"Elana Roth worked at Nickelodeon Magazine and spent nearly five years as an editor at book packager Parachute Publishing (where she worked on R.L. Stine’s Rotten School among other series) before her career veered into the world of agenting and she joined the staff of Caren Johnson Literary. Here Elana talks about her career, her agenting style, and more."
10 years ago, when I was new to the writing world, I wanted to soak in all I could about the publishing industry and the craft of writing. The one thing that catapulted me in to this world at light speed, were writing conferences.
I remember the first one I attended. I felt like Captain Kirk landing the Spaceship Enterprise on some alien planet. I felt out of place, I didn't speak the language and at times I wanted Scotty to beam me up. BUT, once I made it through, I realized all my doubts and apprehensions about whether or not I belonged were self-inflicted. No one cared that I hadn't published anything yet. It was clear we were all there for the same reasons; because we were passionate about writing and because we wanted to continue to hone our craft. Over the years, I have attended many other conferences and found them to be a valuable investment of my time and money.
Now, 10 years later, I am the director of the Northern Colorado Writers Conference; an event in its 4th year. From my early beginnings as a conference attendee, to where I am at now as a conference organizer, I have picked up a few pointers along the way on how to get the most out of a writers conference that I wanted to share with you.
Be Professional
Writing is a business and I believe all writers need to treat it as such.Therefore, at a conference you should be professional. Have business cards made and ready to hand out. Be respectful of the agents and editors. Put some thought into what you should wear. Last year at my conference, one agent told me that she wished writers would dress more professionally. She didn't want to see business suits, but she wanted to see clean cut, professional attire. For her, that set the tone--it let her know that you understand that this is a business and that your are serious about being a professional writer.
Network
Before the conference you should look through the conference programs and pinpoint some editors, agents, presenters, that you want to introduce yourself to. A conference is not the time to be a wall-flower and hide in the corner or in your hotel room. It doesn't matter if you are a self-proclaimed introvert, you need to dig deep inside you and unearth any extrovert skills you may have. Introduce yourself to other writers at meals, hand out business cards, ask questions during sessions and talk to the agents and editors, you never know what may come from this meeting.
Be Prepared If you are pitching to an agent/editor at a conference, you need to do your homework. Find out the types of books they each represent and don't waste their time pitching to them if you know your project isn't a good fit. Just like you are hoping to find an agent or editor, they are their to get clients. If you are pitching a non-fiction book, you should have the book proposal and at 3 chapters complete so if they ask you to send it, you are ready to go. If you are pitching fiction, your book needs to be complete before you pitch. To quote literary agent Kristin Nelson, "Writers with “ideas” for a great novel are a dime a dozen. It’s that one in a hundred writer who actually has the perseverance and stamina to sit down and write the entire thing (which is a huge achievement all in itself since the majority of aspiring writers never even make it that far)."
Stay Until The End Stay for the whole event, even if you are tired. You paid for it all why not get all you can out of it. Plus, a lot of time goes in to planning every aspect of the conference. If you leave too soon, you might miss out on that one piece of information that you have been looking for, you might miss out on the chance to be inspired and motivated and you might miss out on meeting someone who would be an asset to your contact list.
I hope you will consider investing in your writing this year by attending a writers conference. To find a conference near you, visit the Shaw Guides.
Here is an inspirational video I came across and I hope you will take a few minutes to watch it and think about what you are going to do, to finish strong with your writing.
Writing can be lonely. We tuck ourselves away in our home or in a coffee shop or behind a set of headphones and try to lock away the world as we get our thoughts on paper or a computer screen. For this part of the process we only need ourselves.
But, after the actual writing-then what? What if you have questions? What if you want someone to critique your work? What if you need resources? This is when we need the help of others and writers associations are the perfect place to find that extra support. They are way to connect with other writers and to stay in tune with the publishing world.
There are many different types of writing associations, so you need to do the research to find the one or ones that fit your needs. Here are some things to take into account when you are looking for an association for you:
What do you need? The first thing you need to do is decide what you need from the association. Do you want something to look good on your resume? Are you looking to connect with other writers? Are you looking for classes and workshops? Think about and even write down, everything you hope to get as a result of joining a writers association.
National or Regional? Once again, think about what you want. National organizations tend to offer resources like legal advice or discounted health insurance and maybe an annual conference. Regional groups may not be able to offer the legal help, but they typically have luncheons, classes and networking opportunities.
Published or Unpublished Some groups have publishing requirements to ensure that all members are at a certain level in their writing career. Others do not. For instance, the Authors Guild requires that you have a book published by an established publisher or that you have had three pieces published in national magazine in the past 18 months. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) has two levels of membership, one for published and one for non-published. My organization, Northern Colorado Writers, is more of a come as you are group and does not have any publishing requirement.
Benefits Research what you will get from the organization as a member. Do you get discounts to classes? Do you get a place to advertise your website or book? Do you have access to a special section of the website where you can find great resources? Find out what you get by becoming a member and decide if you are getting what you need.
Dues Most writing associations charge dues. These funds help cover the actual costs of running the group and may help pay salaries of staff. The other reason dues are collected is to ask for a commitment from the members. We tend to value what we pay for and by paying association dues, you are saying that you value your writing.
Being part of a organization devoted solely to writers, helps us all get out of our self-inflicted bubbles and stay connected to others who have the same passion for writing that we do. I hope you will consider investing in your writing by joining a writers association.
When I was a new writer, I flirted with many kinds of writing before I met the genre of my dreams. Unfortunately, there was no online dating service to match me with compatible writing, so I went on a number of blind dates.
First I dated children’s books. I figured that since I dragged a diaper bag and a book bag to the library three times a week, I could write stories that appealed to the Sesame Street crowd. Plus, I had years of experience reading aloud to first graders as a teacher. Despite these qualifications, I learned that it is surprisingly hard to write a bad children’s book and even harder to write a good one. It wasn’t a match made in heaven and we broke up.
Next, I dated poetry, mostly because I fancy Shel Silverstein . My best poem started like this:Hurray! Hurray!/ The flowers are dead/ No more pollen/ Cloggin’ up my head. After I combed through Poet’s Market and discovered that many of the small publishers had folded or were on vacation indefinitely, I settled for reciting Silverstein to my children instead of publishing my own verse.
Then I had an affair with a 1500-words-or-fewer short story and entered The Writer’s Digest Annual Short Short Story Competition . My wonderfully supportive and encouraging writing group giggled at what were supposed to be my serious passages. Short short story writing was a short short fling.
I was starting to tire of these courtships. I now had a history of serial monogamy with bad children’s books, embarrassing poetry, and laughable fiction.Was there a genre out there for me or would I die a spinster alone with my orphan words?
Naturally, when I was poised to throw in the pen and join a cloister, I met my first published clip: a humorous personal essay about what happens when you combine a cranky two year old and a cheap tent in the middle of nowhere. We went on a second date that was quickly followed by spending all of our time together. I started writing articles for newspapers and magazines and won awards from theColorado Press Women. It was a labor of love.
The dating game was over! I entered a long-term relationship with nonfiction. I announced our engagement with business cards printed with the title freelance writer.
After I married nonfiction, I shopped for a home for my writing. In my search for more markets, I submitted essays to my local public radio station KUNC. I broke into radio because I was in the right place at the right time after being in the wrong place for a long time.
My advice to writers who want to break into any genre, including radio, is to keep dating. After all, even J.K. Rowling had to kiss a lot of frogs before she found her prince.
Laura Bridgwater is an award-winning journalist and radio commentator from Colorado. To hear Laura's latest radio spot,click here.
I am so tired of hearing about the doom and gloom of our economy. I have no control over what is going on with the banking or auto industry, but I do have control over my life. And this year I am making a commitment to myself and my writing. I am going to do what it takes to get my book published, to get an article in a major writing magazine and to get a short story published. It is going to take some time and even money, make this happen, but I am committed to it.
As I said in my last post, you need to move beyond just wanting to be a writer and decide to be a writer.
Here are some resources that will help you on this path.
Writer's Market Companion This book is full of how to articles, information about marketing, how to write a query letter, information about finding an agent--basically everything you need to know about the publishing world.
Flip Dictionary A great book to help you find that perfect word. It is different from a regular dictionary. You can look up words, but then it also groups words by categories. So there is a grouping for cheeses or all the different words for blue or biology words. Great resource for fiction and nonfiction writers.
We continue to have fun "wrecking our journals." If you missed my post about this fun book, Wreck This Journal, that I got my family for Christmas you can read the first blog I wrote about it.
My husband Rich is having a great time with his. He made a paper airplane with one of the pages, he used a page as a napkin, has drawn with his left hand and has chewed on a page. The book has even come between us...literally. One of the pages says, "Sleep with your journal. (document the experience)." So one night I get into bed and the journal is there. I laugh and tell Rich that's funny, expecting him to take the journal out of the bed. Nope--the journal stayed there all night.
Here are our latest journal pages:
Here I am showing the page where I wrote everything backwards.
Here is what I wrote
Here are Delaney and Rich using their journal as a napkin.
If you have this journal, let me know how you are wrecking yours.
Those who become successful writers, are not always the ones that are the most talented, but they are always the ones who did not give up. They pushed through the tough times, passed those who dropped out and they made the decision to cross the finish line.
I had someone tell me that what you want becomes irrelevant without a decision and I realized that is so true in the writing world. I come across people all the time who say they want to be writers. They talk about all the things they want to write or all the novels they want to finish. But they never do anything about it.
There are so many things I want-I want to spend a year in Alaska, I want to see the Northern Lights, I want to attend the Book Expo of America, I want to publish a short story… Are all of these things possible for me? Of course they are, I just need to make a decision to stop wanting and to start doing.
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen created the Chicken Soup for the Soul empire. This would not have happened it they hadn’t decided to publish that first Chicken Soup for the Soul book. They also decided that NOT publishing it was NOT an option. So they persevered. They didn’t quit after 20, 50, 100 publishers said no. Jack said, when someone said "no," he and Mark would say, “next.” After 123 rejections, Heath Communications gave them the yes they had been waiting for. They have now sold over 100 million Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
Is 2009 going to be the year that you move beyond just wanting to write and make the decision to actually be a writer? Are you willing to do what it takes to finish that novel, write that article, start that blog or find an agent? Are you ready to invest in your writing, have confidence in your abilities and push through to the finish line? If so, 2009 is going to be a great year for you.
Next in this Invest In Your Writing series, I will talk about resources that will help you on your road to writing success.
Motivational guru Zig Ziglar has created a wonderful short movie with some of his favorite quotes and some amazing photographs. I hope you will take a few minutes out of your busy writing schedule to enjoy this movie--I assure you it will be worth your time.
Use a blank piece of paper, list out your goals in each area. Start every one with positive, “I WILL . . .” statements. Be as specific as you can and list out a time-frame for the completion of it.
Here are some thought starters in each goal unit:
(X= Insert what you want there.)
1. Personal Growth (Knowledge):
I will take a course at a college/university/community college . . .
I will read books about (a particular area of interest) . . .
I will find a mentor . . .
I will learn a foreign language . . .
2. Health (Fitness):
I will change my eating habits and/or start a weight loss plan . . .
I will join a gym and go 3 times per week for ½ an hour each day . . .
I will take a spin class at the gym . . .
I will roller-blade, ski, golf . . .
I will watch less TV and do a physical activity outside . . .
3. Income (Financial Stability):
I will make $X this year . . .
I will save $X this year . . .
I will put aside $X this year for my child/s future/schooling . . .
I will pay off X bills . . .
I will find a better paying job that will pay $X . . .
4. Career (Work Environment):
I will accomplish X this year . . .
I will learn more about X this year . . .
I will handle my stress and not show it at work . . .
I will be a fair boss . . .
I will say only positive things at work . . .
I will stay out of gossip rings/stay away from negative people . . .
5. Social Life (Friends, Fun or Recreation):
I will take a vacation to X . . .
I will take up X as a hobby . . .
I will join X social group . . .
I will find an old friend from the past and re-connect . . .
I will overcome my fear of X (fear of water and take swimming lessons) . . .
6. Relationships (Significant Other or Romance):
I will find a girlfriend/boyfriend . . .
I will have a better relationship with my (significant other) . . .
I will appreciate my (significant other) and surprise them randomly with (gift, card, post-it
note, single rose, flowers or chocolate) . . .
7. Belief (Higher Power or Self):
I will take a course in meditation . . .
I will attend/join church or civic organization . . .
I will open up my thinking to others beliefs . . .
I will think and be positive . . .
I will expand my comfort zone in X area (Public speaking) . . .
I will increase my confidence in X . . .
8. Family (Relatives or Associative Family):
I will make a new close friend . . .
I will talk to my parents more . . .
I will show I appreciate my children more and praise them more often . . . .
I will spend more time with my friends . . .
DON’T FORGET TO:
Set a deadline for achieving each of your goals: A time frame for completing your goal give you an absolute beginning and end to the goal. Even if you don’t hit it by the time you set you can modify the goal and extend the time. By not setting a time frame you will most likely keep putting it off.
Set your goals high, but be realistic: If you write a goal down that is too unrealistic then you will not work towards it. For example: “I will run for president in the next election.” This is a good goal! However, unless you are a prominent government official it might be a little far fetched to accomplish. A great goal might be: “I will run for my local city Council for the next election, then run for State Senator in two years and then in eight years I will run for President.” This goal gives a clear short, intermediate and long term plan with a time frame. Your goal for President may be high but you are also shooting for the steps in-between.
Set stretch goals: A stretch goal is one that stretches past the realm of current possibility. Here is an example of a goal: “I will find a Literary Agent and a publisher for my 387 page Fantasy Fiction by the end of June this year.” Here is a stretch goal: “I will attract the sight of a major motion picture company and get a 3.5 million dollar movie contract by August this year.” The first goal is a possibility. The second goal stretches the imagination—might be possible if the first happens and the book is outstanding.
Keep them in front of you and look at them daily—out of sight out of mind! Keep them in ‘Top of mind awareness’ to that your consciousness is consistently striving towards those goals. It keeps you motivated. When you are working towards your goals it is uncanny how things just pop up. You might meet that contact you needed to get that job, or bump into someone who knows that agent that is looking for a good fantasy novel. If all you do is wish to win the lottery but never buy a ticket—how do you expect to win?
Cross it out when you accomplish it: Track the goals you accomplish. You will be surprised at the end of the year how many of them you will have crossed off. I have been doing this for over twelve years and every time I am amazed at how many goals I have crossed off at the end of the year.
Reward yourself when you achieve a goal: Give yourself some praise when you hit a goal. For the small goals I give myself a bottle of wine. The larger goals I give myself a music CD or a DVD. Reward yourself for doing a good job. It keeps the motivation going to hit the other goals.
Set new goals: Things change. If you have new motivations, dreams, desires, hopes and wishes write down new goals. The New Year is not the only time to set goals.
Happy goal setting! You can reach what you desire just lay it out in front of yourself and go for it!
YOU CAN DO IT!
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Tim Northburg is a Sales Manager at Saturn of Fort Collins. He has been in Sales and Management for over fifteen years and has experience coaching, mentoring and training highly successful sales people. He is also a writer and has developed five training guidebooks for his field and is currently working on several ficiton projects. Check out his fiction project at www.BaconsQuest.com
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. Check out their websites to find the one that works for you.
Janet Evanovich:
, Stephen King:
Happy Writing!
