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Title: THE WRITER’S WORKOUT
Author: Christina Katz
Pub date: Jan. 10, 2012
As many of you know, one of the books I consistently recommend is GET KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL by Christina Katz. I personally believe it’s one of the best reference books for building a platform, let alone experiencing a good writerly experience. From the first page of that book, it’s evident that Christina practices what she preaches; that she wants to make sure other writers have the best experience possible with their own personal writing paths.
So imagine my excitement upon receiving her newest book, THE WRITER’S WORKOUT. Over the last week I’ve taken the time to read Christina’s book, and am extremely impressed with the thoroughness of its content. So much information is covered, with every single idea and suggestion very accessible.
You can read the book from front to back, open at random pages, or read the specific sections (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). It’s your choice. One entry a day = the perfect addition to one’s daily writing routine. Yet another reason to add Christina’s book to one’s writing reference library.
There is much to be appreciated about THE WRITER’S WORKOUT. The “sticky brain” approach, the 500-word dash, the suggestion of saving documents and blog posts that inspire you (to be read again later), honoring introspection (during the writing process), the benefits of “social artistry,” and more. Christina even includes various exercises for developing one’s book ideas, one’s network, and more. I especially like her “Take 25 Actions” exercise. (A great idea!)
THE WRITER’S WORKOUT is an interactive book that only requires you the writer, and a willingness to learn and execute new practices to one’s writing routine. In the long run, one’s writerly life will benefit from these exercises.
So, do know it should be no surprise that THE WRITER’S WORKOUT will be required reading for my future clients – and highly recommended to my current ones too.
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Last but not least, here are some pages I highly recommend from THE WRITER’S WORKOUT:
#14 – Solvency Plan
#19 – Culture a Body of Work
#21 – Writing Markets
#33 – Target Specific Markets
#38 – Dismantle Dismal Thinking
#49 – Awaken Your Senses
#62 – Lead Later
#81 – Serve Up
#83 – Unblock Yourself
#85 – Settle In
#107 – Prospect From Yourself
#110 – Dig Deeper Say More
#117 – Transform Impatience
#141 – Stockpile Resources
#144 – Stay Strong, Carry On
#177 – Don’t Rush Ripe (seriously folks, a must read)
#186 – Evaluate Your Visibility
#237 – Personal Not Egomanical
#266 – Keep it Professional
#280 – Benefits of Traditional Publishing
#285 – Benefits of Self-Publishing
#295 and #297 – Strut Your Social Side (pts. 1 & 2)
#308 – Go Global
#321 and #323 – Update Your Platform (pts. 1 & 2)
#364 – Flex Your Ideas
So enjoy! And go find Christina’s book, as it hits bookshelves this week! :)
It seems that we’ve all had an extremely busy Fall – publishing and writer types alike. It’s hard to believe that even a few years ago there would be quiet lulls (in publishing) during any year. Yet as social media has evolved into an everyday part our lives – the pace is always hectic, with infrequent moments to escape the grid. Sometimes it almost seems that social media is driving the figurative bus vs. the folks it represents, but that’s another topic altogether.
Thus, I’m sending a gentle nudge (to everyone) to take the time in stepping away from this mad dash. For writers, their books will benefit. For agents and editors, our ability to think clearly and make sound decisions will continue. This is precisely why writers’ conferences exist. They exist to educate and inspire authors – and to remind those of us who love the publishing industry why we’re involved to begin with.
If anyone reading this blog has followed my agency for any period of time, it’s not required (on my part) that I confirm my belief that we all support and help grow our local writing communities. The process is easily accomplished by buying books locally, attending book events, creating new book events and writing opportunities, and forming a strong alliance & network for anyone who loves books & writing.
This Fall I was extremely honored to participate with the Women of Words Conference and the MN Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. Both were wonderful experiences – and ones that I’ll never forget. So much that I was reminded again of the strength and vitality of Minnesota’s writing community. Plus, I got to learn a few new things myself!
After the fact, here are several things that come to mind:
1. As a writer it’s 110% essential one builds a strong network of fellow writers and publishing types to collaborate and interact with.
Any writer’s conference or writing organization can provide that needed opportunity. Especially since choosing any book publishing route can be a long, drawn-out process. Attempting to get published without a network is never a good idea; as there will be hurdles to overcome, which can be discouraging for any aspiring author.
If you need an additional reason, you should remember that editors and agents have always tried to support and communicate with one another – as we too know that the overall publishing world can come across as overwhelming. I’d hope everyone would follow our example.
2. Constantly educate yourself.
For anyone who has played a sport – or was involved in the creation of something – there is always a need to stay abreast of the newest information, newest ideas, and methods of perfecting one’s performance.
The same goes for writing. Any of us would hope that we improve in the craft of writing over a noticeable period of time. The best way to go about accomplishing this goal is participating (and even contributing) to writer’s conferences and organizations. Every student needs a teacher. And every teacher needs a refresher course – to which joining a strong writing organization or conference allows that opportunity.
3. Celebrate the small successes.
We all know that Rome wasn’t built in a day. If one compares his/her writing life to the growth of a large city, the overall general process takes time. . . and requires lots of patience.
Develop reasonable timelines for the goals you want to accomplish; whether it’s in regard to writing, building an author platform, and/or finding an agent. Try to not panic during the process – and most importantly take a moment to celebrate even the smallest accomplishments. I’d personally suggest a cupcake for each moment – but that’s me. 
What has your experience been regarding writer’s conferences and being involved in local writing organizations? What have you learned from the overall process? And most importantly, how are you sharing your experience with others?
I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!
Writing a book, it’s one of the hardest things to do, at least in my humble opinion. Finding the time to put one’s thoughts on paper, to express an idea or develop a story, takes time and dedication. Especially in an era where social media plays a major role in our daily life activities. Let alone the regular, everyday responsibilities we all bring to the figurative table, i.e. work, family, and maintaining our households.
Yet this is one the FIRST of many steps in building upon a hopefully successful publishing experience.
A concept that’s sometimes unconsciously assumed is that writing the book = immediate success. I’m sorry, I’m going to disagree with this. There’s all the other “work” that needs to be accomplished too.
My thoughts: Are you already a published writer? Fantastic! So how are you reaching out and finding new readers? Are you making a concerted effort to be active on social media? How about print, radio and TV media outlets? Assume that you need to contact these entities yourself, or at least hire someone to do it. It’s not going to be cheap, but the time/quality investment can pay off.
Yes, I know you have friends who can help out- that’s always a good thing. But your friends aren’t going to be the ones benefitting from the sales of your book. You are.
Yes, I know that you have a blog with a large readership, yet another positive thing already getting accomplished. What about finding new followers, how are you doing this? And how will you inspire those followers to buy your book?
The one thing to avoid doing is sitting on the sidelines, and assuming that just because you wrote a book, which was eventually published, that the readers will “come.” At all costs avoid thinking that “if you write it, they will come.” Unless you’re already a NY Times bestselling author or A List celebrity, this isn’t the best approach to ensuring that thousands of copies of your book will be sold.
I assume you’d like to write another book? The best way to ensure that this opportunity will present itself is to sell thousands upon thousands of books. How to do it? By stepping as far away from the “if you write it, they will come” thinking – and investing as much time as possible in promoting your work of writing love.
Remember all the elbow grease you used writing a book, to maybe find an agent, and to navigate the waters of publishing? It didn’t happen overnight. It took time. It took YOU taking the time to do all that hard work with or without an agent and/or friends.
Writing the book = AWESOME
Seeing it get published = BEYOND AWESOME
Promoting the hell of your book, and investing the time to build even more “buzz” = SUPERB (& MANDATORY)
In the last month or so, I’ve heard references to individuals building their “brand” in regard to their career & work experience. As with any other industry, that’s to be expected in today’s workplace. Especially with the prevalence of Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, and more influencing the general public’s decisions.
Please note this is not a new concept. Anyone in publishing would immediately see this reflective of “building a platform” or a “writing platform.” This may not apply as much those writing a novel, but right now, anyone who wants to break out in the nonfiction market needs to have a personal “brand” to match their book idea.
Think about it. Would you take a nonfiction writer seriously if s/he didn’t bring the necessary expertise to the book you’re reading?
ex: If someone is writing a book on being a Cat Whisperer, wouldn’t that person need to bring years of experience and knowledge on how one does it? What if that person only has experience buiding canoes, but thought it would be great idea to write a book on cat whispering? Would you take this person seriously? I doubt it. As the background of the writer doesn’t equal the expertise needed for that book.
The next step beyond showing that expertise is one’s reach to have an established readership, as well as potential future readers. It’s absolutely essential one has strong roots wherever s/he is writing a book (reflecting this expertise). Still, the “branding” concept would otherwise indicate that the reach needs to go beyond one’s comfort zone. Are there readers/followers outside of your state? In multiple states? In multiple countries? Can you prove to me, or any other publishing person, that MANY people will purchase your book?
ex: This book on cat whispering – your only readers are located within 100 miles of you. You have no website. No social media presence. No extensive network with other cat whisperers. No writing experience with the general public regarding your knowledge of cat whispering. Before approaching publishers/editors/agents, make sure that you find even more readers/followers in other cites, states, possibly countries. This will improve the overall writing platform, “your brand.”
How long does this take? Sadly there’s no shortcut to the process. It can take 6 months, it take a year, it can take longer. My opinion is that I’d rather a writer take the necessary time to build the necessary “buzz” around his/her self, so that the expertise will stand out, vs. attempting to rush the process. Rushing the process will not result in a strong brand.
Just like Jim Tyrell-Smith states that one needs to be strategic with a brand for the job market, getting prepared before approaching publishers is not a choice. I promise that building your own personal brand is very possible, with some planning and some figurative elbow grease, it’ll make a significant difference in establishing your writing platform.
Required reading:
Building yourself through social media – interview with Tim Tyrell-Smith by host Tess Vigeland (APM Marketplace)
Get Known Before the Book Deal - by Christina Katz
I’ll start by saying this post relates to Nonfiction (vs. Fiction).
As our publishing industry has evolved and as social media has become a major influence how books get published, I have found myself often weighing in on new book ideas as either “blog-worthy” or “book-ready.” Upon starting my life as an agent, it wasn’t necesary to look at potential book projects in this manner. Yet it’s necessary in today’s publishing climate.
Why, you ask?
1. Because it can take anywhere from 1-2 years for a book to get published AFTER the book contract is signed. This doesn’t even include the time required to find an agent, to develop one’s writing platform, and/or to even start writing the book. Sometimes a book idea that appears “book-ready” today may not after 6 months have passed.
Ex: Books about 2012. Would an agent consider representing a book that would have an expiration date before it’s even published? No.
2. Some ideas aren’t necessary suited to be published in “book-ready” format. Maybe the topic has a limited scope, a limited audience, and/or there are already too many books (published along the same lines). Yes, there are a few writers who have broken this mold; but also remember they are a small percentage of the overall # of books published annually.
Ex: Eat Pray Love. I’ve mentioned this example multiple times on Twitter. Since Elizabeth Gilbert’s book shot to the top of the NY Times bestseller list and into a movie adaptation, it seems many aspiring writers want to write the “next” Eat Pray Love. (Btw, I read the book too and liked it very much.)
As a result, many queries have claimed to be the next Eat Pray Love. I’m sorry, but it seems Elizabeth Gilbert already covered this terrain quite well. The possibility of reaching the same level of success with a book JUST like hers doesn’t seem very viable. Hence, a book idea (along the same lines) may be better suited as a blog, at least for a short while.
3. Presenting a writing platform that still needs to be grown and/or expanded upon. When it comes to nonfiction, a strong writing platform is required of most authors. With any nonfiction idea, I’m studying not only the idea, but also if the writer is fully qualified to write this book. Are you an expert on the topic? Do you bring a large reading audience with the book idea? Do you have any previous publishing experience (online and/or in print)? If not, there’s a good chance that until the writing platform has grown, the idea is more “blog-worthy.”
Ex: Food and cooking ideas. Sometimes the best queries arrive in regard to food and cooking. I’ve seen a large # of cupcake, vegan, vegetarian, and and other superb ideas over the years. Unfortunately the writers usually have no public platform, no experience in online or print media, and more. Ultimately the ideas are great, but the writing platform is almost nonexistent. This would make the possible book idea(s) more blog-worthy. At least until these barriers are overcome.
Does your idea have any of these challenges? What do you do? My suggestion: Be strategic! Take a moment and look at the bigger picture of publishing – in regard to your book idea. Take the time to develop and execute ideas that will help move your book from “blog-worthy” to “book-ready,” before getting overly worried about approaching agents or editors.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree? Let’s chat!
It’s normal to feel like one is sometimes on a figurative soapbox with whatever topic s/he is passionate about. My love will always be books. Doesn’t matter what format they’re in, when they were published, or what they’re about. Books are quiet little treasures, opportunitities & gateways to solitary moments (something we rarely experience).
Upon becoming an agent, one of the early requirements was being able to say “no.” Since no agent can give the necessary time and energy for every single project that comes his/her way. Plus there are only 24 hours in a day, it’s likelier that an agent will make better decisions if some of those hours are spent resting (vs. working all the time). As I’ve stated before, we can only take on a limited number of clients, as each of our authors deserve quality time and attention from us.
With the many book ideas I’ve turned down over the years, I’ve come to accept the occasional hate mail. People who take my rejections too personally, some who refuse to “accept” my response, name calling, accusations that I “don’t know anything about publishing,” and simply angry words. I’ve even gotten used to the people who’ve reminded me of how much they disagree with the rejection by requerying me again, hoping I won’t notice I’ve turned down the book idea before (btw, I will recognize it). Sadly several newer rejections have added a new “twist” to this conundrum, with a few authors sending MORE materials — stating that maybe I’ll change my mind after seeing them. I’m sorry that doesn’t work either.
However, there is a silver lining to this. There are the authors who take a moment to think about rejections – why it happened, and what they can do in the future.
These writers will study my representative categories again, and usually realize my agency isn’t a good fit for their books. Some will take a moment to peruse my website, and rework their ideas, as well as the method in which queries are sent out. In the rare cases where I was able to offer advice, some authors will write back and give an update on their query process. I like these updates, it gives me hope that at least my advice was considered, even for a few moments.
Here are three that stand out:
1. Approximately 5 or 6 years ago, I turned down an idea by a writer who was very much in the early stages of developing a writing platform. He had a great idea, but alas it wasn’t a good fit for my list, especially with him needing to develop a readership. I’ve now heard back from him two times since then. He has embraced the process of building his platform, and loving it. If anything, he seems happier. And getting an update from him is always a treat.
2. Through Google Alerts (yes those of us in publishing use these), I learned that an author did a posting about the rejections he has received thus far. Going to his site, I immediately remembered him, as we met through Twitter and I made a point of giving some extra advice, once again something I don’t do very often. On his blog, he stated appreciation for that advice, that it was one of the more detailed rejection letters received. That he is now tweaking his idea and moving forward. What a nice surprise to discover my inbox!
3. In November, a book arrived at my doorstep, from a fellow ‘Southern Belle,” whose idea I declined in 2008. I had suggested she go the route of an indie publisher, in addition to taking the time to develop a larger writing platform. It turns out her book WAS eventually published by an indie publisher, and that she has sold a nice quantity of books so far. She’s loving the process of promoting her book, of meeting readers, and that she appreciated the advice and encouragement received in 2008. Her positive energy about the query process was infectious, and I value the letter she attached with her book. It goes in the folder of “letters worth saving.”
These three individuals took their rejections and used them proactively. They looked at the reasons for rejection, as well as the bigger picture of publishing, and have worked on developing larger writing platforms.
Always remember:
1. Rejections should never be taken personally.
2. Consider why your book was rejected – Does the agency work with your book’s category? Is your platform still needing growth? Are there other reasons? Take the time to mull over these things, ultimately it can be used to one’s advantage.
3. Embrace the process. If you are going to query agents, who all have limited time and can only take a limited # of new clients, and this is already time consuming – also embrace the learning process when rejections come in. This process can have a positive outcome, even if this means one writes an entirely new book that does in fact gain the attention of an editor or agent.
Thoughts, comments? Let me know what you think.
I’ve been less “bloggy” lately, due to the overwhelming number of things to do (personal and work) of late. In all, life has been hectic.
Yet, one of my favorite habits as a literary agent is the research process – whether it’s in regard to my current projects, or ones in consideration.
There are various ways of doing this research, to which many folks prefer to go the route of the internet. In fact, I highly encourage folks to do the initial research online. However, the most effective practice I’ve used is the tried-and-true method of visiting real, “live” books in person. Yes, the bookstore and/or the library.
With the usual backlog of book proposals, manuscripts, and emails taking lots of time, there’s something refreshing upon returning back to the bookstore (where my path began so long ago). It’s a chance to visit the books, to smell them, to look at their pretty covers, to interact with the booksellers, and to stumble upon little jewels that wouldn’t be randomly found online.
Not only does this help with the decisions made in regard to publishers queried and researching potential projects, this practice results in a happy, excited literary agent. A literary agent who sprints to the register line with newly found books to bring home.
Tonight the book “Regetsy” found me at the bookstore - yes, it found me. This hysterical collection of Etsy-projects-gone-wrong made an otherwise crazy, busy week much more bearable.
For any aspiring writer attempting to determine if a book idea is commercially viable, look at the larger picture. Consider the following:
1. Will readers be excited to discover your book – whether found online or at a bookstore? (i.e. pulling out their wallets to buy it)
2. Does your idea stand out enough to result in the book “finding” your potential readership vs. them seeking it out? (i.e. within the book’s category, will it elicit a feeling that the reader “needs” to read it?)
3. What does the competition look like? Can your book fill a special gap within its potential book category? (i.e. the stiffer the competition means a need for the book to distinguish itself from the other available titles)
After today’s fun outing, several conclusions come to mind. First and foremost, market yourself and your book like it’s going out of style. Forget about the friends and family, colleagues, neighbors, etc…of which there is a personal acquaintance – they already know you, and will buy the book. Remember that one also needs to reach the readers who haven’t heard about the book-who haven’t met you YET. Determine a strategy in how those folks will be reached. Not only will it result with increased odds of getting published, there’s a better possibility of increasing one’s sales #s (once published).
Secondly, don’t forget about the bookstore customer who casually browses the shelves. Considering the fact there are MANY choices once s/he enters the bookstore, it’s absolutely essential the idea will have legs of its own. Figurative legs that will result in any random stranger purchasing the book; due to the uniqueness of the book, the narrative, and the desire to give that book a home.
Finally, as an agent, this is the type of excitement I want with ANY project at Red Sofa Literary. If a possible project results in a “so-so” response, I know immediately that it’s not a good match. Literary agents need to be enthusiastic about our projects, as we should be championing those books it to the publishers. That type of excitement is always infectious, and to author’s advantage.
Now I’m going to return back to Regretsy. Go check it out!
