Writing, Self-Publishing, Book Marketing

…a sentence! Come prepare!
The Merchant of Venice

We all can’t do what David Wroblewski did when he set out to write The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: a novel and go back to graduate school to study under Richard Russo when we decide to get creative. Most of us have many pressing day-to-day demands which paint our writing and creative ventures into a corner.

Maybe we get a half-hour before bed or a few minutes during a break at work to focus on our writing and the eventual distribution of our words. That’s why I wanted to speak with you about the writing community and The Writer’s Market. An annual directory of all things publishing, The Writer’s Market does exactly what it sets out to do – it tells you where and how to sell what you write.

Familiarizing yourself with the community of writers and opportunities available for those who have sought this form of expression can only ultimately be to your advantage. The Writer’s Market lists off contact information for most major contests and publications that accept submissions. Using the resources available, you can start to network with others in the industry. Making contacts who share your passion can save you time and money in the long run.

Along the same lines, there are hundreds, if not thousands of growing communities of writers online. Community members share new projects with one another and receive priceless feedback regarding everything from story structure to character development. Members can just as easily host a release party or participate in a book signing as well.

As artists, writers sometimes feel inclined to re-invent the wheel, learning everything the hard-way in a grass-roots marketing campaign. Getting in contact with the community that can help you appropriately focus your resources will not only help you develop as a writer, but as your own publicist as well.

The words expressly are “a pound of flesh.”
|The Merchant of Venice

Greetings, Earthlings,

Wordbot here, and today Wordclay has authorized the publishing announcement of our new blogger, 1000 Chimps.

Unfortunately, with a saddened bio-mechanical heart, this robot regrets to report that Jenn must step down as a Wordclay blogger. Of course, her posts on book formating and her interesting publishing scoops will be missed.

But things aren’t all bad – we’ve managed to recruit another Wordclay employee to take her place. Matt and his crew of 1000 Monkeys at 1000 keyboards will be accepting the torch this coming Thursday. So be sure to look for design tips and publishing news from him in the future.

This publishing robot had a chance to visit the hardworking monkey at their desks, pecking away at their computers. When asked if they were excited about posting on the Wordclay blog, they simply turned and quoted Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, saying, “I post from love…”

Please join me in thanking Jenn for all her wonderful blogging insights, and give a warm welcome to Matt and his 1000 Monkeys, who are certain to provide some valuable publishing tips and marketing advice.

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The Harlem Book Fair celebration kicks off Friday, July 18 and concludes Sunday, July 20 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. But the main event, the huge outdoor book fair festival, will be held on Saturday, July 19, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on West 135th Street between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

If you live in the area, or are up for a weekend getaway, I’ve heard that this is one event you’ll be sorry to miss. Authors, publishers, speakers, musicians and booklovers galore will flood the streets for a marathon of books and culture.

Publishers big and small will be in attendance, representing themselves and their authors. Self-published authors selling their own books will set up booths, hawking their story with bells on. Vendors slinging food and other trinkets will be in the mix, but mostly, there will be books – and lots of them.

But the Harlem Book Fair is more than a book fair, really; it’s a cultural event and celebration. It was born from the success of QBR The Black Book Review which, (more…)

If you’re as curious as this blogger, then the announcement of the Single Short Story contest winners may have piqued your interest enough to visit Wordclay’s Contest Connection page and read excerpts from their stories.

But a simple read doesn’t always cut it – sometimes we want to know the writers behind the story. That said, I contacted them personally and asked for some background information to share with our readers.

So without further ado, meet Samantha Weiss (Grand Prize Winner) and Benjamin Solomon (Runner-up):

Samantha Weiss just graduated from MIT with a Bachelor’s degree in creative writing and chemical engineering. She completed Odyssey in the summer of 2007, one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of speculative fiction. She participates in Codex, a professional-level writers group, and is editing a book about professional athletes written by an author who coaches Olympic, all-pro NFL and NCAA athletes. This story, “Simulated in Black and White,” was part of the thesis work for her writing degree. At the moment, she is working as a chemical engineer in India.

What does Weiss have to say about Wordclay?
“I was introduced to Wordclay at a writers’ convention in New York, and was drawn to its reputation for being an unusually easy and affordable self-publishing option, and for having a capable and knowledgeable staff.”

Benjamin Solomon Lives in Atlanta, where he edits The Open Face Sandwich.

What does Solomon have to say about Wordclay?
“I have found Wordclay to be an excellent resource for DIY writers eager to take publication into their own hands.”

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Have a question for the winners about their writing process or inspiration? Submit your comment below, and I’m happy to forward your query onto them.

This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.

After an extremely difficult selection process, our judges have convened, argued, read, reread, brewed coffee, read some more, and finally made their decisions. 

Now, please join me in congratulating Wordclay’s Short Story Contest Winners! 

…in the category of the Wordclay Single Short Story Contest

The Grand Prize goes to Samantha Weiss for the story, “Simulated in Black and White.” 

The Runner-Up Prize goes to Benjamin Solomon for his story, “This Is Called Prowess.” 

For a complete list of Finalists, you can now visit Wordclay’s Contest Connection or jump directly to the listed winners here. 

All the Finalists, along with Weiss and Solomon, will be featured in the upcoming Wordclay short story anthology, titled Best Modern Voices: Words for the New Millennium: A Short Fiction Anthology.  

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…and in the category of the Wordclay Short Story Colection Contest

The Grand Prize goes to Patricia Coble for her collection titled Legogote: Tales from the Bottom Township. 

The Runner Up Prize goes to Anne Greenawalt for her collection titled Growing Up Girl. 

Both Coble and Greenawalt’s books should be available within the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for them at the Wordclay Bookstore. 

Kudos to the winners and everyone who entered! If you weren’t selected this time around, you should definitely consider entering one of our upcoming contests (guidelines pending on Contest Connection).

This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.

Um…  Yeah, I got nothing.

I can’t think of a single interesting topic for this week’s post.  So, what does that lead me to, naturally?  That’s right!  Writer’s block.

What’s with writer’s block, anyway?  What weird mechanism in the human brain allows for the stoppage in the flow of ideas and inspiration?  And why does writing about writer’s block seem to be one of the sure-fire ways around it?

I think it’s because you’re writing something even if it’s only to complain about not being able to write.  Eventually all the trite metaphors about writer’s block make way for an actual idea.

That reminds me of reading Reader’s Digest at my grandparents’ house, when I was much younger, and stumbling upon a short article about laughter being the best medicine.  Something we’ve all heard before, I’m sure.  And something about – because it’s all very vague now – mimicking laughter even if you’re feeling sad.  That the physical cues of laughing would cause the real laughter to follow.  It worked for me. 

But then, so does saying, “Wookie Cookies” – don’t ask.

This must be why it’s okay to write, for pages on end, “I don’t know what to write.”  Eventually it should lead to something resembling real writing – right?  Gosh, I hope so, because all I keep seeing in my head is a trench-coated figure disappearing ‘round the corner of a red brick building, and I’m really tired of chasing him down the alley.

So, instead of having a Shining-like moment, maybe I should just fake laughing?  What do y’all do when you get stuck?  I know I wrote about inspiration last time, but there’s got to be other (more interesting?) ways of getting past writer’s block.  Help!

-Jenn

Greetings, Earthlings,

Wordbot here, and today Wordclay has authorized this publishing robot to announce our new cover service.

Wordclay and its professional publishing staff have done it again. Since beginning the development and adaptation of our free online publishing software, we have always remembered the author’s desire for control. Now, you can control your cover down to the last detail with Wordclay’s DIY Cover Conversion Service.

But what exactly is the DIY Cover Conversion service? 
Good question. Where before your publishing options were limited to the free template cover you could easily design using the publishing wizard, now you can e-mail us the print-ready PDF of your cover, which we’ll promptly submit to our printers. This way, you can control every detail about your new book’s cover. From the back cover text to the images on your front cover to the placement of your author photograph, you choose the best representation for your publication.

What’s the catch?
No catch. Honestly. Would a robot like me lie? If you have the design experience and you can design your own cover using InDesign or another comparable program, simply follow our cover dimension guidelines, leave room for your barcode (should you purchase the Wordclay ISBN and Channel Distribution) and e-mail us your final copy in a PDF form – it’s that easy.

So what does it cost?
Base cost is only $25.00, which guarantees that your personalized cover is linked to your book and title. As you’ll read in the service description, there may be an added fee should your file need tweaking. Say the spine is slightly off because of the page count, or perhaps your trim lines need to be nudged a certain direction – our designers are happy to help. But we have to cover their time, so you may experience an extremely small markup. Or you can always make the adjustments yourself. Contact a costumer representative with your file and the tentative page count of your publication in order to ensure your cover is picture perfect.

What will you need for the Cover Conversion service?
All you need are your images and your design expertise. Of course, your images have to be original, or you have to possess the permission to use them for the cover of your book. Wordclay may ask about these permissions, so we can avoid claims of plagiarism. But if you’re submitting your own artwork, artwork you have express permission to use or artwork that you’ve bought, you’re in the clear. Simply lay out your cover per our guidelines, PDF that sucker and send your finished cover our way.

Are there other options?
Sure. You can always upgrade to a custom cover design and contract one of our illustrators to design a specific cover to your preference. Or you can purchase Stock Cover Art, submit a jpeg or tiff file that contains original artwork (for which you have the permission) and have our experienced designers incorporate the image into your elegant cover design for you. That’s what Wordclay is about: Options!

For more information, feel free to contact a customer service representative via Live Chat or e-mail. Or simply leave a question in the comments box below. After all, as our newest video states, we’re not out to get you. We just want to provide the best online publishing service out there today!

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As a writer, you know that the writing process is filled with as much enjoyment as it’s loaded with doubt. As you type out your prose or draft your poetry, second guessing your word choices is hard to avoid.

Of course, every process is different. Some writers don’t think about revision until they’ve batted out a complete draft. Others reread paragraphs immediately after they’ve typed their last paragraph. Simply put, there’s no objectively correct method of writing. But there are some helpful rules of thumb you can follow when revising your work that should help you turn your writing into quality, publishable material that can eventually earn you acclaim and higher royalties.

Traditional Revision Guidelines
Only Time Will Tell
Give your manuscript time to cool off. As soon as you finish a writing piece, you might be too close to your sentences and characters. As a result, you may overlook typos and opportunities to enrich the dramatic action of your story. Giving yourself a few weeks to forget about what you wrote may give you the objectivity to return with a clean, unbiased eye.

Honesty Is the Best Policy
Don’t lie to yourself about a chapter, a section or even a single line. Anyone can convince themselves that a piece of writing reads beautifully, but only an honest writer can weed out their weakness and strengthen them with careful, honest revision.

Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
But if a critic should smell blood or find the smallest underdeveloped detail in your new publication, heaven knows they’ll be vicious and cutthroat. Remember, the harder you are on your writing during revision, the deeper your characters will become and the more your prose will blossom into an undeniably profound story or poem. Don’t give your potential book reviewers fuel for the book burning party. Instead, when revising, listen to the writing devil on your shoulder before your real critics catch wind.

Note: Many writers actually keep annoying stuffed animals or little gnome figurines on their desks as dummy critics. This way you can project your doubtful voice and discuss your choices with your worst critic in real time.

Listening to Yourself
Sharing your work with others is a great way to begin the revision process. Their objective eye and constructive comments may give you insight into your own writing. That said, never discount your own instincts. In fact, your instincts are what give you a unique voice as a writer after all. Of course, constructive criticism is helpful and should be evaluated, but don’t make changes with which you’re not comfortable. Essentially, don’t compromise your whole project trying to please everyone. It’s impossible to please every reader and critic. Remember, write for yourself, not others.

Done and Doner…
Approaching contest deadlines combined with your publishing enthusiasm, you may want to publish your manuscript as soon as possible. But you should also be careful of jumping the gun. Don’t rush your creative process. By rushing to finish your piece, typos and writing flaws may slip past your editorial eye, and your may end up inadvertently hurting your future book as a result. Of course, nothing is ever 100 percent finished, but keep in mind that a false start could injure your entire writing career before you really get started.

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Following these basic revision guidelines should give you the added editorial edge over other competing authors, whose writing may have suffered due to an inadequate revision process.

This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.

Due to the amount of submissions within both Wordclay’s Single Short Story and Short Story Collection contests, announcements of the winners will be delayed for approximately two weeks.

In order to ensure every entry is read carefully and given serious consideration, our judges need just a little more time. We know you’re waiting with bated breath, and we apologize for making all you participants wait longer, but unfortunately, it’s necessary.

Take it from me – reading more than 2,000 single submissions and a hundred complete story collections, written by authors all over the world, is no easy task. Our judges are definitely burning the midnight oil, and as soon as we have the winners and finalists selected, we’ll update our Web site and blog immediately. All those who entered should also receive an e-mail alert as soon as the winning spreadsheet arrives in my Inbox.

Check back in two weeks for a contest update and links to the complete list of finalists within Wordclay’s Contest Connection.

Thanks again for your patience, and feel free to ask questions (or simply vent) with comments below.

This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.

Where do you get your inspiration for writing? Do you find it in everyday things? The way a bird in flight broke sharply to the left, chasing a summer bug. The way your co-worker flips her hair when talking about an ex-boyfriend. A picture posted on a fan’s blog about Buffy, The Vampire Slayer.

Or do you seek out specific types of inspiration? Movies? Paintings? Photos? Books? Trash? Music? Do you start with an idea and find the thing(s) that flesh out the idea, inspire the direction of the story or poem or novel?

With music, for example, do you put on the music first, writing what comes to mind when listening to Morphine, The Shins, Bach or Schubert? Or does the story come first with the music simply an inconsequential background sound? What if the music creeps through, into the writing, without you have noticed?

Doesn’t the fluidity of writing mean that anything can creep through? Whether music or your co-worker’s hair-flip, don’t a thousand things subconsciously infiltrate the stories and poems we write, making them totally different than what we initially conceived?

So how do we stop ourselves from going overboard? How do prevent ourselves from incorporating all of our everyday stimuli into our writing? Where’s the filter? Is this one of the marks of a great writer that they have that filter, that the means of their inspiration isn’t immediately obvious to the reader? Is this how they’re books or poems or essays become the means of our inspiration?

-Jenn