busy
ivy_broom asked some good questions in a reply to one of my posts. I'm pulling them into a new post so they don't get lost, because I think other folks will benefit from the discussion.One of the things I was going to purchase with my trust fund was a Writer's program called "Dramatica Pro". Have you ever heard of it? Would you/have you ever used it? What do you think?
I had only vaguely heard of "Dramatica Pro." It's not the kind of thing I'd be inclined to use myself, because of the way I write -- things just pop into my head and I put them down. If I need to outline a plot, I can do that in several ways, including a flow chart (skill learned in Western Civilization, thank you Mr. Butler). I do my writing either on a spiralbound notebook or in MicroSoft Word (or any other writable surface). However, writer's software can be an asset to people who need help getting started or getting organized. I've heard that some programs give really good prompts. Maybe someone else in the audience has used that one and can give more detail.
One prompt source that I do use is The Fiction Writer's Silent Partner by Martin Roth. It features some wonderful lists of character types, plot twists, settings, and other features useful for getting unstuck when you're missing a piece or two of the puzzle.
The other thing I came across the other day was a Self-Publishing program. What do you think about that?
If you want to make your own hardcopies, you'll need something to do the layout. Most word processing programs don't go that far. If at all possible, test it before you buy it. Some programs are good but others are wretched. My favorite for making flyers was PrintShop Deluxe ... but the later versions are unusable garbage compared to the middle versions.
How do you find places and people to publish you?
I use market guides a lot. Writer's Market and Poet's Market are the hardcopy ones I typically use. I also use online guides such as StoryPilot and Duotrope's Digest.
When I want to break into a new field or market, often I go to the bookstore and do research. I hunt for magazines that are publishing what I want to sell, then I request their submission guidelines. Other times I look for books similar to the one I'm writing, and jot down contact information for their publishers.
When I'm targeting a particular award, I look at the list of winners and then I submit stuff to the markets that published the nominees. I'd love to win a Rhysling, so every year when the anthology comes out, I look at the source magazines. Then I submit batches of poetry to them, because I know people in those audiences are making nominations.
I also network heavily. I know a lot of other writers, editors, and publishers. I chat with them about what I'm doing and what they're doing and what's going on in the industry. I'm on some email lists and blog communities for this purpose too. It's a very good way to find assignments. I go to conventions and festivals when I can, and talk to people there. Publisher parties are especially good for networking. If I hear somebody say they're in need of a particular type of writing, often I can provide that.
What steps have you taken to get where you are now - multiple poems published, and a wonderful Pagan book published (which I plan to pick up some time when I have the extra moolah)...
Well, I've been writing since I was about six, and writing regularly since I was twelve or so. I write almost every day; I frequently spend most of the day writing or doing other wordsmithing stuff. That adds up to a lot of practice. Heavy bursts of writing can make big leaps in skill development, too; that happened when I joined the Grey School of Wizardry and started writing classes of 5,000-10,000 words.
Not all of what I write gets polished and submitted, but a lot of it does. I've seen other writers track the number of submissions/rejections they get per year. I couldn't -- that's close to a daily activity for me. That high volume is what nets me the poetry sales. Areas where I have lower volume, I have lower success.
I use first-readers for fiction always, for nonfiction and poetry sometimes. It can be very helpful to have someone(s) else go over a manuscript and suggest improvements. (It can also be a reliable start on a two-hour argument. Depends on the manuscript, the writer, and the first-reader.) Sometimes I send things to several first-readers because I want particular perspectives or knowledge bases.
Part of it is plain old stubbornness. I've been submitting fiction and poetry to Asimov's Science Fiction and Fact for about 19 years now. They haven't bought anything yet, but I'm not about to quit. Part of it is my unshakable sense of identity: I know I'm good at writing, and if a strong piece doesn't sell, that means either I sent it to the wrong place, the editor is a moron, or the publishing industry is a wreck. It doesn't mean that I'm bad at writing. I've written some pieces that went clunk, but I can usually tell which they are. No amount of discouragement can stop me from writing or diminish my opinion of my talent. And I bite back if provoked. Part of it is professional bearing. I act like a professional and insist on being treated as one. Occasionally that annoys people, but more often, it gets me assignments and sales.
On the other hoof, it is difficult or impossible to make a living as a writer. Put all of my wordsmithing together, and I make about as much as a part-time job. After seven years working as an editor, I had yet to hit the minimum starting salary typically listed for that job. This is what I do best, I do it all the time, and I do it better than the vast majority of other people. And I have yet to make enough at it to support a family comfortably. The people who most value and need what I can do are the least likely to be in a position to hire me, and have enough money to pay what the work is worth. That's a problem. I keep at it because this is what I am as well as what I do. If I can't make a living this way, it's even less likely any other way.
Also, what do you think about putting out a lot of your creativity out there on the net where no one has to pay for it? What's your way of handling these issues?
I usually don't mind giving away reprints if I've already been paid for the original; some of what I post online falls into that category. I also find online venues a terrific place for self-promotion, and I'm pretty vigorous about that. Several folks have met me online, liked my work, gone out and bought my book. I'm experimenting with cyberfunded creativity, where people can indeed pay me if they value my writing.
I've had some problems with theft. If you see an essay out there called "Secrets of the Inner Circle" about networking and community participation in Paganism, that's mine -- and the version you find may or may not have my name on it, or the publication history, like it's supposed to. (Here's a link to a fair copy.) That's very frustrating.
For the most part, though, I embrace electronic publishing because it works for me. This blog is a terrific resource, and a lot of my publication credits are for online markets. So I recommend it. Get paid if you possibly can, but put your work online.
January 23 2008, 20:21:18 UTC 13 years ago
January 23 2008, 23:04:00 UTC 13 years ago
I'm at 22k and I swear to God the man with the gun is only hovering at arm's length sometimes :)