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When is Your Book Ready to be Published?
I had a lot of really great questions come out of the AMA I ran a bit ago on Reddit, and a few of those questions sparked some reflection on my end. One question that stuck with me in particular was asking how you can know if your book is ready for publishing, and as I've been turning that over in my head lately, I wanted to share some thoughts with you all. It's May at last! Summer is just around the corner, and with the energy that comes with warmer weather, I have no doubt people are getting ready to put all sorts of big plans into action -- both personal and professional.
I'd like to take this opportunity to caution us all against a rising trend I've noticed in the entrepreneur world of "you can sell anything." Letters from the Editor: On being a writer first, Marie Kondo vs. the book lovers, and more4/3/2019
Why you should write now, and think about publishing later
Without fail, one of the first things writers bring up on their initial call with me is how they'd like to be published. This of course makes sense; you want to know where you're going to end a marathon before you start, after all. There's a problem when you start to focus too much on that end goal, though; you chip away at the simple beauty of creation. You begin contemplating rejection by agents and publishers, then you're thinking about sales and statistics, and suddenly you're feeling the pressure of getting published before you even get a running start. When you think too much about your publishing goals when you're still writing your book, you enter a headspace filled with logistics instead of ideas. I'll give you the same advice I give my authors: Think about how you might share your story for a limited time (half an hour of research every now and then, for example), and then give yourself over to the writing completely. Enjoy the creative process, the quiet solitude of writing before needing to present yourself to the world as an author, the simple joy of bringing your story to life. Because being informed about the publishing process doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to write a better first draft, but it might mean that your first draft never makes it to the page. Letters from the Editor: On the remarkability of writers, Amazon's misinformation crusade, and more3/20/2019
FYI, you're a bit different than the rest when you're a writer.
The other day I ran across a post from marketing guru Seth Godin that really spoke to me. He said: "Remarkable work is usually accomplished by people who have non-typical priorities." He was speaking in a broad-based sense, but of course I thought of you all, the people who choose to write books. Anyone in today's modern world could have a million priorities that would be considered typical; getting your taxes done, buying groceries, or focusing on work that pays the bills all come to mind. But someone who chooses to write a book is making a deliberate choice to make writing a priority. Writing a book isn't an immediate obligation like taxes, it doesn't feed you like groceries, and it doesn't provide like day-to-day paid work (at least, not at the beginning). You choose to do it because you're someone with non-typical priorities, who values things beyond what immediately feeds you. You're looking ahead, at what you can contribute to the world, at the legacy you'll leave for years to come. And that, I think, is something worth celebrating. Here's to creating remarkable work! Letters from the Editor: On the havoc of Mercury in retrograde, the NEA's latest grants, and more3/20/2019
Writers, Mercury is in retrograde and it's time to freak out.
Last week, I was in the middle of a meeting with my staff when I got a call informing me that the flight I booked for my upcoming Caribbean vacation had not been ticketed, which meant that I wasn't on the flight at all. Let's break that down for a moment; the flight that I had booked as part of a package deal with the resort failed to inform JetBlue that we had in fact paid for the tickets. So JetBlue released my tickets, thereby releasing my seats, therefore taking away my ability to go on said vacation. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mercury in retrograde. I don't necessarily believe in astrology, but one thing I've found to be true is that Mercury in retrograde is chaotic. Whether it's actually a planetary shift that causes mayhem on Earth a few times a year, or everyone's belief that it does (aka confirmation bias), it's times like now that make me question everything. Because there's nothing like a good meltdown to throw every decision you've ever made into the fire, am I right? In an effort to make some sense out of what ended up becoming one breakdown after another in technology, travel, or communication, I did some research on what Mercury in retrograde really meant, and if I was in fact dumb for planning a vacation smack dab in the middle of it. That last bit is still up for debate, but I did learn something worthwhile in the process. Hello, hello! We're a month into 2019 and things are buzzing here at LTSE, which is SO exciting -- it's only February and I'm already expecting this year to be the biggest and best yet. I didn't realize exactly how far this company has come since we first started up until I did a little New Year business review and pulled some stats.
Happy 2019!
I can't tell you how long I've waited to say those words. The end of 2018 was a bit of a stressful struggle, between closing up shop for the holidays and then fighting to actually enjoy those holidays. I hate to admit it, but I was so burnt out by the end of the year that I wasn't even reading. After that time off, though, I'm happy to report feeling refreshed and ready to dig deep into some fantastic stories this year. And I've done just that with an editor's perspective of a book-to-film adaptation you may have read or seen. There's a lot to be learned about story here, for writers and readers alike. Hello, all! It's crazy to think about how close we are to the new year. This month has been full of excitement at LTS Editorial and we're looking forward to a nice lull over the next few weeks.
Much of the December frenzy was due to this promotion that we ran; if you or someone you know feels like there's a book in you and you're ready to bring it to fruition, a BookFlow Session would be just the thing to make it happen. Though the discount has ended, there are still some 2019 spots available! Let's bring your book to life in 2019. I know we're all in holiday mode at this point so I'll leave you to enjoy your publishing news, Christmas cookies, and eggnog -- or Fireball-spiked apple cider (a magical combination, for the uninitiated). This will be the last newsletter for a while, and I look forward to writing to you all in January! Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays and happy reading! Happy, happy holidays! Who's ready to consume an unhealthy amount of eggnog over the course of the next four weeks?
As wonderful as this time of year is, there's a special kind of stress that comes along with trying to pick out the perfect gift for someone you care about. We don't need to be ashamed to admit that covering all the bases of a good gift (i.e. genuinely thoughtful, practically useful, and contextually appropriate) isn't easy. Buying the right gift for a writer poses an extra challenge, especially if you know that writer's craft is important to them; the temptation to cop out and just get them yet another Moleskine can be overwhelming. So, as a festive favor to you all, I've put together a list of six gifts you can give to the writer in your life that'll show some love and recognition for their creative side. In store we've got DIY writer's retreats, gorgeous pens, and a very special opportunity with yours truly...the gift of clarity that every writer craves. Boy, this decorative gourd season sure has flown by, hasn't it?
I know many of us are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow -- loosening your belt just the right amount takes time, of course -- so we'll keep this one short. Here's the rundown:
Happy Thanksgiving and happy reading! |
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