Blogger: Rachel Zurakowski
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
As you know, there’s much more to writing these days than just producing a book. Some authors would claim that the writing is the easy part! The hard part of being a writer is mastering the tools necessary for getting a book published, for marketing it, and for handling your daily writing life.
Today we’ll be examining some of the tools that are helpful for getting a book published. The first tools you need are guides to help you learn to write and to grow in your writing. Anybody can write a book. Very few people can write a great book.
These tools will help you write a book that’s high quality and ready for publication:
1) Writing Books: Authors from our agency have found these books useful–
Fiction– Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass; Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain; Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King; Writing and Selling the Christian Novel by Penelope J. Stokes; The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life by Noah Lukeman
Nonfiction– Publish Your Nonfiction Book: Strategies for Learning the Industry, Selling Your Book, and Building a Successful Career by Sharlene Martin and Anthony Flacco; Keep It Real: Everything You Need to Know About Researching and Writing Creative Nonfiction by Lee Gutkind.
2) Critique Groups: These groups of writers help you in two ways: You receive critiques by others who be honest with you, and you learn from critiquing another author’s work. I personally learn lessons well myself when I’m teaching them to others. That’s how I passed high school physics. One of my classmates often needed help, and going through the steps with her reinforced the lessons for me. The same principle is true for writing. Critiquing writing can help you write better yourself!
3) Unbiased & Truthful Readers: These are people from your target audience whom you ask to read your book and give you a critique. Your critique group is usually composed of writers. Your reader group should be readers from your target audience. It’s best if they aren’t friends of the family!
4) Writers’ Conferences: I’m going to on the faculty at the Writing for the Soul conference later this week. Writers’ conferences are a GREAT tool for writers. You leave a conference inspired, re-energized, and full of useful information to help you revise and improve your projects. You meet published authors, agents and editors. These people help to create your publishing network; they become contacts who might make a difference in the future of your book.
5) A Mentor or Writing Classes: The Writing for the Soul conference is a special conference because many attendees are part of the Christian Writers’ Guild. The CWG assigns writers a published writing mentor who instructs them in writing and helps to walk them through revisions on a project. A published author knows the ropes and knows how to write a book that’s of publishable quality. If you can’t get one-on-one time with a published author, take writing classes either at conferences or through a local college. Always be open to learning!
Now, here are some questions to get you into the conversation. Respond to one or all of them:
What books have you found helpful as you worked at the craft of writing?
What conferences made a difference for you?
How did you find your writing group?
How did you go about forming a reading group?
Books: From the Inside Out by Susie May Warren and Rachel Hauck, Scene & Structure by Jack Bickham
Conference: ACFW (I always buy the MP3s to listen to all the sessions once I get home.)
Writing group: consists of ACFW Indiana chapter members and former Taylor U writing students.
Reader group: Good idea! I need one.
I must mention ACFW. It’s such an awesome writer’s association. The conference is top notch, and the warm community of writers encourages like no other. As for books, Donald Maass’ The Fire in Fiction inspires me every time I pick it up. One other tool I use was recommended by Gail Martin: The Synonym Finder. It’s the best I’ve seen for searching for an illusive word.
Thanks for the post!
I have attended five writers conferences since 2003: two regional ones and three national ones (Write to Publish; Glorieta; and Blue Ridge). The main difference they have made for me is knowledge about the publishing industry. I had no clue before my first conference.
Unfortunately, I don’t find conferences inspiring or energizing. I find them deflating and demotivating, as each conference I learn of new hurdles that make me understand all the more what a miniscule chance I have of being published, even if I write a publishable book.
Thank you for your comments!
David, I understand where you are coming from. The reality of publishing does become clear at these conferences. You see all of the hopeful writers soaking up the information offered, and you learn how hard you have to work to even have a chance at getting published. Succeeding in publishing is a lot like finally getting to the Olympics. You need to train hard by going to conferences and investing in your writing to have a chance at the gold medal–a successful book. The harder you have to work for the gold, the more rewarding it is, right? 🙂
Writers’ Conferences allow you to know what steps you need to work on as you “train.” And conferences can be very encouraging. I leave conferences inspired by the speakers and thankful for the time spent with the authors and faculty.
Great post. I tell ya, I couldn’t have gotten anywhere without ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). They have a great conference and some of the most supportive and helpful writers out there.
I found my crit group through ACFW and now have joined RWA (Romance Writers of America) and found another crit group more geared toward my genre (paranormal) and it’s been FANTASTIC!
Conferences sure can throw a lot at you, even the disappointing stats of getting published, but the being around other writers is what energizes me, for sure.
Thanks for the post, Rachel.
I found Stephen King’s book, On Writing to be helpful (warning though, it’s not a Christian writing book and there is some profanity in there), but it tells of his journey to publication, plus, he gives some great writing tips.
Conferences that have helped me to land publishing contracts: Romance Writers of America national conference and American Christian Fiction Writers conference. I’ve gleaned great knowledge from both of those!
~Cecelia Dowdy~
http://www.ceceliadowdy.com
http://www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com
I can’t believe nobody mentioned the Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference. It’s wonderful!
Favorite books:
On Writing, Zinsser (for nonfiction writers)
Writing the Breakout Novel, Maas
Stein on Writing, Stein
It’s a Bunny Eat Bunny World, Litowinsky (children’t publishing)
favorite conferences:
Mount Hermon
SCBWI LA (children’s writers)
favorite workshops:
Founders Workshops (children’s writers)
Found all my crit groups on line.
My cousin teaches high-school English so I have his girls to read my manuscripts and I was involved with our youth group at church (the girls there are less helpful because they know me and wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings.)
Oops that should have said “on writing well” by Zinsser.
Writing for the Soul by Jerry Jenkins is an inspirational book. Of course, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is a must.
The Florida Christian Writers Conference (March 4-7) is my favorite and this will be my fourth year to attend. I met the lovely ladies of my critique group, the Kindred Heart Writers, the first year I went to the FCWC and the conference doubles as our annual reunion. (You’ll be there, too, won’t you, Rachel?)
I also belong to an online critique group through American Christian Fiction Writers.
Conferences and critique groups have helped me tremendously on my writing journey. I still have a couple of hurdles to cross, but I’m much closer to reaching my dreams than four years ago.
James Scott Bell’s “The Art of War for Writers” is fantastic! I’m reading it now. Short chapters (2 pages), inspirational and practical.
Another resource: editors-for-hire who act as writing coaches. Cindy Martinusen Coloma, Andy Meisenheimer, The Writer’s Spa, and others.