Christina Katz ~ The Prosperous Writer » Blasts from Christina’s Blogging Past

Round Up of Writer Mama Blog Tips & Inspiration

@thewritermama — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:08:22 +0000

The next round of Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff Begins (Especially for Moms) and Pitching Practice: Write Six Queries in Six Weeks begin on November 3rd.

In the meantime, here’s a round up of some of my best recent blog tips and inspiration:

Tips for Practicing Writer Mamas Who Want to Get Published (Link)

Even Writers Get Sophomore Slump: What To Do About It (Link)

How to Ignore Interruptions & Get Your Work Done (Link)

Prospering in the Gig Economy: Simple Habits That Pay Off Quickly (Link)

Top Ten Questions About Breaking In As A Freelance Writer (Link)

Helping Mom Writers Transform Frustrations Into Published (Link)

21 Reasons to Take a Writing Class (Link)

A Busy Mom Writer’s Typical Day By The Numbers (Link)

Also beginning November 3rd, Abigail Green will also be offering her first Level 2 of Personal Essays That Get Published.

Happy writing!

Platform 101: Be A Joiner, But Don’t Be A Sucker

@thewritermama — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:54:58 +0000

Ever been called a “joiner”?

Well, good for you, because writers who are willing to connect and mix with other writers tend to be happier and more productive than writers who isolate themselves or resist networking with peers. And joiners also have an easier time becoming known.

Have you taken a few hours to think about which associations might make the most sense for you to join? When it comes to joining associations, it’s really not the quantity, but the quality of your relationship with the association that counts.

Here are ten good reasons why you should make time to identify three associations you can join and get to know better:

Memberships…

…are typically inexpensive.

…grant you access to like-minded others.

…augment your professional status.

…allow you to interact with members of your audience.

…help you keep up with the latest industry trends.

…earn you a reduced rate for continuing education.

…sometimes offer additional benefits like insurance or legal assistance.

…serve as a newswire for professional achievements.

…can act as networking hubs.

…provide opportunities to give back to your professional community.

Membership organizations are not all created equally and, most often, they are only as good, friendly, and helpful as the people who run the network.

I’ve made it a personal policy to choose only the membership associations with the friendliest administrators, the best resources for members, and most apparent win-win attitudes towards partnering with members.

Why not? There are so many writing associations to choose from. I don’t have time for rude or aloof administrators, crummy resources I can beat with a Google search, or organizations only interested in their own earnings who refuse to share even a modest honorarium with authors or other professionals who provide services for their members.

For example, one organization I heartily endorse is Willamette Writers because they are always membership focused, not me merely Willamette Writers focused.

Another great membership organization, whose conference I’ve not yet attended but whose administrators have been a joy to communicate with is the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation.

And another great “association” that is actually not an association at all, but still manages to be a treasure trove of great resources and networking opportunities for writers, is Writer’s Digest. Obviously I’m biased, since I’m a Writer’s Digest author. But I think if you look closely at the Writer’s Digest offerings, you’ll see that they are setting an exemplary tone and offering a bevy of resources for writers of all experience levels. If you want to take advantage of a membership-like status with Writer’s Digest, you can sign up to become a VIP Member. [See the badge over there in the right-hand column of this blog to get more info. >>>]

You will see me buzzing these organizations a lot wherever I go because they understand one thing that we can all stand to remember: good news travels fast. And you will likely hear “the good news” repeatedly until you decide to become a member. And if you’re not hearing any good news or member buzz, then maybe think twice about an organization or do some more research before you opt in.

Next year, after you’ve been a member for a full membership cycle, assess how valuable your association was for your career. Naturally, you get back to a certain extent what you put in. So don’t sit back and expect an association to do for you. Associations can only give back, when you also invest.

But you’ll never know until you take a membership association for a test-drive.

Have fun, have good boundaries, and enjoy the ride!

[This post has been updated from a 2009 post that appeared in the old Get Known Before the Book Deal blog.]

There Has Never Been a Better Time to Be a Writer

@thewritermama — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:01:30 +0000

There has never been a better time to be a writer.

Sure if you are pressed for a final analysis, the original business model was and still is completely absurd. However, new technology empowers writers, helps us prosper more for our hard work, gives us more freedom and flexibility, and perhaps the biggest gain, allows us to connect with and communicate with each other.

When writers view publishers (agents, publicists, and everyone else involved) as partners and not meal tickets, then we can maintain 100% responsibility for our careers. But as soon as we start to think that a publisher is going to take care of everything (or take care of us), we are in trouble.
I asked a small Independent bookseller last week how business was going. He said September was his best month in fourteen years. A clerk at Borders told me that sales were up for the quarter this year from last year.

So, yes, it’s a good idea to be informed about how the book industry works before you jump into the pool with the thousands of other authors. However, for some of us, swimming in this rather crowded pool is exactly where we can execute a perfect kick-turn and push off the wall back into the throngs.

Publishing a book is not for the faint of heart. Trust me, the weeks prior to your first book’s release, every insecurity you have ever known will come roiling up. Ditto the first few times you speak, teach, or dare to do anything that moves you beyond your comfort zone.

But don’t demonize the publishing industry. The folks who work in it are doing the best they can with the rather crummy legacy that they were stuck with. And typically, the folks who work in publishing are smart, articulate, book-lovers just like writers.

Whatever you think you know about the book publishing industry, it’s never as black and white as some people paint it because those are people who work for those corporations. Just like people write books. Just like people read books.

So when you hear about the demise of the publishing industry and the death of reading or other doom and gloom stories, don’t believe them. Don’t believe them for a minute. There has never been a better time to be a writer.

*This post originally appeared in the Get Known Before the Book Deal Blog.

Photo by Johnia!