Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Temporary Hiatus
Kudos to all the women out there who can juggle jobs, the domestic stuff, and new babies. Oh, and blogs. Sorry to say, I'm not to be lumped in with that awesome group! The last trimester of my pregnancy was hellish, and now that I've had my baby, I'm going on about three hours of sleep at night, so my poor blog has been neglected, but definitely not forgotten. My mind has been inundated with all things baby since November, but as I get this kid on some semblance of a routine, I will start posting again, and that's a promise.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Your Writing Resume
If I've learned anything in the past couple of months, it's this: build your writing credentials BEFORE you get published.
Easier said than done, you might say, and at one time I would agree with you, but not anymore. Your writing resume, or credentials for being published and marketed, is actually easy to build, as long as you use your ever-so creative brain and put some work into it.
First, let's start by defining writing resume. It is similar to a professional resume, in that you will use it to present yourself in a way that seems credible. For writers, you want to present yourself as marketable. You want what you've done for the world of writing and reading to stand out so that you already have a viable market in place to sell your works.
'But what if I've never published anything?' you might ask. Don't worry. Neither have I. At least not until now. And this is the aspect of your resume I want to talk about. Just because you've never been published doesn't mean you can't write. It doesn't mean you can't sell, and it doesn't mean that your stories are going to flatline. It simply means you haven't been given the chance to showcase your talent yet, and soon a publisher will pick you up and present you to the wonderful world of being a published author. Keep that hope in the forefront of your thinking.
Anyways, I digress. Having a list of published works is great, but there is something else you can add to your resume that shows you have a potential audience/market- your involvement in the community. More precisely, your hometown. Are you active in any clubs? Is there a book club in your city of residence? No? START ONE. Are you involved in any library organization, any church organization, or any organization that could serve as an audience? No? Then get busy! Join whatever club/organization/committee you can that has anything to do with books, or really people for that matter(since your goal here is to show you have a base audience to market to, and that may help you market your works in the future). Your goal is to build relationships so that once you are published, you already have part of your marketing strategy in place. For example, let's say you've been contacted by a publisher, you've signed the contract, and now your publisher wants you to create a marketing plan. They want to know how you are going to involve yourself with getting the word out there about your book. Well, if you are a member of your hometown book club, you can start by letting the other members know that you are now published, your book will be out on such and such date, and the book is about such and such a thing, and would any of them like a free copy to read and pass around to anyone they know?
It's that easy.
And you can do the same thing with other clubs you are a part of. You can even go to local bookstores and speak to the managers about your upcoming book, just so they know you. Plant those little seeds anywhere you can, and to anyone who will listen.
A writing resume will not only help you after you get published, it will help tremendously beforehand as well, especially if you have no publishing credits to your name(such as newspaper articles, blogs, etc.) You will look a little more sparkly, if you will, when you submit to a publisher and can say that you are involved in x amount of clubs, and all the members know you are aspiring to be published.
So build your resume. Join whatever you can locally. And if I had it all to do again, I would have tried to write newspaper articles or something along that nature, just so I could have that extra credential to my name. It couldn't hurt, and it definitely will help you look more attractive. But even if you've never been published(I'm stressing this point if you can't tell), you can still build a market, which in my opinion is the most important aspect of becoming a published author. Until next time, ink well!
Easier said than done, you might say, and at one time I would agree with you, but not anymore. Your writing resume, or credentials for being published and marketed, is actually easy to build, as long as you use your ever-so creative brain and put some work into it.
First, let's start by defining writing resume. It is similar to a professional resume, in that you will use it to present yourself in a way that seems credible. For writers, you want to present yourself as marketable. You want what you've done for the world of writing and reading to stand out so that you already have a viable market in place to sell your works.
'But what if I've never published anything?' you might ask. Don't worry. Neither have I. At least not until now. And this is the aspect of your resume I want to talk about. Just because you've never been published doesn't mean you can't write. It doesn't mean you can't sell, and it doesn't mean that your stories are going to flatline. It simply means you haven't been given the chance to showcase your talent yet, and soon a publisher will pick you up and present you to the wonderful world of being a published author. Keep that hope in the forefront of your thinking.
Anyways, I digress. Having a list of published works is great, but there is something else you can add to your resume that shows you have a potential audience/market- your involvement in the community. More precisely, your hometown. Are you active in any clubs? Is there a book club in your city of residence? No? START ONE. Are you involved in any library organization, any church organization, or any organization that could serve as an audience? No? Then get busy! Join whatever club/organization/committee you can that has anything to do with books, or really people for that matter(since your goal here is to show you have a base audience to market to, and that may help you market your works in the future). Your goal is to build relationships so that once you are published, you already have part of your marketing strategy in place. For example, let's say you've been contacted by a publisher, you've signed the contract, and now your publisher wants you to create a marketing plan. They want to know how you are going to involve yourself with getting the word out there about your book. Well, if you are a member of your hometown book club, you can start by letting the other members know that you are now published, your book will be out on such and such date, and the book is about such and such a thing, and would any of them like a free copy to read and pass around to anyone they know?
It's that easy.
And you can do the same thing with other clubs you are a part of. You can even go to local bookstores and speak to the managers about your upcoming book, just so they know you. Plant those little seeds anywhere you can, and to anyone who will listen.
A writing resume will not only help you after you get published, it will help tremendously beforehand as well, especially if you have no publishing credits to your name(such as newspaper articles, blogs, etc.) You will look a little more sparkly, if you will, when you submit to a publisher and can say that you are involved in x amount of clubs, and all the members know you are aspiring to be published.
So build your resume. Join whatever you can locally. And if I had it all to do again, I would have tried to write newspaper articles or something along that nature, just so I could have that extra credential to my name. It couldn't hurt, and it definitely will help you look more attractive. But even if you've never been published(I'm stressing this point if you can't tell), you can still build a market, which in my opinion is the most important aspect of becoming a published author. Until next time, ink well!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Work Begins!
It's been a long week!
But I'm not going to complain, because it's not everyday someone can say they've been working on a marketing plan to help their publisher promote their new book. In between designing my website, getting head shots taken, and doing the normal mommy/wife thing, I've been calling radio stations, the local newspaper, visiting bookstores, and answering all manner of questions pertaining to my book. It was all a little overwhelming, but I'm fueled by knowing that in about a year or so, my story will be in print, and all the sleep deprivation will be entirely worth it. Soon I will start a series here on my blog about the writing process down through submissions, rejections, etcetera, that way I can stay true to the purpose of this blog: to help you, the aspiring writer, in your journey to being published. Looking back, I truly wish I had someone holding my hand through it all, giving me advice, clueing me in as what to expect next. I'm more the wiser having researched and learned by myself, but I do feel an obligation to my fellow writers to share what I've learned in any way I can (it's the same feeling I get when I walk in a bookstore and want to buy everything on the shelves, just so I can contribute to an author's income!). So in the meantime, you can visit my website, www.joleewilson.com to see what my stories are about, and the motivation behind them. Happy reading!
But I'm not going to complain, because it's not everyday someone can say they've been working on a marketing plan to help their publisher promote their new book. In between designing my website, getting head shots taken, and doing the normal mommy/wife thing, I've been calling radio stations, the local newspaper, visiting bookstores, and answering all manner of questions pertaining to my book. It was all a little overwhelming, but I'm fueled by knowing that in about a year or so, my story will be in print, and all the sleep deprivation will be entirely worth it. Soon I will start a series here on my blog about the writing process down through submissions, rejections, etcetera, that way I can stay true to the purpose of this blog: to help you, the aspiring writer, in your journey to being published. Looking back, I truly wish I had someone holding my hand through it all, giving me advice, clueing me in as what to expect next. I'm more the wiser having researched and learned by myself, but I do feel an obligation to my fellow writers to share what I've learned in any way I can (it's the same feeling I get when I walk in a bookstore and want to buy everything on the shelves, just so I can contribute to an author's income!). So in the meantime, you can visit my website, www.joleewilson.com to see what my stories are about, and the motivation behind them. Happy reading!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Without a vision, the people will perish...
Proverbs 29:18, what a wonderful, inspiring scripture. I believe in my heart of hearts it is so true. Many translate vision into goal, or objective or dream, and I think all of them are appropriate, simply because if you don't reach for something in your life that is beyond you, then you are merely existing, which in my opinion, and apparently God's as well, is no different than death. You must aspire to do something, be something, touch something, or what's the point of living?
I thought of this scripture last night as I was watching XFactor. A forty-two year old woman auditioning to make her dream of being a superstar singer told Simon Cowell, judge extraordinaire, that she 'couldn't die with all this music' inside of her. Oh my, how that rung my bell. It made me think that aspiring singers are not much different from aspiring authors. They have a dream of being known, being successful, but probably more than anything, being heard. I related to that lady immediately, and couldn't describe any better how I feel about writing. I can't die with all these stories inside me. They must be told. They must be put out there in print to help people, for I have a vision of touching lives with what I write, helping people understand what God's plan is for every relationship. This is my niche, what every story I pen will center around. And I know that if I don't get these stories out there, than I will not have fulfilled my purpose. Because yes, dreams give purpose, vision gives inspiration, the desire to live beyond yourself. This woman knew that and voiced it so well to her judges.
So, if you have a dream, and I assume you do or you probably wouldn't be reading this particular blog, then good for you. Know that your vision will keep you from wasting away your life, as long as you work at making it come true.
I thought of this scripture last night as I was watching XFactor. A forty-two year old woman auditioning to make her dream of being a superstar singer told Simon Cowell, judge extraordinaire, that she 'couldn't die with all this music' inside of her. Oh my, how that rung my bell. It made me think that aspiring singers are not much different from aspiring authors. They have a dream of being known, being successful, but probably more than anything, being heard. I related to that lady immediately, and couldn't describe any better how I feel about writing. I can't die with all these stories inside me. They must be told. They must be put out there in print to help people, for I have a vision of touching lives with what I write, helping people understand what God's plan is for every relationship. This is my niche, what every story I pen will center around. And I know that if I don't get these stories out there, than I will not have fulfilled my purpose. Because yes, dreams give purpose, vision gives inspiration, the desire to live beyond yourself. This woman knew that and voiced it so well to her judges.
So, if you have a dream, and I assume you do or you probably wouldn't be reading this particular blog, then good for you. Know that your vision will keep you from wasting away your life, as long as you work at making it come true.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Educate Yourself
In between nesting, napping, working on my new story, I've been reading a very informative book titled 'Get Known Before the Book Deal' by Christina Katz. And to be honest, I don't think I've ever purchased a better book. I've learned more about marketing myself in the first fifty pages than I have in any college course, blog, article, etcetera. By doing so, I've decided that spending a little money to educate yourself on how the publishing world works is completely worth it. I've blogged before about spending time and money researching this arena, and I can't say I've ever enjoyed it, until I came across this informative little book that will probably turn me a profit in the long run. I do believe it's the best sixteen bucks I've ever spent, and a valuable tool that I will refer back to often. My point: invest in yourself. Get the self-help books. Take the time to accrue information that will pay off and turn your passion into a career. So my thanks go out to Ms. Christina Katz. I now have an entirely new attitude towards marketing, and it's all because I took the time to educate myself.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Set the Setting
Okay, now that I'm at least coherent enough to put together a full sentence, (if you haven't read earlier post, I just received a contract for my book titled '7 Days Normal', and my fingers and brain are still shaking with excitement) I can post something that I've been wanting to for about a week now. Last May my husband gave me the best birthday present I have ever received: a trip to Hawaii. This was monumental for me for two reasons. First, I've wanted to go badly since I was a child, and second, the book I'm penning now is set there, on the island of Oahu to be exact. I viewed this as the opportunity of a lifetime, for even though I knew this book had to be set in this beautiful, tropical, and distant place, I had no idea how to make it believable, without actually going and experiencing it for myself. And so I did, only last week.
'How much does the setting matter?' one might ask. I asked the same thing myself when I began this book, only days after I finished writing the one soon to be published. Maybe in some stories it isn't so pressing, but for others, I think it's imperative. Take 'Twilight' for example(yes, I'm going there again). Would the story be as magical, as fantastical if Mrs. Meyer didn't meticulously paint the picture of the soggy, green, and seemingly alive forest surrounding Forks? When you think of 'Twilight' do you think of the woods, the town, the never ending rain at all? I do. And she meant it that way when she wrote it. The setting is just as important to her story as the characters are. When we read her series, we feel we are in the state of Washington ourselves, partaking of the environmental factors as much as Bella is. Stephenie Meyer painted us a setting to be remembered and one that is irreplaceable, and I feel as authors, we should do the same.
When I began writing my new story, I relied heavily on reading about Hawaii, about the flora and fauna, the people, the history, etc. Since I figured at the time I would never get to go, at least not anytime soon, this seemed to be a reliable alternative. But the more I delved into the work, I began to worry. If the story was set anywhere else, maybe I would't have been so anxious, but for reasons you will find out when and if you read the book, I couldn't place my main character any other place. Hawaii had to be it, and I had to know this island like I do my own home, inside and out. If I didn't, I feared the book wouldn't be as believable, as wonderful, as concrete, as it could be otherwise. Although I had educated myself a plenty through all the reading, I still felt as though I was falling short. And as soon as I went to Hawaii, I was proven right.
Never in all my life could I have captured the ambiance of this beautiful chain of islands had I not gone there. Yes, the books did a wonderful job of introducing me to the culture, but they don't hold a candle to actually watching the sun set over the never ending Pacific with your own eyes. I couldn't taste the exotic (and yes I admit, sometimes weird) cuisine, nor could I hear the vernacular spoken by the locals, or the accent in which they spoke it. Funny side note: my husband and I got stuck in the sand in our rental jeep, and four local surfers came to help push us out. With tanned and tattooed skin, sun bleached hair, and a slang known as pidgin, the locals were friendly and funny, calling my husband 'bra', which translated is bro, and looking at us as though we were silly, helpless mainlanders, something my husband and I only laughed about, because it was true!
There are so many other things I experienced to help me write my new story, and I'm so glad I did, because I truly think if I hadn't made the trip, I would've fallen flat and not delivered what I think I can now. I can now say this book has a potential, simply because I've been there, I've seen the sights, I've heard the sounds, and tasted the flavors.
Now don't get discouraged if your story is set in Australia or some other place very far away that you can't afford to visit. Just examine how important the setting will be to the story, to the characters, to the mood you're trying to set. Then go from there. My first novel, (did I mention it's going to be published!) takes place in L.A., but the setting wasn't near as important as the conflict of the characters, although it did play a small part. In this instance, I used what I knew about L.A. from television and the movies, deeming the setting only a small part of the story, not really making it or breaking it either way. So I will leave the judgement up to you. Determine how much the setting matters to the overall plot, and go from there. If it's monumental, then go all the way baby, and write yourself a story that takes the reader to the place, putting them in the midst of the setting, right next to the characters, and creating an unforgettable moment that won't be soon forgotten.
'How much does the setting matter?' one might ask. I asked the same thing myself when I began this book, only days after I finished writing the one soon to be published. Maybe in some stories it isn't so pressing, but for others, I think it's imperative. Take 'Twilight' for example(yes, I'm going there again). Would the story be as magical, as fantastical if Mrs. Meyer didn't meticulously paint the picture of the soggy, green, and seemingly alive forest surrounding Forks? When you think of 'Twilight' do you think of the woods, the town, the never ending rain at all? I do. And she meant it that way when she wrote it. The setting is just as important to her story as the characters are. When we read her series, we feel we are in the state of Washington ourselves, partaking of the environmental factors as much as Bella is. Stephenie Meyer painted us a setting to be remembered and one that is irreplaceable, and I feel as authors, we should do the same.
When I began writing my new story, I relied heavily on reading about Hawaii, about the flora and fauna, the people, the history, etc. Since I figured at the time I would never get to go, at least not anytime soon, this seemed to be a reliable alternative. But the more I delved into the work, I began to worry. If the story was set anywhere else, maybe I would't have been so anxious, but for reasons you will find out when and if you read the book, I couldn't place my main character any other place. Hawaii had to be it, and I had to know this island like I do my own home, inside and out. If I didn't, I feared the book wouldn't be as believable, as wonderful, as concrete, as it could be otherwise. Although I had educated myself a plenty through all the reading, I still felt as though I was falling short. And as soon as I went to Hawaii, I was proven right.
Never in all my life could I have captured the ambiance of this beautiful chain of islands had I not gone there. Yes, the books did a wonderful job of introducing me to the culture, but they don't hold a candle to actually watching the sun set over the never ending Pacific with your own eyes. I couldn't taste the exotic (and yes I admit, sometimes weird) cuisine, nor could I hear the vernacular spoken by the locals, or the accent in which they spoke it. Funny side note: my husband and I got stuck in the sand in our rental jeep, and four local surfers came to help push us out. With tanned and tattooed skin, sun bleached hair, and a slang known as pidgin, the locals were friendly and funny, calling my husband 'bra', which translated is bro, and looking at us as though we were silly, helpless mainlanders, something my husband and I only laughed about, because it was true!
There are so many other things I experienced to help me write my new story, and I'm so glad I did, because I truly think if I hadn't made the trip, I would've fallen flat and not delivered what I think I can now. I can now say this book has a potential, simply because I've been there, I've seen the sights, I've heard the sounds, and tasted the flavors.
Now don't get discouraged if your story is set in Australia or some other place very far away that you can't afford to visit. Just examine how important the setting will be to the story, to the characters, to the mood you're trying to set. Then go from there. My first novel, (did I mention it's going to be published!) takes place in L.A., but the setting wasn't near as important as the conflict of the characters, although it did play a small part. In this instance, I used what I knew about L.A. from television and the movies, deeming the setting only a small part of the story, not really making it or breaking it either way. So I will leave the judgement up to you. Determine how much the setting matters to the overall plot, and go from there. If it's monumental, then go all the way baby, and write yourself a story that takes the reader to the place, putting them in the midst of the setting, right next to the characters, and creating an unforgettable moment that won't be soon forgotten.
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