Something Better Than A Good Idea

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Writers are swimming in a sea of ideas is a statement bestselling author and editor Elizabeth Sherrill said years ago in a class I was taking from her at a writer's conference. I find good ideas come to me often and I try and capture them. Here's what is better than having a good idea: taking action on that idea.

 

Each week I write these articles for The Writing Life.  I have a steady group of people who receive these entries through their email addresses. Yet this list isn't increasing and in fact each week is declining when a few people unsubscribe. How can I increase the number of subscribers? The answer is simple. I need to be telling more people or a different group of people about the availability of this email resource.

 

I took action on this need. I wrote an email, showed the variety of articles and sent it to my email list. Also I crafted a similar email and sent it to a different email list. Overall I sent this email to thousands of subscribers where I encourage readers to subscribe to get my blog updates through their email. 

Of course, those readers have to open my email and take action on my suggestion for anything to happen—but at least I called the idea to their attention and increased the possibility of getting more subscribers. It was more than a thought or idea. I took action on my idea and turned it into a communication tool with my readers. Here's where you can subscribe and receive these entries through your email. 

 

Where do you need to grow as a writer? Do you have a book which is in the market but not selling? What steps can you take to be telling more people or book on a podcast or radio show? While it is easy to blame others in this process, I return to one of my consistent themes: I have to take my own responsibility for my own success. What actions can I take to reach a new audience? What do I need to learn to execute this idea? For example, I understand many authors are having success with their sales through the book area of Tik Tok. I have never done a Tik Tok video. I have access to some teaching on this topic but need to make the time in my schedule to take the teaching and then apply it to my writing life. Taking action is a much better step than having the knowledge and the idea.

 

What ideas have you had which are only ideas because you didn't take action on them? Make a plan and commit to moving forward. Let me know in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

According to this prolific editor and author, there is something better than a good idea. 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. 

Another Strange Submission

I find some authors amazing. They react in just the sort of way where you shake your head and wonder if anyone could be more “different” or “strange.”

From my years in publishing, I've met many authors who stand out in a crowd and are “characters.” Some of these characters stand out in a positive way and actually sell lots of books because of how they stand out. Then there are the other types of characters who are just way outside the norm—and that's who I'm writing about in this entry.

Several weeks ago an author called the founder of Morgan James and left a voice mail message. He didn't have a chance to return the call so he passed it along to me. I called this author and listened to his hot book idea. 

I was open to whatever he wanted to send and asked him to send it via email. He didn't have an email address. This fact should have been my first clue about his submission. Instead the author asked for my mailing address so he could send a hard copy. I gave him my address.

Today I opened a certified, return receipt package—with a completely handwritten submission. The author didn't include a cover letter in the package but even the title page had several misspelled words. The entire package was handwritten on a legal pad paper—front and back. Each chapter was carefully stapled together.

The only address on the package is the return address on the outside. There is no contact information or phone number. I've reviewed thousands of submissions but never seen one of these in the nonfiction category.

Many years ago when I was running my literary agency (which has been closed for several years), I did receive a handwritten novel submission but it was in a large notebook and came with the return postage. The submission which arrived today had no return postage or self-addressed stamped envelope. I'm tempted to set this package aside and hold it for several weeks—under the assumption the author will call me and want it back. Then I can give him a chance to send me the return postage. 

I will remember this author's submission—but not for the reasons that he wants to be remembered. In other entries, 

I've written a great deal about the proper way to send a submission. Here's some of those basic details:

1. It should always be typed and completely error free (without typographical errors or spelling errors).

2. Check with the editor or agent to see how they want your submission. Most of the time these days at some point they will want an electronic version of it. The key is to read the guidelines on their website then send it in the format and fashion that it is requested.

I've created a book proposal checklist which gives the essential ingredients in a submission to an agent or editor. I would encourage every author to review this list before they fire off their prize idea to an editor or agent. It will help all of us in the publishing world receive better submissions.

Follow Your Ideas for Submission

The idea pops into your head. “Send this article to this editor.” Or as you are reading a magazine, you think, “I could send this editor an article about this personal experience or this how-to idea.” Or you are reminded about a connection you made months earlier at a conference and you haven't followed up with the agent or editor.

In each of these cases, how do you handle it? Some people shrug it and the “nudge” disappears. Others will take action and get their idea into the marketplace for consideration.  Without action, nothing happens.

From my years in publishing, I've learned the importance of taking action on a thought or idea. For example, I will call or email an author about their book proposal or manuscript, it will happen just on a day when they need some encouragement or direction.

Or my entry about The Writing Life will land in someone's mailbox on exactly the day they need the encouragement to move forward. Some people would call these accidents but to me, these actions from the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. As a Christian I believe God is guiding my daily actions and steps. Certainly I fail to follow that guidance but I've discovered remarkable things happen when I take action on those ideas.

For example, I've been wanting to attend a large conference in a couple of months yet I wondered how to budget for the conference fee.  One morning I got an idea that maybe I could do something else at that conference to help out such as volunteer to work registration or some other task. To follow through on my idea, I called a leader in the organization which sponsored the conference and pitched my idea of working the registration in a voice mail message.

The exact day of my call, this leader got a message that the person who was going to teach the publishing workshop was not going to be able to attend the conference.  My voice mail message and this cancellation arrived on exactly the same day. Was it coincidence? I don't believe so. I was asked to lead the publishing workshop at this conference. As a workshop leader, my fee for the conference is waived and I have a much larger opportunity than I could even have imagined.

Notice what happened in this story: I had an idea and I took action and made a phone call.

What ideas and possible actions are whirling in your writing life? Are you writing them down then crossing them off as you execute each one?   I appreciate the necessity of having dreams and ambitions for our writing—yet at the same time we must be taking consistent action for those dreams to turn into reality.

Seek Kernels of Insight

Are you looking for kernels of insight into your writing life?

From my experience, these insights spring from many different places. It is critical that you be consciously looking for the insight which will make a difference in your own writing life.

For example, some writers bemoan that they aren't getting enough of their writing into print. Yet if you ask them the details, you will discover they aren't working at building relationships with key decision makers in the marketplace (editors and agents). Or they aren't submitting their work for consideration. 

Your magazine article or your novel or your nonfiction book will not get published by osmosis. You have to proactively pitch to the market.

Other writers grouse that their book is not selling many copies or they aren't getting enough book reviews or media interviews. 

Each of these situations can be conquered yet it will take consistent action from you. Do you have a plan and are you consistently working your plan?

Throughout my day, I'm reading different articles and blogs and looking for kernels of insight. For example, today my friend Bob Bly sent this article: Practical Techniques for Producing Profitable Ideas. I encourage you to read this article because you can gain several key insights to incorporate into your writing life.

Also throughout my day, if I get an idea, I take action on that idea as soon as possible. Today an editor came into my mind who I have not contacted or thought about in months. I had an idea to pitch to this editor so quickly went to my email and wrote a short and pointed email with my idea. Will it work? I have no idea but I've taken action on the idea and it's now out into the world where something could happen from that idea.

I recorded over a dozen different ways that writers can make money from their books. If you haven't heard this teleseminar, you can have immediate access to it. Download it and listen to my teaching—yet listen with a pen and paper in hand ready to write down any kernels of insight or fresh ideas. Then take action on those ideas. 

If you incorporate these insights into your day, then you will be following what my friend Peggy McColl calls the Law of GOYA. At the recent Author 101 University, Peggy told about this Law of GOYA. I'd never heard of it but in this article, she attributes it to another bestselling author, John Assaraf meaning: The Law of Get Off Your A... (assets?)

Take action on your kernels of insight and let me know how it goes for you.

One Place to Find Ideas

Often new writers wonder, “Where do you find good ideas?”

The operative word in this sentence is “good.” Years ago, Guideposts contributing editor Elizabeth Sherrill told me, “Writers are swimming in a sea of ideas.” 

You can take your writing in a million different directions. If you need some ideas in this area, check out the first chapter in my Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. The chapter is FREE so use this link.

One of the best places to find good ideas is through focused reading. You can read magazine articles or books or the newspaper. Through the reading process, you can just absorb information and not come up with a single idea for your writing.

Or you can take a more focused approach and ask questions like:

—Where would you like for your writing to appear? 

—Who is the audience that reads that type of writing?

—Can I write what this audience is wanting to read?

With some answers to these questions, your reading can be more productive. I would encourage you to keep a notebook with your ideas.

As you read newspaper articles and think about what you want to write, cut out the clippings and tuck them into your notebook. It will only take a minute but these clippings can stir your writing.

Now that you have a list of ideas, what are you doing to take action on them? 

—Are you creating book ideas into a proposal format and properly pitching them to agents or editors? 

—Are you writing short query letters and getting them out to magazine editors and getting assignments?

—Are you writing full length magazine articles and sending them to editors on speculation that they will be a perfect fit for the magazine and get published?

These questions are not mutually exclusive. You can take the same idea and write a magazine article and a book pitch from it. There are several keys: focus on a particular market and audience. You need to understand the potential reader and write with that reader in mind. Then move on your ideas and pitch them to a specific professional.

Here's the wrong way to begin your pitch—and I received one of these pitches this morning:

“To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing in regards to gaining information and feedback on my story. At this point, I am not an established writer, or even a writer for that matter. I simply have an amazing life story to tell.”

Yes, I've actually quoted this email—but what followed was pages and pages of cathartic rambling writing—not for any target—just a cry for help.

I don't know how many of these emails this author fired into her email (maybe a few or maybe many of them). I expect most people hit the button to throw it into the trash without giving it a second thought. Many of my editor and agent friends receive hundreds of these pitches each day. 

I could have ignored this email too—but I did not. I wrote the author and asked who was the target audience and was it a magazine article or a book pitch or what—and encouraged the author with several free resources that I've created to help answer those questions. The email in my view was a cry for help. Unfortunately many people are floundering in this situation.

This writer claims not to be a writer. If that is the case, this person needs to reach out into the marketplace and find someone to help her. Maybe go to a writer's forum (there are hundreds of them) and ask for help. There is not one path but many different paths (and this is confusing to many people. Each path involves taking specific action.

Many people feel overwhelmed with publishing and like they have few opportunities—yet if you look closely at what they are doing, they are not taking action and trying different possibilities. 

What steps are you taking today to make your reading more focused and targeted? How are you capturing your ideas and taking specific steps to move forward and get those ideas into the marketplace? 

Be Looking for New Ideas

Are you in a rut with your writing? I hope not.

One of the freedom stirring aspects of writing is it can head in many different directions. You may be drawn to write fiction but when others read your storytelling, it doesn't connect with them. You've invested lots of energy into writing this novel and now you can't find a publisher. In my view, this experience is good because you learned something along the way.

I've got files of material (electronic and in paper) which have never been published. If you find that you aren't getting success or traction in one area of writing, then I encourage you to try another area.

In the first chapter of my Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams, I include a list of the various types of writing. While my list isn't exhaustive it gives you a wide range of possible options. As a writer, I have a single major writing project in process. I'm excited about this project and focused on consistently moving forward to complete it. It is not something that can be accomplished in a single writing session but that's that sort of constant chipping away at it to complete it.

Besides the longer project, I'm also writing for print magazines. I've recently sent a couple of articles off to an editor who acknowledged my submission and put them into her process to get them into print. In addition, I have several regular columns which I write for publications. I've not written my material which is due later this month but I am thinking about ideas for columns. Whenever I have an idea, I'm normally carrying a pencil or pen and a piece of paper to write it down before it disappears. Each of us are living busy schedules and we need to capture the ideas as they happen.

This week while working out, I created another event that I will schedule either later this month or next month. The ideas came for the Ebook which I will give away (something new) and the other details of the event. I wrote it down and have worked this idea into my planning schedule. It is a constant process and each type of writing is different—whether an Ebook or a blog post.

Also as I read new books, I'm determined to capture ideas which come from my reading. Plus when I complete a book, I will write a few words of review about the book then post that review on Amazon and other sites. Are you supporting good books (or any type of book) that you are reading? It does not take a lot of time and writing reviews is a great skill for every writer to develop. It does not matter if you write fiction or nonfiction. If you write customer reviews on Amazon, it is another way to give back to the community.

Something I've never done in over 1,000 entries:

If you have read Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams, could you go over to the Amazon page (use this link) and write several sentences along with a Five Star review? The Five Stars are important because they are averaged so please make sure to do Five Stars. Or maybe you have read my Book Proposals That Sell. If so, I'm asking you to please go over to the Amazon page (use this link) and write a couple of sentences along with a Five Star review. Even if you read the book several years ago, I would appreciate your support with the review.

I check these pages often but whenever I find a new review, I announce it to my Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn audiences. Thank you in advance for considering it and my sincere appreciation if you create your Amazon review.

If you haven't done it (or even if you have), I want to encourage you to download a free 30–page chapter of my Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. You can also click the image of the book cover to go to the sample. Then print the chapter and read it noticing the different types of writing. Capture the ideas for your own writing. Also notice the creative details in this excerpt. I include two “Buy Now” buttons inside the sample. If you would like to get an autographed copy of my book, just note it in the special instructions of my shopping cart and I'd be happy to sign it for you.

Ideas for writing are everywhere. Often they come at odd times. If you are open to them and take action, you will become more productive and prolific as a writer.

How To Swim In A Sea of Ideas

Many years ago at a writer's conference I took a continuing session from long-time Guideposts Contributing Editor Elizabeth Sherrill. One sentence from that teaching has stuck with me for years, "Writers are swimming in a sea of ideas."

Our writing can go in a million different directions. There are countless print magazines, book publishers, online magazines and much more to pull our writing talent. How do you keep track of the various ideas yet still focus and not have a bunch of half-baked material in your files?

Many writers have asked me how in the world I've created such a large body of published works. Normally I respond, "Writing a book is like eating an elephant. You do it one bite at a time--or one page at a time or one paragraph at a time." It is a matter of consistently working toward a goal and completing that goal. Then you plan a new goal and work toward that goal. Half-written articles and stories do not get published or go anywhere.

I want to give you several ideas to capture those ideas yet to also focus on moving forward and accomplishing your publishing dreams.

First, take time to plan. Have a daily "to-do" list and cross off those items. Are you moving forward toward your short-term and long-term goals? What is holding you back? Can you eliminate or lessen those things that are holding you back? The time you spend in planning will reap huge benefits to your writing life.

Also, write down your ideas. Every writer needs a place to keep these ideas. I suggest you purchase a simple blank notebook and use it to write down your ideas, dreams and possible writing projects. Here's the key: you write them down but do not execute them. They are captured so you can return to them but not overwhelming you.

Weave these ideas into your daily writing life. If you want to get into magazines, then you need to be pitching or writing queries for magazine editors. If you want to get a book publisher, then you need to learn how to write a book proposal and be pitching book editors with your proposal--yet only after it is carefully crafted and not half-baked.

Commit to consistent writing and submitting. Besides the necessity to write and complete your ideas, you need to be sending it out into the marketplace--to editors and agents who can move you toward publication. You accomplish nothing to have partially written or completely written manuscripts in your computer or paper files. I have a number of projects that are in different stages of completion. I'm working consistently to get these projects completed and launched into the marketplace. You can follow the same path.

Keep Knocking on Different Doors. You never know which door will be the right one for your writing. In fact, you will never know if you don't consistently knock on that door to see if it will open. Persistence and perseverance will pay off.

A Room Full of Ideas

Years ago Elizabeth Sherrill spoke at a class which I attended and told us, "Writers are swimming in a sea of ideas." It's true there are many ideas around us all the time but which ideas do you execute? Is there some idea which crosses your mind or path which ends up becoming significant in your Writing Life? I've had these ideas become significant in my writing life over and over. It's one of the reasons I continue to attend conferences and meet new people.

Over the last few days, I've been writing about some of my experiences in New York City for the American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference. I hope writing about these experiences will stimulate some of you to come to this conference next year or take advantage of attending at least one conference a year. These experiences build deep value into my own writing and much more than I can capture in these brief entries. Notice whether you went to this conference or not, you can get the recordings from it and gain from the experience.

One of the unusual features of the ASJA conference is a room called The Idea Marketplace. It started a few years ago when some vendors wanted to be able to pitch the hundreds of journalists who attend the conference.

I've found great value in this room full of ideas. Each year it is different (follow this link to see the list from last week). I've learned it's important to enter the room as early as possible and catch the various people while they are fresh and see what they are pitching. For example, this year Consumer Reports was a new exhibitor and brought some of their magazines along with a few flash drives which are marked on the outside, "Consumer Reports.org." This little storage device will remind me of my brief interaction with these people.

Each table had some literature and often some unique reminder of their company. The American Kennel Club had a plastic notched rolodex card with the shape of a dog sticking up. Blumenfeld and Associates were giving away bottles of water from Iceland (I'm serious). Other groups were set up to provide sources for health-related stories or other resources.

You never know what can come from some of these exchanges. I'm glad to have had the experience and hope it encourages you to make the effort to get to such an event.

A Stirring Place for Ideas

For the last several years (maybe five), the American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference has included a feature called the Idea Marketplace. Different vendors who want to reach writers have a little exhibit and pass out information during the conference. I've always found my interaction with these people stimulating for ideas and research.

Many of these exhibitors try to stir interest with interesting giveaways that make an impression. This year Memorial Hermann Health Care Systems was giving away jump drives or memory sticks which contained their press kit. It was not a hard sell to get me to put one of these little boxes into my bag and then use it. The New York Public Library gave away a beautiful full-color bookmark along with information on their services. Pharmavite was handing out vitamins with their information plus they gave out a DVD that shows how vitamins are manufactured. The American Academy of Osteopathic Surgeons were back with their writing pens that look like a large bone (always a conversation piece and a functioning writing instrument). The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing people were handing out small Teddy Bears along with ornate luggage tags and a reporter's notebook (each item included their website address and contact information). Even the United States Government was exhibiting with their little red, white and blue uncle sam hats (a stress relieving device). The Society of Professional Journalists were handing out plastic mugs which asked the question, "Has your career gone cold?" Then when you add a hot beverage, it changes and shows logo for journalismtraining.org (part of their society).

Ok, I picked up a bunch of different gadgets and stuff. What's the pay off for that exhibitor? They are stirring ideas and resources for writers. Months down the road when I need some bit of copyright information, I can turn to the USA.GOV website and search for it because I have a little uncle sam hat stress relief gizmo. Or if I write about health and need some resources to interview, I can contact Memorial Hermann because their press information is on a memory stick that I carry with me.

The payoff for the writer is stimulation of ideas for magazine articles or books. It was a terrific spot to walk around and collect information and another one of the benefits from attending the American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference. As writers, we have many different ideas. The key will always come in the execution. How can you take one of these ideas and carry it into action?