GLVWG Board member Donna Brennan caught up with author Amy Deardon recently to talk about Amy’s writing and publishing career. Amy is leading a half-day workshop on Thursday, April 11, to kick off this year’s Write Stuff conference, as well as presenting several other conference workshops on Saturday, April 13.
Best-selling author Jonathan Maberry is this year’s keynote speaker for the Write Stuff conference. He has generously agreed to meet in advance of the conference at a free virtual event set for Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. You can register for the event here.
GLVWG member Donna Brennan spoke with Jonathan recently. You can view that conversation below.
Laurel Wenson, a GLVWG board member, is a novelist who writes for adults and young adults. Her latest book is The Harbor Cove Brunch Club, the first in a new series set in the fishing town of Gloucester, Mass. She’s also the author of the YA Caldwell series and a nonfiction guidebook for children’s theater, Sets on a Shoestring. She’s leading a Write Stuff workshop this year on National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
GLVWG: Your Write Stuff workshop is on NaNoWriMo. For a writer who’s never participated in the November event, why should they consider it?
LAUREL: I believe most writers, at some point, struggle with planning, goal-setting, accountability, and self-doubt. NaNoWriMo addresses all of these areas, and provides structure, community, and encouragement not only in November, but throughout the year. While November has the “headline” event on the calendar, where one attempts to write 50,000 words in 30 days, they also provide year long opportunities for writing, planning, editing, and learning.
GLVWG: You’ve been an annual NaNo participant going on seven years. What prompted you to try it? And how did that first go-round turn out?
LAUREL: My daughter started participating in NaNo when she was ten years old, and by her third year, she had “won” the November challenge, and has never stopped. She’s 25 now, so that’s a lot of writing! Back in 2016, when I retired from full-time teaching, I was challenged by students to write a theater production manual. Because it wasn’t a novel, I chose to start my NaNo experience in April of 2017, and I successfully completed my first draft of Sets on a Shoestring: How to Build Sets and Props on a Budget during Camp NaNo.
GLVWG: What keeps you coming back each year?
LAUREL: I’ve learned my chance of completing a work is higher if I participate. I’ve joined the November challenge almost every year, and drafted all seven of my books during NaNo or Camp NaNo. The accountability and encouragement keeps me focused and motivated, and my daughter and I have an advantage of some underlying competition at home. Also, while I don’t generally participate in the forums or chat rooms, I do enjoy the live “write-ins” that local NaNo groups host throughout the month. There’s nothing like sitting in a room writing with lots of computer keys clicking away as your background noise! These groups also provide camaraderie and support, for no one understands the challenges more than another writer!
GLVWG: Do you serve in an official capacity during NaNo?
LAUREL: Not at all. In fact, there are some aspects of NaNo that I’ve rarely used–such as their forums–but when I was still tutoring online, I did encourage many of my English students to participate in the Young Writers program, and was thrilled to see several reach their goals and finish their first novels or projects. Some of them are still participating years later.
GLVWG: What do you think the biggest challenge is for a NaNo newcomer? How can they overcome it?
LAUREL: I think it’s easy to get overwhelmed the first time around, and sometimes the daily word count can be a detriment if one has fallen behind. The number one mission of NaNo is not to finish a book, but to develop regular writing habits that will keep you engaged long after any challenge ends. If the 50K words in 30 days is too formidable, then writers can set a lower goal in terms of word count. Instead of writing a novel, one can join as a “rebel” and announce projects such as editing or compiling a collection of poetry. Each participant can use the framework that Nano provides to improve their writing and reach their goals.
GLVWG: Do you have a NaNo highlight to share?
LAUREL: Obviously, my first “win” was one I’ll never forget, and every year I love printing out that winner’s certificate and watching the congratulations video from NaNo headquarters. I’d also have to include 2022 as a special memory. Earlier in the year, my husband’s cancer diagnosis changed my writing habits dramatically, and so I joined NaNo as a total “pantser,” which means writing with no outline or sense of direction, aside from some characters and a general plot idea. During that month, our family all came down with Covid. While some of the “journal” entries I included as I plodded through the month are quite entertaining to read now, I did manage to squeak by with just over 50K words of a partial first draft.
There’s still time to register for this year’s Write Stuff conference! You’ll find the details here.
Mark Gottlieb is a highly ranked literary agent actively building his client list of authors. He is excited to work directly with authors, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources available at book publishing’s leading literary agency, Trident Media Group. Mark represents numerous New York Times bestselling and prominent award-winning authors, and has optioned and sold books to film and TV production companies.
GLVWG: The query letter is a key element in the submission process for a writer’s work. What is a common error you see in queries that land in your inbox?
MARK: One common error I often encounter in queries is lack of specificity. It’s essential for writers to clearly convey the unique aspects of their work—what sets it apart from others in the same genre. Vague or overly general descriptions can make it challenging for me to understand the story’s distinctive elements.
GLVWG: At a recent writing workshop, the presenter laid out this simple advice: Read the guidelines before submitting. Apparently not all writers follow that suggestion. Is that your experience?
MARK: Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for writers to overlook submission guidelines. Following guidelines is crucial because it demonstrates a writer’s professionalism and respect for the agent’s or publisher’s process. Ignoring guidelines can create unnecessary barriers and make it more difficult for a manuscript to receive the attention it deserves.
GLVWG: Beyond the query letter and submission guidelines, what’s the most important thing a writer should keep in mind before sending a query to an agent or publisher?
MARK: Writers should remember the importance of a polished manuscript. Before querying, it’s crucial to thoroughly edit and revise the work to ensure it’s in the best possible shape. First impressions matter, and a well-crafted manuscript reflects a writer’s commitment to their craft.
GLVWG: You are taking pitches during the Write Stuff conference. What types of genres are you looking for? What are you not looking for?
MARK: I’m open to a wide range of genres between commercial fiction and upmarket fiction, as well as platform-driven nonfiction. I’m particularly interested in unique voices, diverse perspectives, and fresh takes on established genres. However, I’m not currently looking for poetry, picture books, or non-fiction without a major platform behind it.
GLVWG: How should a writer best prepare to pitch to you in person?
MARK: Preparation is key. Writers should have a clear and concise pitch that highlights the key elements of their story. Knowing the genre, target audience, and comparable works can also help create a compelling pitch. Additionally, be ready to engage in a brief discussion about the project and its potential.
GLVWG: If you are interested in seeing a writer’s work, how much time do they have to follow up with you? (Two weeks? A month? Six months?)
MARK: I typically appreciate a timely follow-up within two to four weeks. It shows that the writer is enthusiastic and serious about their work. However, I understand that circumstances vary, and if a writer needs more time, clear communication is crucial. I value professionalism and responsiveness throughout the submission process.
You can register for the Write Stuff conference here.
Jordan Sonnenblick is the author of 13 young adult/middle grade novels. At Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, Jordan met a creative writing teacher who completely changed his life. That teacher’s name was Frank McCourt, soon to write his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes. Sonnenblick says, “He taught me a ton, mostly through one Yoda-like saying that he repeated to me all year. I would write the funniest piece I could, and the class would be cracking up as I read my work aloud. Then, as soon as the noise subsided, Mr. McCourt would say, ‘Jordan . . . Jordan, someday you’ll head for the deep water.’ Head for the deep water–great advice if you want to be a writer. Or a salmon.”
I spoke with Jordan about writing and teaching his target audience of readers (he has also been an English teacher for many years!), the importance of research, and lots of other good stuff.
SK: Thank you for speaking with me! You’ve written several young adult and middle grade novels. What drew you to writing for this age group?
JORDAN: That was the voice that was in my head. But ultimately, I was writing for one student. I was teaching eighth-grade English and had a student whose brother had cancer. The student’s mother asked if I could recommend any books about kids whose siblings had cancer. I didn’t find any, so I decided to write one. It became my first novel, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.
One of the most common pieces of writing advice is “Write what you know.” You don’t have to write what you know, but you do have to know what you write. When I was a 33-year-old, married, Jewish guy in Bethlehem, PA, if you only write what you know, that’s what my first book would have to be about. You have to know what you write, so you have to do a tremendous amount of research to get it right on paper.
In my first book, I didn’t know anything about the medical side of kids with cancer. I read 13 medical textbooks, lots of memoirs of parents of kids with cancer. I interviewed a pediatric cancer doctor, then had him read my draft to make sure it was right. There will always be someone who is more of an expert than you are. As a writer, you have to do enough research so the person reading your book who knows the most about the topic will still find it believable. It won’t jolt them out of believing.
SK: What are some important elements of writing middle grade/YA?
JORDAN: You have to remember you’re competing with what their nervous systems are wired for—so, the length of a TikTok video or video game. So, the shortest possible things to keep their attention. You want there to be lots of humor and action. You want to make sure their characterization happens through action, not pages of backstory. You want your book to match as best you can with what they are wired for.
The other part is you must realize that if a book is both funny and sad, you have to lean into both. Make the funny parts as funny as possible, the sad parts as sad as possible. Create an emotional ride for a reader.
SK: You are also a teacher. How long have you been in this profession, and how does it inform your writing, and vice versa?
JORDAN: For my first stint, I taught for 14 years, most of them in Phillipsburg Middle School, with 3 years in Texas. Then I took 15 years off to be a dad and write full time, which gave me flexibility to attend games and dance recitals. During COVID, my kids were both grown and I realized I was going stir crazy. I needed face to face contact with my audience again. I went back to the classroom as a 10th-grade leave replacement. Reminds me of what it’s like to be a teacher, and quite frankly, it keeps me sane.
I’ll be teaching through end of January as a leave replacement position and during the second semester, I will hopefully write my next book.
SK: How do you make time for writing around your full-time teaching job?
JORDAN: I wrote my first four books at night while teaching full time, raising two small kids. Both had asthma and needed breathing treatments in the middle of the night. So I would put the kids to bed at 8, write till 2 a.m., give everyone their breathing treatments, sleep for a bit, then get up at 5:30 to go to school.
I threw myself at the book until the book was done or I was. I don’t know how you balance a full-soul career like teaching with writing. Looking back, I don’t know how I did it.
SK: What is your usual writing routine?
JORDAN: This fall was nice. I did final edits on Stepping Off, my next book, with Scholastic. It was much easier editing with the teaching than with the writing.
SK: Can you give us a sneak peek of what you’ll be talking about at the Write Stuff Conference?
JORDAN: I’m doing three sessions. The first one is called “My Journey to Publication” and what happened after—basically, everything that can go wrong in the business; it doesn’t matter how skilled you are, luck is such a big part of it.
It comes down to three things: skill, perseverance, and luck. No matter how skilled you are or persistent you are, luck is out of your control. So much of it is random chance—you have to kiss the ground if you have longevity in this business.
My second session is “Writing the YA Novel”—I wrote 13 of them, so I hope I know something about it. And the third is “Memoir: How and Why”—my two most recently published books are memoir; there are different wrinkles in writing nonfiction, so I will share that.
SK: What are you working on now?
JORDAN: My novel is called Stepping Off because in the first scene, the three major characters step off a bridge. It’s also about “stepping off” into life. So I’ve been going back and forth writing memoir about my fourth-grade year, then my sixth-grade year, and then total fiction. I think it’s good to mix things up so you’re not just the writer who writes one thing. Always want to keep things fresh. That’s a big thing that’s been a challenge—it’s like when the Rolling Stones want to play their new stuff, and the audience is always yelling they want the hits. My first novel is still my best-selling novel. It’s taught in schools. It was written in 2004 and now in 2023, it’s still being taught in schools. On one hand, it’s a gift horse, it put my kids through college. On the other hand—it’s about balance. I keep trying to write the best books I can, but in a way I’m still kind of competing with my 30-year-old self.
SK: What advice would you offer writers who want to break into writing YA novels?
JORDAN: Again, it’s not “write what you know,” but “know what you write.”
Do a ton of research and spend a lot of time with teens. It helps to be a parent of kids in that age group. When I started writing that genre, I had real little kids, but I worked with teens in my target reader audience.
You also can’t be dogmatic or talk down to kids—you don’t want the moral of the story stamped on every page. Write the book for one kid—make them feel seen, notice what they are going through. Don’t usually think about marketing it to that kid; just try to write a book that kid would want to read. Hope there’s some universality in what you’re writing.
SK: What advice would you offer writers in general?
JORDAN: Again, my biggest thing is still know what you write. Do a ton of research—I’m a big proponent of that. I wrote a book about a kid who goes back in time to Woodstock. I walked the grounds—called them up and said I’m writing a book, they gave me a security guard as a private docent. It was snowing. Walking the grounds like that was incredibly important because I had it pictured wrong in my head. I needed the right lay of the land to tell the story in the right way. Of course, you don’t know what you don’t know, so you don’t know what would trip you up otherwise. That’s why research is so important.
I’d like to add Facebook and the like has been incredibly useful—will put out a call for something, “I’m writing a book about someone who has a stroke—need to talk to a nurse, doctor, speech therapist,” and I’ll get a ton of responses. I feel lucky to be writing in this day and age.
Melissa Koberlein is a bestselling romance author and a professor of communication and publishing at Northampton Community College. She lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters, plus a dog, Zoe, and two cats, Molly and Loki.
Her books include Fireflies, a young adult trilogy that melds romance and light science fiction; Deadlock, about virtual reality; Raven’s Sphere, about outer space, and Ashwater, about androids. You can find her at melissakoberlein.com.
GLVWG: You are leading a half-day conference workshop on podcasting (Thursday afternoon). Tell us how you got your start in podcasting and what you do now as a podcaster?
MELISSA: I started my Indie Chicks podcast in 2018. The original host was a fellow indie author. We talked about independent publishing and marketing. We also reviewed fellow indie authors’ books. In 2019, Jeni Chappelle, my editor, joined the show as my co-host. We continued to talk about independent publishing, but there was a shift in the focus to independent women in publishing, which included traditional publishing as well. We interviewed authors, literary agents, and bloggers.
Unfortunately, during 2020, amid the pandemic, the podcast came to a halt as I suffered a house fire and lost everything. It took a long time to rebuild, but I’m happy to say that Jeni and I are in pre-production to bring the podcast back in 2024 with a new focus.
GLVWG: Why should a writer use podcasting to promote their work?
MELISSA: In my publishing classes, I always told students that they should utilize channels they enjoy promoting their work. I personally enjoy podcasting and sharing my knowledge of publishing with others. Given how popular podcasts are, I see that as a win-win. Similar to public speaking (although you only have a mic and screen to judge you), it’s not for everyone, but if you like talking to people and have a great idea about what others would like to learn or glean from your podcast, it’s a great tool to promote your work.
GLVWG: What areas will your podcasting workshop cover?
MELISSA: In this workshop, I’ll cover the ins and outs of podcasting, from crafting compelling narratives to perfecting your on-air presence. I’ll also cover how to prepare to be a guest on a podcast to share your expertise, promote your work, and build valuable connections with established podcast hosts. It’s a great workshop for both seasoned writers and those just starting out.
GLVWG: You are also presenting on three other topics during the Saturday portion of the conference. Let’s start with the first one: writing romantic comedy. What will attendees take away from this session?
MELISSA: Writing romantic comedy requires a delicate balance between love and humor. A lot of times rom-com is interchanged with contemporary romance, but rom-com is a type of contemporary romance with, yep, you guessed it, lots of humor. In my session, I’ll talk about how to create quirky characters, craft witty banter, and weave scenarios that elicit both laughter and heartfelt emotions.
GLVWG: Your second Saturday topic is about achieving work/life balance. That’s a common concern for writers. Can you talk about your own struggles with this?
MELISSA: Absolutely! To be fair, I just retired from my professor position at Northampton Community College, so a lot is changing for me. Most authors have day jobs, a family, and other commitments to balance with their writing. It can be complicated and difficult to find the time and/or motivation to write. What has worked for me is creating a schedule for productive writing. It may also mean giving other things up to put time in for writing. I have a whiteboard with my daily schedule and monthly word count goals. The most important thing is to create goals that are realistic and reasonable. Some writers are more prolific than others. Keep that in mind.
GLVWG: Your last Saturday session is on query letter writing: Navigating the Query Trenches. What will attendees take away from this presentation?
MELISSA: This is something I know a good deal about. I was in the query trenches not long ago. I was fortunate to connect with Elisa Houot at the Seymour Agency to represent my traditional manuscripts. She’s wonderful. We’re currently working on finding a home for my adult sports rom-com, Season Tickets. In this session, attendees will learn the ins and outs of crafting an enticing query letter, finding the right agent, and navigating the submission process.
Registration is open for this year’s Write Stuff conference! You can register here.
Weldon Burge, a native of Delaware, is a writer, publisher, and full-time editor. His short fiction has appeared in many publications, including various magazines and anthologies (such as Crimeucopia, The Best of the Horror Society 2013, Pellucid Lunacy: An Anthology of Psychological Horror, Ghosts and Demons, Beach Pulp, and Scary Stuff, just to name a few). His stories have been adapted for podcast presentation by Drabblecast. He’s also the author of Harvester of Sorrow, a full-length thriller.
In 2012, Weldon and his wife, Cindy, founded Smart Rhino Publications, an indie publishing company focusing primarily on horror and suspense/thriller books, many of them anthologies. To date, the company has published 17 books, including the most recent anthology, Asinine Assassins.
GLVWG: You are a prolific short story writer whose works have appeared in a number of anthologies. Has the anthology business changed since you first started submitting? If so, how?
Weldon: When I started submitting fiction to anthologies, the Internet didn’t exist and the market was far different. In the digital age, there are far more opportunities to submit stories to anthologies, which are far more prolific than they were even a decade ago. The publishing arena is still highly competitive, but the doors are more open for writers—especially those who haven’t established themselves yet.
GLVWG: From your bio, I see that you write in the horror and thriller genres. What draws you to those genres? Are there certain themes you return to again and again?
Weldon: I’ve always loved horror fiction and movies, going back to the EC comics and the Hammer films. Appreciating thrillers and suspense came later for me—although horror and thrillers certainly share characteristics. There’s something cathartic about reading and writing horror and thriller fiction, and maybe that’s what draws me to those genres.
I think horror fiction and thrillers share similar themes, particularly concerning monsters. I’m most interested in “human” monsters—I find Hannibal Lecter more of a monster than, say, Jason Voorhees. The Silence of the Lambs is as much a horror novel/movie as a thriller.
GLVWG: Do you have a favorite short story of the many you’ve written?
Weldon: Perhaps my favorite is “Blue Eye Burn,” which is about a Vietnam vet haunted by the ghost of a child he was forced to kill during the war. The story has been reprinted many times over the years and is popular with my readers.
But another story I truly like is “Hearing Mildred,” about a widower haunted by his deceased wife, who pesters him through his hearing aids. I had fun with that one!
GLVWG: What are you working on currently? A sequel to your debut novel, Harvester of Sorrow? More short stories?
Weldon: I’m currently writing a paranormal crime novel titled Enter Vengeance, which I hope will prove to be a series. I’ll introduce the characters Rex Justison, a police detective with a pervasive guilt complex, and Alicia Masters, a celebrated psychic who has professional and emotional ties to Rex. The case they are working on involves a seemingly invisible murderer bent on revenge.
Once that novel is completed, I’ll begin the sequel to Harvester of Sorrow, picking up where that novel left off. This time around, Ezekiel Marrs and his fellow police officers face a peculiar hitman and a bizarre series of arsons.
And I’m always tinkering with short stories!
GLVWG: How did you and your wife come to start your own publishing business, Smart Rhino?
Weldon: I’d been contemplating starting a publishing company for many, many years. But I never saw a way to jumpstart the company until ebooks and Amazon arrived. That was the door I sought. Smart Rhino Publications launched in 2012 with Zippered Flesh, a body horror anthology, and we’ve published seven other anthologies since then (as well as novellas and my short story collections). By the way, the name “Smart Rhino” came from a dream I once had. In the dream, I saw Rodin’s statue, The Thinker, with a rhino’s head. I woke up thinking, “That must be a smart rhino!”
My original intent was not to self-publish but to create a venue for other writers like myself. I enjoy working with other authors. This is another reason why Smart Rhino has focused on anthologies—allowing greater opportunity to work with more writers. I like to think that I’ve helped authors further their careers.
GLVWG: Smart Rhino publishes anthologies. How does that work? Does an author or group of authors come to you with an anthology theme?
Weldon: I always determine the anthology themes, as well as the covers. I place a good deal of emphasis on each cover, aware that it is essential to selling a book. Once I decide on a theme, I first invite writers that I know and have worked with before, knowing they can submit strong stories that require little editing. I try to find at least one “name” author to help promote the book. For example, the Insidious Assassins anthology includes stories by Joe Lansdale and Jack Ketchum.
Once I’ve received stories from that initial group of writers, I then announce an open submissions window with a deadline. Generally, half an anthology includes stories from the first group of writers and I fill the remainder of the book with the stories I’ve accepted from the general submissions. For the most recently published anthology, Asinine Assassins, I received 120 submissions from the open call and accepted 10 of them.
GLVWG: Your two-hour session at the Write Stuff will focus on how to submit short fiction to anthologies. What will you cover in that session?
Weldon: My general outline at this point is:
Why Should You Write for Anthologies
How to Submit to Anthologies
Writing to the Theme
The Importance of Guidelines
Working with an Anthology Editor
The Importance of Contracts
After Your Story Has Been Accepted
I’ll likely break this down into more succinct teaching points, but the outline pretty much covers the key elements of the session.
The 2024 Write Stuff conference runs April 11-13. You can register for the conference here.
Maria V. Snyder is a fantasy and science fiction author best known for her New York Times best-selling Study Series. She’s written five other series, including the Glass Series, the Healer Series. Her books have won numerous awards.
Maria will be the Keynote Speaker at this years Write Stuff Writers Conference. She will also be presenting half-day seminars on Thursday and Friday afternoon, and two one-hour sessions on Saturday. GLVWG member Donna Brennan asked Maria a few questions about the sessions and seminars she will be presenting at the conference.
Donna: One of the sessions you will be teaching will be on serial writing. I noticed that characters in one of your series often show up in another. Is this typical when writing a series?
Maria: That happened with in my Study and Glass series. They are both set in the same world. The Glass books are a spin-off from the Study books. After I wrote the first three Study books, I was burned out with writing about those characters and wanted to start something new. My editor really loved the world I created, and she liked the one minor character, Opal, the glass magician. I was in the middle of telling her why I couldn’t write about Opal when an idea for a story popped into my head! From that one idea, I wrote three Glass books.
That frequently happens with long series of books. Authors will switch to other characters in the same world in order to bring in a fresh perspective. After several books, it becomes harder and harder to find new problems for your characters and for them to continue to change and grow over the course of so many books! Plus, there’s always the danger of going into the “realm of the ridiculous,” also known as “jumping the shark.”
Donna: When you wrote your first book (which won the 2006 Compton Crook Award for Best First Fantasy Novel), did you plan it as series or did the characters just not want to leave you alone after the book was completed?
Maria:Poison Study was supposed to be a stand-alone fantasy novel. When I finally found a publisher for the book, they wanted a sequel. It was easy to change the ending and write a second book. When I finished that one, I knew there was still another book to complete Yelena’s story.
Donna: Another of your Saturday sessions is about how an independent bookstore works. Why is this kind of information useful to an author, and how can we use that knowledge to help sell our books?
Maria: Independent bookstores can be a wonderful resource to authors. They have loyal customers, and some host book clubs and events. It’s important to know how they operate so when an author has a new book out (or even with their backlist), they can approach a bookstore about getting their books on the shelves and perhaps doing an event at the store. Booksellers appreciate when authors understand how difficult it is to be a small business and are willing to accommodate them.
Donna: On Thursday your seminar is about creating believable villains. Is there a trick to giving our villains depth? How different is that from giving our heroes depth?
Maria: It’s not much different than giving your protagonist depth. Villains need goals, motivation, and conflict. But you also need to look at what set them on their path and other factors so your villains are well-rounded characters.
Donna: Your Friday session is about audio books. Is the audio book market different than the print or ebook market?
Maria: Yes, it is much different. Audio book listeners are frequently multi-tasking while listening. The narrator is just as important as the author so finding the prefect narrator is key. It’s also quite a process to produce your own audiobook. I’ll also be discussing the pros and cons of keeping your audio rights or selling them to your publisher.
Donna: If the target audience is different, how does that affect the way we market our books?
Maria: Knowing your target audience is the most important aspect of marketing. You need to know where your readers are in order to reach them. For example, if you’re writing YA, then your readers are on their phones, watching TikTok videos. For middle grade readers, school visits and library programs are important.
Donna: I know you will be giving the keynote address on Saturday, but the conference website doesn’t tell us the topic. Can you give us a hint of what you’ll be talking about?
Maria: The title of my address is “Navigating This So-Called Writer’s Life.” I talk about how expectations and perceptions about a writing career don’t always match up to what actually happens. That there are surprises waiting around every corner, and writers need to be flexible in order to preserver.
Donna: Thank you very much, Maria, for your time. I look forward to all I can learn from you at the conference.
Maria: You’re welcome! I’m looking forward to the conference. It’s always inspiring and motivating when I spend time with other writers talking shop!
This year’s Write Stuff Conference runs March 23-25 at the Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel. Registration is still open!
Author, agent, and speaker Michelle Lazurek is one of the presenters at the 2023 Write Stuff Conference
Interview by Sara Karnish
Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award winning author, speaker, pastor’s wife and mother. She is a regular contributor for ibelieve.com and crosswalk.com and is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and a certified writing coach. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting ‘80s memorabilia and spending time with her family and her crazy dog. For more info, please visit her website.
Michelle will be holding a half-day workshop on Thursday—“The Ins and Outs of Self-Publishing”—as well as breakout sessions on Saturday.
SK:You are also an agent. How do you think this informs your writing?
ML: I’m an agent but I started out as an author. I’ve been an author for 13 years. I’ve sat where authors have sat, and I’ve been in the same publisher appointments and meetings just like other authors. I understand the unique challenges the author faces when it comes to getting that book contract. I think that’s what I bring to the agent space. Not every agent is an author, and because I was an author first, I understand what a publisher is looking for. This helps me to shape the author’s writing and marketing and work together to polish the proposal and get it in the best shape possible so we can get that book deal.
SK:What is your best advice for writers seeking an agent?
ML: As an agent, I look for three things:
Unique idea: I’m looking for a unique spin on an old idea. For example, there are many books on prayer. What I am looking for in an author is their unique perspective on the topic of prayer. Publishers don’t want ideas that have never been sold before. On the contrary, they want a unique spin on a concept that has sold well and so they know they can guarantee their sales if they do offer a contract with an advance.
Writing: The writing must be good. Authors must invest in their own writing skills, whether that is by taking courses, hiring professionals, etc. Agents are not editors, so we don’t do much editing.
Platform: In my mind, platform is king. If you don’t know what platform means, think of it in terms of someone building a stage. They build it plank by plank and give it a firm foundation so that the person who’s on stage can deliver their message in the best way possible. It’s the same for writers. Their platform is the literal place that they stand where they can get their book in the hands of as many readers as possible. The bigger the numbers the better. If their platform is small, I may encourage them to wait before we submit to publishers because I know they are expecting either large numbers of previous sales or large numbers of places where they engage regularly. This guarantees not only they will make the advance back, but they’ll also make the publishing company a profit.
SK: One of your Write Stuff sessions focuses on writing for children. What is one big mistake new children’s writers commonly make?
ML: The biggest mistake I’ve seen authors make is not placing the tension or conflict earlier in the book. I do a lot with picture books, so they only have about 24 pages to really tell a story. Therefore, the book’s tension or conflict, which every picture book should have in some form, should appear in the first couple of pages. It can’t be halfway through the story, because the author will run out of room to be able to resolve it effectively. Kids today have a short attention span. Therefore, a children’s writer’s additional job is to keep the child turning the pages from the first page to the last. Therefore, their tension or conflict must begin very quickly to keep the child’s attention.
SK:Another session focuses on self-editing. Why is this step so important in the writing process?
ML: Every author must learn how to be a good editor. If you want to attract the attention of an agent or a publisher, your work must be in the best shape possible. At the very least, authors need to know the basics of English and grammar so that they can fix the very common typos and syntax errors that the first draft of their work presents. If they have difficulty beyond that, I encourage them to hire an editor so when an agent or publisher looks at it they know this author has a good grasp of the basic rules regarding literature.
SK: Why do so many writers think they don’t need to edit?
ML: Some writers make the mistake of thinking that agents will edit for them or that the publisher will edit for them. While this is true, your work needs to have gone through not only your hands at least a couple of times but also passed on to someone whom you trust who knows the basic mechanics of the English language. At minimum, I encourage writers to write the first draft. Put it away for a couple of days, then with fresh eyes look at it again. Look at it several times before you pass it on to someone else. By the time a professional editor has gotten to it, your work will have been passed through at least five to seven times.
This year’s Write Stuff Conference runs March 23-25 at the Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel. Registration is open!
Curtis Smith is a presenter at this year’s Write Stuff conference. His conference workshops include The Elements of a Short Story and Writing Flash Fiction. Here is an interview with Curtis by GLVWG member Donna Brennan.