Where do I find answers to my writing industry questions?

How do I learn what I need to know to be published?

Last week I shared a behind the curtain peek at author royalties. And it got waaaaaay more views that my usual blog pieces. Like double. I like to think that what I share each week is helpful. At least, it’s a goal. I want to share strategies, tips and resources that will help other writers move forward and make progress on their writing journey. But maybe what I forgot is that sometimes the questions pile up because we have no one to ask, and this fact makes these questions seem even more important.

In the publishing industry there is a very limited stock of people who “know” THE ASNWERS. These “in-the-know” people - agents, editors, publishers and authors who have been through the hoops several times - are BUSY people. In fact, they are so busy that it is standard practice to assume non-interest (in you/yourproject), if you haven’t received a reply to your email/request/question/query within six months. SERIOUSLY… if you haven’t gotten so much as a form letter rejection in six months… just move on.

It seems harsh, but this practice is not out of any level of unkindness. It’s simply that these people are too busy to respond to those projects (people) who are not of interest. It is a FACT that replying to the multitudinous volume of things they are not interested in will delay the process of replying to (and working with) the people/projects they DO want to work with. And I guess I can forgive them for that, but it’s still pretty disheartening. How are new writers supposed to KNOW? Through what channel can they learn the answers to their ever-growing pile of questions?

And I think THAT is why my blog post was viewed double the amount of times than my typical analytics show. What do you do when you get good results? You draw from the same well again. So, it is with that in mind, that today I want to share a few other places where you can find the answers to THOSE QUESTIONS.

SCBWI

SCBWI is a tongue twisting acronym that stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. This organization is the single most informed, supportive and welcoming writing group I have ever encountered. Through their webinars and (in the past when we could actually see people and gather) their conferences/retreats have been the single most propelling factor in my writing career. The connections I have made, the friends I have met, the content I have learned and professionalism I have ascertained through SCBWI is incredible. I explain, in greater depth, why I love this organization and some of its many benefits, in this blog post: 5 Reasons to Join SCBWI.

Side note: I am now the Northwest Area Volunteer for SCBWI - Wisconsin, so stay tuned for news about great, local-ish, writing events for children’s/middle grade/young adult writers and illustrators.

Writers Market

The anual Writers Market books list up to date information for hundreds of agents, editors and publishing houses. The book lets you know what each is interested in representing or publishing, their preferred format of querying and the length of time you can expect to wait for a response. Initially you might buy these books with the primary goal of finding an agent or publisher, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that the first one hundred pages or so are articles written by the very people we have been hoping to learn from.

Check out this line up from my 2018 edition.

Here are a two excerpted letters from the Query Clinic.

Pretty dang valuable, right? There are specific editions for Children’s Writing, Magazines, Short Stories and Poetry. Literally, hundreds of pages of knowledge waiting to be ingested and put to work!

The bummer news wrapped up in all of this is that Writer’s Digest, the company that has published this book for almost 100 years, was recently bought by Penguin Random House and it is unlikely that a 2021 edition will be produced. BUT, the good news is that even the outdated versions have these helpful evergreen articles waiting for you in the front. Head to Amazon or your local library with a pocket full of dimes for the copy machine and walk away with oodles of accesible and affordable knowledge!

Hope in the Mail

One of the avenues of knowledge I mentioned above was to ask an author who had successfully been through the process a time, or ten. Wendelin Van Draanen, who was once a middle school science teacher, is now the author of 35 books. She has grown, nurtured and sustained a twenty-plus year career in publishing and on top of that, is one of the most generous authors I know. (I WANT TO BE MY OWN VERSION OF WENDELIN. SHE IS MY ROLE MODEL!)

When I wrote a review of Wendelin’s book, Hope in the Mail, she was more concerned about how the piece I wrote could get eyes on my work and website, than on her new book. She and her editor sent me handwritten notes and a book wrapped in colorful twine. She shared my review via her social media platforms and to this day replies promptly (no six month rule for this lady!) to my emails. She is a GEM and also a treasure trove of information. And it’s not just with me she chooses to share this time, attention and information. In her book, Hope in the Mail, a book that is part memoir and part instruction manual for writers in the early stages of their career, she devotes an entire section to peeking behind the curtain. If you want to know how one travereses the distance between middle school science teacher and an award winning, books made into movies, hero-worshipped by middle schoolers author, then read this book. I guarentee that many of your burning questions will be answered. You can see a few of my favorite take-aways in this review.

Take Action Author Plan

And finally, a quick little plug for tapping into my own vault of knowledge and experience. This summer I took an entire month to create a course just for you. In the Take Action Author Plan I have packed seven years worth of self-publishing, book marketing, and author career growing wisdom. Through three sections, four workbooks, dozens of video clips and google slides galore I share with you all that I wish I would have known back when I started.

Now I don’t promise to have all the answers. Not by a long shot. But I do know some stuff. A lot of stuff actually. And if you are like the seven-years-ago me, desperate to have someone just simply tell you WHAT TO DO, then this is for you my friend. There’s even an option to have a one hour call with me after you go through the course, so I can help you strategize a plan specific to your goals and projects.

Okay, I know this was a long post, but hopefully, entrenched in my ramblings you found some helpful suggestions and answers to your questions, or at the very least, a few credible places to start looking.

I’d love to know what you are wondering about.

What writing questions have you been unable to answer for yourself? What industry practices would you like to know more about? Sometimes I forget what I didn’t know. I’d be grateful if you’d remind me! Please email me your questions or drop them in the comments below and then tune back into the blog weekly to find the answers.

Today’s post was made beautiful by Canva.

If you liked what you read on my blog today (or are in search of weekly word nerd goodness) and would like to have it delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning, you can sign up HERE. If you are interested in any of my email lists (with free goodies/downloads!) click the audience that best describes you: Writer. Teacher. Reader. As always, feel free to share this post with others you think might be interested via email, Facebook or Pinterest.

Finally, affiliate marketing is promoting a product or service in return for a commission. When you purchase a product or service through one of my links, I earn a small part of the sale. There is NEVER any extra cost to you. If you looked up the same product on the same site through another source besides my website, the price will still be exactly the same. 100% of the time.

I also NEVER link to products or services that I don't 100% believe in. I will never tout a company or their goods if they are disreputable or if I don't believe them to be worthy of your hard-earned money. In no way are my affiliate links a scam. (Language borrowed with permission from Kristen Kieffer on Well-Storied.com)