I interviewed people with expertise in different fields and molded their comments into an approachable document.

How did you first discover your love for writing?

I could point to any eureka moment when I first discovered my love for writing. It is just something that has always been part of me. I am not driven to write by some inner compulsion. Rather, I do it as a matter of course like I get up in the morning and get dressed.

What is your writing routine? Do you write every day? Do you have a certain time or place you write?

When I am being disciplined, I write early in the morning, starting at 4 am. But I must confess that more often than not, the Internet wins out over my best intentions. Turning it on, I become lost in a tumble of on line newspapers that somehow seem more welcoming than the empty page I would face if I started writing, for example, an essay.

Is there anything you wish you could tell your younger self about your writing life? What is your biggest advice for kids and teens just starting out?

If I could magically go into a time machine and tell my younger self what I have learned over the years about writing, my advise would be sorely outdated. These days everything must be crisp and concise. Eloquence and erudition often lose out in the race to make every word count. And things are moving more and more in that direction, with Twitter and other means of communicating demanding you say more with less. A sign of the times: There are even novels weaved together from text messages.

What do you hope readers take away from Rounding the Circle of Love?

My major message to caregivers: You can accomplish things you had always figured were out of your realm. Caregivers have to be a jack of all trades - companion, nurse, financial adviser. And more often than not, they rise to the occasion by excelling at things at a broad breadth of things.

What was the journey to publication like for you?

It was much easier than I ever expected it would be. The internet worked its wonders and I found a publisher - Ladybug Press of Sonora, California - in no time.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Caregiving can be a positive experience that helps you gain self-confidence as you see yourself making a major difference in somebody else's life and discover your hidden talents. But it can also be very depleting if you do not become your own caregiver along the way.

Interview with Marcia Meier

Marcia Meier has been writing professionally since she graduated from college. She worked for daily newspapers for nearly twenty years, first as a reporter, then as a copy editor and assistant city editor, and finally as editorial page editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press. She left daily journalism in 1995, but wrote a Women and Business column for an Orange County magazine, penned a coffee-table book on Santa Barbara and has continued to write for newspapers and magazines ever since. She also taught journalism and writing for four colleges for more than ten years, and continues to work with other writers as a coach today.

She writes poetry and short stories, and had her first poem and her first short story accepted for publication in 2008. She also is at work on a novel and a memoir, but says,"They are going much slower than I would like. The journalism and nonfiction books come first."

I met Marcia four years ago when she was Director of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference and brought me in to lead the Young Writers Program. Not only is she a writing and publishing guru, she is also an incredibly warm and generous person. I greatly admire her and feel fortunate to call her my friend. She was kind enough to answer some questions about her new book, Navigating the Rough Waters of Today's Publishing World.


Tell us a bit about the book.

The subtitle is Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders, and that is the focus: It's a book about the upheaval in the publishing world and how writers can best take advantage of the changes. I interviewed more than two dozen experts – agents, editors, publishers and authors – to get their thinking on what's happening in publishing. The book identifies four major trends and then offers advice for using those trends to further your career as a writer.


Sounds like a very important read for every writer! So how did you discover your love for writing?

I was in junior high school when I began to write in a journal every day. It was a way to sort out my teen-aged angst and try to discover who I was and who I wanted to become. Writing and my horse got me through adolescence. But I always found writing came easily to me. I liked English and loved to read. It all seemed to go hand in hand. When I was a senior in high school I worked on the yearbook, but didn't write seriously again until I discovered journalism toward the end of my sophomore year in college. I took a reporting class and was hooked. I changed my major to journalism in my junior year, did two internships the following summer and fall, and got my first newspaper reporting job two weeks after I graduated. I have been in love with writing ever since.


What is your writing routine? Do you write every day?

Yes, I do write every day. I begin every morning early with at least a half-hour of journaling. I’m a big fan of Natalie Goldberg (author of Writing Down the Bones) who recommends some form of what she calls "morning pages." Then I write a poem. (I made a commitment to myself last December to write a poem a day. I haven't quite made that, but I'd guess I write at least four to five poems a week.) Then, depending on what freelance deadlines I face, I will either conduct interviews or write for most of the morning. Afternoons are a little more scattered. I spend a lot of time answering emails, and I also have regular meetings – weekly or biweekly – with the writers I coach. When it comes to short stories and longer works, I tend to pack up my computer or notebook on a Saturday and go off to a coffee shop at least half an hour away from my home.


Is there anything you wish you could tell your younger self about the writing life? What advice do you have for beginning writers?

I wish I had known/understood the importance of sticking to a writing routine. When I left the newspaper business my daughter was three. I found all kinds of excuses not to write, and got pulled in a number of directions (teaching, volunteering at school) that seemed important at the time. I don't regret those experiences, but I think I might have been further toward what I say are my highest goals for writing if I had stayed focused on them. Today, I'm rededicated to my personal writing. (It's also a little easier since my daughter is just graduating from high school and will be heading off to college soon.)

As for advice, stay true to yourself. Commit yourself to whatever time you think you can devote to writing and do it. But don't beat yourself up if you fall short of a writing goal. Forgive yourself, revise if need be, and begin again. Life happens.


What is the editing process like for you?

Initially, arduous. With my own work, I have to force myself to get started. But once I'm in the moment with it, it comes easily. I typically begin at the beginning and read everything through, editing as I go. If I am working on someone else's manuscript, I read it with an eye toward line editing but also structure, content, characterization, plot, etc. I will read a ms. two or three times if necessary to get a really good sense of what it needs overall.


What "life lessons" have you learned through writing?

Lord! Think of every parable and saying you can imagine and I've probably learned it through writing. I love this Teddy Roosevelt quote: "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well."


That's so true and well-put. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Only that as writers we need to believe in ourselves and our work. We aren't typically going to get support from our families or friends (unless they are also writers). I once had a friend ask me when I was going to get a "real job." Geez! Who needs friends like that? It's not easy, but you are the only person who will always believe in your dreams, 100 percent. So seek out people who understand and support you, and ignore the rest. And be persistent. If you don't send out that poem, or that short story, or that novel, there is only one certain end: It will never be published. So give your work a chance – release it to the world.


Thank you so much, Marcia!

Order your own copy of Navigating the Rough Waters of Today's Publishing World at http://www.navigatingpublishing.com/

Learn more about Marcia at http://www.marciameier.com/ and http://www.redroom.com/author/marcia-meier

Interview with Tainted Tea Literary Magazine Editors Shane Toogood & Kris Fossett

Shane Toogood and Kris Fossett met while getting their Associates Degree in Communication Arts, Journalism at Delaware County Community College. They have now started a literary journal, Tainted Tea: http://taintedtea.blogspot.com. Read on for their insights on writing, editing, publishing, and everything in between!

Congrats on the first issue of Tainted Tea! Why did you decide to start this lit mag? And what was the process like? Any surprises/unknown difficulties?

Shane: Thanks so much, Dallas. And thanks for interviewing us. It’s been a long seven months. Tainted Tea started because Kris and I kept saying that we needed to do something to fuel the flames of our imaginations. Although we continue to write, we both have jobs that are completely out of the writing and publishing field. She’s a lifeguard and I answer phones for funeral homes.

One day, as I was dropping Kris off at home, the two of us wanted so badly to tell the other that we wanted to start a lit magazine. Seriously, we sat in front of her house in my frigid car whose bi-polar heat decided not to work that March evening. Finally, Kris broke the silence and asked me. I screamed “I was gonna ask you the same thing!” I kicked her out of the car and as I drove home the name “Tainted Tea” dropped into my head. We loved it. It’s seductive, alluring and great alliteration.

We did some PR and Kris made the beautiful, interactive blog. All that was missing was the submissions. Once they started coming in things really picked up.

Kris: Before our first submission in late July, we didn't know what to do without content to work with. But once we received M.C. Brody's story, which is published in the first issue, we really started working, having meetings every week that lasted for six/seven/eight hours.

Once we received submissions, the magazine was no longer just something for Shane and I to do as we worked our terrible jobs. It's about the writers. We both know how difficult writing is, and we know how much courage it takes to send work out to publications. We couldn't let these writers down. If anything, we had to continue to work on the magazine for them.

Shane: As for the biggest difficulty…we had an artist verbally agree to have his work in Tainted Tea. We dropped his art in the layout and Kris tried to get a hold of him to sign the contract. When she finally met with him he lashed out…I won’t go into too much detail, but we were just about ready to go to press, and we had to pull his paintings and rearrange the whole mid-section of the magazine. We wound up making deadline fine.

What was your favorite thing about starting Tainted Tea?

Shane: Hmm… morphing dreams into reality. As I gain experience for my goal of becoming a book publisher, we’re helping make our fellow writers’ dreams come true. We love reading the enthusiastic responses when an author is being featured in the magazine. I mean, when we first started the zine, Kris and I thought we would cater to young authors, but we realized that there are just as many young authors not being published as there are the young at heart. It makes me happy knowing that another writer is happy. Too sappy?

Kris: I love everything about Tainted Tea: the writing, the editing, the layout, even the PR, which I thought I would hate due to a nightmare internship at a design firm. Shane and I spent hours commenting and editing one submission, and when the writer sent it back to us, she listened to us, and her story improved by a thousand-fold. It ended up being the best story we published.

Like Shane said, I lifeguard to support myself, and if I didn't have Tainted Tea, I would feel like my talents are going to complete waste, and I would have jumped off a cliff awhile ago. Being an editor of Tainted Tea isn't a job for me; it's something that I enjoy doing. It's my passion.

Read the rest of the interview at www.writeonbooks.org/taintedtea.aspx.