Peg Herring's Blog - Posts Tagged "advice"
Expert-ism
This morning at breakfast, my husband and I were discussing experts. The news is full of stories about what one expert or another says should be done about taxes, education, crime, oil spills, you-name-it. While I am willing to listen, not considering myself to be an expert on any of those topics, I respect most of all the person who thinks for himself. I strive to be one of those people.
History is a great teacher, neglected by many. The advice of experts of other times now seems downright awful. The idea of putting powdered dog feces in the eyes of a person with vision problems is an example that springs to mind. We might think, "But we're more scientific now." I'm sure every generation has thought of itself as more enlightened than earlier ones, but consider how many mistakes medical experts have made just in our lifetimes. (Don't bother trying to count the mistakes of policitians!)
Experts are often people steeped in the dogma of the time, perhaps so much so that they cannot think outside conventional thought. As an expert spends years getting educated to the point of being recognized as an expert, he is immersed in accepted practice for so long that it must be hard to think independently, not to mention to step away from what one's colleagues believe and practice. Experts are also people, meaning that they have innate prejudices and collected experiences that make them see things in a particular way. My years as a teacher, for example, make it hard for me to accept concepts like No Child Left Behind, a nice idea created by experts who do not deal with day-to-day classroom situations.
The world of books and publishing is by no means lacking experts. Experts advise us on how to write, how to query, how to promote, and how to brand. But the experts are often no better than the rest of us at predicting who will succeed and who will fail.
I'm no expert, but I do as my grandmother used to advise me, "Listen to what they say, and then think whatever you like."
History is a great teacher, neglected by many. The advice of experts of other times now seems downright awful. The idea of putting powdered dog feces in the eyes of a person with vision problems is an example that springs to mind. We might think, "But we're more scientific now." I'm sure every generation has thought of itself as more enlightened than earlier ones, but consider how many mistakes medical experts have made just in our lifetimes. (Don't bother trying to count the mistakes of policitians!)
Experts are often people steeped in the dogma of the time, perhaps so much so that they cannot think outside conventional thought. As an expert spends years getting educated to the point of being recognized as an expert, he is immersed in accepted practice for so long that it must be hard to think independently, not to mention to step away from what one's colleagues believe and practice. Experts are also people, meaning that they have innate prejudices and collected experiences that make them see things in a particular way. My years as a teacher, for example, make it hard for me to accept concepts like No Child Left Behind, a nice idea created by experts who do not deal with day-to-day classroom situations.
The world of books and publishing is by no means lacking experts. Experts advise us on how to write, how to query, how to promote, and how to brand. But the experts are often no better than the rest of us at predicting who will succeed and who will fail.
I'm no expert, but I do as my grandmother used to advise me, "Listen to what they say, and then think whatever you like."
Do I Tell 'em What They Don't Know Now?
Writers get requests all the time for "pointers", and I've had three in the last few days. A phone call from a stranger who wanted to know if we could get acquainted so she could learn about publishing. A request after a meeting for me to give a third party some advice she could pass on to an aspiring author in a nearby town. And a woman at church who wants to "let" me read her stuff to see if I like it.
I've learned to be kind but firm. Just like a lot of publishers, I don't read unsolicited material. And there simply aren't any two-minute recaps on how to get published. I recommend research, suggest WRITERS GUIDE, and tell them about my next workshop if one is scheduled anywhere nearby soon.
I hope that doesn't come off as unhelpful, but it's the only way I can deal with those who haven't got a clue where to start. Yes, I was in their shoes once, but I read everything I could find early on, and as a result I did not expect some other writer to a) critique my work, b) tell his/her agent what a gem of a writer I am, and c) have the secret of publishing all tied up in a bow to hand over to me.
I really don't mind people asking intelligent questions, and it's certainly wise to consult someone who has been through a process to learn how things work.
Signals that I won't be able to help a person:
Me: What do you write?
Person: Oh, I'm all over the place.
Me: Do you have something finished?
Person: No, I've started a bunch of things, and I thought I'd send them to an agent and let him decide which one would sell best.
Me: Has your manuscript been edited at all?
Person: My mom (or in the case of teenagers, "my BFFs) read it. She says it's really good.
Here's my advice for newbies: Immerse yourself in research about publishing. Listen to authors whenever you get the chance, but keep quiet about your own stuff until you know a tiny bit about the business. Ask questions like, "How did you get published?" and then take away what you can from that.
But don't offer to "let" them read your stuff. They've got stuff of their own.
I've learned to be kind but firm. Just like a lot of publishers, I don't read unsolicited material. And there simply aren't any two-minute recaps on how to get published. I recommend research, suggest WRITERS GUIDE, and tell them about my next workshop if one is scheduled anywhere nearby soon.
I hope that doesn't come off as unhelpful, but it's the only way I can deal with those who haven't got a clue where to start. Yes, I was in their shoes once, but I read everything I could find early on, and as a result I did not expect some other writer to a) critique my work, b) tell his/her agent what a gem of a writer I am, and c) have the secret of publishing all tied up in a bow to hand over to me.
I really don't mind people asking intelligent questions, and it's certainly wise to consult someone who has been through a process to learn how things work.
Signals that I won't be able to help a person:
Me: What do you write?
Person: Oh, I'm all over the place.
Me: Do you have something finished?
Person: No, I've started a bunch of things, and I thought I'd send them to an agent and let him decide which one would sell best.
Me: Has your manuscript been edited at all?
Person: My mom (or in the case of teenagers, "my BFFs) read it. She says it's really good.
Here's my advice for newbies: Immerse yourself in research about publishing. Listen to authors whenever you get the chance, but keep quiet about your own stuff until you know a tiny bit about the business. Ask questions like, "How did you get published?" and then take away what you can from that.
But don't offer to "let" them read your stuff. They've got stuff of their own.
Green Pen Writers' Conference, Frankenmuth, MI
So it's almost April (with its shoures soote) and I'm looking forward to the active part of the year. All winter I focused on writing, managing to finish Book #3 of the Simon & Elizabeth series and Book #2 of the Dead Detective series. I'm at work on Book #3, but author appearances are starting to emerge. There were two in March, and from there on, the calendar starts to look like a dartboard, with towns and times scribbled all over the place.
The interesting date this month (April 27-29) is in Frankenmuth, Michigan, a new conference called the Green Pen Writers' Conference. Created by Dark Elf Designs/COM Publishing, the conference promises a wide variety of presenters who will speak on writing fiction, non-fiction, marketing, and publishing.The website description says of the 3 day program: "Conference that covers trends in the field of writing, editing, publishing and marketing. Includes sessions, classes, dinner with keynoter." info@greenpenwriters.com
I've been invited to present, and it sounds like it will be both interesting and fun.Living in Michigan is great, except that we're kind of an out-of-the-way state. I'm hoping this conference is something that continues in future years, so that Michigan authors, and people from other places as well, find a place to meet and talk about this frustrating but oh-so-wonderful pastime we call writing.
The interesting date this month (April 27-29) is in Frankenmuth, Michigan, a new conference called the Green Pen Writers' Conference. Created by Dark Elf Designs/COM Publishing, the conference promises a wide variety of presenters who will speak on writing fiction, non-fiction, marketing, and publishing.The website description says of the 3 day program: "Conference that covers trends in the field of writing, editing, publishing and marketing. Includes sessions, classes, dinner with keynoter." info@greenpenwriters.com
I've been invited to present, and it sounds like it will be both interesting and fun.Living in Michigan is great, except that we're kind of an out-of-the-way state. I'm hoping this conference is something that continues in future years, so that Michigan authors, and people from other places as well, find a place to meet and talk about this frustrating but oh-so-wonderful pastime we call writing.
