Posted By smokingpen on July 22, 2009
So, again, I am at the Fairfield University’s Master’s of Fine Art in Writing residency for Summer 2009, my first residency, and am currently sitting in the Publishing Panel, an informal panel of teachers/authors who have published and will be talking about their experience. I am going to try to make this a live blog, thoughts, the essence of what is said, etc. Today I will probably use first names to identify people and hope to put that together, later in the week, with who they are and what they’ve written. So, give me a few minutes and if (for some strange reason) you are reading this and want to keep up with me, refresh . . . I will probably have more to say.
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Michael is telling we are going to get started. Currently, Michael and Kim are the only ones at the table. He just announced that Da and Roya (sp) may show up as well. He is specifically talking about prose books and that we will need an agent for large houses. I’ve read this before and this makes sense given that agents make relationships with pubishing houses. Michael talks about falling into an agent rather than looking for one. He’s had his agent for 28 years.
Ways to get an agent: lists of agents – Michael is talking about a friend who is sending out query letters, Michael’s agent is not interested in unsolicited work; ask mentor’s about their agents – he is now talking about another friend, use connections, look at the acknowledgments page of the book because authors always thank agents, write to agents of similar books, agents want to see chunk of memoir, for fiction they want to see the work. Say something interesting when sending a query letter – e.g. sell yourself.
There are also smaller presses for more literate works that deal more with regional presses who would be more interested in your work and publish both fiction and non-fiction work that will publish you. One example, Colin Sergeant, and finally got his novel published through a small press.
Stories, essays, single poems, don’t need an agent, send them to lit magazines. Wrapping up about writers doing other things than we are doing at this seminar or in this program. He is listing different magazines and publications that accept writers for specialties, and different publications. Reiterated, talk to the instructors about where to send it for consideration.
1. We need to be sending out work now.
2. Simultaneous submissions – Michael believes in them and points out that some editors and agents don’t like them, but shares his experience about getting published. Playing fair, if it sells remove it from other places.
(Roya and Da have now arrived.)
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The baton was handed to Da and now Kim is being asked to speak. Kim and Stephanie are both here too.
Don’t send two or three things out at once, send fifty. She is sharing her experience with that and when she started out in the business. Simultaneous submissions are a good thing because it gets your work out there and recognized. Look at contests. Look at individual literary magazines. If you have a book you need to have some publications in order to get published. They want you to have lists to get to different rungs in competitions. She is sharing her experience with competitions and building a wonderful list for yourself.
Do send to a lot of places, many will not work out. Sit down with your instructor and find out where to send them to. What magazines exist for submission. Specifically ask to help tailor the list for your individual work. Follow up every contact you ever have.
If you are thinking you might like something in the moment, say, “Yes.” Do readings and no reading is too small. Do whatever comes your way. She is sharing her experience in preschools, high schools, rest homes, and etc. Look for other venues. Nothing is too small. Be there. Be professional. Don’t be shy and don’t undersell yourself. When something comes back, send it back out because this is a business based on failure so you can have really wonderful things to build upon. Don’t get caught up on one rejection. She is sharing an experience about writing a story for a competition she didn’t win and a story she ended up sending to someone else and getting it published.
Don’t get caught up in one rejection and always build your work.
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Da is now speaking.
All writer’s are different and this should be recognized. Da is a Chinese-American writer and publishers make niche’s and needs them in order to publish and sell. He just shared a funny comment based on the skits last night (ballet dancer with tights). He says to mention what you are because people love labels. If you don’t share what you are you don’t stand out and as a result you are colorless. Set yourself apart from everyone. There is some joking happening between the panel members.
He is pointing at Roya and mentions she is Iranian and that makes her a distinct writing. He says he is a slosh of Chinese soy sauce.
Trace ancestry and make them a part of your labels because publishers think like that.
Get yourself very, very informed. Read anything about the industry because it is important to know where to send your stuff and who would be interested in it. He is sharing an analogy (brick layer) and says you need to go with the best. The more informed you are the more fluid and successful your sales in writing.
He says this is the reason he went from memoir’s to writing novels and young adult books. He talks about his dedication to writing as his reason to switch.
Keep up on trends. Paranormal is hot. Write what you love especially if you love paranormal. Vampires will get you published.
Personal contact is very important. Meet who you can, be sincere, and be nice. Personal contact will open doors.
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Michael talks about moving on so we can ask questions.
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Stephanie just made a joke.
She is talking about her publishing experience and talking about Blackbird ten years ago. She is talking about how long it took to write the book and her motiviations to write which included her husband and being a mother AND A writer. She used her reporting skills to devote energy to the creative process.
She just referenced Virginia Woolf and her thinking to be a great woman you need your own money.
Don’t analyze why you create.
Selling and advertising is an analytical act.
She wrote several drafts of Blackbird and no one thought she would. She was done writing. Started doing research on all the memoirs on the market. She wrote synopsises on anything like hers and then told people none were like hers and hers was better. She is listing the kinds of memoirs available at the time. Sylvia Plath – a girl interrupted. She made a marketing package and submitted to any agent she could and received 30 rejections.
She got a rejection that said, “No one cares about your life.”
Eventually called everyone she knew in publishing. Sat on the phone and started dialing, fishing for help in getting published. She cared about the people, talked to them about their families. She found three people who would look at her book. Found an assistant at Simon and Schuster who loved it. Sent gifts. Thanked people for their time. Found out the International Women’s Writing Guild (iwwg.com) and went to New York to set up meetings.
When she got to the luncheon, passed out her packet, no one agreed to represent her, said she should have a deal by the end of the week, went to Simon and Schuster, talked to people that loved her book, mentioned it was on the desk of some editors, and left New York with a book deal and then found an agent that had rejected her book.
She would not take, “No,” for an answer. She was obsessed with publishing. There is a certain level of agression, committment, and craft and if you can do that you will get published.
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Roya
How many people like Tracey Kidder? How many people know Tracey Kidder?
He is coming out with a new book. He is also the op-ed editor of the New York Times and this is good because every book editor that hasn’t reviewed your book is bound to pick it up and will read it and review it. Radio stations will cover that particular story throughout the day will need someone to call.
Placing pieces in whatever media is out there will start a ball game that will be out of your control and will start a chemical experimentation that will be beyond your means to control.
The beauty of publication will be a series of events you can’t even imagine and possibilities will come your way.
Tracey Kidder is a fantastic writer and still has to develop pieces to send and place in different places in order to get a book sold.
Writing a book is only half the game; promoting and making the book known is the other half of the game.
Know the landscape of the media extremely well.
Analyze and understand every single place your work can appear.
What do you want to write? An essay?
When you develop mastery of the big story as Michael has about some book on espionage in Russia in the 1950’s. This makes him an expert, in a way, to write an essay about the subject. Instead of thinking about it as possibilities, it is better to understand the landscape and where you can get published.
She is sharing her experience producing radio essays for NPR.
Lives in New York Times and wrote an op-ed for the New York Times. After the first book she started writing them and sold more copies of her book.
Be pliable, be flexible. Know the sources that are out there.
Huffington Post posted an op-ed of hers on the front page of their website. She really liked that.
Publisher are looking for new material all of the time.
Bloggers wise up to you when you get major websites and etc. This starts a ball rolling as well.
First thing to do is know the landscape.
Second, envision yourself in one of these outlets.
Third, don’t need contacts. There are people who read the submissions and are interested. A small underling read her work, liked her, flexed muscles, and presented it to the editors to get published. You don’t need contacts.
Enter the foray as a plebian that others want to ignore and let the person on the other side “discover you.”
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Questions and Answers
Q) What about the fee for entering a contest.
A) Often keeps the pubication alive. Not a racket.
Q) If you want to get something published and you send it to an online journal, can it also be submitted to a print publication?
A) Someone else is going to talk about that. There are copyright laws. People are unsure of internet rules and copyright. Mentions April Muse. Once its a publication its a publication. You want the best possible. You can’t unless they are asking for a reprint because people want first print. They mention First North American Serial Rights.
Ranking journals. A pyramid. He is listing different publications and how they fit into the pyramid from top down. One author had a plan to start at the bottom and work up. He says start at the top and work down.
Online has changed so rapidly and many people read your material. Google becomes a factor. Some online journals allow you to get your name out there.
Roya, a journal may look at a previous work of yours and may ask you to make changes based on previous publications.
Q) Do you use Twitter or other online aggregators?
A) Does not use it for marketing, but tweets. It is only excellent for media to get interested. This brings journalists your way who want to talk to you.
Q) Simultaneous submissions. What about places that say don’t send? Do you take that chance?
A) Michael is sharing a story about doing this. He said earlier that he believed in simultaneous submissions. Don’t do it with really big magazines. However, for smaller presses, simultaneous is something you can do. He is talking about failed submissions, John Milton, sent back a story that allegedly disapeared. He is the owner and he controls who gets to read them. Adhere to some rules like removing it from editors who are considering it.
This goes for publishing as well. Agents don’t like simultaneous submissions. Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book by Susan Page.
Q) Can you pull off simultaneous submissions because well published and well respected.
A) No. Suggested changing name and image to see if they could get more publications. Michael is poking fun at Da. Talked about changing name to try for different success.
You may not sell a book because the previous book may not have earned out (got royalty payments back) this may be a reason to change your name. However, publishers do look at names – Michael is sharing a story about that.
Q) Can you protect copyright before sending.
A) Write C and put a circle around it. Then you’re protected. Someone else is coming to talk more about copyright.
Q) If you are sending a short story to a magazine, do you send a SASE or just envelope?
A) Yes or tell them to recycle and a business envelope for any return postage.
Q) Do publishers make comments?
A) If people want to send you comments they would be sure to do that anyway. Most of the time you will just get your rejection letter.
I think things are done now. Good panel. Would be nice if it was longer and more structures.
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