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Celebrate

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

“Celebrations aren’t limited to agent representations or book contracts. Celebrate those milestones along the way.”

Author, Lisa Jordan, wrote this in a very encouraging blog post last Friday.

Her words really resonated with me. I mean, really-really.
Because there are so many things to celebrate as we travel this crazy journey, yet we tend to downplay them. So many things that are just as important and just as beautiful as getting a call from an agent, or signing a book contract.

Pursuing publication is not for the faint of heart. It’s a long and often arduous road, filled with doubt, unmet expectations, rejection, and waiting. And because of that, we can’t afford to skip over any of the celebration.

So celebrate.

When you type the first page of a story? Celebrate! You just began an amazing, amazing journey that will build your character in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.
When you put your fingers on the keypad and pound out a thousand words? Celebrate! Keeping that butt in the chair takes an extraordinary amount of discipline and perseverance – two qualities that every published author needs.

When you finish that first novel? Celebrate! You just did what thousands of people only aspire to do. You wrote a book. You. Are a writer.

When a new story idea sparks? Celebrate! You just unearthed a hidden treasure.

When you send out a query letter? Celebrate! Putting yourself out there is an incredibly scary step, but you took it anyway.

When you receive your first (or second, or third, or….well, you get the idea) rejection. Celebrate! Each one means you are in it. Each one is proof that you are serious about publication. Each one brings you that much closer to a YES.

When somebody tells you that your words touched them? Celebrate! Because you are a Voice and your voice makes a difference.

When you enter a contest or submit a short story? Celebrate! You are taking active steps toward your goals.

When you write, day after day, through the doubt, through the fear, through the not-yet-realized dreams? Oh my goodness, celebrate! Because God, the Creator of the universe, in all His majesty and power, knitted you together with a gift. A passion. And He’s got a plan for your words.

So celebrate, my friend.

What you do matters. Agented or not. Published or not. It matters.

Let’s Talk: What things have you celebrated on your journey?

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Smart Marketing?

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

I was sitting in bed the other day, talking to hubby. Here’s the gist of our conversation.


Me: I’ll probably spend some money soon on writing.
Him: Like what?
Me: I want to get my blog professionally designed and maybe start thinking about a website.
Him: Will getting your blog designed help you sell books?
Me: Umm……

Let me clarify. My hubby is super supportive. He wasn’t trying to talk me out of spending money. He was simply curious. What’s the point or purpose in having a professionally designed blog and website?

Which feeds into the question I’ve been pondering lately: How can a fiction author build a readership before her book hits the shelves?

I mean…here I am. My novel’s not due to my editor until mid April. I’m over a year out from my first release. Yet, I want to do something. I want to be proactive. So what do I do? If I have money to spend on marketing, what’s the smartest way to spend it?

It’s a question I asked my agent, and she had a lot of practical advice. In fact, she wrote an amazing post a couple months ago, titled Marketing Yourself and Your Book. I devoured and bookmarked it.

And I got to thinking. All of us have our own successes and failures and opinions when it comes to effective marketing and branding. We either have experience with it, have thought about it, or will eventually think about it when we get a contract.

So this Friday, I don’t have a lesson or epiphany as I travel this new leg of the journey. I just have a bunch of questions.

Let’s Talk: If you’ve paid money for your blog or website, why did you do it? Who did you do it through and would you recommend them to me please? Do you think author websites help sell books? If not, why do so many author’s have them? What’s the wisest way to spend money when it comes to marketing? If you’re published, is there any one thing that you did to market yourself or your book that you think really helped?

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Networking

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

If you want to go places in this business, gone are the days where you can do it without networking. Okay, okay…there’s the one or two rare exceptions. But let’s lump ourselves with the majority and accept the fact that networking is necessary. Especially for the writer seeking publication.

So what exactly is networking?
 
I’m not going to give you a dictionary definition. I’m going to give you a Katie-definition. Here’s what networking is to me: interacting and connecting with other people within the publishing industry, whether they be fellow writers, agents, editors, or publishers.
I know networking can be an icky word, because it sounds self-seeking. But I say phooey. It’s only self-seeking if you make it that way.

One of the biggest benefits I’ve experienced from networking is the genuine relationships I’ve formed in the process.
 

Why is networking important?
 
Because traditional publishing houses do not take unsolicited submissions, and because fewer and fewer agents are taking on clients through the query-system.
So how are writers still snagging agents and yet-to-be-published authors still landing books deals? First, they wrote a good book. Second, they networked.
 
Here are a few ways to network:
  • Attend writing conferences when you’re ready to pitch. I went to my first conference in ’09, and I went with three finished novels that were ready. I met authors. I connected on a deeper level with writers I already knew from blogging. I ate lunch with editors and agents and I got to pitch one of my novels face-to-face to an editor and agent of my choice. I was no longer an unsolicited, faceless submission.
  • If you have the money, attend conferences when you aren’t ready to pitch. So many people go to conferences and don’t sign up for editor/agent appointments because they have nothing to pitch. I say, get your money’s worth! Take the appointments and preface it with, “I don’t have anything to pitch, but would love to pick your brain…” Get your name and face in front of industry professionals. Make a good impression. See which agents you click with and which agents you don’t. That way, when you ARE ready to query, you won’t be another unfamiliar name in the slush pile.
  • Follow blogs and COMMENT. Sorry. I don’t mean to yell. But lurking does you no good. Find agent blogs. Editor blogs. Published author blogs. Unpublished author blogs. Not only will you learn a load of useful information, but it’s a FREE way to build relationships and get your name and face out there.
  • Get on Twitter, follow, and have “conversations” with other writers. I personally think Twitter’s more useful when it comes to networking than Facebook. But that’s probably because I use Facebook for more personal stuff.
  • Don’t be afraid to shoot somebody an email. As long as you’re sensitive to and aware of people’s busy schedules, nobody’s going to resent an email. In fact, I enjoy getting emails from people who have questions. I feel like I’m paying it forward from all the times people reached out to help me.
I had a brain wave the other day. A totally, unprofound, no-duh brainwave. Are you read for it?

Networking isn’t about our books. It’s about the person underneath them, and with every tweet, every comment, and every conversation we have, we’re building a reputation. Agents and editors aren’t just buying books. They’re buying the brand behind the books – and that’s YOU! So be real. Be sincere. Be professional. Be you.

Let’s Talk: How important do you think networking is for the writer seeking publication? What ways do you network? What’s worked best for you? Do you cringe when you hear people talking about networking? Why or why not? And happy Valentine’s Day!

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