A Writer's Media Roadmap

The Howard County Chapter of the Maryland Writer's Association had its first meeting of 2018 on January 18.  We were treated to an excellent presentation entitled "Creating Your Social Media Roadmap" by Tiffany Carter.  More than just an introduction to creating a media platform, Tiffany gave us some insight into how to make it really work for us. 

Here is just a bit of what she shared, starting with her approach of:  Platform - Schedule - Automate - Connect.

Platform - She listed six platforms as high priority for writers and authors: a personal blog, Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.  The advice was to pick two of these and maintain them well, rather than try to do them all at a shallow level.  She suggested the two most powerful platforms were: (1) having a website "home" with a personal blog and (2) an active presence on Goodreads.  

Schedule - But the emphasis regardless of platform was on consistency.  Pick the platforms you can engage with the most robustly.  Her advice was to create a schedule for posts/tweets/content and stick to it.  This ensures that followers and fans know when and where to find your content.  When is somewhat flexible, although she had recommendations (like posting once a day if doing Facebook or Linked In) she said the key was making sure followers were getting the content when they had come to expect it.

Automate - Of course staying consistent with media is always a challenge.  Tiffany gave us some tips for automation, like connecting blog posts to Goodreads and Linked In, and using tools like Buffer.  I know I've used HootSuite in the past with some success to automate tweets.  She said that once set up, a writer could spend as little as an hour and have the rest of the week's media scheduled and automated to post.  I'd love to reach that point ... I'm certainly not that efficient now with posting.

Connect - Connecting with fans and followers is obviously the point of all of this.  Writers want to meet people and forge connections that lead to authentic interaction.  Being efficient about posting means that time can be spent in the kinds of interactions that are rewarding for both writers and their followers.  Tiffany said that a good foundation of quality content, delivered on schedule, including guest blogging, blog tours, and even pod casting would support more 'rapid' forms of exposure like live video/audio, book promotions, and giveaways.

Finally, she emphasized that we are of course all readers.  She reminded us that we already know what our fans want, because we are readers, too.  We know what works with us - how we get engaged, how we have fun, and what we are looking for from books and authors.  We just need to put those ideas into motion for ourselves as writers.

I thought her presentation was really valuable, and certainly the rest of the room received it enthusiastically.  I hope she comes back to the group and shows us more advanced techniques for making the most of our time online.

Image Credits:  Publicity image of Tiffany Carter from MWA HoCo flyer.  Image of Tiffany Carter from her workshop taken by myself and posted with permission.

HallowRead - Skeleton Key Swag!

HallowRead is coming up fast! As you may recall from last year, this is the mini-con in Ellicott City, Maryland (October 20-21) celebrating all things horrorly and writerly. I'll be presenting a horror poetry workshop on Friday the 20th and and doing some spooky reading Saturday. Check out the events here!

One of the great perks you'll get for your attendance is a bag of swag from all sorts of writers. Last year my bag contained a book chapter, a pair of earrings, candy, promotions, coupons, and lots of ideas for where to find new reading by local writers.

I loved looking through my swag bag so much last year, I decided this year I'd contribute to it! As a beaded jewelry maker already, I thought I'd use those skills - and then came up with a great idea for a Skeleton Key. It's a silver key that is also a bottle opener, paired with a nicely creepy skull charm. I decided I'd add a card explaining what it is all for, and that has the URL to my website. Of course given last year I thought I'd be making 50 at the most. I didn't realize that the numbers expected were bigger this year, and I'd need to make 150 of the things!

So off I went, figuring out what I wanted my swag to look like, and then purchasing stock. I had to find stock on Amazon as well as from beaded jewelry dealers. I also had to take a trip to the local Michaels to get a few items as well. Not to mention I needed to print out appropriate cards, which I had done online. I didn't want to just use my business card, I wanted something that also included a little explanation of the key - that it was for unlocking both creativity and bottles :)

I got all the stock together back in September, and designed a working case that I could carry all the stuff around in, and work on whenever I had a moment. The basic charm was what I put together first, and it included silver tone metal pins, beads, and spacers, a nicely glinting crystal red bead, and then the final carved white howlite skull. A skull charm made here or there added up, along with a few marathon runs of 20 or 30 at a time. Eventually I had a pile of glittering skullys!

At that point I had to put 150 skully charms on key rings, along with each skeleton key. This took awhile, and I was worried at one point because I ran into a few deformed keys. I thought I wouldn't have enough. Fortunately the vendor had included extra keys at the start, and so it came out to exactly the number I needed.

The last step was getting the cards, punching holes in 150 of them, cutting string for 150 of them, and tying them to the 150 key rings. My hand was sore from the hole punch, but I did that all in one evening, and then immediately boxed them up.

And off they go today in the mail to eventually wind up in your swag bag. Hope you like them! See you at HallowRead!

Image Credits: HallowRead from Hallowread, and all others are my pix!

A Most Marvelous Muse

This year's Muse and the Marketplace conference, hosted by Boston's Grub Street, has come to an end.  I am tired but happy, and currently shuffling through my notes to see what might be fun and useful to post here on the blog.  I went to several great sessions and had a most encouraging interview with an agent.  Even though I was pretty much solo for the event, I got to hang out with some new friends, and met a lot of interesting people.  I'm following a lot of them on Twitter now, and it's a lot of fun to get more like-minded writers into my feed.

As for pluses for Muse, there are lots.  Most of the sessions I went to were presented by engaging and knowledgeable speakers.  I enjoyed the fact that there were few panels. (You know my thoughts on panels as I've posted about them before.)  All of these speakers were well prepared, and most had handouts so you didn't have to be taking notes like wild the whole time.  I was unable to attend the social events because of personal conflicts, but it looked like there were many of them, and they seemed quite popular given how attendees spoke about them afterwards.  The agent/editor portion of the event was organized and run well.

My gripes are pretty minor, generally speaking.  One is that some of the rooms were long and skinny, meaning that it was hard to get seated and easy to get lost in the back.  And, well, this conference isn't cheap, since it includes a hot buffet breakfast for two days, as well as other offerings.  In addition, there wasn't much for people interested specifically in speculative fiction, nor were there any poetry-related sessions that I spotted.  But no conference can be all things to all people. (As for genre, I'm hoping to hit Capclave later in the year.)

I think it is a very good conference for writers overall, if one can afford the price tag.  And I'd certainly recommend it over other, larger, writer's conferences that are all panels.  This conference gave me more of a feeling of community than others I've been to, and I'm hoping to go back again whenever my schedule permits.   

Emerging From the Slush - AWP Panel

There's a lot of stories in that stack.
How do you make your story stand out?

Another panel I attended at AWP this year was the "Emerging From the Slush - How to get your short story published" panel.  The theme was looking at "Robert's Rules" - the ten ways to get you and your story noticed.  They handed out a bunch of neat-o bookmarks with all the critical information on it, so it was easy to get the main ideas at a glance, and know who was there.  Panelists were Robert Kerbeck (moderator), Michael Lemberger, Sujata Shekar, and Zach Powers.  (As before, the room was jammed to capacity, and I could not see the panel table, so I could always be certain who was talking when.  I have names when I'm pretty sure who was talking) 

In any case, I thought I'd share the list here and some of my notes.  There is nothing earth-shattering here, and I can't say I agree with all of the suggestions, but it is nice to have all the ideas in one place.

1. Find a Good Home
   Michael - Your work is not you.  Your work may be rejected, but that does not mean you are rejected.  Aim high, start at the top of your list, then move down it.  Send to the places that your favorite writers are being published, and don't take it personally when you are rejected.  Person speaking? - Don't forget your home town journals, which are good places to publish and to connect.
2. KISS Theory
   Robert - "Keep It a Short Story" (2500-4000 words ideally).  Sujata - Experiment with different page lengths with the same story.  It builds skills.  Shorter stories are easier to fit into most mags.
3. Non-Fiction, Baby
   Michael - Non fiction gets published.  Journalism, critical essays, memoir, slice of life - all good to consider.  Build a corpus of work around a theme that is not all fiction.  This is a great step into publishing.  Book reviews are useful and help build connections.
4. Get Personal
   Zach - Be personal in your communications whenever possible.  For example, "You published an author I like," "I'm a subscriber," "I received a personal rejection and you said submit again," or "We met at AWP and you said to give us a try."  Find a tidbit that sets your cover letter apart.  Just one or two sentences, and then the bio.
5. Be Strategic, Not Indiscriminate
   Zach - Submit a lot, but be discriminating.  Get to know some journals very well.  Study them.  Meet people from them.  Know where to submit.  Tier your favorites.  Michael - Know yourself and know your work.  Be yourself - you will get the readers you are supposed to have.  It's ok to pick some journals out of your comfort zone for submissions. 
6. Let Rejection Be Your Guide
   Sujata - This is not some kind of personal rating.  For myself, I apply to only one or two contests a year.  I like themed issues where they request new work, and new authors.  I don't happen to submit places that don't take simultaneous submissions.
7. Two for the Price of One
   Person speaking? - When you get an acceptance, send thanks.  Also, you can suggest that a brand new story is also ready to go if they are interested.  Michael - Can you pull together stories with a thematic link?
8. Go on Vacation
   Robert - Go to Writer's conferences, retreats, workshops, and meetings to meet people, develop relationships, and advance your career.  Try Tin House, Bread Loaf, Iowa Writer's Festival, Vermont.  Sujata - Workshops, Festivals, and Retreats are very useful if you do not have a traditional writer's background.  Apply for the scholarships.  "Voices of our Nation."
9. Be a Volunteer
   Sujata - Read the slush for a journal, you become a good reader and editor.  It depersonalizes the process and you see your own submissions in a new light.  You learn the myriad of reasons why things are rejected.  You learn what is out there so you can write something else.  Zach - Help run a reading series, organize events, etc.  Michael - Be happy for others. 
10. Editors Don't Bite
    Editors are people.  Get to know them.  Network, establish relationships, but don't monopolize their time.  Just talk and be sociable.

Image Credit - Stack of papers.  CC 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FileStack_retouched.jpg

Demystifying The Business Side of Writing and Publishing - AWP Panel

I had a wonderful time at the annual AWP conference and book fair - this year in Washington, D.C.  It was my first AWP conference, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I went to some insightful panels and spent a good chunk of time in the book fair learning about new publications, programs, and yes, I certainly did buy some books.  I attended a reception hosted by a consortium of journals, and just generally had too much wine ...

So here is the first in a series of posts where I talk about some of the neat stuff that happened at the conference.  Now, as you know from my previous post on Panels at Cons I am not a big fan of panels in general.  However, most of the panels I attended at AWP were well moderated, and were able to keep my interest for at least half the scheduled time, if not more.  That's pretty good from my point of view.  (Still, check out the previous post, since I'd love to be able to do something other than listen to another panel.)

The first panel I attended, bright and early on Thursday morning, was the panel "Demystifying the Business Side of Writing and Publishing."  The panel members as listed in the guide are: Whitney Davis, Tarfia Faizullah, Paula Munier, Joshua Shenk, and Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum.  Although when I came in they were mentioning something about the panelists, and so there might have been a swap of some kind.  The room was completely packed, with people standing along the walls and three deep in the back.   I was completely blocked and could not see the panel table.  It was great to be in a well attended and high energy session, but it also would have been nice to be able to see who was speaking ...

I've attended a lot of panels and workshops with this subject, so I didn't expect too much info I had not heard already.  However, repetition of some good ideas never hurts.  Here is my distillation of some of the main ideas that were presented.

Demystifying the Business Side of Writing and Publishing

Submitting to Book Contests and Publications:

• Read.  Especially those books that have won the contest in question or that have been published where you'd like to be published.
• Best first.  Front load your best stories and poems in your submission.  This is more important than having an emotional 'arc' for example.  
  
• Vision.  The writer has to have a clear sense of what their aesthetic vision is for the work - so be able to summarize your work in a distinct way.  What is the lineage?  Who or what is this work like?  And then what makes it unique/different?
• Take your time.  Applications are conversations, don't just dash them off.  Imagine you are speaking through your application/submission - create a good impression of yourself and your book.
• No mistakes.  No typos, no weak stories or poems.  Don't give judges or editors any reason to object to your work.
• Be strategic.  Do not send the work to everyone under the sun, instead target those that appear to be the best match.  Some people say "send everywhere" but that is not a good use of anyone's time and energy.

Networking:

• "Network like hell." 
• Remember that you are your brand. 
• Put your picture on your business card so that people can put a face to a name.  
• If you are working in a solitary environment, then write emails and make calls.  Stay as connected as possible.  You are a colleague to other writers even if you don't see them in person every day.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Look for people who will be generous.
• Put a limit on requests for time so people know what they are committing to - like "I want just 30 minutes over coffee" or "I need a quick 10 minutes for a phone call about X."

 Rejection and Tough Times:

• Embrace rejection.  Track rejections and see them as stepping stones to eventual acceptance. 
• Those who have success have a high capacity for humiliation.  
• Learn to live with your internal critic.  Learn when to listen and when to ignore that voice.
• "Remember the writers on Facebook all look successful and are all at home crying."  
• Be honest, don't try to portray yourself as a perfect human being.
• Don't be "precious" with your work, you can't be insulted when people ask for changes.

General Career Advice:

• Read copiously, read for your career. 
• Write about what you are passionate about.  
• Read the acknowledgements in books you love.  Who edited it, who represented it, who helped?  Learn where the writers you admire fit in.
• Look around and see what hasn't been done lately, think out of the box whenever possible.  
• Find a good editor.
• Look for awards, fellowships and residencies.     And don't miss your local resources for publishing and other opportunities - town, city, county, state ...
• Think strategically about your day job.  Be in environments that are creative and meaningful to you. "Adjuncting is atrocious, awful, and should be illegal."
• Keep learning and keep growing.  

Panels at Cons - Other Possibilities

Some panels are great!  I like to think this one was
a really good one - then again, that's me right there.

As with any writer, my time (and money) to go to writing events and conventions is limited.  After all, I figure if I'm doing something related to writing, it pretty much ought to be either writing or submitting.  That's unless I can convince myself the event or convention will really teach me something new, give me great networking opportunities, and/or be a tremendous amount of fun.  So I pick conventions - for writing and for genre fandom - with a very critical eye.

One of the key things I look for is the mix of different types of sessions and activities in the schedule.  I do not want to spend all day in panels, either as a panel participant or in the audience.  I've done plenty of both, and have developed strong feelings about it.  Now, a really well run panel is a fine thing - I've been on/witnessed such panels and enjoyed them greatly - but even so, I don't want to do that all day.  (Note the picture of me on an science education panel with some amazing colleagues, helping undergraduates make decisions about graduate school and more.  Just want to show I'm not anti-panel ...)  Anyway, I prefer a schedule where a good panel is one of many formats in which I will encounter people and content.  I prefer it strongly enough that I find I do not attend cons where panels are the bulk of the schedule.  This applies to writing conventions as well as fan and sci-fi/genre related cons.

So here is my plea to conference schedulers - since I'd love to have more competition for my convention time and dollars - mix it up as much as possible!  By that I mean find lots of different ways to engage conference goers with people and content, and use panels sparingly in just those situations where nothing else will do. 

Here's a bit of what gives me the most return on my investment of time and money.  I mentioned earlier some of the points - I like to:  meet other fans/writers, make key contacts with publishers/editors, have a chance to promote my blog/work, learn new aspects of the genre biz, and be entertained.  Here are a few session formats to add to the mix ...

1. "Speed Dating" events.  This is a chance either for writers to meet writers, or writers to meet editors/publishers.  You can only have three-five minutes to talk about yourself, give a card, and move on.  Do this on the first day of the con so people have some friendly faces to recognize for the rest of the meeting.
2. Exhibit Tours/Demos.  Have people sign up for *small group* tours of the exhibit area, where a knowledgeable person takes them from one table to another, meeting publishers and editors, and giving them a chance to make contacts and learn about some of the journals and publications in the field.  Also gives editors/publishers a chance to demo their latest, promote subscriptions, and find new contributors in a semi-structured atmosphere.  Again, do this early in the con so that people can get together at another time and continue conversations.
3. Classic Oral Presentation.  This is another format that was once overdone, but now has been replaced by panels.  Have one person give a presentation with compelling visuals, and then take questions.  Works well for content heavy material, like a science presentation at a sci-fi con.  I've both done these and attended them and they work well if the speaker is properly prepared (and goes easy on the Powerpoint and gives out free swag …)
4. Classic Workshop/Class.  Work with a presenter or small group of experts and workshop a bit of writing, or learn about an aspect of the craft.  This can take any of the formats a classic workshop might take.  It's important that it puts the attendee in a 'hands on' mode, and is best if they take something away that they can continue to build on later.
5. Table Round Robin.  Take five tables and put five experts on the topic at hand at each table.  Have small discussions at the tables about the topic, moderated by the expert, then the expert at the table reports out to the whole room about what was discussed.  The moderator of the event as a whole takes the five reports and summarizes discussion.  Experts are each given a chance to provide one comment at the end.  This can also be organized as a 'Birds of a Feather.'  This is like a Table Round Robin but more informal.  Have a larger umbrella topic and subtopics.  Let people choose the subtopic they like and have an informal discussion.
6. "Book Club" events.  This works if attendees are willing to do reading of pre-circulated material before the event.  A particular book, poem, movie or whatever is read/watched before the event by all participants.  People gather for an informal (or more structured) discussion of the work.
7. "Open Mic" events.  Give conference goers a chance to engage with one another over their writing (or whatever they are there for, music, fandom, etc.)  Don't just have one … there is never enough time.  Including drinks 'n snacks is a great draw, too.
8. Poster Presentations.  Would love to see this at a con, where attendees get to present posters on the topic of the 'session.'  This might be something to try small at first - fifteen people create posters on a subject before the con, bring them along, put them up on boards provided by the con, and then there is an open session to review them, with the authors standing by for questions.  These are standard in my industry, and are usually accompanied by drinks to break the ice …
9. Tweet-Ups, Blog-Ups, etc.  Create opportunities for those people on social media to get together, follow one another, and exchange tips of the trade.

In all cases these events need to be crafted so that people have equal time and access to experts, and that experts have equal time with different people.  They need to have moderators ready to deal with any issues and problems, and ready to be responsive if changes need to be made on the fly.

A last thought …

In all honesty I'm not a fan of keynote/plenary talks and speeches.  I have a lot of social anxiety about being 'trapped' at such an event.  I always need to feel I can easily slip away if I have a panic attack or such (dealing with my mental illnesses as I do).  I tend to skip these, find one or two others who are also not fans of keynotes, and go to lunch/dinner someplace else.

What's your take on panels?  What else could be included in the schedule of cons to keep it lively and value-packed for you?  What are your favorite conference formats?