Bill Bodden's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
The Waiting Game
Being an author often requires a lot of waiting. Once you submit a story for consideration, it often takes weeks or months before you hear anything - whether they love your baby or have consigned it to the trash heap. The best advice I've heard for dealing with this is to keep writing. Hopefully, you'll get engrossed in other projects and the time will pass more quickly - and you'll spend less time obsessively hitting the "refresh" button on your email, waiting for The News.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't check in from time to time, but for goodness' sake, don't ever query until AFTER their deadline for responding to you (note this is different from your deadline to have the story turned in!) has passed. In fact, it's best to wait a week to two weeks after their response deadline just to give those considering your work a little extra time - they have lives too, and as the saying goes, shit happens.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't check in from time to time, but for goodness' sake, don't ever query until AFTER their deadline for responding to you (note this is different from your deadline to have the story turned in!) has passed. In fact, it's best to wait a week to two weeks after their response deadline just to give those considering your work a little extra time - they have lives too, and as the saying goes, shit happens.
The Waiting Game Is Over - For Now...
Just had word that my short story "In The Shadow of His Glory" has been accepted for publication by editor Sarah Hans and publisher Alliteration Ink for their upcoming anthology Sidekicks! I'm thrilled to be part of this project, and very pleased with my story. I hope you'll give Sidekicks! a shot when it comes out later this spring, and I especially hope you'll enjoy "In The Shadow of His Glory". I've just heard that Alex Bledsoe has a story in this one too; already I'm in good company! Congratulations Alex!
Got It Covered!
Just saw the cover for a new anthology that will include my latest short story "In The Shadow Of His Glory". Take a look behind the link: http://sarahhans.com/2013/01/24/sidek...
Contracts!
When you're a freelance writer, the contract is a critical thing. You don't have to be a legal whiz to understand them, but it's important to read them and familiarize yourself with terms commonly used. Don't be intimidated by big, unfamiliar words!
Most importantly, make sure the contract spells out clearly what rights you are giving to the publisher, and what rights are retained by the writer.
Having just returned my signed copy of the contract for my story in the anthology Sidekicks! from Alliteration Ink Publishing, this is understandably on my mind.
Make sure you have a contract in hand before your story, or your art, is published anywhere. Make sure too that the copyright for your part of the work is listed as yours, and the copyright for the project as a whole is the publisher's.
Also, be sure that a "kill date" is included in the contract. By "kill date" I mean that if the publisher fails to get your work published initially within a certain time frame (anywhere up to 12 months, usually), OR if your work is left out of print for a set period of time, the contract is void and all rights revert back to you. remember that digital rights can sometimes be different than print rights, and keeping a book "in print" can sometimes mean having it available as a digital download rather than an actual print book. Remember: READ YOUR CONTRACT!
As with most contracts, many details are negotiable. When you're new, be prepared to be flexible, but also stand up for your rights if you feel someone is trying to take advantage of you. Most importantly, communicate well with your publisher, and don't be afraid to ask questions. By phrasing your concerns as "I'm uncomfortable with this clause; can you explain it to me?" rather than "You're trying to cheat me!" you will get a great deal farther in life.
Most importantly, make sure the contract spells out clearly what rights you are giving to the publisher, and what rights are retained by the writer.
Having just returned my signed copy of the contract for my story in the anthology Sidekicks! from Alliteration Ink Publishing, this is understandably on my mind.
Make sure you have a contract in hand before your story, or your art, is published anywhere. Make sure too that the copyright for your part of the work is listed as yours, and the copyright for the project as a whole is the publisher's.
Also, be sure that a "kill date" is included in the contract. By "kill date" I mean that if the publisher fails to get your work published initially within a certain time frame (anywhere up to 12 months, usually), OR if your work is left out of print for a set period of time, the contract is void and all rights revert back to you. remember that digital rights can sometimes be different than print rights, and keeping a book "in print" can sometimes mean having it available as a digital download rather than an actual print book. Remember: READ YOUR CONTRACT!
As with most contracts, many details are negotiable. When you're new, be prepared to be flexible, but also stand up for your rights if you feel someone is trying to take advantage of you. Most importantly, communicate well with your publisher, and don't be afraid to ask questions. By phrasing your concerns as "I'm uncomfortable with this clause; can you explain it to me?" rather than "You're trying to cheat me!" you will get a great deal farther in life.
Keep writing!
The best advice I've been given on writing is to keep doing it. I've heard that writing skills are like a muscle - if you don't exercise it - every day is best in this case - it will atrophy.
I don't know about that, but I do know that writing regularly and often is a great idea for a writer. It helps to get ideas down on paper, and once you finish a story, often a whole new flood of possibilities will begin to pop up in your mind. Even if you don't like the story you end up with, sometimes you'll be inspired to write a new story - or to rework the story you don't like into something different.
I was thinking about this because I'd just sent in a short story to an open call for submissions for an anthology. So far I've been writing short stories, and it seems to be working for me. I want to graduate to novels, but for now the strength training (so to speak) of writing short stories is helping me to grow my skills and proficiency as a writer.
I don't know about that, but I do know that writing regularly and often is a great idea for a writer. It helps to get ideas down on paper, and once you finish a story, often a whole new flood of possibilities will begin to pop up in your mind. Even if you don't like the story you end up with, sometimes you'll be inspired to write a new story - or to rework the story you don't like into something different.
I was thinking about this because I'd just sent in a short story to an open call for submissions for an anthology. So far I've been writing short stories, and it seems to be working for me. I want to graduate to novels, but for now the strength training (so to speak) of writing short stories is helping me to grow my skills and proficiency as a writer.
Gratitude
A writer doesn't exist in a vacuum; many people offer constructive criticism, suggestions, or even ideas that can get the creative juices flowing. I would be a clod if I didn't acknowledge, from time to time, people who've helped me get started as a writer.
First of foremost, my wife Tracy has been the cheerleader, the booster, and the sounding board. She's my alpha reader, and has had a ton of good suggestions for making things better.
I owe a large debt to Matt McElroy and Monica Valentinelli, friends who gave me a shot at being included in their company's - Flames Rising Press - first publishing effort, Haunted: Eleven Tales of Ghostly Horror. Also, they've offered me endless useful advice and encouragement, both before and since.
My most recent publishing success in the anthology Sidekicks! owes thanks to a number of people: first, Sarah Hans for giving me a chance by inviting me to submit a story; second, fellow Alliterates Doug Niles, Lester Smith, Steve Sullivan, Dave Gross, Steven Schend, Thomas Reid, and Will McDermott for critiques and help cleaning up the story to the point where it's one of my most proud accomplishments. Your help was invaluable, Gentlemen; thank you.
Despite being a largely solitary endeavor, writing shouldn't be a solo proposition from start to finish. Most importantly, it's good to have extra pairs of eyes scan your manuscript to catch things you missed, or to highlight things that, while perfectly clear to you because you know what you meant, will not be clear at all to some random person who doesn't share your precise brainwave pattern.
Be grateful for help, and remember to return the favor as often as possible. Consider also paying it forward. There are plenty of authors out there trying to catch a break - give them a hand as often as you're able. Writers DO compete with each other for work, but mostly, we compete with ourselves to produce the best stories possible. Any help received in that quest should be acknowledged and appreciated.
First of foremost, my wife Tracy has been the cheerleader, the booster, and the sounding board. She's my alpha reader, and has had a ton of good suggestions for making things better.
I owe a large debt to Matt McElroy and Monica Valentinelli, friends who gave me a shot at being included in their company's - Flames Rising Press - first publishing effort, Haunted: Eleven Tales of Ghostly Horror. Also, they've offered me endless useful advice and encouragement, both before and since.
My most recent publishing success in the anthology Sidekicks! owes thanks to a number of people: first, Sarah Hans for giving me a chance by inviting me to submit a story; second, fellow Alliterates Doug Niles, Lester Smith, Steve Sullivan, Dave Gross, Steven Schend, Thomas Reid, and Will McDermott for critiques and help cleaning up the story to the point where it's one of my most proud accomplishments. Your help was invaluable, Gentlemen; thank you.
Despite being a largely solitary endeavor, writing shouldn't be a solo proposition from start to finish. Most importantly, it's good to have extra pairs of eyes scan your manuscript to catch things you missed, or to highlight things that, while perfectly clear to you because you know what you meant, will not be clear at all to some random person who doesn't share your precise brainwave pattern.
Be grateful for help, and remember to return the favor as often as possible. Consider also paying it forward. There are plenty of authors out there trying to catch a break - give them a hand as often as you're able. Writers DO compete with each other for work, but mostly, we compete with ourselves to produce the best stories possible. Any help received in that quest should be acknowledged and appreciated.
No Rest for the Freelance Writer
As a freelance writer, you're only as good as your most recent output. When that output fades from memory, people -- editors and product line developers, for example -- start to forget who you are, particularly when it comes to offering new writing jobs.
I've been lucky so far in that I've had day jobs to support me while further exploring a writing career. The advice "don't quit your day job!" is particularly relevant in a freelancing situation. Job offers come at a feast or famine rate usually, and while a freelancer may be tempted to take any and all such offers that come along, taking on too many at once during the feast times will likely cause the entire body of your work to suffer. It's important to pace yourself.
Even having a freelance gig on my plate at the moment, I'm already looking around for new opportunities. I can afford to be picky right now, but not having work for too long is risky. I'm continuing to send short stories out to open calls, and I have a card game under consideration with one game publisher. Projects like these often take time to move into the final stages, so patience is a good quality to develop.
It's also important to keep writing while waiting. Those projects could fall through for me, so if I haven't continued to generate potentially sellable output, I could be back to square one in my writing career fairly quickly.
Being a freelancer is more complicated than having a 9 to 5-type job, but the rewards sometimes outweigh that dependability. It used to be that somebody could work at a company for 30 or 40 years and retire with a pension; those days are gone, and the lifestyle of a freelancer will likely become the norm rather than the exception for the majority of people.
No matter what else happens when you're a freelancer, don't quit your day job and make sure to read your contract!
I've been lucky so far in that I've had day jobs to support me while further exploring a writing career. The advice "don't quit your day job!" is particularly relevant in a freelancing situation. Job offers come at a feast or famine rate usually, and while a freelancer may be tempted to take any and all such offers that come along, taking on too many at once during the feast times will likely cause the entire body of your work to suffer. It's important to pace yourself.
Even having a freelance gig on my plate at the moment, I'm already looking around for new opportunities. I can afford to be picky right now, but not having work for too long is risky. I'm continuing to send short stories out to open calls, and I have a card game under consideration with one game publisher. Projects like these often take time to move into the final stages, so patience is a good quality to develop.
It's also important to keep writing while waiting. Those projects could fall through for me, so if I haven't continued to generate potentially sellable output, I could be back to square one in my writing career fairly quickly.
Being a freelancer is more complicated than having a 9 to 5-type job, but the rewards sometimes outweigh that dependability. It used to be that somebody could work at a company for 30 or 40 years and retire with a pension; those days are gone, and the lifestyle of a freelancer will likely become the norm rather than the exception for the majority of people.
No matter what else happens when you're a freelancer, don't quit your day job and make sure to read your contract!
Writers and Self-Promotion
Being a writer, I have chosen a career path that I thought played to my introverted nature. Imagine my surprise, then, as I venture deeper into the world of being a professional writer and discover that writers have to promote themselves to succeed.
With VERY few exceptions, publishers don't pay to send authors on book tours any more. Writers have to tour on their own dime these days if they want their books promoted at all.
If that's the case, why even give a publisher your work to publish? Why not self-publish and keep all the money?
Great questions. Simple answer - publishers have reach. They can get your book into bookstores and listed in major retail websites better than you can yourself. Particularly for a newbie writer who nobody has even heard of -- like me -- you'll get much greater exposure through traditional publishers than you will on your own.
That doesn't mean your book will sell itself. Whether you self-publish or not it's still important to get out there and do readings, and participate in panels at conventions, and make all manner of public appearances to get your name out there. It's a slow process and -- make no mistake -- it IS work, but if you intend to chase a career as a writer, you need to "build your brand." Making a positive impression on people is one easy way to get them thinking about you, and by extension, your books.
Travel, hotels, and conventions are expensive; how can I do all that self-promotion on a budget?
It isn't easy. Share a hotel room with one or two writers in the same situation as yourself. Ride to the convention with others to split the cost of gas. Bring your own food to cut costs. Maybe you know someone who will be selling things from a booth at a convention - offer to help cover the booth in exchange for A) a badge/membership to the convention, B) free travel in the "company car" C) a free hotel room (probably shared), D) Free meals, or E) some combination of A, B, C, and D.
If you plan on touring bookstores to do readings and signings, again sharing the costs with another writer can help you reach more stores for less money. Plus, having more than one writer can be a bonus for the store, as they can promote more authors -- hopefully drawing more customers -- with a single event.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but be sure you do your due diligence beforehand - research the convention or store(s) you'll be visiting to make sure that what you write is a good fit for that venue. Reading a horror story at a romance novel convention, for example, is bound to go over badly, and will reflect poorly on you more than anything else.
I hope to do more self-promotion of my work over the coming year. If there are any stores or conventions at which you'd like to see me, please post a comment and I'll look over the finances to see what I can manage.
With VERY few exceptions, publishers don't pay to send authors on book tours any more. Writers have to tour on their own dime these days if they want their books promoted at all.
If that's the case, why even give a publisher your work to publish? Why not self-publish and keep all the money?
Great questions. Simple answer - publishers have reach. They can get your book into bookstores and listed in major retail websites better than you can yourself. Particularly for a newbie writer who nobody has even heard of -- like me -- you'll get much greater exposure through traditional publishers than you will on your own.
That doesn't mean your book will sell itself. Whether you self-publish or not it's still important to get out there and do readings, and participate in panels at conventions, and make all manner of public appearances to get your name out there. It's a slow process and -- make no mistake -- it IS work, but if you intend to chase a career as a writer, you need to "build your brand." Making a positive impression on people is one easy way to get them thinking about you, and by extension, your books.
Travel, hotels, and conventions are expensive; how can I do all that self-promotion on a budget?
It isn't easy. Share a hotel room with one or two writers in the same situation as yourself. Ride to the convention with others to split the cost of gas. Bring your own food to cut costs. Maybe you know someone who will be selling things from a booth at a convention - offer to help cover the booth in exchange for A) a badge/membership to the convention, B) free travel in the "company car" C) a free hotel room (probably shared), D) Free meals, or E) some combination of A, B, C, and D.
If you plan on touring bookstores to do readings and signings, again sharing the costs with another writer can help you reach more stores for less money. Plus, having more than one writer can be a bonus for the store, as they can promote more authors -- hopefully drawing more customers -- with a single event.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but be sure you do your due diligence beforehand - research the convention or store(s) you'll be visiting to make sure that what you write is a good fit for that venue. Reading a horror story at a romance novel convention, for example, is bound to go over badly, and will reflect poorly on you more than anything else.
I hope to do more self-promotion of my work over the coming year. If there are any stores or conventions at which you'd like to see me, please post a comment and I'll look over the finances to see what I can manage.
Convention Aftermath
In an effort to promote the new anthology Sidekicks!, in which my story "In the Shadow of His Glory" appears, I arranged for a reading to happen at Odyssey COn in Madison this past weekend (April 12-14). The folks at Odyssey Con generously gave us a slot for our reading; the downside to this is that my fellow contributor Alex Bledsoe happened to be one of the guests of honor at OddCon this year, so his time was heavily booked up. We ended up with a less than prime reading slot - 2:30 on Friday afternoon. Typically for science fiction conventions, this is before many people have even arrived.
Even so, we had a decent turnout; six people were there to hear the three of us - Alex, myself, and Patrick Tomlinson - read from our stories. The audience, though small, was appreciative and generous with compliments, which made me feel good. As a writer, it's rare to get positive feedback on your work; negative feedback can't wait to slip into your pocket like a handful of bad pennies, but the positive stuff comes few and far between.
Part of the deal working with this particular small publisher - Alliteration Ink, out of Ohio - is that their authors are encouraged to buy copies of the book at cost to sell at conventions and book stores to help promote it. I purchased two medium boxes of books, and managed to sell a few at OddCon. I found a vendor willing to sell copies for me - that way I don't need to worry about sales tax, or paying for a booth, and for a cut of the sale price my books are at the con to catch any impulse sales that happen along.
I also had fliers out for the reading coming up on April 24 at Madison Wisconsin bookstore A Room of One's Own (http://www.roomofonesown.com/event/si...) and was pleased to see a number of those fliers disappear into people's hands over the weekend.
One good thing about this set-up for me is that Odyssey Con is in town, so expenses are few. I had to buy a membership of course, and spent a little on gas schlepping the books back and forth, but that's about it -- cheap promotion. For a rookie author like me, keeping expenses at a minimum while promoting my work is critical, as my writing income is also at a minimum!
All in all, I'd have to call the reading a success. A modest one, to be sure, but definitely chalk up one in the "win" column: we pulled off a good reading, maybe found a few new fans, and I sold a handful books.
Even so, we had a decent turnout; six people were there to hear the three of us - Alex, myself, and Patrick Tomlinson - read from our stories. The audience, though small, was appreciative and generous with compliments, which made me feel good. As a writer, it's rare to get positive feedback on your work; negative feedback can't wait to slip into your pocket like a handful of bad pennies, but the positive stuff comes few and far between.
Part of the deal working with this particular small publisher - Alliteration Ink, out of Ohio - is that their authors are encouraged to buy copies of the book at cost to sell at conventions and book stores to help promote it. I purchased two medium boxes of books, and managed to sell a few at OddCon. I found a vendor willing to sell copies for me - that way I don't need to worry about sales tax, or paying for a booth, and for a cut of the sale price my books are at the con to catch any impulse sales that happen along.
I also had fliers out for the reading coming up on April 24 at Madison Wisconsin bookstore A Room of One's Own (http://www.roomofonesown.com/event/si...) and was pleased to see a number of those fliers disappear into people's hands over the weekend.
One good thing about this set-up for me is that Odyssey Con is in town, so expenses are few. I had to buy a membership of course, and spent a little on gas schlepping the books back and forth, but that's about it -- cheap promotion. For a rookie author like me, keeping expenses at a minimum while promoting my work is critical, as my writing income is also at a minimum!
All in all, I'd have to call the reading a success. A modest one, to be sure, but definitely chalk up one in the "win" column: we pulled off a good reading, maybe found a few new fans, and I sold a handful books.
Rejected Again!
I got a rejection email the other day, and I have to admit they don't hit as hard as they used to. Part of it may be that I've received enough rejection letters by now that I've come to view them as nothing personal - which is how a writer SHOULD view them. The story submitted to an open call has to compete with dozens, maybe hundreds of other stories. It may be one of the best stories you've ever written, but it may not be as good as the top 25 stories vying for 20 slots in an anthology. Also, the story may go in a direction that the editor doesn't care for. No reflection on the quality, just not what the editor is looking for.
That doesn't make it a particularly positive experience for the writer unless one thing happens: if the editor makes any comments about the story at all, you as a writer know you've got a good story in the making - it just needs a little more polishing. Editors - like everyone else - don't have enough disposable hours lying around to offer helpful suggestions to the hundreds of people who send them stories in the hopes of becoming a rich and famous author overnight. When one does take the time to comment on the story, it's a sign of something very good.
Me? I've only had one such comment from an editor, and I'm still trying to sell that particular story. The comment was that it was a story they liked, but a little too long for their needs and didn't quite mesh with the direction of the anthology. They invited me to feel free to submit stories to them again. To a struggling writer, that kind of encouragement is like gold!
That doesn't make it a particularly positive experience for the writer unless one thing happens: if the editor makes any comments about the story at all, you as a writer know you've got a good story in the making - it just needs a little more polishing. Editors - like everyone else - don't have enough disposable hours lying around to offer helpful suggestions to the hundreds of people who send them stories in the hopes of becoming a rich and famous author overnight. When one does take the time to comment on the story, it's a sign of something very good.
Me? I've only had one such comment from an editor, and I'm still trying to sell that particular story. The comment was that it was a story they liked, but a little too long for their needs and didn't quite mesh with the direction of the anthology. They invited me to feel free to submit stories to them again. To a struggling writer, that kind of encouragement is like gold!
