Time to Write

Writing 12 novels in 12 months with Crowd Funding

The novelist Matt Forbeck (“Amortals”) has set himself an impressive goal: write twelve novels in twelve months, to add to his previous sixteen. He described the venture in a post at suvudu.com.

“I had the ability, but not the money, so I found ways to hedge my bets. In a world in which ebooks are starting to dominate, length isn’t as much of an issue, so I decided to go with shorter novels, about 50,000 words each. I also chose to line up pre-orders for the books through Kickstarter, the world’s top crowdfunding platform. Since I’d be writing without an advance, that gave me the money I needed to feed my family while I worked on the projects.

I call this plan 12 for ‘12. So far, it’s been a smashing success. I broke the dozen novels down into four trilogies of books, and I’m running a Kickstarter drive for each one of them. The first two were fully funded and then some, ranking in the top twelve — there’s that number again — fiction projects ever on Kickstarter. Today (March 31), I’m finishing up the third book, meaning that I’ve completed three novels in the last three months, each on schedule.”

His Kickstarter crowdfunding goal for the first book was $3000 and he actually raised $13,276. If you’re considering trying this kind of campaign you might be interested in the incentives he offered.

 The 56 people who pledged $5 will get an ebook edition of the first in the first trilogy, the 92 who pledged $25 get a personalized and autographed ebook edition, an mp3 of a song and will be named as a Player in the credits.

The 27 who pledged $35 also get a limited edition softcover of the first novel and named as a Citizen in the credits.

 The 16 who pledged at least $50 get all that and will named as an Accomplice in the credits.

There are more levels, all the way up to one backer who pledged $1000 or more and will collaborate with the author to create a major superhero or villain (an Alpha) and will be named as an Alpha in the credits. 

There were no takers for the $2500 or $5000 levels, the latter of which would have seen the author fly to the donor anywhere in the world to deliver 50 hardcover copies of the novel for a reading and signing for the donor and friends. (To see the video and other details of this part of the crowdfunding campaign, go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-10-bnw-novels)

The campaign for the second book raised $12,800, with the highest pledge being $500.

Obviously it helps enormously if you already have a loyal following. If you are unknown and want people to fund your book you will have to have a vey appealing story, a compelling video, some great incentives, and the time and energy to use social media to reach your target audience.

 (Who knows about how to write? How about Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen? Their advice to writers--along with the advice of more than another modern and classic authors--is in 'Your Creative Writing Masterclass," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller now.)

 

 

Writing a powerful query letter: learning by example what (not) to do

Authorbuzz is a service that promotes books for a fee (I don't have any personal knowledge of their service or how well it works). On their site they give their authors a chance to pitch their books directly to readers who sign up to the site. I thought it might be useful to you to read two pitches and compare them, to discover what works and what doesn't.

 

First up: HELPLESS, by Daniel Palmer. Here's what he wrote about his book:

 

"Nine years after he left Shilo, New Hampshire, former Navy Seal Tom Hawkins has returned to raise his teenage daughter, Jill, following the murder of his ex-wife, Kelly. Despite Tom’s efforts to stay close to Jill by coaching her high school soccer team, Kelly’s bitterness fractured their relationship. But life in Shilo is gradually shaping up into something approaching normal. Normal doesn’t last long. Shilo’s police sergeant makes it clear that Tom is his chief suspect in Kelly’s death. Then an anonymous blog post alleges that Coach Hawkins is sleeping with one of his players. Internet rumors escalate, and incriminating evidence surfaces on Tom’s own computer and cell phone. To prove his innocence, Tom must unravel a tangle of lies about his past. For deep amid the secrets he’s been keeping—from a troubled tour of duty to the reason for his ex-wife’s death—is the truth that someone will gladly kill to protect."

In my opinion that's a pretty good pitch. It sets up the relationships nicely--the father-daughter conflict suggests that this story isn't just a by-the-numbers crime thriller. It doesn't give away the ending, but the last sentence adds another element of conflict and danger, and suggests that the secrets might have several levels.

 

Let's look at the next one, BLUE MOON BAY, by Lisa Wingate. This is how she described her book:

 

"When Seattle architect, Heather Hampton returns to Moses Lake, Texas, family secrets and a small-town mystery blow her plans completely off course. Heather wants to sell the family farmland to giant Proxica Foods, so she can design Proxica's new flagship facility. But when local banker, Blaine Underhill, and Heather's crazy family get involved, all bets are off. Suddenly, Heather's quick trip to Texas leads to Valentine's Week in the family funeral home, and a revelation that could change Heather's life forever.

What do you think?

 To be fair, it's quite a bit shorter, which works against it, but I think there are other problems.

It refers to Heather Hampton's plans being blown off course. When, in the next sentence, I hear what those plans are (to sell the family farmland to a big food company), I don't care about that one way or another--there's not the kind of emotional appeal that you get from the store of a father trying to protect his daughter.

If Heather had an urgent need for the money, for something we can identify with, we might care.

And when the pitch mentions the deal, I think, Oh no, not another tale of the ordinary folks vs. the big bad company that wants to build on land and do terrible things, like provide jobs for the local young people.

Furthermore, phrases like "Heather's crazy family" remind me of sitcoms with stereotypical characters.  Phrases like "all bets are off" are so general that, again, I don't get a connection with the story.

Sorry, Lisa Wingate, for all I know the book is far better than the pitch. 

Writing this kind of blurb, whether in a query letter to an agent or publisher or for the back of tbe book, is very difficult. Looking at how others have done it, whether really well or not so well, is a great way to get better yourself. 

(Marketing what you write is an important section of the new edition of Your Writing Coach, just out from NIcholas Brealey Publishing and available from Amazon and other book sellers.)

 

What are publishers buying? (including a survey of UK editors' wants)

I get the Publisher's Lunch deal news report, which lists some of the publishing deals made recently. It gives a good peek at what traditional publishers are buying these days. Here are a few recent deals:

* Director and producer Chris Columbus's HOUSE OF SECRETS, co-authored by Ned Vizzini, about siblings who go to live in a creepy old house built by a troubled fantasy writer when their father loses his job;

* National Book Award finalist Ken Kalfus's EQUILATERAL, an intellectual comedy set in 1890s Egypt about an astronomer who sets out to communicate with life on Mars;

* Rosemary Sullivan's STALIN'S DAUGHTER, about Svetlana Stalina's journey from the beloved daughter of a fierce autocrat to her death in small-town Wisconsin;

* Claudia Hammond's TIME WARPED: Adventures in the New Psychology of Time, also to Harper;

* Jim Ziolkowski's WALK IN THEIR SHOES, written with Willie Mays, James Hirsch, recounting the author's life journey from risk-seeking backpacker to the leader of buildOn, helping inner-city kids transform their own neighborhoods and the world.

* An oral history of MTV by the four surviving original MTV veejays, written with contributing editor at Rolling Stone Gavin Edwards;

* Hip hop star Lil Wayne's GONE TILL NOVEMBER, based on diaries he kept during his eight months on Rikers Island;

* Astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell's thought experiment on the scientific knowledge survivors of a global catastrophe would need to rebuild a technological society from scratch;

* Emma Chapman's HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE, a novel following a woman who can barely remember life before her marriage -- until she begins to have eerie visions that make her question her past;

* NYT bestselling author Kate Carlisle's KILLER COOKBOOK and books 8 and 9 in the Bibliophile Mystery series;

* Leah Stewart's WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME, a novel about three adult siblings who return to their childhood home.

WHAT DO UK EDITORS WANT?

The Andrew Lownie Literary Agency website featured a survey of what UK book publishers are looking for. Here are some excerpts:

"What interests me, as always, are books which are focussed on alternative views of how we should live our lives and are also focussed on community and local identity." Hugh Andrew, Managing Editor, Birlinn (publisher based in Scotland).

"It is striking how stories that seem to have waned from people’s memories can have a massive resurgence – so perhaps new takes on old stories might be a vein to mine." Myles Archibald, Associate Editor, Harper Collins.

"We’re especially good at selling entertaining, accessible and informative true stories, and based on what did well for us last spring, these are the areas I’m looking in." - Jennifer Barclay, Commissioning Editor, Summersdale (She also mentions true crime, travel (especially British travel), quirky narrative books about gardening, pets, nature, and sport.)

"My focus is on commercial non-fiction, spanning a wide range of genres from true crime, sport and humour to biography and memoir. In terms of memoir, I’m always looking for original and compelling stories - whether the focus is inspirational, nostalgic, military or otherwise, and whether the subject is a celebrity or just an ordinary person with an extraordinary story to tell." - Dan Bunyard, Editor, Michael Joseph

I won't cover all 20, you can read them here: http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/2012/01/10/what-editors-want-2012.

Some common elements are:

* more interest in non-fiction than fiction (this has always been true, partly because non-fiction titles are easier to promote)

* books whose title and subject matter will make them stand out

* authors who have a platform and are comfortable discussing their topic in the media

* popular science

* history, especially from a unique perspective, including nostalgia and historical true crime.

* celebrity and sports memoirs (even though there have been some huge flops in celebrity memoirs, a few every year take off and make a fortune)

* and (of course) terrific writing.

I wouldn't advise trying to write to order; rather, see whether a project you are working or would like write fits these needs. Go to each publisher's website to find out the submission process. Some will consider only material submitted by agents, so you may have to start with getting one of those. 

(Need a guidebook to take you through the confusing process of going from ideas through to publication? You're in luck--it's called "Your Writing Coach" and you'll find it at Amazon and other booksellers.)

Three ways writers can deal with rejection or unfair criticism

When feedback is constructive and helps you achieve what you set out to achieve it's terrific.

When it's destructive or a rejection, it can get to you if you let it. However, there are ways to cope. 

One method comes from an illustrator I admire, Jeff Fisher (his images illustrate this post). What annoys him most is clients who hire him to use his creativity but then micro-manage the job.

He says, "I get annoyed with fussy clients. I write cross letters and emails--they calm me down. I draw over the letters and make a piece of artwork out of them, then usually throw them away. It makes me feel better." (Quoted in Making Great Illustration, Derek Brazell and Jo Davies. By the way, the place you are most likely to have seen Fisher's excellent work is on the cover of the paperback of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.)

A method I recommend is to imaginge yourself a month from that point. Will the rejection or criticism still sting? What about six months? What about a year? What about five years?  

If you are strongly visually oriented, a way to make this method more powerful is to imagine the rejection filling your full field of vision right now--probably that's how it feels.

Then imagine it as a much smaller part of the picture six months from now, because you'll have all kinds of other things you'll be thinking about then.

By the time you imagine all the things, both past, present and future that you'll have on your mind half a year from now, today's thought will be just a tiny dot.

When you return to how it looks today you may be surprised to find it has already shrunk.

If you are more auditory, do the same thing with rejection as a voice or sound. Right now it's loud, but what will it sound like in a month, three months, six months? At each point in the future there will be many more things to hear, and today's roar will turn into a whisper.

You can do the same with a feeling. Today it's strong, in the future it will be just one tiny pin prick, if that. 

The third is to hope for acceptance but not expect it, to remind ourselves that all of life is a mixed bag. I've noticed that when something bad happens, people say, "Why me?!" but when something good happens seldom are they shocked or do they question why they were so fortunate.

Maybe we were read too many "and they lived happily ever after" fairy tales. For most of us, it takes a good deal of living before we accept that we're not the exception; as unfair as it seem, we will not be spared slings and arrows, and at the end of it all, we'll leave the game the same way that millions before us have left it and the world will go on as before. In that context a rejection shrinks in importance--but an acceptance is still better!

(One thing that makes it easier is to be working alongside others on the same path, and to get support from someone who can give you a constructive outside perspective. Those are on offer via my Writing Breakthrough Strategy Program. It's an 8-week online coaching program also available as a one-to-one process. The next session starts on January 16, 2012. You can find out more here:  http://www.writingbreakthroughstrategy.com/)

 

How to make money writing--without being scammed, cheated, or misled

Have you wondered how you could make money by writing? In this economy, it's a good idea to have more than one stream of income. Your writing skills can help you achieve that. 

It's not easy and you have to beware of all the "make money fast" schemes out there. However, there are legitimate options that you can pursue in your spare time. Here are three suggestions:

* self-publishing an ebook (this can be done very inexpensively) - of course you will also have to market it so people are aware it exists. If you have a particular expertise, probably a non-fiction, how-to ebook would be your best choice. There are people making good money self-publishing novels as well. 

* helping small businesses set up or improve their websites. You might want to consider partnering with a web designer/developer. They do the tech stuff, you provide the words. You could start with local businesses you use yourself. Check out whether they have a site. If so, identify how it could be improved to bring in more customers. Copywriting is persuasive writing, so you'd need to educate yourself in that but there are good books available. 

Often these sites are missing a crucial element: good testimonials. If you can collect and add these, there's a good chance that alone will boost their results. 

By the way, don't sign up for an expensive course until you've checked out other ways you can learn this craft. Some of the high-priced courses make extravagent claims as to how much you'll earn. Yes, there are copywriters who make very big money, but they're not beginners. It's like telling an acting student he or she can make $20 million a picture because that's what a top star earns.

* propose writing and editing an e-newsletter for businesses to send to their customers. Many businesses are desperate for ways to bring in more revenue and may be open to this. They may be reluctant to spend money without knowing whether it will work, so you might propose doing one free for 3 months. Let them see the results, get testimonials from them, and then start charging them, and use this proof to demonstrate the benefits to other businesses you approach. 

AVOID OR APPROACH WITH CAUTION:

By way of warning, there are also some ways NOT to make money with writing or writing-related activities:

* proofreading. Don't believe the ads that suggest there is a terrible shortage of proofreaders and if you take their course you'll have more work than you can handle. The publisher of one of my books told me there is no pressing demand for proofreaders.

* writing articles for the web. Actually, if you can crank out half a dozen or more in an hour, maybe you can make some money, but there are a lot of scams that try to get you to pay a registration fee or a monthly fee and then never give you the promised lucrative assignments. 

Before signing up with any services, Google them. Read past the first page of results--many such services put up websites in someone else's name.

If you google "Moneypotts Writing scams" for instance (a made-up example), you'll come on to lots of apparent review sites that say, "Do you wonder whether Moneypotts is a scam? No, it's not, it's wonderful. I make thousands a month writing blog posts for clients, thanks to Moneypotts!" These are phoney sites and the people behind them are good at techniques that keep these on the first page or two of Google results. They are counting on you to give up before you get to any real reviews.

* travel writing. Yes, there are people who do make money writing articles for newspapers, travel magazines, and some large websites. If this is your passion and you're good at it, you can make money from it. But it's not the thriving, high-paying,free-ticket giving hive of activity that some people trying to sell you travel writing courses like to pretend. These days, people rely less on travel writers, more on reviews by other customers. 

* courses that claim to show you how to write a best-seller in 30 (or 14 or even 7) days. Sure, it's possible to write a book in 30 days--thousands and thousands have just done it during the National Novel Writing Month. Most of them are aware, though, that what they have is a rough draft that will need extensive rewriting. 

And as for best-seller…well, if you have some willing supporters you can write a book, especially an e-book, that you can get to the top of the Amazon charts for a day. That makes it an Amazon best-seller, even if it drops down to number 112,543 the next day and stays there. Is it worth paying a lot of money to learn how to do that? I don't think so. In fact, if you're really interested, I'll write a future blog post about exactly how to do it. 

When somebody tells you how great a particular field of writing is, just check whether they're coming from the desire to profit from having you believe it. 

I sell courses, too, including the Breakthrough Writing Strategy Program. But I don't promise that what you write while we work together will turn into a best-seller or a hit movie. I can only promise that if you put in the work, you will end up with something that could do well in the marketplace--and that if you don't write it, for sure it won't!

The other thing I can promise is that if writing is a dream of yours, you will be happier doing it rather than ignoring or delaying it. The benefits of expressing your creativity are not just monetary, they go much deeper than that. 

Those promises don't bring in as much money as the ones made by the "write a best-seller in 7 days" crowd, but they have one advantage: they're true.

IF YOU KNOW ANY ASPIRING WRITERS WHO YOU THINK COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS INFORMATION, PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO THEM AND ALSO USE TWITTER & FACEBOOK TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE.

(For additional honest guidance on how to write, see my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other booksellers. My next Breakthrough Writing Strategy Program starts on Jan 16, 2012 and is offered four times a year. For more information, see http://www.WritingBreakthroughStrategy.com - sign up there and you'll also get a copy of the 2012 Writing Breakthrough Report, the most useful and comprehensive report I've written on how to find the time, the motivation, and the skill to write your book).

 

Not everyone will like your writing. That's a good thing.

In a previous posts I’ve shared and commented on one of Robert Ringer’s three rules of writing. Here is another:

Don’t try to be all things to all people. Go after a specific market, and don’t make apologies to those who aren’t part of that market.

Ringer points out that it’s natural to want to be loved and therefore to try to appeal to everyone and offend no one. Unfortunately that results in bland writing that may not appeal to anyone.

If you have a strong viewpoint about anything you will annoy or anger some people. They will express it, especially on the internet.

I wrote this blog not too long ago about how shocked I was at the vehement reaction from one reader to what I thought was a neutral statement. Obviously it pushed some buttons for her, and maybe she felt better after venting her anger.

Her statements were mild compared to a lot of what I’ve read in the comments sections of other blogs. But maybe the old saying is true: If you’re not offending anybody, you’re not saying anything.

This is a good thing to keep in mind if you find yourself worrying, as you write, about how readers or reviewers or members of your family will react when they read it. You have to put that out of your mind and keep writing. When you’re done you can check to make sure you’ve not included anything libellous.

I have some experience with this. Not too long ago I finished writing a novel I call Vegas Bible Porn. It’s a satire and its based, very loosely, on my time in Hollywood. It’s about a producer who tries to cash in on two money-making genres of film, soft porn and Bible pictures, by combining them. 

The novel is not pornographic and it doesn’t make fun of the Bible; it’s descriptive of the anything-for-money attitude that drives some people—the Vegas comes in because that’s where the producer raises the money to make his film. However, so far the title has scared off publishers.

I will hang in there with it because I think it will attract people who have an irreverent attitude, and they’re the ones who will enjoy it.

Is it a risky strategy? Probably. But, as Ringer says, when you have a strong concept you will (eventually) attract an enthusiastic, loyal group of customers. We’ll see it if works!

 (You can sign up for Robert Ringer’s e-letter, A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World, at www.robertringer.com.I don't agree with his views on a lot of things, but find some of his tips useful.)

 If you would like some support in writing what only you can write, join my online Writing Breakthrough Strategy program. It starts in mid-January but now is the time to join and get some great Early Bird bonuses. Find out more at http://www.WritingBreakthroughStrategy.com. )

 

What writers should include in a query letter to publishers or agents

In the previous post I shared with you some things writers should not put into a query letter to an agent or publisher. Now let's look at what you should include:

1. An intriguing but not overly gimmicky first line or two that include the title of your book, its genre and something about the basic idea or plot. Example: "My thriller novel, Dead at Birth, is the story of how things go dangerously wrong when a adopted young woman goes in search of her birth mother."

2. A brief synoposis. Since you're going for a one page letter (or equivalent length email) there's no way you can tell the whole story in any detail. Try to let the tone of the synopsis match the tone of the book. If it's a comic novel, make your letter amusing. If it's a thriller, make it sound thrilling. However, don't use a lot of adjectives to just affirm the qualitites of the story (e.g., "in a hilarious confrontation," or "in a thrilling and suspenceful encounter").  

3. No more than one or two character names. For the example above, you might write, "The young woman, Caroline Maddux, begins her search the day after she turns 21." For the rest of the characters referenced, it would be best to stay with descriptors like "her birth mother," "her adoptive mother," and so on. If you give them all names it can be confusing to remember who's who.

4. The ending--although opinons on this differ. I think most agents want to know at least in a general sense how the story ends. For instance, you might write, "Caroline risks her life to get evidence of her half-brother's crimes by breaking into his house. Unknown to her, he's hiding there and they have a final showdown that ends in his death." 

5. Only the relevant information about your life. For example, if Caroline was raised in a Quaker family and one of the story elements is that she has to choose between her beliefs and the need to defend herself, then the fact that you grew up as a Quaker would be germane. 

6. Credits or awards if they're impressive enough. If your short story won first place in a national short story contest, mention it. If it got honorable mention from your writer's circle annual competition, probably not.

7. An offer to send either the full manuscript or the first few chapters.

It's not easy to fit all that into one page, but this could be the most important page you write. If it intrigues agents or publishers they will want to see more and the process continues.

(Do you want guidance for writing or marketing your book? The Writing Breakthrough Strategy program could be your answer. You'll get online lessons and resources, bi-weekly group coaching calls, and much more-plus you get a total guarantee. Get more details now at http://www.writingbreakthroughstrategy.com. 

 

(For more tips, see "Your Writing Coach," published by Nichoals Brealey and available from Amazon and other booksellers. 

 

What writers shouldn't write to agents or publishers

The other week I attended a workshop on getting published and I want to share with you a few tips that came up about what not to write in your query letter to an agent or publisher.

In case you're not familiar with the term, a query letter is simply a brief letter that tells the agent or publisher what your book or screenplay is about. It's the first step and you hope that they will be sufficiently intrigued to request your complete manuscript or some sample chapters. 

Before you send a query letter, check out the recipient's web site. Look for pages labeled "submissions" or "submission guidelines" or the "contact" page. Most of the time the site will tell you what they are willing to look at in the first instance and whether they prefer it to come in an email or by mail. 

The site will also tell you to whom to direct your query--be sure you send it to the right person and that you've spelled their name correctly. 

The agent said all of the following are things she's actually seen in real query letters--and doesn't want to see again:

1. How much your family or friends liked your manuscript. They're not considered unbiased judges of material.

2. How much better it is than the current best-seller in your genre. Or, possibly even worse, how much better it is than a book this agent represents. 

3. That you're unworthy. She said overconfidence tends to be a trait of U.S. writers, lack of confidence a trait of U.K. writers.

3. How rich the agent will get by selling your book or that they will regret it if they pass up the opportunity to sign you. 

4. That this isn't the final draft but it's good enough for them to look at. They don't want it until you're sure it's as good as you can make it.

5. That you have another ten or twelve other projects ready to ship them. It's OK to mention one other project in passing when you write to an agent, but no more. 

6. That you'd be happy to make your male protagonist a woman or vice-versa, or to change key aspects of the plot. It's a given that you're willing to make some changes if a publisher asks you to, but show confidence in your choices.

7. References to the agents' personal lives, how many kids they have, or that you know where they live.

That's the negatives out of the way. In the next post we'll look at what should be in a query letter.

(There's lots more guidance on how to market your book, in "Your Writing Coach," available from Amazon and other booksellers.)

 

 

Writing and publishing opportunities are knocking--are you listening?

Writers sometimes ask me whether I have any tips for how to find a publisher or an agent, beyond the usual (looking at the annual Writer’s Market or Writer’s Yearbook, etc.).

My number one answer is: keep your eyes open to see where things are changing.

For instance, here’s a little item I saw recently in the Shelf Awareness newsletter:

“Prometheus Books has founded a new mystery and thriller imprint called Seventh Street Books that will begin issuing its first titles in a year. Dan Mayer, former mystery buyer for Barnes & Noble, has joined the imprint as editorial director.”

If I had a mystery or thriller that I was hoping to place with a publisher, this would send me into action. First, I’d look up the Prometheus Books web site to see whether it has any further information about this new imprint, especially about whether or not they are considering submissions and any guidelines.

If they were, I’d send Mr. Mayer a query letter right away. If not, I might send him one anyway—nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Whenever a publisher starts a new imprint, a new agency opens up, or an agent goes from one agency to another—these are the prime times for you to approach them.

I know this works. When I read that Pearson was starting a new personal development imprint, I contacted the editor by email and very briefly pitched a book idea in line with their category.

She asked for more information about what I had in mind.

I sent a proposal, she gave me feedback on how to make the intended book fit their needs better, and it ended in a deal for my book, “Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done.”

It has gone into two editions, multiple foreign editions, and I think total sales are around 50,000. (The related website is www.FocusQuick.com.)

Based on that, they asked me to do another book—this time the idea came from them—which was “Marketing for Entrepreneurs.” They also asked me to be series editor for the other five books in the “for Entrepreneurs” series and I also illustrated four of them. (The associated website is www.forentrepreneursbooks.com)

Then I pitched “Creativity Now!” which comes out in a second, expanded edition next year. (If you go to www.jurgenwolff.com and click on the Creativity Now book cover, you’ll see the bonuses that go with the book.)

It all started when I spotted that opportunity and followed it up. Does it work out every time? Of course not. I’ve also made lots of inquiries that led nowhere. But as you can see, the right one can pay off handsomely. 

(There are many more tips on how to market your writing in my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey. You can get it now from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

For writers whose work has been rejected: read this!

Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help” has been hugely successful both as a novel and as a film. In an article on Shine (part of Yahoo), she talks about the rejections she got along the way.

The first rejection came from an agent who said “the manuscript did not sustain my interest.” Instead of despairing, Stockett went back to editing to make the story more riveting.

A few months later she sent it out to agents again. Fifteen more rejections. By eighteen months the number of rejections totalled 40. She says the one that finally made her cry said, “There is no market for this kind of tired writing.” Talk about a slap in the face!

She continued rewriting. She even started “cheating” on her husband: “I started lying to my husband. It was as if I were having an affair—with 10 black maids and a skinny white girl. After my daughter was born, I began sneaking off to hotels on the weekends to get in a few hours of writing. I’m off to the Poconos! Off on a girls’ weekend! I’d say. Meanwhile, I’d be at the Comfort Inn around the corner. It was an awful way to act, but—for God’s sake—I could not make myself give up.”

The rejections continued. Sixty in all.

Submission number 61 was to agent Susan Ramer.

She took on the book.

Three weeks later she sold it to Amy Einhorn books.

Here’s what Stockett says about the moral of the story: “The point is, I can’t tell you how to succeed. But I can tell you how not to: Give in to the shame of being rejected and put your manuscript—or painting, song, voice, dance moves, [insert passion here]—in the coffin that is your bedside drawer and close it for good. I guarantee you that it won’t take you anywhere. Or you could do what this writer did: Give in to your obsession instead.”

Don’t kid yourself—the rejections will hurt. I’ve been a full-time writer for a long time. I know that rejections come with the territory. You know what? That doesn’t make it any easier.

My last rejection came at the tail end of a lot of encouraging correspondence from the publisher in question. It all looked like it was going to happen—but it didn’t. I was depressed about it for weeks.

It’s taken a bit of time, but now I’m going to start submitting the project again. As Stockett says, “What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60?”

If your work has been rejected, join me.

Back to our obsessions!

(If you have lost focus with your writing or your work habits in general, you'll find friendly guidance and a wealth of practical tips in my book, "Focus: Use the power of targeted thinking to get more done." It's published by Pearson and you can order it now from Amazon or another bookseller.)