By Anna Cervova

The other day I got an out-of-the-blue request from someone I don’t know, have never heard of, and haven’t a clue how they found me.  It was a request to review their 330 page “you too, can get rich overnight with my proven 120-step technique for overnight wealth” type book.

Guess how long it took to zap that sucker into the big round file in the sky?

That request was followed by a 1,500 world email from someone else I don’t know and have never met asking for my take on the pros and cons of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing.

Later, gator!

 Warp Speed Delete

Another sure-fire way for an unsolicited email to wend its way into my Delete box at warp speed and a one-way ticket to my Block List: those that pretend to be a personal friend or associate when the message is obviously a bulk email sent to a list that’s probably the size of Alaska.

Another big no-no: emails from people asking me to do something for nothing.  By “nothing” I don’t necessarily mean $.  I mean people who aren’t willing to reciprocate.  They’re unwilling to do anything in return for my time and effort – no reciprocal link, a guest post, retweet.  Zip.  Zero.  Nada.

I have a response for that, too: Sayonara, baby! 

 Tortoises?

Another way to get my welcome mat whisked out from under your feet: flood my in box with a tsunami of unsolicited pitches hawking your latest product, book,  webinar, class or other self-serving commercial every time I sign on.

When I sign up for an email list, I do it at tortoise speed – and would appreciate it if the sender did likewise.  As in, Can you whittle that email tsunami down to once or twice a week, tops, instead of every single cotton pickin’ day???!!!

From In Box to Comment Section

Maybe you don’t get lots of dumb emails. But do you get dumb comments on your blog?  The kind that are obviously generated by an automaton in Outer Moldavia and read something like: “Great post!  I really love your site!”

Altogether, now: S-P-A-M.  Or S-N-E-E-Z-E.

Electronic Sneezing

Let’s face it.  Sneezing – whether in person or electronically – isn’t a great way to win friends or influence people.  Most people either turn away from or pretend to overlook a sneeze, even though it rattles their willies.  Sneezing interrupts the conversation, derails the train and makes you look less than healthy.

So think of dumb emails as “electronic sneezing.”

It’s amazing how much time dumb emails can gobble up.  Few of us have the time or want to expend the mental energy needed to wade through this stuff.  (Especially those of us with the attention span of a gnat.  You know who you are.)  So here’s my quick criterion for filtering out dumb email and dumb comments, aka: electronic sneezes:

RESPOND:

– Messages from someone I know or is a verifiable friend of a friend.

– Messages from an individual who expresses knowledge or interest in me as a person, not a two-legged product or potential profit.

– Messages from those who have something helpful and legit to offer that I can pass on to my readers.

– Messages from senders who are willing to give and take, rather than just take.

IGNORE:

– Messages that are focused solely on selling something or sniffing out potential customers.

– Idiot messages.  The kind that say something like, “Hey, I found this super cool resource at – Wherever Extraordinaire – and thought you would, too!” Not.

– Self-serving, mass-produced emails from someone trying to get me to buy their Latest and Greatest.

– Messages from entities that won’t process unsubscribe requests.  (My special *favorite.* Hmpf!)

The writers I know are busy.  Yep, staring out the window in search of inspiration is “working.”  Writers don’t have time to wipe hankies through In Boxes inundated with fluff or junk or sneezes.  How ’bout you?

Do you have a friend who’s prone to “sneezing” on line?  Share this post with them so they can avoid losing friends and subscribers and build their  e-list intelligently, too.

Today we’re getting to know John Lucas, marriage and family therapist and author of Power and Intimacy in Relationships.  John and I first met when we were both students at Biola University. As you can see, he’s been busy ever since!

Where do you live?

Murrieta Ca.  1 hr north of San Diego.

Tell us something about yourself.

I grew up in San Jose and then San Diego.  When I was younger I liked playing golf.  In my 20’s I became interested in Christianity.  Once I became interested in Christianity I also found myself more interested in people and wanting to help others improve their lives.  Those desires lead me to becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist.  As a young married man I started working as a mailman down in San Diego with a goal to going to night school.  I ended up working as a mailman for 17 yrs.  After graduating from San Diego State we moved up to Murrieta and I started working as a counselor.  The idea of writing a book started a few yrs ago.

What inspired you to write this book/article/piece?

Developing some ideas to help the married couples I work with drove me to put them into words.  I was also led to a small local publisher who liked my ideas and wanted to help me.  That publisher gave me the confidence that I could put them into words.  My oldest sister, who goes by the pen name of Linda Conrad, has written several small romance novels and that helped me believe I could write a book as well.

How did you choose the title?

The title was something that took some time to work out.  I wanted the title to reflect my principles and at the same time help the reader understand the concepts of the book.  I shared an earlier title with people and did not get such a positive response.  After talking with my editor, we came up with a revised title.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

After writing a large portion of my book, the local publisher said he wasn’t interested in publishing books.  He said I might do better with self-publishing.  I was down hearted.  Little did I realize it was a blessing.  I found a private editor off the web.  I had to come up with the money for an editor and that was challenging but she allowed me to pay in increments.

In using my own editor I was allowed to see the material chapter by chapter.  That slow process over several months actually worked out well.  I was able to rethink my material and redo my ideas.  My editor knew I was a new writer and she was able to be patient with me as I redid major portions of the material she already edited.  She first started by editing the material conceptually.  Once we had the concepts down she went back over the material and edited it grammatically.  Amazon does a great job with little cost to help writers publish their material.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I have always been somebody that likes to dream, and create through ideas.  That is part of what I like about my job as a counselor.  I am able to think about ideas and concepts and try to apply them in daily life.  That process is very similar to writing.  While working with my clients I would share my ideas and concepts with my clients.  They in turn would ask me if there was a book out there that I would recommend that covered those ideas.  Since there wasn’t, I decided to make one.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I like to be alone and have long periods of time.  Unfortunately that wasn’t always the case.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book?  What?

One, I learned that editing is the most critical part of writing.  I spent 6-8 months writing my book and 8-10 months working with an editor.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I was lucky and wouldn’t change a thing.

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

I like self-help books.  I like to grow and it also helps my work.  I like John Maxwell, Chuck Swindoll, Cloud and Townsend.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

This power and intimacy formula can be applied to various areas of our lives.  I am considering the areas of parenting, addictions, work, and church.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

As I mentioned before, editing is crucial.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

The perfect reader for my book is someone that would like to improve their marriage and would like some simple format that fits both a psychological and Biblical model.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Visit John on-line at Lighthouse Counseling Services.  To find out more about his book, check out Power and Intimacy.

***

Interested in an author interview?  Leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.

Up next: What Makes You a Writer? followed by How to Avoid Sneezing By Email.  See ya soon!

Your name:

Julie Catherine Vigna, my pen name is J C Edwards.

Where do you live?

I live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I was born in Ontario and lived there until 2004; moved out to BC, then to Alberta – both for family reasons – then in October of this year, finally made my way back to BC – the home of my heart and soul. I missed the mountains and water terribly, and felt so welcomed when I returned. They are my muses, the source of my inspiration.

Tell us something about yourself.

Born Julie Edwards, I’m fifth of eight siblings, and I am a survivor of childhood abuse. My brothers and sisters and I were adopted out to various families as young children – in 2007, after more than 45 years we were finally reunited in Alberta just months before our youngest brother passed away from pancreatic cancer.  Although we now live scattered across Canada we are blessed to be together again. My pen name, J C Edwards, is a combination of my birth and adopted names: Julie Catherine. I always knew that when I published, it would be under that name. I’ve been writing, drawing and painting ever since grade three, love antiques and all of nature. Being near water of any kind is inspirational and makes my soul sing.

What inspired you to write this book/article/piece?

While I’ve always written poetry, I didn’t think to put together a collection until I was forced to retire from the workforce for medical reasons at Christmas, 2010. It helped me to deal with a drastic change in lifestyle, and gave a brighter purpose to the long days between medical appointments and dealing with disability applications.

How did you choose the title?

I love the title, “Poems of Living, Loving & Lore”!  I wanted it to be very clear this is a poetry book; something a little ‘old-world’ to match the book cover and the classical feel of the poems, and wanted the three sections of the book to be included in the title.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

I didn’t want to go the traditional publishing route with this book and decided to self-publish because I wanted to publish within months rather than years; however, I only had a tiny budget for printing, and none at all for promotion. I have a friend, Selena Howard who is a poet and artist, and she did the beautiful cover for me – in return I sent her a gift of art supplies and a copy of my book. I’m an editor as well as a writer, so was able to do most of that myself, although I also had a couple other people do a run-through as well. I’ve been promoting my book on social sites, my blog, and as many other avenues as I can find that have little or no cost. I was interviewed by our local television station and did poetry readings at our local library and schools. The rest has been entirely word of mouth.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, and have always written poetry and short stories. I also have two novels in the works that are at least a year away from being completed. When I knew I would have time to devote to my writing, I consciously made the decision to begin with a poetry book because of the shorter time involved in producing it. I worked on my poems for a year before I had enough for a volume of poetry. I just literally made a decision to do it, researched various print-on-demand publishers, made my choice, and then jumped in the deep end.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I often meditate before writing poetry, especially if I have a particular theme in mind. I also enjoy listening to classical music, both during the meditation and while writing.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book?  What?

If you want something badly enough, and want it done well, you have to do the work to make it happen. I learned that the promotional part is indeed more work than the actual writing of the book; and because of my physical disabilities, I have to be innovative in finding ways to promote myself and my book. Book fairs and signings and travelling are not feasible for me because of mobility issues, so most of my promotion has been online and word of mouth. But if you understand and commit to what you’re able to handle and do the work, it is possible to make your dream come true.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I’m pretty satisfied with the way things were handled with the publishing of my debut poetry book, so will likely follow a similar path with my next collection. The only thing I would do differently might be to concentrate on promotion earlier than I did with this book – and hopefully have more of a budget to work with!

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

I have eclectic tastes and love to read practically anything! I’m currently reading a romantic suspense novel, a Christian novel and a spy novel in paperback form. On my e-reader I’m reading a poetry collection and a historical fiction novel. I have a huge love of all the classical writers such as Shakespeare, since that’s what I grew up with. I also love Tolkien and his Middle Earth worlds – I’m a huge LOTR and Hobbit fan. These are worlds and stories I can positively get lost in, with amazing characters and incredible scene descriptions. Another of my fav authors is Marion Zimmer Bradley – her book, The Mists of Avalon (and that entire fantasy series) is one I will read over and over and never tire of.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I have a few projects on the go right now, including a new poetry collection tentatively titled, “Essence of Woman”. The poems will cover every aspect of what makes us women, but I don’t want to say too much more about it just yet. I also have two novels in the works: a middle-grade adventure/mystery set in Georgian Bay, Canada, where I spent a few summers; and a contemporary romance novel. It will likely be at least another year before they’re ready, either for self-publication or submission; I haven’t decided which way to go yet. And yes, all my projects are completely different from each other – I don’t think I’ll ever be pinned down to just one genre!

*What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Once you’ve done the writing, let the book ‘rest’ for awhile before going back to edit. Proof, proof and proof again – if you can’t afford an editor, then at least have a couple of people with excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation skills to proof for you as well. Do not be in a rush to submit your manuscript until you are absolutely positive it’s the best quality you can produce. Don’t settle for mediocre – strive to be the best you can be and take pride in your work. Your readers will appreciate that as well and it will show in your reviews.

Who is the perfect reader for your book? (Please do not say “everyone.” ;o) )

Poetry lovers, especially those interested in classical forms of poetry, mythology, fairies, nature and romance would enjoy reading these poems. Although there are a few poems that deal with harsher realities of life, I have attempted to keep the bulk of the collection upbeat and positive, preferring to focus on the beauty of life, love and nature.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Poetry Book Page

J C Edwards Page

Amazon  (Paperback & Kindle)

Barnes & Noble (Paperback & Nook)

Xlibris  (Paperback)

Visit Julie On-line:

Julie’s Blog

Twitter

***

Next up: What ‘Writing Contest’ is – and Isn’t.  Also an author interview with John Lucas, author of Power and Intimacy in Relationships.

I am now scheduling author interviews for February.  If you’d like to be featured, just leave a comment in the Reply section below.

“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” ~Gloria Steinem

I may not agree with Gloria on everything.   But her take on writing is spot-on.  Know what I mean?  There’s something about writing that, if you’re called to it, is mysterious and mesmerizing.  Fantastic and hair-raising.  Startling.  Compelling.

The nuts-and-bolts of writing is a solo flight.  Others may offer help, advice, or corrected grammar, but no one can do your writing for you.  That job is yours alone.

A Camaraderie

Writing can also be the basis for camaraderie.  A bookish “Band of Brothers,” to borrow from the venerable Bard.  No one appreciates the frustration or fulfillment of writing like a fellow writer.

Few realize how much work it is to haul a bunch of characters around in your head all day like another novelist.  No one appreciates the expenditure of mental energy that goes into rewrites, or the incessant search for just the “right’ word or phrase.  Only another writer truly understands the ouch! of that last rejection letter, or the swirling delight attached to an editorial “Yes!”

Gloria was right.  Writing really is the only thing that, when I ‘m doing it, I don’t feel like I should be doing something else.  If you’re a writer, you know what I mean because you, like me, are fulfilling your calling when you write.

Don’t Put It Off

So, exit this blog and get busy writing.  Don’t jump to another article on writing, update your status or start tweeting.  That’s not writing, it’s dilly-dallying.  Knock out a new story.  Outline a holiday piece.  Submit that memoir that’s been sitting in your bottom drawer gathering dust.  Revise a rejected manuscript.  Polish a poem or publish an Ebook.

Whatever you do, don’t put it off.  Take a deep breath.  Close the door.  Unplug the TV.  Mute the phone.  Whatever it takes.  No more excuses.  Dive in.  Now.

It’s takes guts to be a writer, but you can do it.  Not only because you’re doing what you were called to do, but because we need you.  Your voice.  Your perspective.  Your willingness to learn and grow and inspire us along the way.  We need your story.  And you’re the only one who can tell it.

What’s your story?  Share it in the comments section in 50 words or less.  If you don’t have time for that, choose a one or two word genre that best describes what you’re working on, like short story, historical fiction or memoir.  We’re waiting to hear from YOU!

“Cute, pithy” and for those “who are new to the publishing game and in need of some friendly, clever encouragement.”

My newest micro Ebook, Skipping the Tiramisu: Becoming the Writer You Were Born to Be, earned these words and a four-star review out of a possible four.

Have you downloaded your FREE copy yet?  It’s quick, easy, and won’t bite!  Promise!

***

Up next: Why You Won’t Turn Into a Pumpkin if You’re Not Blogging Every Day (Part 1 of 2).

One of the great things about hosting author interviews and helping other writers is that I get to meet and connect with some truly fascinating and amazingly gifted folks.  Speaker and life-long writer Donna C. Goodrich is a choice example.  Donna has authored over 700 short stories, articles, devotionals, poems, and book reviews and more than 20 books including A Step in the Write Direction – the Complete How-to-Book for Christian Writers and The Freedom of Letting Go.  Let’s get to know her:

Where do you live?

Mesa, Arizona

Tell us something about yourself:

Author and speaker Donna Clark Goodrich

I’m originally from Jackson, Michigan. Moved to Kansas City when I was 20 to take a job as secretary to the book editor (Norman Oke, uncle by marriage of Jeanette Oke) at the Nazarene Publishing House. Two years later, I met my husband-to-be while typing his seminary term paper, and we’ve been married 52 years. Have 3 children, a pastor son-in-law, and 2 granddaughters.

I only have one year of college, but have had a number of writing jobs—associate editor, reporter, etc. , so most of my writing education has been on-the-job training.

I’ve been writing most of my life. Wrote my first poem at the age of 9 for Mother’s Day, another one that year for soldiers (which our pastor put in the church bulletin), and one at 11 when my father left. Sold my first poem at 14 (for $1.40) and my first short story at 18 (for $12).

The three people who had the biggest influence on my writing are: my mother, our children’s librarian in my hometown public library, my 5^th-6^th grade teacher, and my book editor boss at the publishing house.

Hobbies are baseball (Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks), music (mostly southern gospel), reading, and crossword puzzles.

What inspired you to write your two most recent books, A Step in the Write Direction – the Complete How-to Book for Christian Writers, and The Freedom of Letting Go?

1)    A Step in the Write Direction—the Complete How-to Book for Christian Writers is taken from all the conference workshops I’ve taught over the years. I wanted something to offer all the people who called saying, “I want to be a writer. How do I get started?”

2)     The idea for The Freedom of Letting Go came from the fact it took me 11 years to let go of my mother after she died. Then I realized it wasn’t just letting go of her, it was the whole principle of letting go of many things: grief, guilt, hurts, success, failure, children, material things, worry, doubt, fear, then the book ends with The Land Beyond Letting Go.

How did you choose the title?

The name of 1) is taken from classes and one-day workshops I’ve taught, and 2) from talks I’ve given over the years on that subject.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

1)      The publisher who accepted the “Step” book was a self-publishing house. However, the owner believed in the book enough to publish it on a royalty basis, and later, they also published my student book by the same title, but which has writing assignments throughout.

2)      I only sent the “Freedom” book to three publishers. The first one accepted it, but I turned them down as they had only been in business for one year and had only one employee. The second one felt it covered too many topics, and the third one bought it. It was published in May 2012.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I’ve been writing most of my life. Unlike most students, I loved the essay questions. I wrote my first poem at the age of 9 for Mother’s Day, another one that year for soldiers (which our pastor put in the church bulletin), and one at 11 when my father left. Sold my first poem at 14 (for $1.40) and my first short story at 18 (for $12). When I accepted the job as book editor’s secretary, I was near all our denominational publishers, so I sold a lot of articles and short stories those two years. At present, I’ve had 23 books published, and over 700 short stories, articles, devotionals, poems, and book reviews.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Not really. I do editing and proofreading for publishers and writers, and also care for a husband with 12 diseases, so my writing time is limited. But when something burns inside me long enough, I find the time to write it!

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book?  What?

I had collected information for years, and some topics I had previously put out in self-published booklets. The one thing I did learn was to make my copy as professional as possible to send it in as, since I had copied whole booklets into the manuscript, I wasn’t consistent in my capitalization and punctuation, so I had to do a lot of proofreading when the galleys came.

On the “Freedom” book, it was like preaching to the choir as I used so many personal experiences, and it actually helped me to write the book.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

1) As stated above, I’d proofread it better before submitting it, and 2) on the Freedom book I wish I had known earlier the size this publisher published, as after it was accepted, I  had to write 15,000 more words on material I hadn’t collected information for.

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

In the secular market, Mary Higgins Clark; religious market, Max Lucado.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I’ve had two more books accepted this year: 1) Rhyme-Time Bible Stories for Little Ones (Harvest House Publishers), and 2) Preparing Your Heart for Christmas, a 66-page devotional book (Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas; 10/15/12). I’ve also completed a contracted anthology manuscript of stories, poems, and recipes for mothers and grandmothers which will come out before Christmas this year (Hidden Brook Publishers). At present I’m looking for a publisher for a book for caregivers.

.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Find a local writers’ group and join. If there isn’t one in your area, start one. Read all the books you can on writing, and try to attend a writers conference. And let go of things you are doing that others can do so you can do what you’re called to do.

Who is the perfect reader for your books?

1)      The “Step” book is good for the beginning writer as it gives all the information they’re looking in one book, and it’s good for advanced writers as there is so much encouragement in it.

2)      The “Freedom” book is helpful for anyone who finds it hard to let go of something: children, grief, material things, failure, guilt, etc.

Find out more about Donna and her books at: The Writer’s Friend.

Visit Donna at her blog: Donna Goodrich

***

Are you a writer?  How do you know?

Find out!  Grab a free copy of my micro ebook, Skipping the Tiramisu: Becoming The Writer You Were Born to Be when you subscribe to my monthly-ish newsletter, Wreal 8.

To thank you for reading and being awesome, both are FREE!

Uncanny, isn’t it?  Try though I might to set aside an hour a day to write, the “interruptions” flood in like Hurricane Hugo.  The doorbell.  Phone.  Dog.  Kids. Laundry.  Raspberry white chocolate cheesecake.

The computer where I do most of my brilliant blogging is in the bedroom.  This works pretty well for that coveted “quiet spot” – until sibling rivalry in the living room breaks into a three-alarmer.  Or the dog wants to go out.  Or dinner is burning.  Or a sink full of dirty dishes awaits.

I’ve learned to stuff my pockets with 3 x 5-inch spiral bound notebooks.  They’re small, lightweight and portable.  They also don’t require an outlet or Wi-Fi, so I can readily jot down any inspiration that may strike on the hiking trail, in a canoe, at the beach or on a mountain top.  I scribble down my impressions and try to decipher the hieroglyphics at the keyboard later.  Sometimes it even works.

Here’s my question.  Are you deliberate about setting time aside in your day to write?  This may include journaling, jotting down notes or ideas for future development, outlining a short story or your next great work of fiction, or rewrites on a current writing project.

Do you discipline yourself to practice writing on a regular basis?  If so, how, when and where?  What obstacles or interruptions have you overcome?  Share it with us in the comments section.

Aw, phooey.

The envelope arrived in the mail with the self-addressed label I’d affixed some weeks prior.  Inside was a nice tri-folded typed note that read:

“Thank your for submitting your book proposal to ____ _____ (unnamed publisher).  We have reviewed the materials and have decided that the book is not quite right for our current publishing program.”

What does “not quite right” mean?  Is it within a millimeter of being “right,” or a mile and a half?  And if a publishing program isn’t “current,” what is it?  An antique?  In the future?

It’s okay

Alright.  So I’m in a bit of a blue funk.  Know what?  I’ve decided blue funks are okay.  For a time.

If you’ve poured heart and soul into a manuscript and slaved long weeks over just the “right” turn of a phrase, agonized over pacing and rhythm, polished dialogue and plot to a bright sheen only to have “The Editors’ reject your magnum opus, there’s a word for the experience: disappointment.  Aka: Aw, phooey.

And that’s okay.  It’s okay to admit that something hurts when it does.

What’s not okay is to let it take you out for the count.  To get so discouraged that you give up.

The territory

The truth?  If you’ve been writing for more than ten minutes or so, you know that rejection letters come with the territory.  Don’t take them personally. And don’t let them stop you from doing what you were born to do: write!

Now, if “the editors” have specified how or why your latest sparkling masterpiece isn’t “quite right” for their “current publishing program,” listen up and learn.  Avoid making the same mistakes twice.

More often than not, however, such letters offer little or no useful advice in the how or why departments.  When that happens, you might:

– Submit elsewhere

– Rewrite and re-submit

– Rework a current manuscript for a different publisher

– Pare down a manuscript into an article or an article series and sell it to a magazine

– Set aside the rejected mss. and start something new

– Treat yourself to another slice of raspberry white chocolate cheesecake with double hot fudge

– Pack your bags and head to Tibet.

A win-win

Before you dive into that last one, try offering your writing skills to a non-profit.  Volunteer to write for and/or edit their newsletter and other publications.  This can be a great opportunity to network.  It may even turn into a paying gig.  If it doesn’t, you’re still building relationships, polishing your skills and helping someone.  It’s a chance to turn an “aw, phooey” into a win-win.

Have you received a rejection letter?  How did you turn it into a “win-win”?