Recently, a number of people have told me that book reviews are a waste of time.  One person said, “If you’re not writing, you’re procrastinating.”  Another said, “Why waste time promoting someone else’s work when you should be promoting your own?”

The answer is really very simple.  Book reviews are highly valuable, not just for the one receiving the review, but for the one writing it as well.

Every book a writer reads gives them insight into what’s trending in the market, which aids in determining the commercial potential of their books.  Market research is vital for finding a publisher.  Many writers finish their books and turn to places like Writers Market, Publishers Marketplace, and Query Tracker, then spam all the editors, agents, and publishers they can find.  A more successful approach might be turning to your bookshelf instead. Continue reading →

I’m often asked when my novel will be published or why it isn’t published yet. Many people don’t realize that the writing process is a lot more involved than simply sitting at a keyboard and writing.

Before deciding which publishing options to pursue or beginning to search for editors or agents, a writer must first have a high-quality product to offer. Many writers overlook the importance of the writing process in their eagerness to get published. Not adhering to the process actually kills a writer’s chances because, without it, they are unable to produce a salable manuscript.

The writing process involves four phases: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Following these steps will help, but experienced writers know that problems which arise during drafting, revising, or editing, can send them all the way back to step one, where they must develop and expand an idea. As my NaNoWriMo ML is quick to remind me, “You will enjoy the process, God damn it!”

Continue reading →

I just finished my novel: 112,632 words, 381 pages, 21 chapters, 5 appendices, 3 maps, a calendar, and a family tree. All that’s left to do now is finish my cover letter and mail it off. I have never been so terrified in my entire life. I’m more nervous than when I defended my thesis. Then again, my thesis was only 80 pages long, so maybe anxiety is directly proportional to word count.

Now, about that dreaded cover letter. Whether or not a novel will ever be read depends entirely on that letter. In that single sheet of paper, an author must summarize an entire novel, define the genre and target audience, provide some kind of proof that their writing is worth reading, and include a pithy biography. It’s a lot to accomplish in a single page.

Some of the information, like the genre and summary, is straightforward. Other information, like writing credits, can leave an author feeling confused about what they should and should not include. After a bit of research, I created a list of possible writing credits, ranked them from best to worst, and provided a list of what authors should avoid mentioning if they want taken seriously.

Continue reading →

In my quest for a better writers’ group I kept getting the same piece of advice. “Just start your own group.”

Deciding it was time for me to become the change I wished to see in the world, I did just that.

In August 2016 I was offered the opportunity to take over the running of a defunct Meet-up group. My first action was to change the group’s name and remove anyone who had accidentally joined looking for a Meet-up in Moscow, Russia. That paired the list down to 15 members, only 3 of which had ever shown up. Since taking over the group, membership has grown substantially, indicating that others in the area are hungry for professional development and a connection with other writers.

The Palouse Writers’ Guild’s goal is to facilitate literary education by supporting writers’ groups, author readings, workshops, writing contests, and conference attendance. Our calendar lists the dates and times of writing groups from the Moscow/Pullman area. Membership is open to writers of all genres and media. Anyone interested in free writing, critique, participating in writing exercises, attending literary events, or just socializing with groups of like-minded people is welcome to join.

More information can be found on the Palouse Writers Guild website: www.palousewritersguild.org

The Palouse Writers Guild also maintains a calendar and list of events on Meet-up.com. Our address there is https://www.meetup.com/Palouse-Writers-Guild/

If you are a Palouse area writer looking for a home, please connect with one of the writing groups who post to our calendars and join us for other events around the area.

Finding a good writing group can be challenging, especially if you are new to writing and don’t know what to look for. Fortunately, there are a variety of group styles to choose from. No one style is better than the others, what matters is whether it works for its members. Some groups meet weekly, others monthly. There are groups where dedicated writers gather together to work at their craft, others are strictly social gatherings of like-minded individuals.

The difficulty in finding a good group is, like all other groups, they can be dysfunctional. Stories of writing groups gone bad are pervasive on the internet and new writers are particularly susceptible to falling prey to dysfunctional groups. Holly Lisle’s Blog lists some common types of group dynamics:

• Circle of Friends
• Masters and Slaves
• Sharks and Dinner

It only takes one person to completely change the dynamic of a group, quickly spiraling from circle of friends to sharks and dinner.

Continue reading →