HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday. But now it's time go get serious.
It's time for another post for the INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP.
For those of you who don't know about the IWSG, it is the brainchild of our own Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh... IT was created to help writers help each other with our insecurities about our craft. Whether we need advice or want to help others, this is the time to do it. The first WEDNESDAY of every month.
Now that a new year is upon us, it is time to reflect on our previous endeavors and move forward. What worked and didn't work for you in 2012? Did you have failures or successes? Were you happy with the results?
For many of us, we are still unpublished. But take heart, it doesn't mean that you hard work was in vain. EVERY word you wrote, every chapter you finished, and every novel you completed helped you become a better writer. REMEMBER THAT!
I named my blog In Time ... for a reason. BECAUSE IN TIME we will make our goal. WE will get published. It may not be traditionally... and that's FINE. There are SO MANY AMAZING self published books. And in today's market you can be extremely successful, as LONG as you produce a QUALITY story. Remember competition is overwhelming. YOU need to put in your BEST effort; YOUR finest prose; AND YOUR most POLISHED manuscript. Then you will be ready. There are way too many novels self published that shouldn't have been. Don't let yours be one of them!
This year I plan to continue my journey. I plan to continue to polish my two novels to perfection and find a home from them whether traditionally or self published. I also plan to continue to write my Film Noir novella and get that out into the world.
BUT before YOU decide to release your works, LET your CP'S read it. Our work should be read by other writers because we know what works and doesn't work. DON'T be afraid to share your work. We are all here for each other. I have LEARNED so much from my wonderful blogger friends and CP'S.... And remember to be there for them too. We learn from each other.
I wish ONLY the best for all of you for 2013.... MAY you find your niche, MAY you create something wonderful, and MAY you have health and happiness, for without our health and happiness we could never create.
ALL THE BEST....
Warmest affection...
Michael
Don't forget to drop by our other members for advice, inspiration, and more ways to fight your anxieties.
It's time for another post for the INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP.
For those of you who don't know about the IWSG, it is the brainchild of our own Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh... IT was created to help writers help each other with our insecurities about our craft. Whether we need advice or want to help others, this is the time to do it. The first WEDNESDAY of every month.
Now that a new year is upon us, it is time to reflect on our previous endeavors and move forward. What worked and didn't work for you in 2012? Did you have failures or successes? Were you happy with the results?
For many of us, we are still unpublished. But take heart, it doesn't mean that you hard work was in vain. EVERY word you wrote, every chapter you finished, and every novel you completed helped you become a better writer. REMEMBER THAT!
I named my blog In Time ... for a reason. BECAUSE IN TIME we will make our goal. WE will get published. It may not be traditionally... and that's FINE. There are SO MANY AMAZING self published books. And in today's market you can be extremely successful, as LONG as you produce a QUALITY story. Remember competition is overwhelming. YOU need to put in your BEST effort; YOUR finest prose; AND YOUR most POLISHED manuscript. Then you will be ready. There are way too many novels self published that shouldn't have been. Don't let yours be one of them!
This year I plan to continue my journey. I plan to continue to polish my two novels to perfection and find a home from them whether traditionally or self published. I also plan to continue to write my Film Noir novella and get that out into the world.
BUT before YOU decide to release your works, LET your CP'S read it. Our work should be read by other writers because we know what works and doesn't work. DON'T be afraid to share your work. We are all here for each other. I have LEARNED so much from my wonderful blogger friends and CP'S.... And remember to be there for them too. We learn from each other.
I wish ONLY the best for all of you for 2013.... MAY you find your niche, MAY you create something wonderful, and MAY you have health and happiness, for without our health and happiness we could never create.
ALL THE BEST....
Warmest affection...
Michael
Don't forget to drop by our other members for advice, inspiration, and more ways to fight your anxieties.
57 comments:
Hi Michael, timely post. I read today that there were over 140,000 self published books in 2012, excluding those who didn't have an ISBN, so many many more. When reading many self published books, I'm often disappointed with the lack of editing and the feeling that the book was published before the author had perfected the writing. I think we need a team to help us, whether we're traditionally published or self published.
Denise
I love love love the theory of titling your book ”in time”. Smart boy you are B-)
2012 was definitely the year of the learning process. Now it is time for the year of success! Psh, we'll see. XD
Best wishes for the new year, Michael.
Good luck with the novels. I'm sure you'll get them out there. Hopefully mine will join them.
Happy New Year!
Mood
Good luck this year. I love the name "in time" it is very evocative.
Hey Michael! Happy new Year! Your words are wise, brother. Everything in its time. I'm learning patience more and more with every year. :)
Keep in touch!
Self-publishing has become a lot more respectable than it was in 2007, when I self-published my first novel. But there are TONS of books being self-published that aren't ready to see print (even electronic print). Some authors put out so many books per year, I can't imagine how they could possibly have gone through the revision and editing any book needs to be good!
Taking TIME to do it right is important. The name of your blog is perfect!
That's right - if we're going to do it, let's do it right! Do the best we can.
You are so right Michael, we should make sure that our work is in it's best condition before we put it out there. It definitely does make a difference. I want to wish you all of the best with your endeavours for 2013, as I am sure you will do brilliantly.
Great advice about CP's! I hope 2013 beings about all good things for you and your books.
Great advice, Michael! I've always believed that things will happen when they're supposed to happen. :)
I wish you all the best in 2013! I have no doubt you will reach your goals. xo
Happy New Year Bro! You are right to polish your gems. Patience is a virtue, one I struggle with but hopefully this year will produce some beautiful gems for the both of us.
Great post, Michael. Issac Asimov put out so many books each year, it was stunning. We have to look at writing as he did: a profession in which you put in the daily hours to get out a polished product.
Besides caring, competent friends who read our text for editing, we need to be hard task masters of ourselves at how much time we put into the actual writing of that text.
Our dreams can either be a hobby or a profession. We must choose.
Great, thought-provoking post as always, Roland :-)
Never send your work unchecked and unedited into the world.
As always, Michael, you inspire! Thank you.
Monti
Michael, you've SO got the right perspective. This was such a lovely post... if we could all have your mindset! (We'd all be accomplishing amazing things)
Perfect post for the New Year. Now I'm inspired. :-)
Agreed! Do it right...in time. Best for 2013.
"EVERY word you wrote, every chapter you finished, and every novel you completed helped you become a better writer. REMEMBER THAT!"
I love that.
Well said Michael. We just have to keep moving forward. You never know what the year will bring. You only fail at something by not trying.
Here's to much success for all who strive for it in 2013!
All the best to you too Michael! Your blog always makes me leave with a smile on my face.
What a fabulous positive message this month! Love this! Wishing you tons of magic with your writing this year. :)
I totally agree that there are way too many novels self published that shouldn't have been. It breaks my heart because these stories had so much potential, but the author lost patience. 'Getting published' became more important than the story.
May this year be an awesome year for you
Lyn
I Love all my CPs and the people who have helped make my submissions a publishing success. I would dream of sending something out without that second - or even tenth - pair of eyes.
Michael, I know your two novels a very well written. You've put in so much effort to learn and grow as an author. You will find a publisher, I have every faith in you and the stories.
You are one of the most supportive blogger/authors I know out there. I look forward to another year of visiting, laughing, and being inspired by you. Thanks so much for your wonderful friendship and encouragement.
........dhole
Aw, Michael, this is always the warmest and fuzziest blog to visit. :)
The best to you in 2013, Michael!
I love the idea of "in time." In time we can do anything, be anything. :)
Great post Michael! I have had a few CPs and a few family and friend betas read my work . . .and they gave me tons of great feedback (both the positive and negative kind), and I feel ready for the self publish date I've set for myself. I just have those days of doubt - you know the ones when every word just seems to suck - or maybe that's just me. I still have this need to go over my novel again with a fine tooth comb and catch any oopses . . .
Great advice and best of wishes for you in 2013!
Great post. I know you will be published in 2013. I agree, it is so important to have other writers read your work. Also, make sure to have beta readers. Non-writers can catch many story issues.
Looking forward to your good news post in the near future.
Great outlook, Michael. I couldn't agree more. Finding our own goals, pursuing our creativity (no matter the form) is what it's all about. Best to you in the coming year with your two books-- very impressive.
Beautiful words, my friend and ones that I needed to hear. You are one of the best things to happen to me in 2012. I don't know where I would be without you these last months. We have got to get together as I have so much to tell you. HUGS!
Hey,
Cheers for the inspiration and gotta SHOUT OUT to CPs in general... I'm busy now with some *amazing* help sent via my kind and generous CPers.
When I get published, it will be, in part, because of their time and efforts to help a fellow writer (that's me... I'm a writer :)
What a lovely post! And all those words mean you're that much closer to being published. Best wishes for 2013-Year of the Writer :)
Hi Michael - thanks for stopping by my blog earlier. I've followed you here and on Twitter. Glad to see we have Alex in common - what would we do without him? Thanks for the encouragement about publishing. I will be deciding this year what to do with my children's book. Good luck this year!
Hi Michael! Thank you for stopping by yesterday and for following. Love this post and am looking forward to reading more! Cheers to 2013!
Excellent advice, Michael. I would add that as invaluable as feedback is, never let anyone dissuade you from trusting your instincts. For people-pleasers like myself, it's very easy to fall into the trap of giving someone else control of our stories. We must remain ever vigilant. :)
Warmest wishes for an AMAZING 2013!
~VR Barkowski
What an inspirational post! I love my CPs and beta readers. They're wonderful :)
Wishing you all the best in 2013!
Good advice. Betas and CP's are a writers lifeline.
Thanks for following me!
Lauren
lovely post. thank you.
For what it's worth, self-publishing is kind of fun. I put out a short story, so it wasn't much of an "endeavor", but I enjoyed finding the font and designing the cover for it. The whole thing only took an afternoon, and then loaded it up on Smashwords followed by Amazon.
The thing I like about it is all the control I got. Maybe I have that "gay" gene that just likes things to be meticulous. Allow me to explain.
I'm also traditionally published and my publisher doesn't inform me one bit on what my cover is going to look like. He also doesn't want to take a lot of time in making sure everything is just the right size.
In the paperback version of "Oculus" at the beginning of Chapter 3, the mathematical formula I included is in like 24 point size font and it's just really irritating. I don't understand why he did that and it just leaps off the page and slaps you in the face.
But he won't change it. And for the paperback, I would have wanted a cover that goes all the way around to the back, and he didn't do that either as he says it's unimportant.
So yeah...having a publisher is kind of cool, but honestly, if my fantasy doesn't get picked up by Harper Voyager or then (Rhemelda) who I'll be sending to next, I'm totally self-pubbing.
It's the only way someone as meticulous as me will get what I want, which is cutesy scene breaks and perhaps some embedded pictures, and the font is all the right size for everything, and front and back covers.
Going with a publisher is kind of like hiring someone else to do the interior decorating of your condominium without fully understanding or trusting their taste. They just do it and you walk in and they haven't chosen plantation shutters, or done the right backsplash in your kitchen, and instead of tasteful art, they've hung "Dogs playing poker" in your living room next to the blue lazy boy.
You kind of go...uh...okay...yes this is functional but do you have any taste at all?
This is THE BEST advice, Michael! Both from the "in time" perspective as well as the very important "let someone else read your work" one. It IS so important to take our time and put out our very best books.
You're going to have a fab 2013! The Film noir sounds amazing, and can't wait to read your other book! Best to you! and LB hugs~ <3
Rousing. And true. And very well put. Right I'm off to do some polishing. Thanks Michael.
Laura x
PS - any chance you could have a read over some of my work later in the year? Would be glad to return the favour any time
Laura x
That is definitely SO important, to have other writerly friends go over our stuff. I mean, they read and write and blog and breathe the stuff. And even newbie writers can catch inconsistencies and comment on whether something feels real, etc. :) Best wishes and cyberhugs to you for 2013!!!!
Happy New Year! Wise words. We have to be patient and work with our CP's to bring our stories to life.
Best wishes for the new year!
Thanks so much for the positivity. Sometimes in the writing world it's hard to keep that positive focus.
Such an encouraging post!
I agree with you that CPs and/or editors should always read the story before you put it out there for the public to see.
That's probably the second best piece of advice I can give a new writer.
:-)
Happy new year! We have the same goals it seems--polishing our novels until it gleams enough to be noticed :)I'm wishing you the best of luck!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
I haven't published any of my writing yet because I DON'T want it to be one of the ones out there that people read and think, "That wasn't ready for publication." If they don't like it, they won't read anything else by me, right? So I agree, letting your critique partners help you hone your book to perfection is important.
Sorry I'm getting to you so late, Michael. Busy week!! Happy New Year and I loved your post.
I used to be on fire to just FINISH and get my work into the world. But the biggest lesson I learned in 2012 was the value of patience. I think being patient enough to keep revising until the book is as perfect as it can get is probably one of the most important things a writer can do.
Thanks for the great post and hope you have an awesome 2013!!
I can't stop staring at your arms....
Awwww have a brilliant 2013 too!!
Take care
x
I agree that there are way too many 'books' out there that shouldn't be. To me, trying to find a decent self published book is like trying to buy a nice dress at Value Village...you have to weed through racks and racks of crap before you find anything remotely decent...and even the good stuff isn't super good, it's just passable. I don't know, maybe I just haven't stumbled upon that self published gem yet...as hard as it is to get published traditionally, I think maybe there's a reason for that...there are exceptions of course. When I'm ready to pulish something I really don't know what path I'll take. I haven't got that far in my plan yet! lol!
Happy New Year and here's to all that polishing!
Patience doesn't seem to be a virtue anymore in today's tweet-paced culture, but I agree with you. Let's take our time polishing our work and then get it out there where it belongs!
Best wishes to you this year. I think it's going to be awesome for you. Glad to hear the CP shout out here, as I know my stories are always WAY better when they've gone through critique and revisions. Impatience has made many a self-published novel less than it could have been. Our stories deserve to be polished before being sent out into the world. Best of luck to your publishing success in 2013!
I have been writing a long time in many different media forms, forums and formats, but I am always learning and always attempting to improve. 2013 will be another great year.
Best wishes in the coming year my friend!
This was such an uplifting post Michael! Exactly what I needed to hear. Many Thanks!
This makes me think of my favorite line from Count of Monte Cristo "bide your time and hold out hope." Perfect post to start of the new year, Michael. I have a feeling this will be the year for many of us! :)
I def need to keep an eye on this group, it sounds so awesome! You're very right, must be quality, must have other eyes that aren't just "yes" people read for you! Great advice, sir.
Hope 2013 is amazing for you!
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