Q&A, DNA and A List

I knew this day would come...the day that I would move EVERYTHING over to one clean WordPress spot (my website and my blog). But it hasn't come without it's challenges (trying to reroute my feedburner to the new blog so you all still receive The Lit Coach's Guide in your inbox). I'm a little sad - I started out here on blogspot and it's super easy to work with and yet....WordPress is so cool! So bear with me, I'm double posting until I can figure out where the problem lies (if you know, please, feel free to share a solution). 

So here's yesterday's post!

Happy Wednesday, dear writers!


I have updates.

First, I’ve moved my Q&A with The Lit Coach column to LitReactor, a new online literary website, magazine and writers’ workshop – it’s a fabulous community and I’m really enjoying the wide swath of writers the site has attracted. The column is updated twice monthly. In this issue’s Q&A I de-mystified the querying process for those who are approaching agents with a book series and directed another writer toward building his writing portfolio rather than approach an agent too soon with his work. Check out the Q&A here. And while you’re there, take a look at some of the great articles! I particularly loved,Submit Yourself: A Submissions Calendar is a Smart Idea, by Hanna Brooks Olsen; and Jon Gingerich’s latest craft article, Which P.O.V. is Right for Your Story is good too.

Second, I’m teaching a class for LitReactor – Character DNA: The Invention, Discovery and Birth of Stronger Characters (LitReactor members now receive 20% off the class if they sign up by Friday the 14th). I developed this 4 week course for LitReactor based on the character development one-one-one workshops I take my private clients through when they come to me with stalled manuscripts or finished manuscripts agents aren’t quite connecting with. The problem? Lack of clarity and development with the main character is always the main culprit. So in this four week course, I will invite my students to pluck their main characters out of their manuscripts, pin them to a cork board and start cataloging what makes that character unique – in broad strokes at first, but as we dig into the course, we’ll examine:

• Your character’s desires and motivations
• The main obstacle(s) that stand in the way of your character getting what they want
• What’s at stake if your character doesn’t get what they want and what happens when they do
• How these elements lead your characters toward their climax and resolution

And it’s quite a deal, too! The 4 week intensive workshop is $295.00 (plus 20% off if you sign up by Friday the 14th). I’ll be there asking you questions and giving you individualized feedback the whole way. Come join me. Register here.

Third, I’m honored to be listed on Robert Lee Brewer’s (from Writer’s Digest) 2011 Best Tweeps for Writers to Follow list. I share the space with some wonderful industry pros and writers I respect including lit agent Rachelle Gardner, former agent and author, Nathan Bransford and publishing world maven, Jane Friedman. Thanks, Robert!

And that’s all for the updates, writers.

Wishing you good words and enough time-

TLC

When to Write For The Market and When to Tell Your Story

Recently I responded to a question about whether writers find success in writing for a particular market or by writing what they want to write in a Q&A with The Lit Coach video for LitReactor (a new online lit site/magazine/writer's workshop launching Oct 1). My quick response was, write for the market if it makes sense for your overall career goals as a writer, but to absolutely not write for the market if your goal as a writer is to be an original storyteller. I wanted to give more attention and space toward that question here today because of course, there are grey areas.

Let's break it down.

If you write specialized (pop culture, sports, politics, etc.), journalistic or prescriptive nonfiction, yes you will surely be writing material for the market. Your job is to stay on top of topics that are trending in publishing, forecast potential trends, find holes on the shelves where you see your work fitting and fill them as quickly as possible.

Another opportunity for this writer is to write for the many "brands" nonfiction publishers carry, like Sourcebook's 1000 Best series or on a larger scale, Simon and Schuster's imprint Simon Spotlight. When I was an agent, I placed three of my clients with these publishers (some, multiple times), because the editor came to me wanting to know who I had in my stable who could be a good match for their brand. If you're already repped by an agent and this appeals to you, let your agent know you're open to this - in my experience and my authors', it's been a win-win - they got to write something that was on-topic for them, it boosted their platform a bit and they got paid.

* Keep in mind, to be an ideal candidate for this kind of "writing for the brand" publishing, agents and publishers want to see a track record of published work. These projects usually require a fairly quick turn around on your part, so an agent and publisher are going to need to know you're up for the task.

If you're writing Memoir or Essay, pay attention to the trends, read authors in this genre you connect with, be mindful of their message and approach to their craft, but allow yourself the space to create freely. That said, there are topics or themes within the genre that agents are tired of seeing, like " I survived an abusive, alcoholic father" stories...but you know...this is kind of subjective territory. If your writing is stellar and you've got a unique perspective, if you're showing us your life through a lens nobody else has used, write and pitch your work despite what's trending, if only just to get it out. You'll be a better writer for it.

If you're writing Commercial or Genre Fiction, you also need to keep an eye toward the market paying special attention to what's selling as high concept. While specific genres may support familiar story lines, it's your spin on a familiar theme that makes your novel unique. So again, be open to your own creative voice. (For more on this, check out this post by former Simon and Schuster editor, Marcela Landres.)

There is also opportunity to write under fiction brands with major publishing houses or under a major author's brand, but you need to understand the parameters of this type relationship before you enter one. Let your agent be your guide to helping you navigate this type of publishing arrangement but don't be afraid to seek outside legal counsel. Make sure you're getting paid what is standard for this type of work and DO NOT settle for less.

If your heart lies in literary or upmarket fiction, there really is no such thing as an original story anymore, but you can capture us with your use of language and perspective - your voice, and compelling characters. Do you need to pay close attention to the market? No, not in the way writers in the other genres will, anyway. Chances are you're a reader (and if not, you should be) - that's all the market research you need when you're writing - the study of how language moves you, the study of how exquisitely drawn characters touch you, the study of how tragedy and comedy shape our lives and inform our world view. Call me old school. Call me romantic. 

So, writers, this is all to say, know your goals as a writer, know your rights and when in doubt, follow your gut. If you've got a great agent, their gut will do, too.

TLC

* Image: From Philly Market Street Book Expo; Suavv.com

Video Q and A with The Lit Coach on LitReactor

A few posts back, I mentioned a new literary website, LitReactor, that's set to launch October 1. For those of you who missed the post or are new to the blog (welcome!), LitReactor will be a source of publishing industry news, book reviews, author interviews, writing and industry related blogs, my Q&A column, and loads of very cool online writers workshops (more details coming soon, I promise!) all geared toward writers of a more unique literary breed. Really, writers, this is the first site of its kind - meaty industry info and craft development taught by some major literary talent - without the pretense - getting into the trenches with you. 

Sign up for the newsletter and you'll start getting a taste of what's to come starting with some fantastic writing advice written especially for LitReactor from authors like Chuck himself, Neil Gaiman, Bret Easton Ellis, Amy Hempel, Craig Clevenger, Steve Erickson, Christopher Bram, Stephen Graham Jones, Max Barry, Jack Ketchum, and Holiday Reinhorn. 

I'm thrilled to work with the LitReactor team and I'm calling out for your questions to answer on a special video segment of Q and A with The Lit Coach for the site.

The following is directly from LitReactor's Facebook page ( I would never refer to myself as a "maven," for the record.)

So You Want to be a Writer? Good; then it's time to get to work. You must have a friendly ear for a useful word in this business, and we've just the maven for you. Erin Reel, (www.TheLitCoach.com), is a publishing and editorial consultant and writer's life coach. She will be doing a biweekly writing/industry advice column for LitReactor--and The Lit Coach is in! As a preview to the column, Erin will be fielding your questions and answering three of her choosing on film, to be screened on our splash page Monday the 19th. So get hot, writers. Send your professional grade, burning questions to erin@litreactor.com by this Thursday, 9/15!

So send in your questions, writers! I'll be waiting...

TLC

Q&A with The Lit Coach

Happy Friday, Writers!


Because this is kind of an oddball month with no virtue focus, but an awesome post on high concept fiction by author Darynda Jones this Monday (The Charley Davidson series) and an exciting announcement later in the month, there will be few Flashback Fridays. So today, I'm doing a quick Q&A culled from some questions a writer had sent me recently. Which brings me to my latest announcement!

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have seen my shout outs to LitReactor. LitReactor is a new literary website launching October 1st, brought to you by the cool folks who created Chuck Palahniuk's The Cult. I'll be writing a bi-monthly Q&A column for LitReactor (among other things which I'll announce later this month) and I'll be sharing a lot more about what LitReactor aims to do soon. This month, you'll have an opportunity to hear from some of the amazing crew and instructors who are behind the curtain there. In short, I am beyond thrilled that literary writers (and not just Chuck Palahniuk fans) will have a place that's designed for their needs and their aesthetic with plenty of opportunities to learn craft from some of the best literary authors and pros out there. Check out LitReactor on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for their newsletter and you'll receive a lovely welcome note from our Educational Director, Mark Vanderpool (who happens to be one of the smartest people I know), along with some exceptional writing advice created especially for LitReactor from Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, Bret Easton Ellis, Holiday Reinhorn, Amy Hempel and more.  

Ok, on with the Q&A!


Q: How does the emerging mainstream novelist get noticed until he or she gets published (if you know what I mean)? Attempting the short story would be sending one down the wrong alley, I would think, as they are two quite different forms and the market for the short story seems to be evaporating anyway. Anon

A: The only way you're going to get notice is by getting involved in a literary/writing community (your choice) and finding appropriate venues to pitch your work. It's all about building your author platform and your expertise right now - all of which take time.

I don't think short stories are going anywhere. Yes, they're hard to sell, but they've always been hard to sell - they have literary leanings and many traditional publishers would rather publish something from a writer who enjoys, or could enjoy, a far reach, a big fat market (and there's nothing wrong with that). I adore short stories as much as I enjoy a quick page turner and don't feel the shorts are going anywhere. When is the last time you heard of a major literary journal going under? In fact, I've just been made aware of a refreshing new LA based lit journal, SLAKE, that popped up in 2010 to counterbalance all this "quick" reading we're doing. Anyway...I digress. 

That said, short stories aren't every writer's medium or market, so don't feel you have to write and submit short stories just to get your work out there and read. Many mainstream novelists write newspaper, magazine and e-zine articles and columns; blog contributions are another opportunity for you. Think about what's timely about your novel - are there any major themes in your novel that reflect what's going on in the news? Maybe your novel is about a sticky family issue - what's at the heart of that issue? Does it echo what's going on in our world? There's your article! Now, learn how to pitch to the appropriate news editor and you're in business. 

Or you could write an essay or personal narrative, find the appropriate market for your piece and pitch that. Maybe your blog is your creative outlet outside your novel and you begin to build your readership that way. 

There are many opportunities for you to get your work shown. With a little creativity, focus and of course some time investment, you'll be heard.

For more about platform and experience, check out this article I wrote for Pitch University.

Good luck!

Q: I have just read about an "excerpt contest." I am not sure what that is and where one can find more information. Do you have any specific recommendations for submitting while you are writing your novel? Is it wise to send out excerpts when one is still bumping around in the dark? Anon

A: Excerpt or manuscript contests are usually largely supported by genre or literary writing organizations, literary journals, specialty or trade journals and magazines. The judging panel, usually comprised of like-market literary and publishing professionals, will read and judge the incoming submissions, choose a winning submission and usually a runner-up. The winners are awarded a prize of some kind - sometimes cash, sometimes serious consideration from an agent and/or an editor at a large publisher, among other things. And of course, if it's a major contest, the acclaim is prize enough.

I'm sure there's opportunity online for this, but I'm less sure about the who/what/when/where/why with this avenue - my advice there would be to stick with the big, reputable names who also have a legacy in print. 

As far as timing goes, if you feel you have an excerpt from your novel in progress that's as polished as it can be, send it in, but I would rather you wait until you have the manuscript finished and fully edited - you never know how it'll change in the editing process. Sometimes the prize for these contests is literary representation and/or a review from some Big 6 publishers. It's best to put your most polished foot forward with a finished piece of work. 

Good luck!

Thanks for your questions.

Darynda Jones!

TLC