"But I'm not newsworthy!"

Yes, you are.

You have a book, and how many people can say the same? You're a writer, and it's totally cool; so why shouldn't people hear about it? Why shouldn't they know all about you? This does not mean you should tell strangers what you had for breakfast, and it does not mean you should tell your editor about the fight you had with your significant other. It does mean that you need a newsletter, and this opportunity for free publicity is not something to fear. I'm going to make it easy on you. At my office, I put together a company newsletter once every two months. You may wonder, "How does she do it?" Or better yet, "How does she actually enjoy it?" It's simple! Once you learn the tricks, you'll be a master of the lost art of newsworthy newsletters.

1)    The dreaded CONTACT LIST: Why spend the time on a newsletter if you have nowhere to send it? I'm sure your family will want to see it, but your family can only buy so many copies of your book before going broke. A good contact list takes time to develop, and it should never stop growing. It should be all over the spectrum, covering every base in every industry. What kind of spectrum am I talking about? Start simple, with your author friends. You're all writers, so you can all enjoy reading about what you have in common…writing! Next, go into media territory. Is there a certain reporter at your local paper who covered your book release? What about a television anchor who showed up at one of your events? These are the people to get on your contact list. Something in your newsletter may catch their eye, and little lucky you will be all over the news again. Then, there are educators. Did you do a school visit recently? Add the school media specialist and principal to your list. Are there locally owned book and gift shops in your backyard? They should be on the list, too! Then, there's your publisher's publicist. They should know what's going on, and finally, yes, keep your family and friends on the list. Why not? They have to love you, right?

2)    It's all about TIMING. A newsletter should not be once a week. It should not even be once a month. I say stick to bi-monthly. Don't be annoying. I mean, seriously, how much could really happen in a month? You don't want people to start blocking your emails, simply because they're irritated. Plus, it will build a sort of anticipation as the two-month time span nears conclusion. Your friends will start asking about your newsletter, and if you're lucky, so will bookstores owners and educators.

3)    It's about SAVING MONEY. It should go without saying, but just in case….this newsletter of yours….it should be sent by email only. In this tech-savvy age, if someone doesn't have email (okay, make an exception for your grandmother), forget about it. You cannot afford printing and postage costs, so just don't go there. Email. Email. Email. Also, post your newsletter on your website. (YOU HAVE A WEBSITE NOW, DON'T YOU?! Yeah, that's what I thought!) Look into a program like Microsoft Publisher, which actually has a newsletter template for you to use! Publisher can easily be turned into a PDF file, which is what format you should use to post the newsletter on your site.

4)    Use your FRIENDS (in a good way): You have friends in the industry. It's hard not to, once you're published. You have editor, publisher, reporter, and writer friends. Use their expertise to spice up your newsletter. Solicit them for information and quotes. Ask them to write articles. Not only does their wisdom help others, but it also gives them free exposure. It's a win-win scenario, and it endears you to your readers. And how about when your friend's new novel garners an award or a rave review? Mention it in your newsletter! Why not? We're all here to help each other, right? (Of course, if your book happens to get a similar award or rave review, that should be front and center! After all, it is your newsletter.)

5)    Don't fear PHOTOS: You should always be taking pictures at signings, school visits, and presentations. It puts a face by the name. It gives you the appearance of being friendly, even if you aren't. Put those photos in your newsletter. It's kind of like a kid with a picture book. Sure, they like the story, but they're really there for talking animals and rainbows. The same is true of most adults. We like photos alongside news stories, because those photos make the stories pop. The photos give us a visual, and even though your wealth is based in words, you're still a human being. So don't be afraid of putting a face beside your name. Now that you have a starting point, get to work, and make your own newsletter that is truly newsworthy.

Posted by: Sara Dobie

Did you know that my neighbor has written a novel?

Well, neither did I, until she found out what I did for a living. Now, I’m no longer the annoying woman from Ohio who laughs too loud at stupid comedies and listens to talk radio while getting ready for work everyday. Now, I’m “in publishing.” Now, I get fresh baked cookies on weekends and courteous inquiries about my job. And I know what’s coming—in two weeks, she’ll finally get up the guts to ask me to look at her manuscript, and I will politely decline, saying farewell forever to fresh baked dessert.

It’s not that I don’t want to discover the next James Patterson. It’s not that I’m jaded or an eternal skeptic. It’s just that, in regards to manuscripts, I am powerless. That does not mean that you, as a prospective New York Times bestselling author, need to be powerless, as well. There are tricks to the trade that give you the edge, and it all comes down to one word: research.

1)  Know the PERSON: What on earth would possess someone to send a manuscript to a public relations manager? I have no idea, but it happens all the time. I’ve gotten emails, letters, and phone calls from authors pitching their ideas to me. While I appreciate their passion for the project, there is nothing I can do for them. It wastes their time, and it wastes my time, too. If they would take but a few moments to visit our company website, they would find the name and contact information for our editor. So do it! Then, once you have the name of that all-powerful editor, kindly use it in your communications. Perhaps, when irritable, I may call coworkers by their titles (“Hey, gift shop sales!”), but it’s not very friendly. If you can find a name, use it. If an editor’s name is used often in reference to a certain publishing house, be absolutely sure to use it. Otherwise, we’ll know you didn’t do your research. You don’t know us; we don’t want to know you. Which brings me to number two…

2)  Know the PUBLISHER: This very morning, I listened to my office manager on the telephone in her office. In her lovely, personable voice, she struck up a conversation with the disembodied voice on the other side of the line. It became evident to me that the voice on the line had not done his research. He had, however, gone into his pitch—a nice sales tactic, but even in sales, you need to know your customer. This man was pitching a full-length memoir to my office manager, and we only publish children's picture books. Not only did he not know our editor, but he didn’t even know us. It would have been more useful for him to pitch his personal banker than our office manager. It comes back to research. Once you’ve completed your masterpiece, you have to take the time to investigate your options. I know you’re excited that your book is finished. You want to shout from the rooftops and start sending, sending, sending. However, this will get you nowhere if you don’t know where to send! You should start with The Writer’s Market, otherwise known as the Publishing BIBLE. (It’s available in paperback and in an online format, although purchase is necessary, either way.) Buy the newest version, and get to work. Here, you will find publishers listed with full company details, including website addresses. (For children’s book publishing, check out the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, too!) Once you’ve made your Writer’s Market list of prospective publishers, keep the research going. Visit their websites. In this electronic age, websites are going to have the most up to date information. There, you will be able to find the names of editors and usually manuscript submission guidelines. Know your prospective publishers. If you’re lucky, you may be in business with one of them for a while, so don’t tie yourself to a sinking ship.

3)   Know YOURSELF: By yourself, I am of course referring to your manuscript, which in turn directly relates to your query letter. Don’t groan. I know we all hate query letters. There are about a million articles and websites about writing the perfect query letter, and you should do some research in this arena. However, no amount of research is going to write your query letter for you. You have to be a researcher, but you also have to be a writer. Some tips from the battlefront?

•  Okay. Let’s talk etiquette first. It may seem simple, but make sure your letter and manuscript are in good shape. DO NOT submit a manuscript with a coffee stain. It’ll be in the trash before you can say, “slush pile.”

•  When you submit your query letter, DO enclose an SASE—Self Addressed Stamped Envelope—when using snail mail. It’s common courtesy, and we’ll take it as lack of professionalism if you forget. It all goes back to following directions! And DO NOT always expect a response.

•  If your book includes illustrations or photographs, DO NOT tell the editor what those illustrations or photographs should look like. The editor is not interested in the artistic process; the editor is interested in your manuscript, and the only thing touched upon in your query should be your manuscript. You are the writer, not the designer.

•  Finally, publishing may be a creative industry, but it is still a professional industry. DO NOT include personal information in your query letter unless it has direct bearing on your qualifications to write your manuscript. Editors don’t want to hear about your pets or your offspring who don’t treat you with respect. We don’t want to hear about all your other manuscript rejection letters, and trying to make us feel guilty will not up your chances of acceptance. Instead, you’ll just tick us off, and we do not want to work with an author who will just tick us off. Do your research! If you respect the process, the process will respect you!

Posted by: Sara Dobie

My mother knows how to text message. She also recently learned how to send picture messages. This is the woman who used to make me type letters for her because she said it would take twenty seconds for me to do something that would take her an hour. Now, she types her own letters. This is technological evolution. It exists in the Dobie family, and it exists in publishing.

That's why I just don't get it when authors aren't tech-savvy-when they don't even put effort into becoming tech-savvy. We aren't a society of typewriters and snail mail anymore. The internet is king, and we must bow at its feet. Yes, you may feel fear at first, like John Conner in Terminator 2, running from the robots. But you have to realize that without this evil online empire, you-and your book-will fail.

So, you ask, how do I make friends with the information super highway?

Well, listen, dear readers, and learn.

1)    Website AND Blog: Oh, the dreaded BLOG. Wait, don't skim ahead yet. I'll start with websites. You-and your book-need a website. This website is for both of you. It introduces you to fans. It puts a face by the name, and a cover image to the book. It makes you a person, not just a name on that fancy book's cover. You will be more likely to schedule events, garner media appearances, and increase sales if you are more than just a name. You, just like your readers, have a life outside of your work, and fans like to hear about it. Onto the blog. Blogs, for those of you who live in caves, are like online journals where you can write your daily thoughts and post news and upcoming events. Again, the idea here is to make you into a person-to make you of interest. You're selling your book, but you're also selling YOU. Get a website! Do it! It's the first step to tech-savvy.

2)    Google Alerts: I love Google alerts. Sure, hypothetically, they could be used as a fancy stalker method, tracing the activities and Facebook postings of ex-boyfriends. (Not that I know anything about it….) However, more importantly, they let you know when you make news. All you have to do is go to www.google.com/alerts. This takes you to a website where you can type in words and phrases you'd like to monitor. In other words, you should type in your name and the name of your book. That way, whenever you are mentioned on the web, you'll be sent an alert. I suggest posting any received media coverage on the website (that you created already, RIGHT?) so that other people can see how important and popular you are. You can also make friends with the media by sending them thank you emails whenever they write about you. People like the words "Thank You." Use them often. Being tech-savvy means being aware of what's out there, and Google Alerts will get you there.

3)    Free Press Release Distribution Services: If your first question is "What's a press release," we have bigger issues. Press releases help keep you in the limelight. (There are about a million websites with tips on writing these. Just search "press release" online, and you'll have more info than you ever could have wanted.) Anytime something good happens, you should be writing and distributing a press release to your local media and posting the press release on your website. Then, comes the tech-savvy part. Post your press releases on free press release distribution websites. Examples would be PR.com, PRlog.com, Pressexposure.com, and many, many others. These sites allow you to post your news for free. Here's the key-let's say Joe Shmo from Idaho wants to look up something about you. He types your name into a search engine, and things pop up: your WEBSITE, your BLOG, and then, press releases. He's taken to a press release distribution site, and he reads about your recent award won, conference appearance, etc. It's an online presence. It's your online presence, and it didn't cost you a thing. The fact is, the easier you are to find online, the better your chances are of success in this new publishing world of internet and text messages. So get out there and become tech-savvy…we'll all thank you for it.

Posted by: Sara Dobie

Dear writers,

One of the most frustrating parts of my job is not being able to answer the question, "but WHY did you reject my query letter?"

In general, I feel like our process is a good one. I read 100-150 query letters a day (takes me about an hour or two every day, including weekends). I request fewer than 10 sample pages each day out of the batch. Each of those writers receives a standard form from me which basically says, "Your query letter is intriguing, please submit the first 30 pages of your work." But, what happens to all the ones on whose work we pass? They receive a standard rejection letter. Our letter reads, in short, "Thank you for submitting to our agency, but this project is not right for us."

Frequently, a writer will respond to my rejection email and ask, "Can you give me any feedback?" or "What specifically would you like to see in my work?" or something like that. Unfortunately, I don't have time to respond to these emails, nor do I have time to write up critiques on the query letter itself. And, I admit, this does frustrate me. I wish the process were more human. I wish I had time to formulate thoughts for each submission. From a business perspective though, our time and energy needs to be focused on selling and promoting the books of the clients that we have already signed. If a work doesn't fit within our parameters, then it doesn't make sense (again as a business) to invest time with it.

So, here are some tips on where to go to get critiques of your work. Since I can't do it myself, hopefully these resources can help. It's my way of adding what humanity I can to this very difficult and overwhelming process. Best wishes to all of you!!!

1) Getting a critique of your manuscript can be challenging. Try:
- local writers groups
- writing conferences (like the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference here in Colorado)
- local chapters of big writers organizations (like Romance Writers of America)
- agents will often donate a free critique to charities - donate to a charity and win a critique (like the Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction every year)
- submit your manuscript to writing contests that are being judged by agents or editors (these frequently come with critique pages)

2) Getting a critique of your query letter is a bit easier as it is shorter and requires a shorter time investment by the reader
- review evileditor.blogspot.com (a blog where an editor tears apart query letters and shows writers how to make them stronger)
- www.writers.net (great overall help for new and experienced writers)
- read Kristin's query letter help at pubrants.blogspot.com
- hold your query letter up next to the back cover of a book. That's how it should read. Does it?

Posted by: Sara Megibow

Dear writers,

I just got back from attending the Central Ohio Fiction Writers Conference. I must say—it was one of the best organized and most enjoyable conferences I have ever attended! Well done COFW!!

Here are some tips for getting the most out of a conference:

1) Work up a one sentence pitch for your manuscript. That way when someone asks you, "what are you working on" you can respond quickly. This is what I'm thinking—something along the lines of, "A 100,000 word regency romance about an honorable duke bringing his mother home to care for her in her sickness, and the lovely country nurse who moves in with her." Or, "A 75,000 word edgy young adult manuscript about a military brat starting off her senior year of high school in yet another new town and the surprising bunch of rejects who befriend her." Write it up, make it short and practice reciting it aloud.

2) Attend as much of the conference as possible. I was excited about the quality of presentations all weekend in Ohio. Even if a writer attended without a finished manuscript to pitch he or she would have learned a LOT just by attending the workshops.

3) If you do have a finished manuscript, then try to attend a pitch session with an agent. Please remember that it's not much help if the manuscript isn't finished yet. Also, it will be most beneficial to you if you pitch to an agent who represents the genre of work that you write.

4) Relax. Especially during those pitch sessions. We know you are nervous—it's okay. Take a deep breath and go for it!

5) Finally..some tools—bring business cards—I received several of them and it helped me remember who was who. Always have a pad of paper and pen or a laptop or some way of writing notes. Have access to your query letter and manuscript—workshops may be available in which you can polish your work.
 
Conferences are a great learning tool for writers—I highly recommend them! Enjoy and have fun!

Posted by: Sara Megibow

Dear writers,

Let's say you've completed your manuscript and decided that you'd like to start off on the journey of getting it published. Now, let's say you've written and polished your query letter and are ready to start sending it to literary agents. How do you find legitimate agents? Here are some tips:

1) Visit the website www.agentquery.com. At this site, you can search for agents who represent works in your genre (very important as it's pretty much an automatic no if you submit to agents who don't represent works like yours). Make a list of agents (you may have somewhere between 50 and 150 names). This is an excellent first step.

2) Next, go to the website www.aar-online.org (The Association for Authors Representation) AAR posts a list of ethical guidelines for literary agents. Not all legitimate agents are members of AAR, but it is a great cross-reference and it is also good to know what you can expect from a literary agent and what is a red flag when dealing with agents.

3) Here's a huge red flag of which to be aware. The way we make our money at an agency is to sign on clients who have written a completed manuscript in a genre that we represent. Then, we make a list of editors at publishing houses that we know are buying works in this genre. We submit the manuscript to editors and hope that many of them say "Yes, we'd love to buy this book." Only AFTER we sell the book do we take 15% of the sale. If, in your agent hunt, anyone ever asks for money upfront, it is a red flag against working with that individual or company. We do not ask for payment to review your query letter, or sample pages or full manuscript. And no one else should either. There are editing services out there that you can pay to critique your work (we don't do this), but they are not agents. So be aware. In your agent hunt you should not be asked for money!

4)  After having found a list of agents that look interesting, spend some time visiting the websites of each. Yes, it may take some time, but it is well worth it! You are looking for an agency with posted sales in your genre. In addition, it is a good sign if an agent is selling to major publishing houses on a regular basis (including a multitude of different houses so you know you have an agent with lots of contacts)

5) If you are willing to spend a little money (somewhere around $20 a month I think), then join www.publishersmarketplace.com. On this website there is a "deals" section which lists titles sold to whom by whom and for how much (ranges are given to protect writer confidentiality, but it is still helpful)
It would be a good use of time to cross reference any agents to whom you are interested in submitting and see what kinds of sales they have been making over the past 2-3 years.

6) Now you have a list—a nice, researched, referenced and double-crossed list. Go ahead and send out your query letters. The next step in the process is that agents will respond—hopefully with a request to see some sample pages or a completed manuscript (another helpful tip—their turnaround time is also usually posted on their websites. You don't have to wait in the dark). If you have multiple offers (many of our clients have), it is completely legitimate to ask for a phone conference. You may be able to make your decision based on your gut feeling toward different agents.

7) Finally, last but not least—review the agency agreement between writer and agent. Assuming you have an offer from a legitimate agent, you should be offered a business contract. Go ahead and give it a close look and ask any questions that you need to. Now you are ready to embark upon a long and glorious relationship with a legitimate agent—Congratulations!

Posted by: Sara Megibow

Dear readers,

Welcome behind the scenes! ForeWord has offered me the opportunity to blog this month about the publishing world from the view inside a literary agency. Enjoy! If you post comments here, I will do my best to respond to any questions that may come up.
 
I am the assistant (also known as “the reader”) at Nelson Literary Agency (www.nelsonagency.com). We are actively acquiring clients who write science fiction, fantasy, romance, young adult, middle grade, commercial fiction, literary fiction and memoir. As most of you probably know, a literary agent works with a writer in order to sell their manuscript to a publishing house.
 
So, if you are a writer interested in being published, you may be hunting for an agent. And, how do you attract the attention of an agent? With an outstanding query letter!!!  A query letter includes a brief bio and a short description of your work. Nelson Literary Agency receives 100 or so submissions a day (35,000 query letters in 2007). My job is to read them all, send out the standard rejection letter for those that don’t fit our agency, and ask for sample pages (the first 30 pages of the work) for those query letters that pique our interest. Sounds like fun, huh?
 
In my experience, the query letter accurately represents  the quality of a manuscript. That’s how important it is. The question writers tend to ask me is, “What are you looking for? How can I make my query letter better?” Here are some answers:
1)    DO YOUR RESEARCH! Before you send your query letter make sure you understand the submission guidelines for any agency to which you would like to submit! The vast majority of rejection letters I send out go to writers that didn’t read our website and are submitting incorrect information. For example, we accept only email queries, but some agencies want snail mail, and some agencies want synopses instead of queries, and some want the first 100 pages of the book, etc.

2)    Get a good grasp of the genre of your work. Is your work a sexy regency historical romance or a paranormal young adult fantasy? You don’t have to be able to rattle off all the genres and subgenres out there, but you should know in general where your work falls. If you feel like you need direction, here’s a suggestion: walk into a bookstore and look around. Would you think to find your book on the shelves marked “fantasy” or “mystery” or “horror” or “romance.” That’s a good place to start. If it really isn’t that easy, try this, “My book is a completed work of fiction.” That’s enough for me! The trouble is that many, many query letters I read are for self-help books, or picture books, or spy novels. We don’t represent works in any of these genres. Of course, this goes back to point number one, which is read the submission guidelines before sending in your work. But also – know your genre!

3)    Make sure your work is completed – really completed. You query letter should read like this, “I have a COMPLETED work of fantasy” or “I’d like to submit my FINISHED 100,000 word romance novel.” If interested in your query letter, my first step is to request the first 30 pages of your work. It can be very frustrating to request a work and have someone email back, “well, it’s only in it’s first draft, can I check back with you when I’m finished?” I will have gone through tens of thousands of other submissions by then and my energy will be focused on someone else. Of course, we accept works that need editing, but in general edit, polish and double check your work before starting your agent hunt.

4)    Remember to include the title of your work, your contact information (especially your email address), and your name. These are little details that help us and make your query letter more professional.

5)    The meat of your query letter should be a paragraph (or two) which we call “the pitch.” It should sound exactly like the back cover of a novel – short, exciting, engaging, descriptive. To repeat the instructions above, we don’t want a synopsis (although some agencies do), and we don’t want character profiles or chapter titles, or plot points. If you want good practice at this, pick up some of the novels in your house (or at the bookstore again) and read the back cover. Then, try to copy the energy, the focus and the length of that type of paragraph and that is exactly what I am looking for.

6)    This may seem obvious, but remember to make your query letter short. Your bio can take up a paragraph and your pitch can take up a paragraph or so. And, that’s about it. Remember that I see about a hundred of these a day, so the more professional and concise the better chance that I will ask for sample pages.

7)    Despite the fact that I just said to make it short, I do want to see details. A sentence like this is powerful: “The hero and heroine don’t realize the king has hired them to defeat a slobbering were-bear when they accept a simple call to arms at the castle.” A sentence like this is not: “The hero and heroine have many adventures.”

8)    Finally, avoid reviewing your work. This is another way of reiterating that the pitch should sound like the back cover of a book. But, sentences like this do not help promote your work, “my writing is fast and exciting,” or “this book is geared toward teenage girls,” or “the voice of the hero is authentic.” Describe your work, don’t review it.

9)    As an added bonus, here are some helpful websites for more information on query letters and the query process:

Pubrants.blogspot.com  - (Kristin’s publishing blog. She has posted the original query letters for many of our clients – talk about a great resource!)

Evileditor.blogspot.com  - (an editor posts query letters, reviews them, comments and makes changes. See the evaluation process as it happens!)

www.writers.net  -  a great online resource for writers including feedback on query letters

Posted by: Sara Megibow

In the seven years since I published my first humor book, Carpool Tunnel Syndrome, I've spent an insane amount of time just trying to market myself. I'm glad I didn't keep track of the time, since I think I'd  cry if I knew how much of my life's energy has gone into the endeavor. The Internet has made it both easier and more difficult to market yourself: there are endless web sites and blogs to contact, endless online zines on which to try to get yourself reviewed or published. And the Internet rat race just gets worse and worse, as marketing "experts" tell you you're nowhere if you aren't active on Facebook, YouTube, and Twittering all day long (but I am on Facebook, and I'm LinkedIn too). I often get tired of asking the world to pay attention to me. As fascinating as I am, even I get tired of myself.

I have spent thousands of dollars on outside PR help but my biggest impressive successes have been through my own efforts or, in the case of getting a quote from my book on the Starbucks cups, through plain luck. Paid PR help has gotten me quoted in the media several times, but nothing has caused any sustained momentum. Things that have helped have been subscribing to several book marketing and PR expert newsletters, keeping up membership in a professional online writers' forum, where I always look for news about potential outlets for my work, and look for reporters doing stories on topics I can comment on, with a funny angle.

Things would have been a lot easier if I were an expert on investing, losing weight, budget travel deals, or something similar. But it's hard to market yourself as an expert when you spend your days trying to write funny stories about the latest rodent infestations, or why bad contractors happen to good people. On the other hand, I'm too far gone to stop now.

I've also learned that you have to keep searching for your audience, the people who will relate to your voice. For years, I avoided marketing my work to Jewish publications, even though I’m Jewish, since I didn’t want to limit my audience, nor did I want to be pegged as solely a “Jewish writer.” But over time, editors of Jewish publications and web sites started coming to me – they had heard my voice and recognized it in the pieces I had sold to them. In the past two years, I’ve become a regular humor columnist for an two Jewish print magazines, the “Jewlarious” section of the web site aish.com, and started podcasting my program, "Just Off My Noodle," on the web site of a national Jewish organization. I no longer shy away from writing about this aspect of my life, as it actually widens my audience, and I can almost always adapt my work written for these outlets into more generic humor, such as for my blog on MommaSaid.net, for my email newsletter subscribers, and other media outlets.

In the past few years, I've also sold pieces to the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, Beliefnet.com, and the Los Angeles Times. Earlier, I sold humor to Woman's Day, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, but these magazines have closed the door on humor, at least for now. I really don't get their reasoning. They insist that they are all about "service" articles, but if you ask me, making people laugh in a troubled world is one of the best services you can offer. If only they saw it my way!

Motivational sales people always say that "no" doesn't really mean "no," it means "not yet." I've used that gambit to follow up repeatedly with editors who have ignored me, because you just never know when something may change. I even plan to contact some of the editors at these women's magazines who have published me before to pitch myself again, adding my shiny new awards to my email sig line. After all, magazines are always retooling, and maybe I'll reach them just at the moment they are scratching their heads, thinking, "Where can we find a terrific writer who can make rodent infestations funny?" And I'll be right there!

If you write for a limited market, you absolutely must love what you do and love your topic. (Keep your day job, too.) If you aren’t getting pleasure from your work, rethink your writing emphasis. Finally, persevere and carry a thick skin. If you’ve been at this for more than 15 minutes you know editors will ignore you more often than they'll pay attention, but if you keep polishing your work and continue hunting for new, like-minded audiences, you can and will break through. It may take a while, though, so stay optimistic, be persistent, and above all, keep your sense of humor.
   

Posted by: Judy Gruen