The Jigsaw Puzzle of a Writing Life

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

For each of us, the writing life is like a giant jigsaw puzzle. You try different pieces to see which ones will fit. You have to experiment to find the right combination for you and your writing. One of the online groups where I participate was talking about critique groups this week. Just like your writing, you have to experiment with critique groups to find the right fit for you—the right people with similar worldviews, the right mixture of people and whether it is in person or online or a little of both. Nothing is clear cut and nothing works for every writer. Instead like putting together a puzzle, you have to experiment and try different things to see which ones will work for you.

 

I suspect your schedule for the day is similar to my schedule—mostly blank unless I'm at a conference or event where my schedule is generally filled with meetings and activity. As an editor, I email people and schedule phone meetings. I also make phone calls to follow-up with authors and others but the bulk of my schedule is blank. My day is filled with a variety of activities.

 

This past week I had returned from a writer's conference where I met with many writers about their books. I spent a great deal of time, putting their information into my computer (to make it easy to access) then writing them emails and asking to submit their manuscript. While I encouraged them to send it when we were face to face and I gave them my business card, the email reinforces that I actually want them to send me their material. From doing this work for several years, I understand not every submission will be a good fit for Morgan James. There are many reasons this fit isn't the right one—but I know for certain they can't get into the consideration process if they don't submit their material.  I have had some good exchanges from these emails and expect more material will arrive in the days ahead from my follow-up work.

 

Also I had a zoom call with a journalist in the United Kingdom asking questions about my writing life. This interview was recorded then posted this week on a private group. Sometimes I will pitch a particular podcast or radio station to get this interview. Other times they will approach me and we will schedule the session. The majorty of the time I pitch myself to get these types of opportunities. When they happen, I ask for the recording then save this recording on my own website. Then I can promote the interview over and over on my social media and know the interview is not going to disappear.

 

I have several regular guest blogging assignments. I schedule reminders on my phone to help me to meet the deadlines for each one, which has a slightly different audience and focus. In this process, I will often recycle or slightly rewrite an older article so it can be done in a shorter amount of time than creating it from scratch. 

While each of my days are filled with different activities, there is a balance between immediate deadlines and long-term deadlines. I continue to write books for other people as well as promote my own work. As I've mentioned in these entries, there is always more work to be done. A particualr project will be completed but there are other tasks that need to be done.

 

I use tools like Hootsuite to schedule my social media posts and respond to those posts. Your consistent effort is an important part of the process. Throughout today I will be emailing and calling people as well as writing on different projects. These actions are all part of the jigsaw puzzle of my writing life. What steps are you taking? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

As writers, we piece together the jigsaw puzzle of a writing life. This prolific editor and author gives some specifics about the mixture of short-term and long-term projects in his writing journey. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)

Does your fiction or nonfiction book have a business plan? Every type of book needs a proposal—even if you self-publish. Get this resource.

Something Every Writer Can Do

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I've always loved a good story—whether in the newspaper or a magazine or in a book. While I read some fiction, I've always been drawn to real stories. It's one of the reasons the majority of my own writing has been nonfiction. Whether you write them or not, many of us have interesting personal experiences. It could be in your family or a travel experience or any number of other things that you experience personally. It should not surprise you that one of the most common and popular type of magazine article is the personal experience article. If you look in the Christian Writer's Market Guide, a wide range of periodicals are actively looking for personal experience stories.

 

When you write these stories, they have to fit the magazine guidelines for length but they also have to contain the elements of any good story such as a grabber headline, an interesting opening, a solid middle and a conclusion which includes a takeaway point for the reader. Through the years, I've written a number of these types of magazine articles.

 

When I attend a writer's conference, I find many writers are focused on their book project whether a novel or nonfiction. Many of them have never considered the value of writing for magazines. In general you will reach more readers with your magazine article than you will reach with your book. It's relatively easy with a magazine article to reach 100,000 readers and if your book is going to sell 100,000 copies then that will be rare. Also magazine articles are a solid way to promote your book. This promotion happens in your bio at the end of the magaine article and is often limited to the name of your book and pointing to a website. I encourage writers to begin in the magazine area for the simple reason it is easier to learn the craft of writing working with a 1500 word article than a 50,000 or 100,000 word book manuscript.

 

When you write for magazines, you will need to read their guidelines and get familiar with the publication (even if you read their online articles). If the publication asks for a query, then learn to write a query and send the query letter. If the publication prefers complete articles, then write the full article on speculation and send it to the editor. I've written many articles on speculation which means uncertainty it will be published. I've also written numerous articles on assignment from the magazine. It's an important skill for writers to learn to write for magazines and some of those articles can be personal experience stories.

 

Here's something I do not see written about magazine writing: it's a choice which experiences and stories you decide to tell. I don't write about every personal experience. Some of them are too painful to relive and write about. To write a personal experience story, you have to relive the experience to capture those words and feelings. Some experiences are better left alone and that's a perfectly fine choice.

 

Do you write personal experience articles for magazines? Let me know your tips and insights in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

There is a type of article every writer can write. Learn the details about something every writer can do from this prolific editor and author. (ClickToTweet)

Does your fiction or nonfiction book have a business plan? Every type of book needs a proposal—even if you self-publish. Get this resource.

How to Prepare for a Conference

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Some of my most significant relationships in the publishing world started at a writer's conference. These events can be a huge boost to your writing life. As a writer, you can pitch your book ideas to editors and literary agents during these conferences. Also you can gain insights from their workshops, sit with them at meals and learn from them. Each event is different but many of them have keynote speakers who give inspirational messages. Often they have panels where the audience can ask questions and you can gain additional information. I've been attending and speaking at these types of events for years. With the pandemic many of these events turned virtual but as I've written about recently, live events have returned.

 

This coming week I travel to Chicago and the campus of Wheaton College for Write to Publish. I've met a number of writers at these events and Morgan James Publishing has published their books. It's also an opportunity for the various faculty members to reconnect and catch up with each other during the event. If you want the best results from attending such an event, then you need to prepare for them. In this article, I want to give you some ideas about what steps I take for preparation to help your writing life.

 

Several weeks ago, I noticed I was low on print copies of my latest book, Book Proposals That Sell. I ordered more some more copies which arrived before I'm leaving for the conference. The supply chain issues have affected the amount of time for books to print and reach you. I take books to sell at these events and it is an important part of the preparation process.

 

At every conference, it is important to have business cards to exchange with attendees and faculty. Earlier this spring, I created a new business card and got them printed. I will pack a qualtity of these cards and other print material to bring to the conference. Countless times during the years, I've met a new faculty member and exchanged cards. The other person will often dig through their wallet or purse and tell me they have forgotten business cards and give me one of the few they happened to have. No matter what your role at the conference, I encourage you to bring plenty of cards to exchange.

 

At Write to Publish, I'm teaching three workshops. While I've taught these workshops in other places, each time I review my handout to make sure all of the websites and extra material are up to date and working properly. I'm teaching on five ways to build a platform, social media and also understanding an negotiating contracts. These workshops are recorded and I always attempt to build great value into my handouts through links to extra material.

 

The conference has arranged pick me up at the airport and transportation to Wheaton College. I've been given the name of my driver and their cell number (which I put into my phone). It's all a part of the preparation for the conference. You may have to make travel arrangements or other important aspects to make sure you arrive and leave at the right time.

 

Another key in your conference preparation is to review the various faculty and their workshops. There are a number of other possibilities for attendees during each of my workshops. If you have reviewed these options ahead of time and made your selection, then you will be prepared for the conference. Also this review helps you know what the different editors and agents are looking for and who to pitch and what to pitch them during the event.

 

I'm looking forward to this event and the unplanned yet special conversations which happen during each of these conferences. I hope this article has given you some ideas and action steps to take as you prepare to attend a conference. What additional steps do you take or what feedback can you give me about this article? What steps are you taking? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

To successfully attend a conference, you need to prepare. Get the details here about how to prepare for a conference from this prolific editor and author. (ClickToTweet)

This week Terry will be teaching on social media, contracts and platform building. Also he is speaking at the closing banquet and and meeting with authors at Write to Publish. Hope to see you at this wonderful event.

Does your fiction or nonfiction book have a business plan? Every type of book needs a proposal—even if you self-publish. Get this resource.

The Writer's Relief

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

There is a feeling of relief for writers. It is hitting the send button and sending off a newly written article or a chapter or any number of other things that we have to send as writers. The bulk of these types of communications are done electronically these days. 

In recent days, I have sent a number of completed writing projects to editors or co-authors. To complete your deadline in a timely fashion is an important aspect of being a professional writer. In this article, I want to give you several steps that I take in this process in hopes it will give you some ideas for your writing life.

 

1. Keep track of your deadlines. It's easy to miss a deadline if you don't keep track of it. I use the reminder portion of my phone. I set a reminder and it allows me to hit these various deadline. For example, last week, my handouts for Write to Publish were due. Each time I teach at a conference I rework my handouts to make sure the various resources still work and everything is up to date. Hope to see some of you at this terrific conference on the campus of Wheaton College.

 

2. If you are going to be late (which does happen) then I encourage you to communicate as soon as you know this information. As I've written in other entries, publishing is a team effort and in general, your lateness will affect other people. Clear and transparent communication is a critical part of the process. It's an important part of the process.

 

3. Plan for interruptions and delays. From working in publishing for decades, I understand interruptions and delays are a normal part of the process.  You will still be able to meet your deadline if you understand this situation and plan it into your writing schedule.

 

4. Continue to move forward despite any setbacks. Rejection is a part of publishing. You are looking for a place that will be a fit for you and your writing. As an editor, authors will decide not to sign the contract that I've offered them. Other times my colleagues at Morgan James will decide to pass on the book and not offer a contract.  I've had projects cancel or go on hold or any number of other things happen in this writing life.  When these situations happen, I see the choices as simple. You can quit and do something else outside of publishing. I've watched many people make this choice over the years. Or you can continue writing, continue knocking on doors and looking for those opportunities. I have chosen to follow the second path which is often less traveled. I hope you will be on it as well.

 

In these days with electronic communication, before I hit the send button, I often will hold something in my “draft” folder or take one more look at it before I send it. Are there typos? Is there something which can be changed and said with greater clarity? I confess my communication is not perfect and there are times where I send it too quickly. It is key to keep sending it—even if imperfect.

 

The writer's relief is when you meet a deadline—whether for a publication, a book project or even sending your handouts for a writers' conference. It is a terrific feeling to meet another deadline and send another piece of writing into the market.

 

How are you on meeting deadlines? Have you had that feeling of the writer's relief wash over you after you have sent a submission? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

Tweetable:

When you have completed another deadline and sent it, do you experience “The Writer's Relief?” It's how this prolific editor and author feels. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)

This month Terry will be teaching on social media, contracts and platform building. Also he is speaking at the closing banquet and and meeting with authors at Write to Publish. Hope to see you at this wonderful event.

Does your fiction or nonfiction book have a business plan? Every type of book needs a proposal—even if you self-publish. Get this resource.