How to Get Published - Melissa Hart

Melissa Hart – How to Get Published
(Willamette Writers – 1/8/2011)


Websites:
1) SOWW (Southern Oregon Willamette Writers) : [e-mail]
2) Willamette Writers: [e-mail]
3) Larry Brooks: Story Fix: www.storyfix.com
a. 3 or 4 times a week puts new stuff on how to improve writing
4) Short Story site – (check out – different and neat stuff) www.onestory.com

Others:
1) www.freelancesuccess.com
2) www.fundsforwriters.com
3) www.writersworld.com

Interesting Blogs According to Melissa: (Google?)
1) Newborn Habitat – Parenting issues-> this woman’s blog post is getting into magazines. Going from writing for free to getting published They found her.
2) Fat of the Land – 21st century urban forager (eg. picking daffodils). Writes about foraging. Created audience of hundreds -> uses to sell book.
3) The Tangled Nest – Similar to Fat of the Land

Aside: Larry Brooks says to improve writing look at screenwriting books.

Twitter, Facebook – Social Media:
Example: Susan Orlean; Twitter – Go online and check her Twitter out – to see how she did it.


Book: “How to Write a Book Proposal”



Start Lecture:

Melissa Hart: Writing Professionally since 15 years old. Learned not to use friends names in high school.
1st book: She says it wasn’t very good.
2nd book: Gringa: well-received and highly esteemed
Says about ¼ of her U of O students get published.
Goal ->to give us tools and tips to succeed


Platform:
Must be visible to audience as a writer. Agents want to know you already have a readership.


Suggestion:
1) Write for free (such as blogs + other methods (( later)) )
a. Her - Write for non-profit agencies. Volunteer -> Magazines found her.
b. Nothing like a byline in print.
c. Outside grocery stores – good place to market free stuff
d. Writing even for free is fun (or should be)

Example: Mark Acito – was originally a starving opera singer. Wrote for free in magazines – free column (Plus, she says very important – had a picture in column – led him to being found)

Aside -- Blogs: World doesn’t need anymore blogs by writers about writing.



We need websites: (Websites as important as blogs still) What needs to be on your website:
1) Your name; phrase – “professional writer”.
2) Picture (photo)
a. College kids will help with this for free – just want a byline (for photograph)
3) Short bio: Info about self for agents as well as readers
4) Contact Page – with your email
5) Links to your articles and writing.
Note: Don’t put up whole excerpts, whole stories, etc.
People will steal them. People out there that go around looking for stuff to steal.

Social Media: Also important: Great to get known with. Post your credits. Links to your published stuff.
Can do all in one hour per week- according to Christina Katz.
1) Twitter – we should be on it.
a. Bio on Twitter. Post and focus on your specialty.
b. Famous people will follow you.
2) Facebook – Create fan page. Not as a venue for shameless self-promotion:
a. Instead, think of it differently (still shameless self-promotion, under a different name?)– lol)
3) Linked-in:


Money: When pitching to new editor:
1) Don’t pitch large articles to new editor
a. Instead, pitch smaller works

Fillers: (Between 100 and 400 words long)
1) All magazines have fillers.
2) Often at front of magazine.
3) Often photos go with fillers.
4) Don’t have to be on their staff
a. Can be unknown to them
b. Anyone can get them published
5) “Writing” Magazine – (300 to 400 words)
6) More fillers you write 
a. Better editors get to know you and your specialty
7) When picking subject of filler:
a. What’s new?
b. What’s relevant now?
c. What’s weird

How to Send Fillers to Magazines:
1) Send Whole Filler
a. No query letter needed
2) Don’t send attachments
3) Don’t address to “Dear Editor”; Have to know editor’s name.
a. Worst mistake you can make
i. Shows you didn’t do research; sloppy
b. Usually by email (sometimes by snail mail)
i. People rarely steal email.
ii. Save your draft of email in Sent File
1. Can prove you wrote it.

How to get Ideas for Fillers:
1) Use google alert for your subject: it will alert you everytime something on your subject is posted on the web
2) Follow newspapers
3) Talk to college/university professors
a. What’s New
b. Professors need to “publish or perish”
i. Creates a need for exposure on their part


Backpage Essays: (Her favorite genre)
1) Most newspapers and magazines like them
2) 600 to 800 Words
a. Right length for a page plus a photo
3) Like another first date (considering fillers also as first dates)
a. 3 Hour Interview with editor as opposed to a 2-hour interview with fillers
4) Magazines like creative, vivid, poignant and profound instead of expository
5) Short humorous essays (Women’s Day magazine)
a. Can pay up to $2000
6) Write about what you know
7) Editors also love quotes from experts
a. www.helpareporter.com – put in a query asking for quotes: returns 20 to 40 quotes
8) Ethically, can copy a sentence or two. But anything longer needs permission from the author.

Rights: Who gets rights?
1) Don’t sign contracts giving away all rights to editor:
a. If you do, consider piece lost.
2) Following Contracts good – just give them first rights instead of all; writers get all after that (later):
a. First American
b. First Serial
c. First International
3) Usually takes 3 months before you hear back
4) Another thing you can do is rewrite your piece and then you have your rights again

Essays: How to send to editor:
1) Send entire manuscript
a. Usually email, sometimes snail mail
2) No tricks or test pieces
3) Can send to JPR or NPR Radio – they like 300-400 word commentaries (about 2-3 minutes spoken)
4) Can target any newspaper
a. Not just local ones
i. Nothing wrong with pitching commentaries to papers far away
b. Commentary pages open to us
i. Guest commentator
c. Email her for her list of newspapers
i. Ask about whether a query letter is needed for essays.
ii. Eg. LA Times – has millions of readers
iii. Great way to keep interest about self high
iv. May pay up to $300
5) Emailing her: Social commentaries
a. Help promote writer’s books


Articles:
1) Generally non-fiction
2) Generally expository
3) Often involve interviews and quotes

Pitching an Article:
1) Need a one-page query letter
a. Magazines have to have query letter)
i. So Editors can change, shape and mold the way they want.
1. Give it their own slant
b. Post query letter into email
c. Pitching both subject of article as well as self

Query Letter:
1) 1st Paragraph – Start with hook to grab them and pull them in.
a. Tailored to the magazine you are submitting too
i. Requires research
2) 2nd Paragraph
a. Establishes who are experts
i. Author or others
3) 3rd Paragraph
a. Show that author knows what their talking about
b. And has other people who know what they’re talking about
4) 4th Paragraph
a. More advice given to author
i. Who she interviews
1. Interviews should cover a wide spectrum of different experts and perspectives
5) 5th Paragraph:
a. If pitching to someone who doesn’t know you, give credentials, awards and achievements here.

Joy of Spinning: Spinning 1 topic into ten different related ones (with subject as main thing in common). To maximize time and efficiency.
1) How-to article
2) Travel Article
3) Hard-core investigative article
4) Children’s piece
5) History Magazine
6) Personal Essay

Example: Subject is Disability:
1) How To:
a. How to navigate streets in a wheelchair
b. Or How to Dance in a Nightclub in a wheelchair
2) Travel:
a. Trip to Caribbean in a wheelchair
3) Interview with Stephen Hawking on his disability
4) Funny Essay:
a. Funny story of an accident in a wheelchair
5) Children’s Article:
a. Something about a child in a wheelchair who does or achieves something exceptional.
6) Historical Piece:
a. History of Wheelchair

How do you know where to send all these articles?
1) Google Topic
a. Magazines dealing with this topic
2) Research Bookstores
3) Follow other writer’s blogs (on similar or same topic as yours)

Again – World doesn’t need anymore writers blogging on how to write.


How to Sell a Book (Non-fiction)
Assume you’re working on a book while doing fillers, essays and articles
1) Book Proposal: 50-100 Pages
a. One-page query for a book.
i. Prove: What book is about, why people care about the subject, and why you ‘re the best person to write it
ii. Single-spaced
b. Need Overall Synopsis
c. Chapter Synopsis
d. Sample Chapters
i. (Should be your best chapters)
e. Biography – Make self sound awesome
f. Need an analysis of why your book is both different and better from all similar ones
g. Marketing Plan
i. All the ways you will be helping the publisher to market your book
2) Can usually email to them
3) A game of tennis:
a. Send them query letter
b. They will send something back asking for whatever they want
c. You send them what they ask for
d. They ask you for more
e. You send it to them
And so on and so on.


Most agents and editors are young now: 20’s – 30’s
1) Some will help revise until it’s done
2) Some just want to represent books they love – (not necessarily bestsellers)
3) Others want it perfect when they get it the first time
4) Some want bestsellers

Agents:
1) Get 10% of your royalties. Are they worth it? She thinks they are.
2) Agents job is to mediate between writer and publishers
a. Caution: Never write a check to an agent until you have their advance in hand.
3) Many editors won’t look at your work unless you do have an agent.

Agents: Process:
1) Have your book finished (fiction too)
2) Identify 10 books like yours and identify 10 agents and 10 editors.
a. May have to research
b. Send query letter to all ten agents and all 10 editors.
i. If you get all 20 rejections, probably need to look at your manuscript
c. Redo with 10 more agents and ten more editors.

Literary Citizenship: (Writers for other writers – a fellowship)
1) Can review books at bookstores
2) Critique Groups
3) Following blogs of other writers
4) Writing Fairs
5) Book Readings

When going about selling fiction and manuscript:
1) Manuscript has to be perfect and sellable
a. Best Idea: Take all the time you need.


Self-publishing:
1) No stigma about self-publishing anymore
2) Need a strong marketing plan.
a. College students will often help you develop a marketing plan for free for the experience.


Questions for Audience (us):
1) What subject could you write on immediately?
2) Who could give me insights for writing?
3) Think of 1 funny and poignant story to break into essays




From Melissa’s Handout:

Websites for writers:
1) www.newpages.com
2) www.helpareporter.com
3) www.duotrope.com
4) www.thewritinglifetoo.blogspot.com
5) www.writers.net
6) http://www.agentquery.com
7) www.woodenhorsepub.com
8) www.butt2chair.wordpress.com
9) www.freelancesuccess.com
10) http://www.ed2010.com/
11) http://twitter.com/SOJCCareers

Websites for Social Media and Web Pages:
1) www.facebook.com
2) www.twitter.com
3) www.weebly.com
4) www.freewebs.com
5) www.godaddy.com
6) www.linkedin.com