Tag Archives: writing

Writing Competition for Emerging Writers in Canada

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Re-post from The Writers’ Union of Canada https://www.writersunion.ca/short-prose-competition

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE TWUC 26TH ANNUAL SHORT PROSE COMPETITION FOR EMERGING WRITERS

The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is pleased to launch its 26th Annual Short Prose Competition for Emerging Writers, which invites Canadian writers to submit a piece of fiction or nonfiction of up to 2,500 words.  A $2,500 prize will be awarded to the winner, and the entries of the winner and finalists will be submitted to three Canadian magazines for consideration. The deadline for entries is February 15, 2019.
 
The Competition aims to discover, encourage, and promote new writers of short prose. “Over its twenty-six-year history, the Short Prose Competition has served as a springboard to a successful writing career,” notes Executive Director John Degen. “A number of winners and finalists have gone on to publish many books and join the Union’s ranks.”
 
The Union is proud to announce an esteemed group of jurors for the Competition:

  • Peter Dubé is the author, co-author, or editor of eleven books including the novels Hovering World and The City’s Gates, the short fiction collection At the Bottom of the Sky, the novella Subtle Bodies, which was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, and Conjure: a Book of Spells, a collection of prose poems that was shortlisted for the A. M. Klein Prize. His most recent work is the short fiction collection Beginning with the Mirror.
  • Norma Dunning is an Inuk writer, scholar, and researcher. She is a fifth-year doctoral candidate with Indigenous Peoples Education at the University of Alberta but resides in Victoria, BC. Her book Annie Muktuk and Other Stories received the Danuta Gleed Literary Award in 2018. Her debut collection of poetry titled Eskimo Pie is scheduled for release in the fall of 2019.
  • Pamela Mordecai is the author of over thirty books including textbooks, children’s books, six collections of poetry, a reference work on Jamaica (with her husband, Martin), and a collection of short fiction. Her novel Red Jacket was shortlisted for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Award. A prolific anthologist, she has been a teacher, a trainer of teachers, an editor, and a publisher.


The Competition is open to Canadian citizens and residents who have had no more than one book published and who do not currently have a contract with a book publisher for a second book. Authors not published in book format are also eligible. Members of TWUC are not eligible to enter. The entry fee is $29 per submission, and submissions are accepted online until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on February 15, 2019. The winner will be announced in late spring 2019. For complete rules and regulations, please go to www.writersunion.ca/short-prose-competition.
 
The Writers’ Union of Canada is the national organization representing professional book authors. Founded in 1973, the Union is dedicated to fostering writing in Canada and promoting the rights, freedoms, and economic well-being of all writers. For more information, please visit www.writersunion.ca.
 


For additional information:
Valerie Laws, Office Administrator
The Writers’ Union of Canada
416-703-8982 ext. 224
info@writersunion.ca

Some Cool Contests To Enter!

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Creative Writing Institute is celebrating their 10th anniversary with a Flash Fiction contest that runs through October 31. No entry fee and cash prizes. First prize, $100; 2nd prize $50; 3rd prize $25. See the guidelines at https://www.CreativeWritingInstitute.org.

 

 

The National Award for Arts Writing contest is hosting the Marfield Prize. Their deadline is October 15, 2018. There is no fee to enter and there is a $10,000 grand prize! To enter or learn more please visit their website at https://artsclubofwashington.org/awards/.

 

 

Winning Writers - best resources for poets and writersIf you love poetry and humor, this contest is for you. This marks the 18th Annual Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Open from August 15, 2018 thru April 1, 2019, there is no entry fee. A $1,000 grand prize and a $250 second prize will be awarded. The top twelve contestants will also be published online. To learn more or to enter please visit their website at:
https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free

 

American Poetry Review

The American Poetry Review is hosting the Honickman First Book Prize with a deadline of November 1, 2018. There is a $25 entry fee and specific rules for entry. Find out how to enter by visiting their website. Be sure to follow all directions!  https://americanpoetryreview.submittable.com/submit

 

The Dragon Newsletter Coloring Contest hosted by DragonsBook.Com. Three categories: ages 5 – 8; ages 9 – 12; ages 13- 18. Sign Up for the newsletter for the free coloring book and contest details:

https://dragonsbook.com/subscribe/ The contest runs Oct. 1, 18 – Jan.1, 2019. 1st place winners in each category will receive a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card.

 

The Writing Rut

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Take this Quiz

                                                       The Writing Rut

                                                       by Deborah Owen

The main difference between a rut and a coffin is that the coffin has the ends filled in. Take a serious look at your writing life and judge yourself.

  • When was the last time you spent a full hour doing nothing but writing?
  • When was the last time you submitted an article or story?
  • When was the last time you took a writing course?
  • When was the last time you completed a project?
  • When was the last time you sold something?

Don’t look now, but you’re probably in a writing rut.

  • Do you procrastinate writing?
  • Do you procrastinate writing education?
  • Do you select markets before you begin writing?
  • Do you analyze published articles in your prospective market?

If you don’t write, don’t learn, don’t research markets, and don’t analyze what your markets print, how do you expect to make progress? You’re driving nails in your writing coffin, my friend. You’re giving up everything you hold dear… and for what? A movie? To get your nails done?
Someday you’ll look back and realize life has
passed you by and you didn’t do the thing you wanted most.

Are you ready to say, “I want to bust out of my coffin/writing rut? When you’re ready to ask, “How can I do that?” you can be helped. No more excuses. No more procrastinating. Make a decision to get serious about your writing today. Here’s how:

1. Do you want to write fiction or nonfiction?
2. Start reading the magazines that print articles you want to imitate.
3. Write 15 minutes at the same time every day for one week. If you can’t think of anything to write, write a letter to the girl/guy who jilted you years ago, or write to a loved one who is gone. Practice writings put your mind in the groove.
4. On the second week, write 30 minutes at the same time every day.
5. If you’re writing a short story, make a rough outline that tells the main point of each scene. Answer 50 questions each about the two main characters.
6. Join a writing club, either local or online, and get active. These are the people who will give you the mo

most important feedback. Two good online writing clubs are www.writing.com and www.mywriterscircle.com. Writing.com is very large, and mywriterscircle.com is much smaller, but both are excellent.

At this point, you’ve done a self-analysis and have taken some steps to correct your course. What comes next?

Knowledge. Where do you get knowledge? At a writing school. I see you shaking your head and saying, “I can’t afford it.” Did you know there are a lot of free writing courses on the internet? But be warned, there is no teacher to grade your work so there’s no way to tell if you understood the lesson properly and made the proper applications. Still, if that’s all you can do, at least it’s something!

If you enter the selling arena without proper preparation, you will get trampled in the stampede. Taking writing lessons is not an option. If you want to become a selling writer, it is an absolute necessity. How much do you need? Usually three courses. Up to five if you want to hit professional status.

Creative Writing Institute  is a nonprofit charity and for that reason, we can offer the best prices on the net. We don’t use school terms because every student receives a private tutor, so you can sign up for your course at http://cwinst.com/registration_step1.php today and begin tonight.

What? No money? We’ve got you covered. Break it into four easy payments. We won’t even charge interest. No administration fee. No registration fee. Can’t beat that.

Kick the header and footer out of your coffin right now. Rise from the dead and take your place as a serious writer. Creative Writing Institute will help you every step of the way. What? You want a discount? Alright. Write to deborahowen@CWinst.com and Deb will give you one!

NOW what is your excuse? The decision you make today will determine your tomorrow.

Short Story Contest Extended to September 15

Great News for Procrastinators!

We have extended the short story contest and raised the first prize. The rest is up to you! What a fantastic opportunity to get published in our fifth anthology.

Don’t forget to use the theme sentence. I am completely and utterly lost.  See guidelines and prizes on our site at www.CreativeWritingInstitute.com.

Remember – you can get lost physically, spiritually or emotionally. What happens in that journey? What changes? That is your story. And remember that real life takes a turn for the worse just when you think things are about to get better! Write your story the same way. Good luck!

From idea to bestseller, here’s everything you need.

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Is it just me, or does the idea of becoming a bestseller author really intimidating?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against hard work…

But sometimes I feel like the advice for marketing and publishing a book is pure overwhelm.

Think about it.

What’s the typical process for writing and publishing a book?

Outline your book

  1. Pick a title (make sure it’s SEO optimized!)
  2. Write your manuscript…and then 3 years later:
  3. Look for an editor
  4. Realize you don’t have $10,000 for a “professional” editor – hire someone on Upwork with questionable portfolio
  5. Get feedback from editor
  6. Rewrite your entire book (it was all wrong)…and then 3 months later:
  7. Check in with your editor
  8. Get more feedback to rewrite the book again
  9. Fire your editor
  10. Write your final draft
  11. Scrap your old title – come up with a new title
  12. Look for a publisher
  13. Realize you need an agent
  14. Try to get an agent
  15. Send book proposals to hundreds of publishing houses…6 months later:
  16. Decide to self-publish
  17. Hire an interior formatter
  18. Find a graphic designer for the cover
  19. Get your first cover back from the designer
  20. Throw out the cover and ask for a new one
  21. Pick a new title (this is it)
  22. Get a website
  23. Try to get it looking good but give up because it’s so time consuming and you still have a book to publish
  24. Pick a publishing date
  25. Wonder: how do I market this thing?
  26. Try “marketing” on social media…give up because no one is hearting your tweets
  27. Hit publish
  28. Look at first day sales – good, looks like you got a couple sales (Mom came through!)
  29. Check sales a few days later – 0…
  30. Cry deeply

Overwhelming, right?

But what if it didn’t have to be like this?

What if the process of writing and publishing was simple?

And what if you could essentially guarantee being an Amazon bestseller by following a proven, step-by-step process?

According to Jesse Krieger, founder of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, and someone who has published multiple international-best-selling books, there is a better way.

And Jesse has taken his learning and compiled it into a new guide:

The Bestseller Blueprint (click here to get free access)

The Bestseller Blueprint is a guide that will show you what’s working RIGHT NOW in the publishing space.

No generic information compiled from some random Amazon forum last updated years ago…

No fluff.

The Bestseller Blueprint will show you how to:

  • Finish the manuscript and rough draft of your book 70% faster than normal (this is the process that Jesse’s authors go through so he can speed up the publishing process)
  • Quickly and affordably design a killer book cover and interior layout for your book
  • Implement a campaign to build your email list before you launch your book
  • Find readers and customers on Amazon who you wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach – thanks to a special trick
  • Roll out your launch calmly and confidently – always aware of what steps to take next
  • Build on your book launch to grow a 6-figure business as an author, speaker, coach, and entrepreneur!

And did I mention it’s free?

Click here to get your copy of “The Bestseller Blueprint” for free.

Here’s the deal:

You don’t need to feel overwhelmed about publishing your book.

Not only that, but if your goal is to become a bestseller, it’s totally within your reach.

Throw away the stress, the uncertainty, and the guesswork…

Say hello to your new best friend, who will walk you through each stage of your book launch process, from idea to Bestseller:

Follow this step-by-step guide to market and launch your bestseller.

Make sure to grab it before it’s gone (only available for a limited time).

Next week, I’m going to share some information about a new virtual event that’s going to show you how to implement “The Bestseller Blueprint” from start to finish…

More on that later.

Wishing you success in your writing.

Diane Mae Robinson

P.s. Click here to get a free, proven, step-by-step guide on becoming a bestseller.  

 

What’s the #1 biggest mistake authors make?

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What’s the #1 biggest mistake authors make?

Search that question and you’ll find hundreds of answers.

Things like:

  1. Write shorter sentences!
  2. Publish on platform X (whatever is hot right now)!!
  3. Hire great editors, and fabulous designers, and social media marketers!!!!

It’s not bad advice.

You probably should improve your writing, take advantage of new platforms to sell your book, and work with professionals…

But none of these issues are holding you back from fame and fortune (or simply making a full-time income from your writing).

No, the pitfall you and I need to avoid is obscurity.

There are thousands of books published every day (literally). Why would anyone pick up your book when they have so many others to choose from?

Obscurity will inevitably break even the most committed author over time.

Which means the #1 biggest mistake authors make is not breaking out of obscurity.

It doesn’t matter how clever your prose if no one knows you or your book exist.

Conversely, a book with terrible grammar, spelling mistakes, and a boring cover can generate thousands of sales every month – simply because readers know it exists and they talk about it (share, review, critique, etc.).

If you want to make a full-time living from your writing, you need to become the type of author that readers talk about, and whose books they want to review and share.

The simplest, most effective way to do this is by creating a place for you and your books to live online (outside of the Amazon abyss).

How?

Create a unique sales page for your book.

A book sales page will:

  1. Allow readers to find you online when they search your name (or book’s title) on Google (or whatever search engine they use)
  2. Give your biggest fans a place where they can point new potential readers.
  3. Let you put your “best foot forward” by curating the experience for the reader when they land on the page (e.g. highlighting the best reviews, sharing stellar testimonials, etc.)
  4. Help you build your email list by incentivizing readers to sign up (by offering bonuses, free gifts, etc.)

Bottom line: a book sales page, done right, will lead to more sales.

But what if you’re like me and you’re not a designer by trade?

Good news:

Here’s a book sales page template you can use and edit right out of the box (and it’s FREE).

This is a free gift from my friend Jesse Krieger, who is the founder of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, an international best-selling author, and the publisher of dozens of best-selling books in a variety of genres.

From his many years of experience, Jesse has seen exactly what works – and what doesn’t – when it comes to generating book sales.

His #1 rule for author success?

Create a captivating book sales page.

Jesse has boiled this down to a science, and follows the same, proven-to-sell template for all the books he publishes.

And thanks to him, now you can have a book sales page that turns random visitors into customers, readers, and new fans.

Click here to get your easy to edit book sales page template, free.

No more struggling to create a book sales page (or avoiding it all together).

Now’s the time to break out of obscurity:

Click here to get your book sales page up and running in minutes, so you can focus on writing your next bestseller.

That’s it for today.

Make sure to watch your inbox – in a few days I’m going to share another free resource that will show you how to leverage your book sales page to launch a bestseller (and generate sales in perpetuity).

Stay tuned!

Diane Mae Robinson

p.s. Grab this free book sales page template (before it goes away). 

 

My Writing Process

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As a children’s chapter book author, the first and most important aspect of my writing process involves finding my “child voice”. “Child Voice” is a term in children’s literature that interprets into the author being able to get inside the heads of their children characters; think and act as those children characters would think and act and, thus, be able to write about them with ease.

Through all my years of studying children’s literature and children’s behavior, a major lesson I have learned is that to write for children the writer must have a certain level of immaturity along with the ability to remember the art of play. In my case, this is very doable, and when my friends call me immature, I take that as a compliment that I am on the right creative track.

When I am in the first stages of planning a new children’s book, I do a lot of note keeping, character building, and mapping out the fantasy world that the characters will be having their adventures in. Once I know my character’s world and know each character as much as I would know a good friend, then the plot creating process begins.

The creating of their story starts out as a movie playing in my head. This movie plays a scene, re-winds, re-plays the scene somewhat differently, builds the next scene only to re-wind, re-build, and re-plays that scene. As day and months go by, the movie keeps building, re-playing, strengthening the plot; it’s just about like the characters take over the making of the movie to get their story told.

Then one day, the movie in my head is complete and that’s when I get down to the business of writing. When I’m in the writing phase, I write with a frenzied passion for days, weeks on end, often writing non-stop for 12 hours at a time until the book is written.

Once the story is written in the first draft, I leave it alone for a few weeks to give the characters some time to settle into the story.

Then it’s on to editing. Editing phase will last another several weeks where I edit in two or three hour intervals every few days.

When I feel the book is at least 90% well written and well edited, the manuscript is submitted to my publisher. I am published with a traditional publisher, so the book will be scrutinized by their editor and the editor and I will work through several more stages of editing before the book goes on to production

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

For more information about my dragon books for children, www.dragonsbook.com

Author Interview at No Wasted Ink

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Re-blog from No Wasted Ink, interview by Wendy Van Camp http://nowastedink.com/2014/10/22/author-interview-diane-m-robinson/

Diane may be a self-proclaimed delusional fantasy writer, but she takes the craft of writing well seriously. Her goal is to leave something original and fun in the minds of her readers. I think she has hit that goal out of the ballpark with this interview. I’m pleased to welcome Diane to No Wasted Ink.

Author Diane M. RobinsonHello Wendy and readers of No Wasted Ink. My name is Diane Mae Robinson; I am a children’s fantasy/adventure chapter book author who lives in an out-of-the way magical forest in central Alberta, Canada. Yep, magical forest: gnomes, elves, dragons, castles, all of it. People who know me say I am somewhat delusional—ummm, aren’t all fantasy writers?

Besides being a writer I have other

jobs, which pay for the upkeep of the magical forest: dental office manager, art teacher, and writing instructor. In this magical forest, I live in a small castle-type house, which my husband and I designed and built by ourselves several years ago. The forest is also home to my five horses and four dogs. Through the years living here, I have worked on building many wonderful medieval-type flower gardens and stone pathways, filled with sculptures of magical creatures that I have made. These gardens surrounded by the forest is where I get my inspiration for writing fantasy.

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing around the age of eight–well after I had learned to read and, by then, had read every children’s book in the small town library—when I decided to make up plays and perform them for the neighborhood kids. The only other volunteer in my plays was my younger sister, which was good and bad—the themes of the plays were medieval; my sister would not act the part of the prince unless she was allowed to wear her cowboy duds. So, as I was the princess being rescued by my handsome prince (aka cowboy), the plays were performed to a live audience of five until a particular day when chaos struck. My prince had a simple task—jump from the roof of the house and rescue me where I was tied to a tree by the evil villain. The prince (aka cowboy) jumped, broke her arm, my mom heard the racket, I was untied by mom, sister went to hospital, sister got home from hospital, I asked her: “Why didn’t you just use your cape?” Mom banned me from ever making up plays again. When sister forgave me, I wrote more plays that she agreed to be the prince (aka cowboy) in. So, what else to do but bring my merry band of play watchers deeper into the forest and out of prying eyes.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have considered myself a writer ever since I started writing plays at age eight: I write, I create, I am a writer.

Can you share a little about your current book with us?

I am currently working on book three of my fantasy/adventure series, Sir Princess Petra’s Mission–The Pen Pieyu Adventures. Book one, Sir Princess Petra,—The Pen Pieyu Adventures, was published in 2012 and has since won three major book awards. Book two, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent—The Pen Pieyu Adventures, was released in Sept. 2013. I am also working on a grammar book for elementary grades; this book has a medieval theme and the characters from my series are in this book also.

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve always preferred fantasy stories and movies over all other genres. So, once the characters of this series started invading my head several years ago, they became so real to me that I had no choice but to write about their adventures. Often, I just feel like the writer while they tell me what is going to happen.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I am definitely a character-driven writer over a plot-driven writer. Plot is very important in children’s books, but if kids can feel and see the adventures through my characters. to me, all is won. I have an out-of-the box sense of humor and this comes out in my characters and their situations.

How did you come up with the title of this book?

The characters woke me up in the middle of the night, dictated their names, told me the places, declared their situations, and yes, even forced me on the titles of the books. Does this ever happen to other writers? Just curious.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The main character of this series, Sir Princess Petra, is a princess whose greatest accomplishment is becoming a knight. She accomplishes this through kindness, understanding, and acceptance of others; all to the dismay of her father, the king, who thinks knights have to be big and mean and nasty.

Are experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

All my characters and situations in the stories are purely fictional—made up in my delusional (or so I’m told) mind.

What authors have most influenced your life? What about them do you find inspiring?

I’ve been reading C.S. Lewis for years. His stories influence me by the way the reader can totally get lost in his fantasy world. Lemony Snicket influences me with his sharp wit and humor, and the bizarre situations of his stories. Both of these writers inspire me to write engaging stories for children that leave a mark, have good values, and are fun to read.

If you had to choose, is there a writer would you consider a mentor? Why?

I think anybody that writes a great story is a mentor because they instill in us, other writers, the need to write well.

Who designed the cover of your book? Why did you select this illustrator?

The cover designer and illustrator, Samantha Kickingbird, was selected by the publisher as she works there. I had no choice in the matter and didn’t see the first illustrations until well into the set-up stages of the books. I couldn’t have asked for a better illustrator for this series.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

As I tell my writing students: If you love to write, learn to write well. Don’t be in a hurry to publish. Re-write and edit, and then do it again and again until you have nearly created perfection before submitting your manuscript to publishers. My first book was rejected 27 times over a 9 year period before I finally received a traditional publishing contract. And my 2nd book was well on it’s way to receiving numerous 5 star reviews before I acquired a literary agent. It takes patience, perseverance, and the art of writing well before you have a book that you can be proud of.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Write from your heart, with passion and imagination, and you will breath life into your stories.

Diane Mae Robinson
From a magical forest, near St. Paul, Alberta, Canada

Diane Mae Robinson
From a magical forest, near St. Paul, Alberta, Canada

FACEBOOK

GOOGLE+

TWITTER
LINKEDIN
BLOG
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Cover Artist: Samantha Kickingbird
Publisher: Tate Publishing, LLC

AMAZON BOOK ONE
AMAZON BOOK TWO

BARNES & NOBLE BOOK ONE
BARNES & NOBLE BOOK TWO

ABE BOOKS 1
ABE BOOKS 2

For more information about Diane Mae Robinson and her multi-award winning dragon books for children: www.dragonsbook.com

Lessons From Picasso

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There are lessons to be learned from the art and the mind of Pablo Picasso. His techniques, creative insights, and empathy of his art has distinguished him as the revolutionary artist of the twentieth century.

Pablo Picasso
Oct. 25, 1881 – Apr. 8, 1973

“When I was a child, my mother told me, ‘If you become a soldier, you will be a general. If you become a monk, you will end up as the pope.’ Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”

Ah, the confidence to do what you were destined to do in life, and to do it well. This is a lesson all creators of the arts can take to heart.

Pablo Picasso was an innovative thinkers of his time. He reinvented himself many times over during his career. Depending on his mental state and what was going on in the world at the time, his paintings took on the persona of: depression during his ‘Blue Period’; love during his ‘Rose Period’; shocking abstracts from his ‘Cubist Period’; and the ‘Classic Period’ as World War 1 broke out. But at each stage, the art was profound and empathetic.

Does this mean that, as a writer, if we can feel the deepest emotions of what we are writing at a certain time, the work will be more poignant? I think that is exactly what Pablo Picasso was telling the world.

If a writer or an artist does not have their emotions wholeheartedly invested in their art, then neither will the reader or the viewer.

Pablo Picasso knew of the complexity of creating a piece of art, but he also understood the simplicity of art. Upon passing a group of school kids in his old age Picasso remarked, “When I was as old as these children, I could draw like Rapheal,  but it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like them.” 

 

Pablo Picasso, Self Portrait, 1907, oil on 

As a children’s book author, this statement is a profound lesson to me. It’s as if the artist is telling me to leave behind my adult ego and think as a child, to play as a child, to create as a child. And then, and only then, when I have re-mastered the skills of being a child, to write the books for the child.Being an artist has also taught me lessons in writing for children, and teaching art to children, more so. Teaching children helps me to understand their creative insights, their lack of ego or competition, and their pure imagination that is so very intense.

The Princess Knight by Diane M. Robinson
2009, acrylic on canvas

 

Children create from their heart. So as a children’s book author, the lessons I’ve learned  from being around the creative minds of children is what grounds me in my writing, and teaches me how to create stories for children, through the eyes of a child, and with the heart of a child. Children have also taught me how to capture childlike innocence in my own art.

Picasso has made a profound impact on the world of art, and his creative genius is a lesson to all who create, in all aspects of the arts.

.”If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes.” Pablo Picasso
http://www.biography.com/people/pablo-picasso-9440021http://www.abcgallery.com/P/picasso/picasso-2.html



                                    May the wheels of creativity never stop turning.


What does an author do when not authoring?

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When I first started writing and creating stories, I thought that was a tremendous amount of work.

Then along came the part where a couple of my stories were ready to start looking for a publishing home. The process that follows in researching publishers and the children’s book markets to see who is accepting what and what is the process for submitting, became more work still.

After many years of researching those markets, writing query letters, submitting my manuscripts when requested, waiting for an answer, researching some more, submitting again, waiting some more, my first manuscript was accepted by a publisher—27 rejections later, in fact.

So, finally, a contract. Here comes the easy street of being an author, right?  Wrong.

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird for Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, book 1.

First, comes the editing of the book, which is quite a huge process to begin with. Then, I’m assigned a marketing manager who informs me about all the things I am required to do as an author. The marketing manager puts my book is distribution all around the world and is in charge of marketing, what would I possibly have to do?

Well, putting a book in distribution to book stores and on-line book sellers apparently isn’t enough. With the amount of new books being published by traditional publishers and self-published authors (approximately 40,000 books per month), a new author has to get their name out there.

So an author must learn marketing skill also. My marketing manager told me I would have to set up a blog, make regular posts, attend book signings he set up for me, talk about my book on Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc, schedule events to speak at schools and libraries,  attend interviews he set up, seek out reviews for my book, regularly update the website the publisher set up for me, and join other blogs about writing and hopefully in responding to these blogs, they will in turn respond to mine. All this to try and stir up interest in my book.

Now, these things are all a lot more work than I ever anticipated. I do everything my marketing manager suggests–sometimes with gritted teeth, but I do listen to him.

So just when I think my time is taken up to the max, I decided to hire a marketing-publicity person to  set up a more professional website with key word rich formatting. He also writes and sends out news releases with key word structure, maintains and updates my new website, and in general, is a computer savvy person that knows how to stir up a lot of interest and also how to get my new website into the top pages of Google hits. After all, people have to find me in the sea of writers.

All these things do work to get my book, and myself as a writer, noticed. But it is also a lot of work on my part to follow the instructions given to me by these book selling geniuses.

Every week, I also have fan mail to answer, and write new posts for two blog sites that I maintain.

So, what does an author do when not authoring? Well, about 20 hours per week dealing with the list above.

By the way, I have a full-time job at a dental office and a part-time job as an art teacher. My writing days are now limited to a few specific days I set aside during any given month.

And just when I thought the writing part was hard work.