2012 MWG Conference Notes

A Short Commercial Break

2012-01-25T22:09:00.001-06:00

We'll be back to the conference interviews next week. In the meantime, just a few quick notes for conference attendees, potential conference attendees, guild members, and chapter members.

Volunteers still needed for shepherding speakers and manning (or womaning) the registration table.

We're also looking for companies to sponsor portions of the conference.

Sponsorships are available for as little as $500 and include these perks

• Company logo/name on Missouri Writers’
Guild website
• Promo items/marketing materials
included in registration folder
• 1/4 page ad in the Conference Booklet
• Table in the tradeshow area of the
conference
• 1 conference admission

If your company is interested in sponsoring a portion of the conference, please contact Tricia Sanders mwgconferenceinfo@gmail.com

Other conference news:

If you're planning to stay at the conference hotel (Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Chesterfield) the hotel is holding our block of rooms until March 29, 2012. After that they will open the remaining rooms to the public. You'll still get the conference rate, but only if they have rooms left. Here's a link to their site for booking your room for the conference Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center.
For Missouri Writers' Guild members only --The President's Contest closes January 31st. Here's a link to the guidelines President's Contest
For anyone attending the conference, for any chapter member, or any MWG member, the chapter and sponsor contests close March 1, 2012. It's the same link as the President's Contest, just scroll down for the Chapter and Sponsor Guidelines.
For anyone entering a contest, please read and follow the guidelines.

Oh, we'll have two additional editors hearing pitches. Details to be announced later. The pitch appointments for these editors will be available and posted starting Friday of the conference and will be first come-first serve.

The Nuts & Bolts of the 2012 MWG Creative Writing Conference

2011-12-29T13:30:00.000-06:00

Sarah Whitney, Publicity Chair

Tricia Sanders, VP and Conference Chair

It’s not uncommon for writers to attend a writing conferencebased on who will be speaking or taking pitches during the event. For the pastfew months, this blog has spotlighted the faculty of the 2012 “Write Time!Write Place! Write Now!” Annual Conference. I hope they’ve given you a sense ofwhat to expect this coming April. Check the "Look Who's Talking" tab at the top of this page for feedback from previous conference attendees, former chapter presidents, former guild presidents, and former speakers.

Speakers, however, are only one part (albeit a big part) ofplanning a writing conference.

For this last couple of days, leading up to the deadline forearly bird registration, I am providing a sneak peek behind the scenes of themaking of this year’s “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now! Conference. When itcomes to having the inside scoop, there’s no one better to interview thanConference Chair Tricia Sanders.

Tricia, Vice President of the Guild, has been working hardto plan this year’s conference since almost the minute last year’s event ended.She’s booked the hotel, lined up the speakers, found keynote speakers, madesure the conference content would appeal to writers of different experiencelevels, figured out networking events, and the list goes on.

Tricia: Thanks,Sarah. In some respects it feels like I’ve been working on this conferenceforever, but in others it seems like yesterday that I sat down and started theprocess. April will be here before we know it.

Sarah: You’re right about that. It’s hard to believe2012 is already here. To get us started,

Tricia, could you give us a briefbackground on how you became involved with the Missouri Writers’ Guild and howyou became the conference chair?

Tricia: I joineda local chapter (Saturday Writers) around 2003 and started hearing about theguild. Saturday Writers’ has had three members who eventually became presidentsof MWG. I joined the guild in 2006, I think it was. Since then, I’ve beenattending conferences and a couple of years ago I started wondering what kindof conference I would put together. Who would be the speakers? What would theytalk about? I really dug in last year and helped Deb Marshall, so it was prettymuch a given that I would do this year’s conference.

Sarah: When you foundout you would be organizing this year’s conference, how did you react?

Tricia: Well, itis a volunteer position. No one twists your arm. (Not too much anyway ;) I wasexcited for the opportunity. It really has given me some great networkingopportunities that I would never get by just attending the conference. SinceJune I’ve been constantly in contact with our speakers, so I feel like I knowmost of them.

Sarah: So whatexactly goes into planning a writing event like this?

Tricia: If youtake it in small bites and start early, it’s pretty amazing to watch it allcome together. I did a lot of analyzing on which dates would be best to avoidother conferences and Easter. Once I secured the location, I started contactingagents and potential speakers. I have to admit that I had a few of the folks inmind long before I volunteered to put together the conference. Some of them hadeven been suggestions that I had written down on previous conferenceevaluations.

Sarah: Why did you bill it as the “Write Time! WritePlace! Write Now!” Conference?

Tricia: So many times, we put off writing because wedon’t have time or aren’t in “our writing place.” Most successful authors willtell you they write while they wait in line, are on hold on the phone, sittingin doctor’s offices or wherever they happen to be. In fact, one of ourspeakers, Claire Cook, wrote her first novel in a minivan while her daughterwas in swim lessons, at five in the morning, no less. “Write Time! Write Now!Write Place!” is the motto I’ve adopted for myself. I’ve decided that whereverI’m at, whatever I’m doing, I’m going to carve out time for my writing.

Sarah: I think it’s agreat motto to adopt – especially for the New Year. I’ve always struggled withgetting my butt in chair to write as well. Speaking of struggles, what has beenthe most difficult/best part of being conference chair?

Tricia: I’d have to say getting volunteers is themost difficult part. There’s a lot that goes on and it takes people who arewilling to step up, take the responsibility, and run with it. So, that said ifanyone wants to volunteer, email me at mwgconferenceinfo@gmail.com. Istill need shepherds, folks willing to pick up our speakers and drop them offat the airport, registration table help, people to fill goodie bags, make nametags. The list is endless. The best part is getting to know the speakers. Andif you’ve already volunteered, thank you so much. I’ll be getting with youabout possible assignments.

Sarah: I can see how getting to know the speakerswould be the best part. You’ve done a fabulous job building a first-rate listof conference faculty including Jane Friedman, Christina Katz, Claire Cooke,Christy Craig, Michelle Mortimer and more. How did you decide who you wanted toinvite?

Tricia: Some ofthese folks have been on my radar for a while. I met Jane Friedman at aWriter’s Digest workshop, Christina Katz at another conference. Jane was there,too. A friend on Facebook posted about Karen Docter’s approach to plotting. Forfolks who don’t know, Claire Cook signed up to follow Sarah’s Twitter feed, soSarah did some investigation, found out who she was and set up the initialcontact. I met Patricia Lorenz over 20 years ago at a writing conference. I also wanted to showcase some of the local authorities and talent St. Louis has to offer like Susan McBride, Paul Lesko, Shawntelle Madison, and John C. McManus. WhenI started looking at agents, I made a list of genres and topics I wantedcovered and used several online sources to seek agents who fit those needs. When I contact Ann Collette of the Rees Literary Agency she suggested her client Carol K. Carr who lives in Springfield, Mo. Finding a children's writer was difficult. Several authors wanted to come but had schedule conflicts. I was ecstatic when I found Linda Gerber and she agreed to come. It’s like putting together a big puzzle, you just keep fitting the piecestogether until you get what you want.

Sarah: It seems likewho will be speaking at a writing conference is always the biggest puzzlepiece, but what other areas have you found writers consider when deciding whichconference to attend? How does this year’s MWG conference stack up in thoseareas?

Tricia: I can’t speak for others, but for me, it’salways about the agents who will be taking pitch sessions. If there isn’t anagent who is looking for my genre, I usually will pass on the conference.That’s why I tried to cover a lot of subjects with the agents I chose. I alsolook for networking opportunities with other writers. Is there enough time tosocialize without having to miss sessions? We have a built-in networkingsession on Saturday. We also introduced the Open Mic last year and it’s backthis year as well as an expanded Agent Reads the Slushpile. I dispensed withthe standard agent/editor panel this year in favor of an expanded SlushpileRead. Our conference also has the in-depthmaster classes for those who want “a little more” and who aren’t quite ready togo home.

Sarah: Could youexplain how the agent pitch sessions work?

Tricia: Sure, when you register for the conferenceyou can choose up to three agents to pitch your manuscript to. Just because youchoose them doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to get one of the agents, but theearlier you register, the better your chances are to get your first choice. Italso doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to get three pitch sessions. We ask forthree choices in case your first or second choice is not available. There areonly so many hours in the day and we are limited in the number of pitches eachagent/editor can take. This year our agents/editors taking pitches are Debra Hess from Highlights for Children, Rhonda Penders from The Wild Rose Press, Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown LTD, Ann Collette from the Rees Literary Agency, Ann Behar from Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, Michelle Mortimer from Darhansoff & Verrill, Kristina Makansi from Blank Slate Press, and Katharine Sands from Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency.

Basically, if you get a pitch session you have 7 minutes totell the agent about your work, sell them the idea and allow them anopportunity to ask questions. It’s a good idea to practice in advance. Do somedigging on the web for what an agent wants to hear in a pitch session. Manyagents have blogs where they give advice on how to pitch them at conference.Follow their advice!!

If you are pitching fiction, be sure your manuscript isfinished. Most agents don’t want to hear about a project unless it is finishedand ready to go.

If it is non-fiction, it’s usually okay that it’s notfinished. You’re typically presenting an idea, but the agent will stillprobably want an outline and sample chapters finished.

A little do and don’t advice-

Don’t expect an agent or editor to take your full manuscriptwith them.

Do bring a first chapter, just in case they ask.

Don’t take up more than your allotted time. When you’reasked to leave, leave.

Do treat it as a business proposition. Dress and act thepart.

Don’t track down agents and ask them to look at your work.

Do hang out in the bar and offer to buy an agent a drink. Inthis case, don’t bring up your work unless they ask. They will.

Do be polite, even if you get a rejection.

Don’t be upset if you aren’t asked to send your work. Thereare plenty of agents to query.

Do send your work promptly, if pages are requested.

Do remember that our agents and editors are our guests.Please respect their privacy. If they are on the phone or talking to anotherconference attendee, do not interrupt them.

Sarah: That is allgreat info. Thank you for sharing it. So, what kind of networking opportunitieswill there be outside of the regular breakout sessions?

Tricia: There are always opportunities betweensessions, the networking social on Saturday, the luncheon and banquet, our OpenMic. Last year I was asked to provide a list of attendees and their contactinformation to all attendees. I didn’t feel right doing that without askingeveryone’s permission. This year I’m going to have some sort of voluntary list.In other words, if you want your information shared, sign the list and we’llshare it. If you don’t want your information shared, don’t sign it.

And bring plenty of business cards to hand out. They arecheap to make on your home computer or you can order them at vistaprints.com. Ialways come back from a conference with tons of business cards.

Sarah: Last year, Agent Kristin Nelson did abreakout session called an “Agent Reads the Slush Pile.” Attendees submittedthe first two pages of their MS and she read through them, just as if she werereading her slush pile. It was very popular. You mentioned that you’re bringingit back this year? Can you give us any more details?

Tricia: Yes, everyone loved that. It’s back in anexpanded format this year. Most of our agents will be participating. I don’thave it all ironed out yet, but we’ll have a great time and plenty of room foreveryone to attend.

Sarah: Multipleagents? Sounds great! Hopefully that will mean more chances for your pages tobe read. So, I have to ask about our Keynote Speakers. Why did you selectChristina Katz and Claire Cook? What makes them so good?

Tricia: I’ve been a fan of Christina for severalyears. When I first started talking to her about being a keynote speaker, Itold her I wanted to end the conference on a high note. A lot of times we heargloom and doom about publishing at conferences or how few people really get thebig contract. When Christina told me she had a keynote about “Never a BetterTime to be a Writer,” I was sold. I want our attendees to walk out the door ona positive note, ready to go back home and make it the “Write Time and WritePlace to Write Now.”

Claire was a no-brainer. She wrote and published her firstbook at 45. I’m a bit past that age, but it gives me hope that I can do it to.I’ve read all of Claire’s novels and they all carry the theme of reinvention.I’ve found myself thinking, “what if…” a lot. What if I had written my novel 20years ago or what if I had enrolled in that MFA program instead of the MBAprogram. We can second guess ourselves, but unless we do something about it,what’s the point? It’s my hope that the folks my age who listen to Claire comeaway with the fact that it’s not too late and the younger group will come awaywith the fact that they can live their dream now.

Sarah: It sounds like you’ve made some excellentchoices, but I’m sure planning everything hasn’t been all roses and candy. Doyou have any cool stories or unusual missives regarding conference planningthat you could share?

Tricia: Oh boy, I could get myself in trouble, butI’ll take the high road. It’s been a great journey.

One I would not have wantedto miss. I’ve met some great folks in the writing business and hope to maintainthe friendships that I’ve gained through the experience. I think probably thecoolest thing is reconnecting with someone I met over 20 years ago at awriters’ conference.

As far as unusual, well, publish your email address on theInternet and in a major magazine and you can just imagine the kinds of emailsI’ve received.

Sarah: Oh my. I can only imagine. Your inbox andspam folder must be an adventure all of their own. So, next question. As awriter organizing a writer’s conference, what have you done to make surewriters of all genres and skill levels will benefit from this year’s conference?

Tricia: One of my main goals was to have as manydifferent genres and/or writing-related topics as possible. It took bringing ina lot of speakers, but I think I’ve done it. We have several writing techniquesessions such as plotting, researching, character motivation, evaluating yourfirst page. I’ve also worked hard to cover poetry, non-fiction, children’swriting, humor, women’s fiction. Then I made sure I to include thebusiness-side with copyright, crafting the non-fiction query, synopsis creation,writer to speaker, the impact of Google/Amazon/Apple on your career and manymore.

Sarah: I agree. Iwould think that any writer should have something they’d be interested inlearning more about in that list. I bet you still get a lot of questions though.What is the answer to the most common question you get asked about theconference?

Tricia: The question I’ve been asked the most if dowe have a one-day registration? Unfortunately, the answer to that is no. Sincethe registration fee covers 1 ½ days, it would be extremely difficult to offereither a half day session on Friday or a full day session on Saturday. We alsohave contractual issues with the hotel in order to get our meeting rooms at adiscounted price. If we offered the conference in increments, it would be verydifficult to meet those obligations and that would raise the price of theconference for all attendees.

Sarah: That makessense. Last year’s conference chair Deb Marshall hosted a wonderful and wellreceived event. When you reviewed the conference feedback forms, what was themost common comment? If it raised a concern, how did you address it this year?

Tricia: Great question. Deb and I looked at everyevaluation that we received and paid close attention to what folks said. The feedbackwas extremely positive. Most of the concerns were for things we had no controlover, like the way the conference was split between the hotel and theconference center last year, the temperature in the rooms, etc.

The biggie that we saw several times was about why we didn’tprovide refreshments like soda, coffee and cookies during the morning andafternoon. Some even said they would be willing to pay $5 more on theregistration fee for a soda and cookie in the afternoon. Believe it or not, itis much cheaper for attendees to bring their own drinks or buy them from amachine, even if the machine costs $2.50. Setting up a one hour break withsoda, coffee and tea costs $10.98 per person. And that’s just for one break and NO cookies. If we add cookies it goesto $14.64 per person. If we had two breaks on Saturday it would raise theregistration fee almost $15 per person.

With the economy the way it is, I wanted to keep our pricesas close to last year’s as possible. As it turned out, the price of meals hasgone up considerably, so that is reflected in the registration price and thebanquet price. Probably more than you wanted to know, but that’s the longanswer for why we don’t provide beverages.

This year we are looking for sponsors to sponsor a break ortwo, so if you know of a business willing to donate the price of a break forthe conference, please ask them to contact me at mwgconferenceinfo@gmail.com. We have a several different sponsorshiplevels with perks for the donor.

Sarah: I do love my coffee, but I understand keepingcosts low is important. Hopefully, we’ll find a sponsor and get the best ofboth worlds. My final question is whatare the top five reasons this year’s conference is going to be awesome?

Tricia: Location,location, location. That’s three, right? We’re in a great neighborhood withlots of things to see and do before and after the conference.

We have an amazing lineup of speakers. Where can you seeChristina Katz, Jane Friedman, Claire Cook, Christie Craig, Katharine Sands,Michele Mortimer, Missouri’s first poet laureate Walter Bargen and many moreall in the same place?

Our price is still great considering the number of speakers,the number of breakout sessions, and two early arrival seminars.

We have David Lucas and Brad Cook hosting our Open Mic.

Again this year, our banquet will highlight theaccomplishments of our members, as well as recognizing the talented winners ofour conference contests.

And we’re doing Nightcaps again this year.

Sarah: TheNightcaps last year were so much fun and a great networking event. What a goodthought to end the interview on. Tricia, thank you for taking the time to giveus an insight into the planning of a writing conference that potentially helpsso many writers. If anyone has any follow up questions or additional thoughtsto add, please share in the comments.

Leave a comment, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to wina 2012 Conference tote bag. Sharing this blog via Twitter, Facebook, or a blogpost earns you additional chances to win. Just let us know in the comments.

Don’t forget to register. This week is the last week to takeadvantage of early bird rates for the “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now”Conference. Starting Sunday, rates will increase to regular pricing. If you’velearned something from reading this blog, please consider attending the 2012 MissouriWriters Guild Annual writing conference. We would love to see you there.

Clickhere to learn more about the Missouri Writers Guild 2012 Conference or toregister!

Headline: Writing for Children with Highlights Editor Debra Hess with Tote Giveaway

2011-12-21T22:25:00.002-06:00

Anyone who has read to a child or beena kid in the past decade or so has probably read something Debra Hess haswritten or edited. She is the author of dozens of fiction and nonfiction booksfor children and has been published by Disney, HarperCollins, Simon andSchuster, and more. She was a series writer on Eureeka’s Castle, editor ofScholastic News and Scholastic Action magazines and the editorial director ofthe Custom Publishing division of Weekly Reader.

By SarahWhitney

Among thebooks she has written are ThurgoodMarshall: The Fight for Equal Justice, a NY Public Library Best Books forthe Teen Age, and Wilson Sat Alone,an acclaimed picture book that was made into a PBS Storytime Special.

She joined Highlights for Children as a SeniorEditor in June 2009. She is the genre editor for nonfiction, responsible forscreening all nonfiction submissions, acquiring nonfiction, and editing allsports, arts, adventure, cultural, lower-level science and social studies,career and profile pieces.

In April, shewill speak at the “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” conference, sponsoredby the Missouri Writers’ Guild. She will present a breakout session entitled, “Why You Should Want to Write For Children’sMagazines.” Her session will providean overview of the children’s magazine market and why it is the ultimatestepping stone to becoming a published writer. Debra will also be takingpitches for nonfiction topics for Highlightsfor Children.

Sarah: Debra, thank you for taking the time to visit with us about yourupcoming presentation at the Missouri Writers’ Guild Annual Conference.

Debra: I’m looking forward to it.

Sarah: To begin, could you give us a little moreinformation about your breakout session? Why is writing for the children’smagazine market a good stepping stone for aspiring writers?

Debra: For one thing, you can begin small. Once we have purchased anything from a writer—a craft, a poem, anactivity—that writer is in our database and on our radar, and we then tend topay more attention when submissions come through our doors. There are also hundreds of freelanceopportunities for writers in the children’s magazine market. And, for children’s nonfiction especially,there is less competition than in, say, the adult magazine market or thechildren’s fiction market. I’ll addressthis in depth at the breakout session.

Sarah: During the Editors Roundtable at the May 2011 Highlights Foundationworkshop, you said Highlights “actively recruits and looks for new authors.” Ifsomeone at the conference is interested in finding out more information abouthow to become a Highlights author, how would you recommend they break the ice?

Debra: They should attend the breakout session, and if I haven’t answered allof their questions after that, they are welcome to come speak to me.

Sarah: In the same workshop, you said that the number one mistake people makewhen they submit nonfiction to Highlights is they don’t realize you guys vetall the pieces for publication through experts. I noticed on the Highlightswebsite, you requested that all nonfiction pieces include a bibliography and anexpert review. Could you explain the expert review? What are you looking for in that? And howwould you recommend a writer – new to Highlights – go about getting one?

Debra: That’s a great question. If thearticle is person-specific, say a scientist or a profile of an artist, then thewriter would have already interviewed the subject and would simply need to askfor a review of the article before submitting it to Highlights. If not,foundations, universities and zoos are also great places to find experts. If an author isn’t certain how to go about itbut has done solid research and attached a bibliography, we will sometimes takeit upon ourselves to vet an article through an expert prior to purchase.

Sarah: Highlights receives approximately 800 unsolicited fiction and 200unsolicited nonfiction submissions each month. In addition to including abibliography and expert review, what else can writers do to make theirsubmissions stand out from the slush pile?

Debra: I think most editors get asked this a lot, and the truth is that thereis no trick to it. If the writing isgood and the story is a fit for the magazine, then it will garner the attentionof an editor. I think it’s important to remember that editors have differenttastes and magazines have different needs. Becoming as familiar as possible withthe publication and its guidelines is good place to start.

Sarah: Why is including stories for children about culture so important toHighlights?

Debra: Highlights is dedicated to helping children be their “best selves.” We value all children and all walks of lifeand hope to provide a window into the world for our readers.

Sarah: In addition to being an editor, you’re also the author of severalfiction and nonfiction children’s books. What are a few of the qualities youvalue in children’s books, and could you cite examples from your own work?

Debra: I value the same thing as a writer of books as I do as an editor at Highlights. Good, solid writing, accurate facts,attention to detail and respect for the audience.

Sarah: Debra, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope ourreaders here at the Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference Blog will glean someinsight into the submission process at Highlights and will be interested inattending your breakout session during the Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference.

To everyoneelse, what do you think about this interview? Does anyone who has beenpublished in Highlights have comments to add? Let us know what you think in thecomments to win a chance to receive a 2012 Missouri Writers’ Guild tote bag.Tweeting, posting a link on Facebook and blogging about this post gives youextra chances to win. Just tell Tricia when you comment how you helped usspread the word.

In the meantime, if you learned something from any of ourconference previews, you should consider registeringfor the upcoming “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” Conference. By attending, you’ll not only learn from ourtalented faculty, but you will also have access to two early arrival sessions,individual pitches, and chances to network with faculty and other attendeesduring our cocktail hour, luncheon, awards banquet and Open Mic.

Early registration ends Dec. 31. That’s less than two weeksaway! Register online via Paypal or print the registration form and submit a checkvia U.S. mail.

The 2012 Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference is sure to be agreat event. I hope to see all of you there.

Keep writing!

www.missouriwritersguild.org

An Interview with Jane Friedman, Former Publisher of Writer’s Digest and Query Critic Giveaway

2011-12-06T11:56:00.001-06:00

By Sarah Whitney

Are you a writer baffled by social media?

Curious about the success stories you’ve heard aboute-publishing, but wary about releasing your work online?

Or, are you a new writer, still struggling through revisionsand rejection letters, frustrated because everyone has different advice aboutwhat’s going wrong with your manuscript?

I’m pleased to welcome our next featured conference speakerJane Friedman. She can provide writers of all experience levels with theinsider perspective that will help them make the most of their writing, editingand marketing time between now and the “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!”Conference.

Jane Friedman is anauthority on the future of media and publishing. She has spoken at more than200 events since 2001, including South by Southwest, BookExpo America, and theAssociation of Writers and Writing Programs.

Her expertise has been featured by sources such as NPR’sMorning Edition, Publishers Weekly, GalleyCat, PBS, The Huffington Post,Digital Book World, and Mr. Media, and she was recently called on to serve as a panelist forthe National Endowment for the Arts, to review 2011 grants inliterature.

Jane has more than a decade of hands-on experience in usingnew media and technology to engage and grow both online and offlinecommunities, and has been blogging for an audience of creative professionalssince 2001. She blogged at Writer’s Digest for three years and now blogs atJaneFriedman.com. Her presence on Twitter (135,000+ followers) is often citedas a model for those seeking to use social media effectively.

Jane now teaches full-time as an e-media and writing professor at theUniversity of Cincinnati, after leaving her post as publisher of Writer’sDigest. She is the author of The Future of Publishing: EnigmaVariations (April 1, 2011), as well as the BeginningWriter’s Answer Book (Writer’s Digest, 2006).

Jane will teach two break-out sessions and a Sunday Workshopsession during the upcoming 2012 Missouri Writers’ Guild conference. Her twobreakout sessions are called, “The Impact of Google, Amazon, and Apple on YourCareer” and “Evaluating Your First Page for Red Flags.” Her Sunday workshopsession is a class on E-publishing. Attendees will learn what services areavailable to distribute their e-book, if and when they’re endangering thefuture potential of their work by making it available electronically, 3essential factors that impact their e-book sales, how to price their work andmore.

Sarah: Jane, thank you for taking time out of yourbusy schedule to speak with us today. Writing and publishing can be a toughbusiness, but as long as there are people like you who are willing to sharetheir experiences and insights, then writers who want to put in the work toimprove their craft, can hope to someday reach their writing goals.

Jane: Always happy to be of service! Thanks for featuringme.

Sarah: To get usstarted, you’ve accomplished so much during your career. Can you tell us aboutyour beginning? How did you get into the publishing business?

Jane: Very simple, really. I landed a summer internship at apublishing house while I was still in college. After I graduated, that samepublisher hired me full-time. And there I stayed for 12 years!

Sarah: Over the pastdecade or so, you’ve developed a career as a new media expert. Can you talkabout what was your first experience with what’s now called with social media,and what makes you so passionate about it?

Jane: I joined MySpace sometime in 2005 or 2006, andactually found it juvenile and a waste of time. (The functionality andpresentation was quite different from today’s social networks.) I didn’t spendmuch time on MySpace, though I did establish a page there for Writer’s Digest.

In late 2006, I read an article in The New Yorker about a new social network called Facebook that wasprimarily restricted to college students, but was opening to the generalpublic. I was intrigued and signed up. If you’re my friend on Facebook,you can see the date I uploaded my first Facebook profile photo, December 16,2006!

At the time, nobody I knew was on Facebook, and I rarelyvisited the site. Then it took off in my community around 2008-2009.

I had a similar experience with Twitter. I joined early,then became active when it had more widescale adoption.

Why am I passionate about social media? On the most basiclevel, it’s fun to use. It’s fun to share stuff with other people with whom youhave ties, but might not communicate with otherwise. It’s fun to create apersona, too—to play around with how we construct our identities and convey aparticular identity to the external world, and to different circles of friends.Endlessly fascinating.

I never started using social media thinking: I’m going tomarket, promote, and platform build! The very idea would’ve been foreign to meat the time. I was just enjoying myself, and using it to further extend what Ialready do: serve creative people.

You have to bring something of yourself (of your purpose) to social media tools for themto be effective in your life or career; the tool itself isn’t going to do thework for you. It’s not a magic wand. Youbring the magic.

Sarah: You write amonthly post at Write Unboxed. In your September post “A Checklist for Marketing Your E-book,” you observed that sometimes writers seemto default to using social media to market their e-book, and then made the verygood point that social media isn’t a marketing strategy, it’s a marketing tool.As you developed the post, you go in-depth about defining market strategies butdidn’t say much more about social media. Could you elaborate on about whatexactly makes social media – Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr – tools and notstrategies?

Jane: They’re tools because they’re used in service of agreater purpose that you must determine.

In marketing (and in life!), it’s a well-known principlethat you don’t start with the tactics; you start with the objectives.

For instance, an objectivemight be:

Create awareness that NOVEL X releases on 11/11/11 with theromance community.

Strategy:Spark relevant conversations about the themes of NOVEL X on specific romanceFacebook pages.

Tactic:Have a weekly giveaway on XYZ Facebook pages based on responses to specificprompts tied to NOVEL X’s themes.

Let’s look further at the strategy: Build relevantconversations on specific romance Facebook pages. What if our research uncoversthat there are no meaningful romance-related Facebook pages or communities?(This is strictly hypothetical.) Then Facebook is the wrong tool to accomplishour objective.

Or, let’s look at the tactic: Have a daily giveaway. What ifresearch or experience tells us that Facebook users who are romance readershate giveaways? Then we’ve chosen the wrong medium (or tool). Maybe giveawaysare better suited to a specific blog instead. (Again, this is allhypothetical.)

To put a more personal perspective on this: What is JaneFriedman’s purpose on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks? To servecreative people by showing them how the industry is changing, and howtechnology and new media empowers them to find their audience or adapt theirwork to expand their audience. (And also to have fun.)

Every time I encounter a new tool, I consider how it createsa new opportunity, channel, or expression for that purpose. But it doesn’t makesense for me to use a particular tool if it’s not reaching my audienceeffectively, if no one is listening, or if I hate using it.

Sarah: In your E-publishing Master Class, you expectto provide attendees an “unbiased, insider look at the e-book publishing scene”and when writers should do it. Would you give us a sneak peak about when anauthor might consider publishing an e-book? Also, are there different considerations for a new writer versus someonewho has already published a couple books through a smaller, independent press?

Jane: Independent e-book publishing is a smart option forauthors who already have a direct reach to their readership. This reach mayhave been established through previous traditional publication, or throughvarious elements of a professional platform (media appearances, popular websiteor blog, public speaking engagements, social media presence, and so on).

If you don’t yet have a direct reach to your audience, thenbefore you jump into the e-publishing game, ask yourself: Can you easilyidentify your target audience? Do you know where to find them?

Are you ready toinvest the time and energy in answering these questions, then engaging withyour audience for many weeks and months?

The interesting thing about e-book releases is that it oftenworks the reverse of traditional publishing book releases. With a traditionalpublisher, you typically have your greatest sales success in the first 3-12months of the book’s life. With an e-book, after 3-6 months, you’re probablyjust getting started. For that reason, it takes persistence. It makes no senseto try e-publishing if you’re not committed to seeing it through for at least 1year, if not longer. It also tends to be a more effective option if you’rewilling to stick with it for multiple books (or if you have multiple titles youcan release).

Of course, e-publishing is also a great tool forexperimenting, especially since the hard cost to do so is usually zero. Noteverything has to be done for profit or gain. You can also play around, or useit as a marketing and promotion vehicle for other things you do.

Sarah: If you couldpick one lesson students enrolled in your Intro to E-Media Writing class at the University of Cincinnati shouldtake away from the course once final exams are over, what would it be?

Jane: It’s about showing up and doing the work, on aconsistent basis, even if what you’re producing is crap. Do the work. Do thework. Do the work. No excuses. There’s no other way to improve, aside fromgetting the right feedback at the right time from the right person—which isoften driven by chance! But that’s yet another reason to do the work consistently—toincrease your chances of getting lucky.

Sarah: In yourbreakout session, “Evaluating Your First Page for Red Flags” you will be givingan insider’s perspective into the beginners’ mistakes that agents and editorslook for within a manuscript’s beginning. As a beginning fiction writer, I havefound myself obsessing for hours about comma placement, word choice, sentencestructure and other details because of this fear. Could you tell me if thereare any mistakes that beginning writers are allowed to make without gettingtheir manuscript thrown into the recycle bin?

Jane: Let me allay your fears. Any agent or editor whorejects your work based solely on random surface-level concerns (straypunctuation errors or grammatical snafus), isn’t someone you want to work with.Great writing shines through stray surface-level errors—assuming those errorsaren’t so numerous that they become distracting.

To be crystal clear: I’m not talking about the kind of badgrammar and punctuation that immediately reveals a writer who hasn’t even begunto master his craft. I’m talking about people who’ve probably been at work foryears, and have the requisite skills to be a writer, but may not be flawlessfrom a mechanical standpoint.

I’m a college writing professor who sees error-ridden workdaily—but I can still spot fabulous voice, insightful observations, andprovocative point of view through all those errors. Surface errors can befixed. Boring stories can’t.

I do advocate purposeful wordsmithing and ruthlessness incutting back flabby prose. But if writers think bad comma placement will resultin rejection … well … agents and editors are just trying to scare you becausethey do receive a lot of crap that should’ve never crossed their desks. Theirfrustration with all that crap comes out when they admonish you on panels,“Submit only flawless work!” Of course they think they mean it, but they reallydon’t. They’re reacting to the incredibly bad stuff they receive—and are tiredof receiving. I guarantee you they’ve accepted manuscripts that have errors inthem. They were willing to overlook them because they kept turning the pages.

Sarah: Whileresearching my questions for your interview, I came across this delightful interview with you about drinking. The lastinterview question is about why you drink. I would like to add a follow-upquestion, how does drinking impact your writing?

Jane: I rarely drink when I’m writing for a publication or formy own blog—or for a Q&A like this! On occasion, I may drink to loosen upfor more personal types of writing, but even then, I follow these wise wordsfrom Ernest Hemingway: “Write drunk; edit sober.”

Sarah: Jane, whathas been so great about writing these questions for you, is just how much I’velearned along the way. Thank you for not only answering my questions here, buteverything you’ve contributed to the writing community. I’m looking forward tomeeting you this coming April.

For more information about Jane, I recommend checking outher web site www.janefriedman.com andfollowing her on Twitter @Janefriedman. You can also find her monthly over at Writer Unboxed, which is a great writingresource. You can also subscribe to her Electronic Speed newsletter by clickinghere.

If you haven’t registered for the “Write Time! Write Place!Write Now! Conference, click hereto take advantage of our early registration rates. If you have, thank you andwe’re looking forward to seeing you in April. With faculty members like Jane,agents like Ann Behar and authors like Claire Cook, it’s going to be one of ourbest conferences yet.

In the meantime, please comment below and tell us what youthink of Jane’s interview or anything else on your mind. One lucky commenterwill win a one-page query letter critic from Jane. Help spread the word througha Facebook post, Tweet or blog post and you’ll earn extra chances to win. Justlet Tricia know when you comment. Post your comments by 12/ 13/2011.

EARLY REGISTRATIONENDS DEC. 31, 2011 AND RATES WILL INCREASE.

Meet the Editor and Leave a Comment for a Giveaway

2011-11-28T19:02:00.001-06:00

By Sarah Whitney

For this next Conference Sneak Preview, I’m pleased tointroduce you to the talented Rhonda Penders. She serves as editor-in-chief ofThe Wild Rose Press and is also a romance author in her own right.

TWRP started in May2006 as a small press and e-publishing company. Today the company is home toover 1,200 romance titles published in both electronic and print format. Thecompany’s premise has been and always will be “a kinder, gentler publishingcompany.” The company was built on the belief that a publishing contract is ateam effort between editor, author and publisher and Rhonda holds tight to thatmission statement. Rhonda’s writing background includes everything from smalltown newspaper reporting to several years writing confessionals for Dorchestermagazines. She has several full length novels and short stories published underthe name Roni Adams.

As TWRP editor-in-chief, Rhonda will participate in thepitch sessions during the “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” Conference. Inaddition, she will be conducting a breakout session titled, “How to Lose andEditor in Ten Days” where she will share tips from her five-yearexperience as the co-owner of a small publishing house. Shewill also present a breakout titled “The Difference Between Women’s Fiction andRomance” where she will explain what is a romance novel or what the difference is between women’sfiction and romance.

Sarah: Rhonda, thankyou for taking the time to answer some questions about yourself and The WildRose Press. We’re looking forward to hearing your take on the market andespecially what types of novels you’d like to see.

Rhonda: Thank you so much Sarah. I am looking forward to joining you next Spring at your conference and Iappreciate the chance to answer your questions ahead of time.

Sarah: To get us started, could you explain what you do aseditor-in-chief of The Wild Rose Press?

Rhonda: My main role is tooversee the editing department. Inparticular to be there in the event that a situation arises that requires myattention. For example if an editor hasan issue with an author or an author has an issue with an editor. I’m alsothere to help in the acquisition process. While our Senior Editors make the final decisions on what is acquired,I’m brought in when something isn’t exactly clear cut.

In addition to my role asEditor-in-Chief, I also work very closely with the Marketing Department and alarge chunk of my day is spent on helping with promotion and marketing plans.

Sarah: While visiting your web site, www.thewildrosepress.com, I noticed that separate genres have different names,like contemporary romance is the Champange Rose line or romantic westerns isthe Cactus Rose Line. Could you explain how TWRP is organized? And how does anauthor figure out who they should submit a query to?

Rhonda: TWRP is organized into several subgenres of romance. The Historical Department, for example isbroken into four main categories – Cactus Rose – (Western Historicals),American Rose (historical romance that took place on American soil), EnglishTea Rose (these include the Regencies, Highlanders, any historical romancetaking place overseas) and Vintage Rose is for romances that take place betweenearly 1900’s and 1980. Hard to believebut 1980 is Vintage!

Our Contemporary Lines are split upby level of heat – Scarlet is of course our erotic line, Champagne is the nexthottest, and then there is the Sweetheart which is our sweeter romances. YellowRose is a line devoted strictly to modern day cowboys, cowgirls orranchers. These stories can be hot andspicy or sweet but if the story is set on a ranch anywhere it’s a Yellow Rose. Crimson Rose is romantic suspense and theParanormal Department is made up of Faery Rose and Black Rose. Faery Rose is the lighter paranormal such asgood witches, sprites, faeries and Black Rose has to do with vampires,shapeshifters and demons, etc.

As far as which line to submit anauthor should review the website to see where the manuscript fits. For example if it’s a contemporary romanceand the hero and heroine have sex but its behind closed doors or not fullydescribed only implied than that would put it in the Sweetheart Rose line. If the romance is set on a ranch and the herois a cowboy then it’s a Yellow Rose submission.

Sarah: So, what kind of novels do you publish at The Wild Rose Press? Isthere anything that you haven’t seen, that you would absolutely love to receivea pitch on?

Rhonda: We only publish adult romance, although in several differentsubgenres. I can’t think of anything wehaven’t seen but I will say that right now short stories are all the rage. They are selling quite well and we can’t seemto get enough of them – and that goes for all the lines not just one.

Sarah: I noticed that the Black Rose Line has an open submissions call for Pagan holiday stories between 20,000-40,000words. Is this a submission call for a series? Could you explain what this is,and if or how it’s different from a query for a full manuscript? Are thereother lines that have open submissions between now and April?

Rhonda: From time to time our editors will ask for somethingspecific such as the Pagan holidaystories. They will be released under theBlack Rose line as part of the Pagan holiday series. We have a few series running right now suchas Cowboy Kink in the Scarlet Rose line and The Millionaire Club inChampagne.

Sarah: It can be intimidating to participate in a pitch session even forveterans. Could you give us some advice on what to expect, especially for anyfirst-timers, if we pitch you? Any words of advice on what to do or pitfalls toavoid?

Rhonda: The first thing Itell anyone who pitches to me is to relax. I’m just an everyday girl who puts her jeans on one leg at a time justlike you. I’m a writer just like you andthere’s nothing to be nervous about. Generally, once people meet me some of the fear eases when they see I’mcompletely normal and easy going.

Sarah: TWRP also publishes e-books. What type of response, regardinge-books, are you receiving from readers? Are they popular?

Rhonda: eBooks are extremely popular and the entire industry isexploding in popularity. A few yearsago, readers couldn’t imagine not picking up a print book to read theirfavorite romance now they are in love with their Kindles or iPhones or Nooksand are constantly looking for more ebooks. Print sales are diminishing more every year.

Sarah: In addition to your role atTWRP, you’re also a romance author, publishing under the name Roni Adams. Yourecently released a new book, ‘The Chauffeur Wears an Evening Gown.’ It soundslike a lot of fun. Could you tell us about it? Where did you come up with theidea?

Rhonda: Wow you do yourhomework, Sarah. Lol. The Chauffeur Wore an Evening Gown is a shortstory published in our Champagne Rose line. It actually kicked off the Millionaire’s Club. In my story my heroine fills in for herbrother as a chauffeur to JR Stone. JRStone is on his way to the Governor’s Ball to accept the biggest award of hisnight when his date calls to break up with him. He convinces Erin to help him out and pretend to be his date but oncethe night ends JR is determined to win Erin’s real love.

Sarah: Finally, I think it’s fair to say that TWRP is dedicated not onlyto helping its authors but also ‘rose’budding authors succeed through its Rose Trellis program, which helps writers connect with other writersthrough critique groups. In your experience, how valuable is it for writers toconnect with other writers, either through critique groups, conferences, andorganizations like the Missouri Writers Guild or Romance Writers of America?

Rhonda: I honestly don’t knowhow authors, especially new authors, can make it without the support of otherwriters. Our Rose Trellis was designedto connect writers with other writers to form a critique partnership orcritique on-line group. It is extremelybeneficial for writers to be able to connect with each other and organizationssuch as the Missouri Writers Guild, RWA and other writing groups whether inperson or online give writers a huge edge over a writer who doesn’t have thattype of connection.

Rhonda, thank you again for takingthe time to answer my questions and sharing your insights into TWRP. If readerswould like to learn more about Rhonda, they can visit her author website or www.wildrosepress.com.

You can schedule a pitch session with Rhonda today byregistering for this year’s conference over on the Missouri Writers’ Guild website. In addition, if you register before Dec. 31, you’ll lock in the earlybird registration rates and get even more savings!

Clickhere to register for the “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” conference tolock in your early-bird discount.

Thank you for visiting, and let us know what you think. Wealways love feedback, so if you have any additional questions for Rhonda orconference questions for Tricia, feel free to ask them below in the comments.One lucky commenter will win a Missouri Writers’ Guild Tote Bag with the 2012conference logo.Comments must be posted by December 5th. As always, sharing this interview via Twitter, Blog posts andFacebook will earn you extra chances to win! Just let us know how you spreadthe word when you comment.

Happy Writing!

Behind the Books with Literary Agent Ann Behar and a Tote Giveaway

2011-11-19T10:58:00.001-06:00

It’s always been about books, literary agent Ann Behar wrotein her bio. Ms. Behar took awandering path to becoming a literary agent at Scovil Galen Ghosh LiteraryAgency, Inc. Stops included earning a law degree from the University of SanDiego Law School and becoming a full-time mother and wife.

In 2002, she decidedto return to work and found “one of the few businesses in the world where anEnglish degree and a law degree are equally valuable.” She joined SCG.

Five years later, she took over the firm’s list of juvenilewriters and has been searching for “wonderful children’s books, from picturebooks to YA, ever since.”

Her path has now led her to the “Write Time! Write Place!Write Now!” Conference slated for April 20-22, 2012, where she will listen topitches from attendees. In her bio, she described the type of work she hopes tofind:

“I am looking for anything that is beautifully written, witha strong, distinct voice and characters that come alive on the page. Ideally, abook should grab my attention from the very beginning and hold it there, andleave me thinking about it for a few days after I am finished.”

She is currently open to queries via e-mail only. Submissionguidelines are here.

Sarah: Ann, thank you for taking the time answer afew questions today about your upcoming visit to the Missouri Writers’ Guildconference. You are the first agent I’ve interviewed for our conferencepreview, so I’m looking forward to your responses. I’ll begin with the question, the answerto which, everyone wants to know. You’ve given a general overview of the typeof writing that perks your interest. Do you have specific types of manuscriptsyou would love to find? Or specific types of work you are tired of seeing inyour slush pile?

Ann: I’m not being coy or evasive when I say I amlooking for anything that is exquisitely written, with vibrant characters and acompelling plot. I have a book coming out this summer about a human girl andvampire boy who fall in love. Hello?Although part of me felt I had to steer clear of a book with such a TWILIGHTreminiscent plot, the writing turned out to be so extraordinary, theprotagonist so unique and authentic, the setting so rich and textured, I justhad to try and sell it. And I did! Am Iseeing too many queries for paranormal, dystopian and steampunk-based books?Yes, but great writing will always catch my eye, seduce me and hold me in itsclutches.

Sarah: Cory Doctorow, one of your authors, has releasedseveral of his books under a creative commons license. Has this been aneffective marketing tool for him? What are your thoughts, from an agent’sperspective, regarding authors releasing work under a CC license?

Ann: It has been rocket fuel for Cory,but like all rocket fuel it has to be handled with extreme care, byexperts. I am certainly not going tocome on here and say, "Hey everyone, release your works for free!" asif it were just another personal marketing technique like tweeting. It has worked for Cory because he has appliedit intelligently, working in close consultation with his agents and publishers.

Cory has awell-thought out philosophy about the free sharing of ideas and he believesstrongly in the vision of the Creative Commons license. Starting from thatvision, he uses the CC philosophy as the cornerstone of a marketing strategyinvolving free PDFs of his work.

Others whoare not prepared to sign on to the CC attitude toward copyright can stillbenefit from the idea of giving stuff away in order to gain new fans.

For ourclient Diana Gabaldon we give away free mass market books -- actual books. Forour client James Rollins we have given away free audio books and $1.99 ebooks.Other clients have given away (or sold at a very low price) novellas set intheir signature universes, as a reward for fans or a way for new readers to dipa toe in their waters. None of theseinvolves a CC license.

It's allabout getting new readers to try something. CC licenses are a very powerful wayto do that and they integrate well into Cory's larger approach to copyrightfreedom. But writers who aren't yet willing to go that far can still takeadvantage of the basic idea. Particularlyif you've got a series. If you lose money on free copies of your first novelbut as a result your later novels triple in sales, are you going to complain?

Sarah: It seems like a majority of your authors writesome version of juvenile fantasy or science fiction. Is there something aboutthese genres that appeals to you? If so, could you give us more insight intowhat you like in a juvenile fantasy or science fiction novel?

Ann: My agencybecame known for adult science fiction and fantasy long ago, as Russ representsArthur C. Clarke, Terry Goodkind, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Mercedes Lackey and somany other fantasy and science fiction greats. So I suppose it’s natural Iwould get a lot of queries about science fiction and fantasy juvenile books. ButI cannot tell a lie, these genres were never favorites of mine personally. Ihave read very few adult science fiction or fantasy novels. I’m more of anAnthony Trollope fan! But at the risk of being repetitive, if a book isextraordinary, I don’t care if it’s about faeries, dragons or stamp collecting.A great writer can make any subject gripping. So, a fantasy or science fiction novel would have to havethree-dimensional characters that I come to care about immediately, a detailed,fascinating world that makes me feel as if I am a part of, and a tightlystructured plot that holds my attention from the start to finish.

Sarah: What advice would you give to writers who areconsidering pitching you at the conference?

Ann: Tell me about the plot as succinctly as possible, andbriefly outline the main characters in a way that makes them sound like peopleI’d like to meet. And I want to know the protagonist’s goal, and theconsequences if that goal is not attained. Be prepared to let me read a sample,so I can get a sense of the voice. And finally, have a thick skin. I’m prettyblunt. But I try to be constructive!

Sarah: If a writerwere to query you, what is your average response time?

Ann: Sometimes I get a chance to start reading amanuscript and know right away it’s not for me. In a case like that, I will getback to the author within a week. But if that doesn’t happen, I try to have aresponse in 1-2 months.

Sarah: Once you’ve signed a client, how do you defineyour role as their agent?

Ann: It is my jobto help clients forge a career as a full-time writer, and shepherd them throughit every step of the way. I am their advocate. I am committed to making theirexperience in the publishing process as smooth and easy as possible, so they can dowhat they do best—write. I want to give them the confidence that I am handlingeverything besides the writing: submissions, contracts, subrights, bookkeeping,etc. In addition, I absolutely love to edit, and many clients send me pagesfrom new projects and ask for my response, and we work on it together until weare happy with it.

Sarah: Thank you again, Ann, for sharing yourinsights with us. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we appreciateyour advice for the upcoming conference and general publishing insights.

Ann is one of several agents participating in the individualpitch sessions this year. If you think Ann might be a good agent to pitch, youcan learn more about her by reading her spotlight on LiteraryRambles, a blog all about “Children’s Book Authors, Agents and Publishing”or by visiting the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency website.

All pitch sessions are assigned first come, first serve. Youcan request a pitch session with Ann today by registering for this year’sconference over on the Missouri Writers’ Guild web site. In addition, if youregister before Dec. 31, you’ll lock in the early bird registration rates andget even more savings!

Clickhere to register for the “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” conference tolock in your early-bird discount.

Thank you for visiting, and let us know what you think. Wealways love feedback, so if you have any additional questions for Ann orconference questions for Tricia, feel free to ask them below in the comments.One lucky commenter will win a Missouri Writers’ Guild Tote Bag with the 2012conference logo. Please post your comments by November, 26^th. Asalways, sharing this interview via Twitter, Blog posts and Facebook will earnyou extra chances to win! Just let us know how you spread the word when youcomment.

Happy Writing!

Whip Your Literary Ambitions into Shape at the MWG Conference with Writing Coach Christina Katz

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

This week’s conference preview features Christina Katz, the author of three books from Writer’s Digest: The Writer’s Workout, Get Known Before the Book Deal, and Writer Mama. Her writing career tips and parenting advice appear regularly in national, regional, and online publications. Christina is a popular speaker on career growth and presents at writing conferences such as AWP, ASJA, PNWA, OWFI, and Willamette Writers. She is also often featured at literary events, MFA writing programs, and libraries. Christina is the creator and host of the Northwest Author Series in Wilsonville, Oregon, where she lives with her husband, her daughter, and far too many pets.

Christina will be the Missouri Writers’ Guild’s keynote speaker for the Show Me Spotlight Awards Banquet on Saturday Night. After listening to her motivational speech called “Never a Better Time to be a Writer,” writers should expect to find that extra burst of willpower needed to help them to find the “Write Time, Write Place to Write Now!”

Christina will also present two breakout sessions, “Six Steps to Crafting Better Nonfiction Queries” and “The Five Workouts Every Empowered Writer Needs to Prosper in the Gig Economy.” On Sunday, she will teach a 3-hour long workshop called “Power Up Your Platform for the Internet Age.”

Christina, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your participation with the upcoming 2012 Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference. We’re looking forward to having you attend and help us get into writing shape.

Thank you! I’m happy to be here and I’m looking forward to the conference.

Question: To get us started, during the Saturday Night Show Me Spotlight Awards Banquet you will be giving the Keynote Speech titled “Never a Better Time to Be a Writer.” We’ve posted a brief description of your speech on our conference web page, but could you tell us a little bit more about it?

A: These days, most writers realize that they have to treat their writing like a business, write well enough to compete in the marketplace, sell themselves and their work on a daily basis, serve readers via their unique writer-reader dynamic, and cultivate a prosperous long-term platform that will keep them visible. I am going to attempt to convince everyone that all of the hard work and juggling that we are all doing is going to pay off for us in the short run and the long run. Our forced evolution from mere writers to career producers insures the survival and success of more writers than the old system ever did.

Q: You’ve helped hundreds of aspiring authors achieve their goals of becoming published authors and writers. What is one of the more common challenges that aspiring authors encounter and how do you help them face it?

A: The three most common stumbling blocks for writers are: lack of confidence, lack of experience, and lack of willingness. In my mind, all three of these go together and can appear in the form of a stuck writer, who is scared, unwilling to learn new things, or resists hard work. Contrast this with my typical student, who understands that the journey is the destination and who wants to learn and grow every day, whether those daily successes are big or small. The willing, motivated, humble writer, who knows that there will always be new mountains to climb tomorrow is the type most editors prefer. These writers go on to achieve major milestones like landing a book deal, but it’s never Bing! Bang! Boom! Success is always the result of slow, steady, and consistent effort that results in a solid body of work that grows over time.

Q: Your breakout session “The Five Workouts Every Empowered Writer Needs to Prosper in the Gig Economy” is a 75 minute presentation where attendees will undergo “five workouts that will stretch their minds and inspire their bottom lines.” What do you mean by workouts? We don’t need to wear comfy clothes and bring a water bottle, do we? J

A: Nope! All the workouts we will do are mental exercises designed to help me hold up a mirror to each writer in the hopes that his or her career strengths will be reflected back more clearly.

Maybe between now and April, writers can think about why they even want to write in the first place. It’s so important that writers, who strive for publication and critical acclaim, know why they write, and mentally organize the writing they do based on the intended purpose and reader. This way a writer can put the writing that is for publication through the appropriate paces instead of hoping for a miracle.

Q: You’ve written a detailed definition of author platform on your web site. Then you said you’ll have a lot more to say about platform in your upcoming book, The Writer’s Workout, 366 Tips, Tasks & Techniques From Your Writing Career Coach (Dec. 2011 – Click here to preorder.) Could you give us a sneak peek at one or two of those 366 tips, tasks and techniques?

A: I sure can. Here is an excerpt of The Writer’s Workout on Scribd that contains twelve sample chapters. I think this excerpt will give you a pretty good idea of tone and scope of the book. Feel free to share the link with your membership. Hopefully, there are a few helpful tidbits in there.

Q: You’ve written another book about building author platforms called Get Known Before the Book Deal. You’ve written an article here, which you’ve made available for others to post on their blogs, about why this important. My question, though, is do you have any tips for balancing our actual writing against the time it takes to build a platform?

A: Sure. The appropriate time to launch your platform is when you are ready for readers. This is most likely when you start to have some publishing momentum. Once you do, gather up some helpful how-to resources on platform building and get to work hammering out your identity, mission, audience, and dynamic. If you don’t know what you are writing or for whom you are writing or why the reader will care about what you are writing, don’t take steps to build your platform yet. The reader rules. More specifically: your reader rules. When you do what’s best for the reader, you don’t have to worry about much else.

Q: In a Q&A over at Tweet Magazine, you talked about how to be successful on Twitter. I’m curious about what you tell aspiring authors and writers who aren’t on social media. Should they be developing a Twitter and Facebook presence, or have their own blog? Should they get into social media before they’re published or wait until they have their book, short stories, poetry, etc. published. What do you think?

A: If you are a professional writer, then writing goes at the center of your career. When I interviewed a dozen successful novelists for Writer’s Digest magazine on the topic of platform development, they all said the same thing: if the writing isn’t excellent, there is no career to talk about. So if writing isn’t at the center of your career, you’re career will suffer.

I see social media as an aspect of platform development that comes later, after the writing is done, or at least almost done, and the platform development work has been launched. So if you are in the process of forming a professional identity, don’t sweat social media until you understand your unique writer-reader dynamic. We’ll discuss how to find your specific dynamic in my three-hour workshop on Sunday, if anyone is interested.

Q: It’s obvious you have a special desire to help women and especially mothers. On your website, www.christinakatz.com, you’ve compiled a list of books written by women. In addition, your first book, Writer Mama, is specifically targeted toward moms. Why is it important to you to help moms who are also working at building their writing careers?

A: I decided to take my desire to become a professional writer more seriously once I realized that there would be a little pair of eyes watching me every day. I decided to be true to who I am and set a good example for my daughter’s sake by doing what I love. Today my daughter is nine and she is a prolific artist, writer, dancer, singer, and actress. She’s still a typical tween, of course, and I can’t take all the credit for how she is, but I feel like I make the right decision every day to champion myself and other women in a world that seems incapable of respecting women in the first place.

Helping moms tap into their ideas so they can communicate them clearly is my specialty, but not everything I do. I think an outsider could try and dismiss my work as perpetuating the phenomenon of “housewife writers,” but that’s not what it’s about and the women who work with me over time know it. They become more professionally empowered, confident, and resilient writers over time. They develop a trust in sounding their clear, authentic note in the cacophony—and I think that’s an important step for anyone right now.

I want my students to respect what they have to express, and let that lead. To paraphrase Rumi—to let what they love be what they do—but in as grounded, and service-oriented a manner as possible. This is my great hope for every writer. And that’s where all the joy and satisfaction are, for me.

Christina, thank you again for taking the time to visit the Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference Blog. I hope what you’ve talked about today will help everyone get motivated to continue improving their writing career.

Great interview! Thanks so much for having me.

Christina’s new book, The Writer’s Workout, comes out in December so she has offered to give away one copy of each of her other Writer’s Digest Books, Get Known Before the Book Deal and Writer Mama.

Leave a comment below by November 18th, telling Tricia and me how you shared this blog and your name will be entered once for each way you shared. (Blog Comment below, 1 entry. Facebook post, 1 entry. Twitter with link, 1 entry, etc. Your own blog post with link, 1 entry).

If you’d like to learn more from Christina, you don’t have to wait until our “Write Time! Write Place! Write Now!” Conference. She offers a variety of classes and training groups through her web site, www.christinakatz.com. Find her on Twitter @thewritermama or on her Facebook Page. Learn more about her upcoming book, The Writers Workout and her other motivational writing books.

Be sure to subscribe to the MWG conference blog so you don’t miss any of our upcoming interviews. Next week, we will be spotlighting our first agent in this space, Ann Behar with Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

Judging by the quality of interviews from Christina, Christy Craig, Claire Cooke and Susan McBride, this year’s Missouri Writers’ Guild annual conference will be an event anyone who wants to improve their craft will not want to miss. So, be sure to head over to www.missouriwritersguild.org because conference registration is now open!

Register before Dec. 31 to lock in the discounted conference rates of $135 for guild members, $145 for chapter members and $165 for the general public.

And in the mean time, remember that today is always the write time and write place to write now!