Things Successful Writers NEVER Say

Guest Blog by Edie Melson 

                                                       Writers are an odd lot.

I can say that, because I am one. So I speak from experience, not judgment. Like all creative people, we tend to feel things more deeply, reacting poorly to criticism.

We also have no perspective at all when it comes to our own creation. Because a lot of us begin writing as a hobby, we tend to have a lop-sided view of the publishing industry.

So today, I’d like to clear up some common misconceptions and share some things that successful writers never say.

1. Uh…I guess…uh…I write. So…I suppose that makes me a writer…sometimes. CUT. IT. OUT. If you are serious about writing, even if you don’t get paid, you can call yourself a writer. So repeat after me. “I am a writer.”

2. I’m a much better writer than the majority of the published writers out there. This is for the small percentage who don’t have trouble telling everyone, “I am a writer.” Some of you believe you know more than everyone else. I hate to break it to you, but you don’t.

3. Sure, I don’t need to write today. I’ll go to lunch with you. Successful writers make spending time putting words on paper (or a screen) a priority. If we want to be taken seriously and have our time respected, we must set the example.

4. I don’t need to read books. I’m a writer, not a reader.

Besides, I don’t have time to read. I am not kidding. I’ve actually had writers tell me this. We need to spend time reading, and reading widely. Read outside your genre and learn what works and what doesn’t.

5. I don’t need an editor. I have a sharp eye and can catch anything I need to in my writing. Yes, many of us do have an editor’s eye. That’s a good thing. But that is NO substitute for an editor. We are blind when it comes to our writing. We see what is supposed to be on the page, not what is.

6. I can’t afford to attend conferences. I know conferences are expensive, but they’re also vital to moving forward in your writing career. There are a lot of ways to fund a conference—from asking for money from family and friends instead of gifts for holidays, to writing small articles for pay and saving that money. Conferences do three MAJOR things for writers:

·       They provide a place to learn the latest industry standards and techniques.

·       They provide a place to network and talk to writing professionals, like editors, agents and published writers.

·       They provide a place to network with other writer.

7. I decided to self-publish because traditional publishing just

takes too long. I’m glad to say that self-publishing—when done with professionalism—is now a respected option. Beyond that, there are a lot of good reasons to self-publish. But using self-publishing as a short cut is NOT a good reason.

8. I don’t have a target audience, everyone loves what I write. Every book has a primary audience. Yes, there are books that a lot of people enjoy. But if you write to a specific audience, you’ll have a much better finished product. Not to mention the fact that book stores will know where to shelve your book.

9. The rules don’t apply to me. Yes, I’ll be the first one to agree that there are exceptions to almost every single rule you ever hear about writing and/or publishing. BUT we can’t look at ourselves as that exception. Follow the rules and let the exceptions be a wonderful surprise if and when they happen.

10. The first part of my book is just information the reader needs, the story starts on page 70 (40, 60, 90, etc.). I really have lost track of the number of times I’ve had an author say this to me. Here is my response. If the story starts on page 70, that’s where your book needs to start. Trust your reader, and trust yourself, and skip the background information.

11. I’m not a marketer, I’m a writer. If this really is true and you absolutely refuse to market your work, then be prepared to pay. You’ll have to hire someone to market your book because marketing is a joint partnership between the publisher and the writer. That’s just the way publishing works today.

12. The publishing industry is dying. No, not really. It’s definitely changing, but it’s not dying. There’s a difference. Learn to adapt with the changes, but realize books and people who write them aren’t going anywhere.

13. I already have a book contract, I don’t need a literary agent. Now you need one more than ever. There are those who will argue this point, but here are my thoughts. Because of the rapid changes in publishing, contracts are brutal. You need someone in your corner, advocating for you. After the contract, you still need someone to help with possible (really probable) hiccups in the publishing process. If you don’t like your cover, or the copy editor isn’t doing a good job, your agent can be the bad guy and go to bat for you. This makes it possible for you to stay on good working relations with the publisher.

14. I don’t need to work on social media until after I have a contract. This is another that makes me cringe. Editors and agents award book contracts based on a lot of things. Now days, one of those things is whether or not an author has solid online presence. The lack of a presence may not always keep you from getting a contract, but it will affect the way you’re viewed by prospective buyers. Smart writers build an online presence while they’re working on a book, so everything is in place when they begin pitching.

15. Published authors don’t need to take classes or read books on writing. Successful writers know there’s never a point when you’ve arrived. Lifelong learning isn’t just a buzzword, it’s vital to stay current in the publishing industry.

Even though I slanted a lot of the points toward books, all are equally applicable to writers of shorter works. These are things that I believe you’ll never hear a successful writer say. I’d love to know what you’d add to this list. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie Melson, Vice President, ACFW-SC Chapter

Hey, thanks for stopping by. Hope you've had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed Edie's guest blog today as much as I did. Please leave a comment and share it on Twitter and Facebook.

Blessings,
Elva Cobb Martin, President ACFW-SC Chapter

Part 2 Muslim Pirates of the Past by Elva Cobb Martin

In researching my historical romantic pirate novel "In a Pirate's Debt" I collected a lot of information about pirates. The below two blogs seemed like good information to share in our day of battle against Islamic extremists.

Quick review of Part 1  

Most Americans are unaware of the fact that over two hundred years ago,the United States declared war on Islam and Mediterranean pirates, and Thomas Jefferson led the charge!

America was told by Muslim pirates to pay ransom or continue to lose ships in the Mediterranean.

Despite their stunning admission of premeditated violence on non-Muslim nations, as well as the objections of many notable American leaders, including George Washington, who warned that caving in was both wrong and would only further embolden the enemy, for the following fifteen years, the American government paid the Muslims millions of dollars for the safe passage of American ships or the return of American hostages. The payments in ransom and tribute amounted to over twenty percent of the United States government annual revenues in 1800.

(See Part 1 below for a full review)

Jefferson was disgusted that America was paying ransom to Muslim pirates!  Shortly after his being sworn in as the third President of the United States in 1801, the Pasha of Tripoli sent him a note demanding the immediate payment of $225,000 plus $25,000 a year for every year forthcoming.  That changed everything.

Jefferson let the Pasha know, in no uncertain terms, what he could do with his demand.  The Pasha responded by cutting down the flagpole at the American consulate and declared war on the United States.

Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers immediately followed suit. Jefferson, until now, had been against America raising a naval force for anything beyond coastal defense, but having watched his nation be cowed by Islamic thuggery for long enough, decided that it was finally time to meet force with force.

He dispatched a squadron of frigates to the Mediterranean and taught the Muslim nations of the Barbary Coast a lesson he hoped they would never forget.  Congress authorized Jefferson to empower U.S. ships to seize all vessels and

goods of the Pasha of Tripoli and to “cause to be done all other acts of precaution or hostility as the state of war would justify”.

Jefferson, the Marine

When Algiers and Tunis, who were both accustomed to American cowardice and acquiescence, saw the newly independent United States had both the will and the might to strike back, they quickly abandoned their allegiance to

Tripoli.

The war with Tripoli lasted for four more years, and raged up again in 1815.  The bravery of the U.S. Marine Corps in these wars led to the line “to the shores of Tripoli” in the Marine Hymn, They would forever be known as “leathernecks” for the leather collars of their uniforms, designed to prevent their heads from being cut off by the Muslim scimitars when boarding enemy ships.

Islam, and what its Barbary followers justified doing in the name of their prophet and their god, disturbed Jefferson quite deeply.  America had a tradition of religious tolerance, the fact that Jefferson, himself, had co-authored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, but fundamentalist Islam was like no other religion the world had ever seen.  

A religion based on supremacism, whose holy book not only condoned but mandated violence against unbelievers

was unacceptable to him.  His greatest fear was that someday this brand of Islam would return and pose an even greater threat to the United States.

This should bother every American. -- That the Muslims have brought about women-only classes and swimming times at taxpayer-funded universities and public pools; that Christians, Jews, and Hindus have been banned from serving on juries where Muslim defendants are being judged, Piggy banks and Porky Pig tissue dispensers have been banned from workplaces because they offend Islamist

sensibilities.  Ice cream has been discontinued at certain Burger King locations because the picture on the wrapper looks similar to the Arabic script for Allah, public schools are  pulling  pork from their menus, on and on in the newspapers.

It’s death by a thousand cuts, or inch-by-inch as some refer to it, and most Americans have no idea that this battle is being waged every day across America.  By not fighting back, by allowing groups to confuse what is really happening, and not insisting that the Islamists adapt to our own culture, the United States is cutting its own throat with a politically correct knife, and helping to further the Islamists agenda.

Sadly, it appears that today’s America would rather be politically correct than victorious. But I think we are waking up fast!

If you have doubts about these facts on muslim pirates of the past, just Google Thomas Jefferson vs the Muslim World.

Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by. Feel free to share this information and do leave a comment.
Blessings,
Elva Cobb Martin

Muslim Pirates of the Past Held American ships for Ransom (PART 1) by Elva Cobb Martin

Most Americans are unaware of the fact that over two hundred years ago,

the United States had declared war on Islam, and Thomas Jefferson led the charge!

At the height of the eighteenth century, Muslim pirates were the terror of the Mediterranean and a large area of the North Atlantic. They attacked every ship in sight, and held the crews for exorbitant ransoms.  Those taken hostage were subjected to barbaric treatment and wrote heart breaking letters home, begging their government and family members to pay whatever their Mohammedan captors demanded.

These extortionists of the high seas represented the Islamic nations of Tripoli, Tunis,Morocco, and Algiers – collectively referred to as the Barbary Coast – and presented a dangerous and unprovoked threat to the new American Republic.

Before the Revolutionary War, U.S. merchant ships had been under the protection of Great Britain. When the U.S. declared its independence and entered into war, the ships of the United States were protected by France. However, once the war was won, America had to protect its own fleets. Thus, the birth of the U.S. Navy, and the US Marines.

Beginning in 1784, seventeen years before he would become president, Thomas Jefferson became America’s Minister to France.  That same year, the U.S. Congress sought to appease its Muslim adversaries by following in the footsteps of European nations who paid bribes to the Barbary States, rather than engaging them in war.

In July of 1785, Algerian pirates captured American ships, and the De of Algiers demanded an unheard-of ransom of $60,000.

 It was a plain and simple case of extortion, and Thomas Jefferson was vehemently opposed to any further payments.  Instead, he proposed to Congress the formation of a coalition of allied nations who together could force the Islamic states into peace.  A disinterested Congress decided to pay the ransom.

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams met with Tripoli’s ambassador to Great Britain to ask by what right his nation attacked American ships and enslaved American citizens, and why Muslims held so much hostility towards America, a nation with which they had no previous contacts.

The two future presidents reported that Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja answered that Islam "was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Quran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise."

Despite this stunning admission of premeditated violence on non-Muslim nations, as well as the objections of many notable American leaders, including George Washington, who warned that caving in was both wrong and would only further embolden the enemy, for the following fifteen years, the American government paid the Muslims millions of dollars for the safe passage of American ships or the return of American hostages. The payments in ransom and tribute amounted to over twenty percent of the United States government annual revenues in 1800.

Thomas Jefferson and other Americans were disgusted. Don't miss my next blog as we explore what happened NEXT. 

Some think America's first confrontation with the Islamic world probably helped forge a new nation's character. We will check that out.

Thanks for stopping by. Please do leave a comment!

Elva Cobb Martin

Victorian Tea Parties--Bring them On!

Tradition tells us that the ritual of afternoon tea began in England with Anna, the seventh duchess of Bedford. (1783-1857). At that time there was a long interval between breakfast and the evening meal. Anna said she felt a "sinking feeling" in the afternoons and ordered her servants to serve snacks of small cakes and sandwiches with, of course, hot tea.

This neat dose of carbs probably corrected Anna's low blood sugar and the caffeine from tea undoubtedly gave her a lift. Soon her court friends began to serve up tea and snacks as well in the late afternoon.

Soon the United States adopted the fashionable tea meal also, that is, until the Parliament levied new taxes and the colonists responded by boycotting English tea. This, of course, culminated with the "Boston Tea Party" of 1773. Tea consumption dropped dramatically. This lasted until 1776 when Congress advertised in the Philadelphia news that the drinking of tea could again be indulged.

A century later in the mid-1800's and in admiration for Queen Victoria's successful rule of Britain, an admiration of British ways brought renewed enthusiasm for the afternoon tea. It also provided an opportunity for ladies to have a social event.

Despite Henry Fielding's comment during this period that "Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea," and Oliver Wendall Holmes's rather unflattering, yet funny, description of a tea party as "giggle, gabble, gobble and git," women did actually at times converse on serious topics.

At tea parties in New York Elizabeth Stanton met with Lucretia Mott and her circle of Quaker women in 1848.
These reformers planned the first convention on women's rights.

Others organized themselves for charitable causes and missionary endeavors over china tea cups in many parlors.

I love hot tea, cucumber sandwiches, scones and special little cakes. A great place to enjoy a real English Tea is the Thoroughbred Club in Charleston, South Carolina. I chose that spot to celebrate a wedding annversary with hubby, who otherwise, might never have agreed to a tea party! The Club requires reservations.

 I say stop the sinking feeling and  bring back the afternoon tea as well as the great conversation and ideas!

How about you?

My first novel is set on a Charleston Tea Plantation. The HEA wedding describes a wonderful tea for the reception. Here's a recipe for scones I've collected that you might enjoy trying.

Sesame-Orange Scones
4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking poweder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange peel (more is even better)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. honey or sugar
1 c. orange juice
1/3 c. water (approx.)

Mix the dry ingredients then add the rest of the ingredients and form into a soft dough. Knead the dough and form into two balls. Flatten the two balls to about 3/4 of an inch and cut into wedges or cut with biscuit cutter. Dribble the below topping on top of each. Place the scones on baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. Serve warm with honey or jelly.

Topping
1 tbsp. butter or margarine melted
2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Boy, does that make me hungry and it's way past tea time!  Thanks for dropping by. Do leave a comment or your favorite tea time recipe. And please do tweet this blog and share on Facebook for tea lovers everywhere.

Elva Cobb Martin

My Writers' Coat of Many Colors

by Elva Cobb Martin

Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors to show the great love he had for this son.

Contrary to branding principles we're told to follow, I believe Father God has given me (and many of you) a writers' coat of several colors.


I am writing fiction and nonfiction, articles, devotions, and contemporary and historical romance novels. I have written a number of poems and a pourquoi children's story.

 I even have a cozy romantic mystery on the back burner whistling like a tea kettle.

But the latest "color" on my palette is an independently published mini-book, Power Over Satan. Publishing my brief Bible teachings and seminars, a long-time goal, is now becoming a reality. This 40-page book is a primer on the believer's authority and how to discern

and overcome attacks of the enemy. It includes many stories of people who have done just that, including my law officer son who chases criminals using not only his law enforcement authority, but powerful spiritual warfare principles as well. Just released on Amazon in both ebook and print, find it here http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N28ORG0

I trekked across the Alps and forded many rivers learning how to indy publish on Amazon.

But that's another blog.

What about you? Have you found a single brand, genre or type of writing that is bringing you the fulfillment you are seeking as a writer? Or do you long to stretch your wings and soar over the walls of "specific brand" to new places the Lord might be leading you to and your heart beats faster to even think about them?

Joseph's coat of many colors led him into trouble and red-hot-lips testing. But, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of Joseph's story" included fame, fortune and being exactly in God's plan for not only himself, but for his family and a new nation being birthed during hopeless times.

 Thanks for dropping by and please do leave a comment and share on Twitter and Face book if you think this article might not bore others.

May you find joy in all you write! Except for that pesky editing. I pray you find endurance and diligence for that.
Elva Cobb Martin

Interview with author Gina Holmes

Please welcome, novelist, Gina Holmes. Gina is the founder of popular literary site, http://novelrocket.com   She is a two-time Christy and ECPA Book of the Year finalist and winner of the INSPY, Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and Carol Award. Her books regularly appear on Christian bestseller lists.

Gina, tell us a little about your newest release, Driftwood Tides.

Driftwood Tides tells the story of an aging, alcoholic driftwood artist turned beach bum, Holton Creary, and young Libby Slater. Libby grew up with an absent father and a loving but cold, socialite mother. Leading up to her wedding, Libby and her groom-to-be go through genetic testing and she learns her blood type doesn’t match either of her parents. She confronts her mother and is reluctantly told that she’s adopted. She goes searching for her mother, Adele, only to find her husband, Holton Creary lying face down on the carpet of his Nags Head beach shack.

She lies about her real identity until she is finally found out. Holton does not welcome the news. He never knew the wife he had given saint status too had given up a daughter for adoption. Together the two search to find the truth about Adele, Libby’s father and themselves.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

At its heart, Driftwood Tides is really about discovering who we are, whose we are, where we belong and the need to accept and bestow forgiveness.

Why did you set this novel in Nags Head?

Oh, how I love that place! I’m not sure there’s a more peaceful setting in all the world. And the further out I get from civilization, the happier I am. I love the sand dunes, the untouched nature, the quaint towns. Just everything! Well, except sand in my bathing suit maybe ( :

You seem to have a recurring theme in your novels about absent fathers, if it’s not too personal, why do you think that is?

It is too personal, but I don’t mind answering (wink!) When I was 6 years old, I was packed up by my stepfather and driven to my father’s house. Overnight I had a new Mom, new sisters and brother, house and life. It was as traumatic an experience as I can imagine. There were few explanations that made sense to me and I missed my other family desperately. I think ever since I’ve been trying to settle some pretty deep-seated questions. Writing books is wonderful for that.

The novel you’ve written that seems to be a fan-favorite is Crossing Oceans, do you ever see yourself writing a sequel?

I love that book too. Makes me cry just thinking about certain scenes. I would love to write a sequel, prequel or off shoot stories. I love those characters dearly. I’m under contract for three different novels, so I’m not sure when I’ll have the time, but I’d love to explore Craig’s story and of course, Bella’s. I miss Mama Peg very much!

You’ve said that your favorite novel you’ve written is Wings of Glass. Why is that your favorite?

Well, for storyline, I think Crossing Oceans is the strongest. I think my writing in Wings of Glass was my best, plus when I was very young I watched my mother in one abusive relationship after another, and then two of my sisters. I had been there too, despite thinking I was better than that. I know the mindset that keeps a woman (or man) in a relationship like that and I wanted to give insight to those who don’t understand. I’ve received enough letters to know I did what I set out to do.

You’re originally from NJ but write all your novels from the South, why do you set your novels down South if you’re from up North?

Ha, you found me out! Yes, I was born and raised in NJ. As much as I love my friends and family, I am definitely more suited for the slower pace of the South. I’ve lived in Southern VA for half of my life and I plan to spend the rest of my life here if I can help it. I try to write books from settings that make me happy. So I write where I want to be. (Although, I’ve got to say, NJ food is amazing and you’ve got to love a boisterous NJ laugh!)

What do you like most about being a writer? Least?

Most, I like being able to have a platform to share lessons I’ve learned in my life that I know others would benefit from. And more than that, I just love to tell a good story.

Least,would be the unpredictability of the business. Sometimes it seems so random and the lack of control makes me uncomfortable sometimes. (Which is probably right where God wants me!)

Do you have any advice for aspiring novelists?

My advice is pretty much always the same. 1. Write. So many people want to have written but don’t actually do the work. 2. Get to a writers conference because there’s so much you don’t know, that you don’t even know you don’t know. If you don’t you’ll be spinning your wheels for years, wasting valuable time. 3. Run, don’t walk, to the nearest bookstore and buy yourself a copy of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. Then apply it. (Best money I ever spent!) 4. Join a good critique group and get a nice thick skin, ‘cause you’re sure going to need it!

If you could go back to the pre-published writer you were, knowing what you do now, what advice would you give her?

Well, I wouldn’t have told myself how many novels I’d write that would never see the light of day, because I would have given up. I wouldn’t have told myself how little money there is actually to be made or how lonely writing can sometimes be. I wouldn’t have told myself that I’d still have a day job with 4 novels out in stores, including 3 bestselling novels… okay, but that wasn’t your question… I would tell myself to relax. Some of this, most of this is, is out of your hands, and that’s okay. It’s not going to be at all what you think it is, but it’s going to be so much more. You won’t get rich, but you will touch lives. At the end of the day, that’s going to be exactly what will fulfill you.

Where can readers find your books and more about you?

Thanks for asking. My books are in B&N, BooksaMillion, Amazon, Lifeway, Parable, Family Christian and hopefully a good number of independent bookstores. You can find me at http://GinaHolmes.com. Thanks so much for hosting me!

If you enjoyed this interview with Gina Holmes, please do leave a comment.

Hugs,
Elva Cobb Martin

My GPS Writing Life: Recalculating

by Elva Cobb Martin

Driving the other day with our GPS, I suddenly saw how my writing life resembles this navigational gadget. My husband looked on with raised brows as I burst into uproarious laughter. If you read on, get ready to laugh and release some healthy endorphins into your system.

In writing I “put in” my goals and happily slam my foot on the gas doing what I love most these days, writing. But then I find the pavement running out from beneath my wings and must “recalculate.”

Goal: Write the dream novel.

Fall in love with an idea, a genre, a character, a setting, a theme.
Research, research and read tons of novel writing books.
Join a writers’ group.
Attend an expensive writers’ conference.
Plan like crazy getting the main plot points, conflict, MRU’s in order.
Gas up to the speed limit, getting the first draft down on paper.

Email: “Cozy mysteries are no longer selling well.”       Recalculating

 

Goal: Get an Agent

Research sites, friends, writing groups, the kitchen sink and the fence post for good measure.
Research query letters.
Research agents not on the any kind of predator list and their submission guidelines and blogs.
Revise, critique, and polish the query. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Send it to The Agent.

Email: “Sorry The Agent is no longer accepting fiction clients.”  Recalculating

Goal: Submit to an Editor Myself

Research fiction editors and publishers. Repeat, repeat.
Learn how to do a great One Sheet.
Join or start another writers’ group heavy on critiquing.
Attend some more expensive writers’ conferences.
Get editor appointments.
Get some nibbles.
Memorize every word the editors say.
Revise, get critiques, polish, check DPOV, pesky words and tricky errors. Repeat till done (or till you hate the novel).
Send full ms to first editor asap.

First editor response: I really like this but we have just bought a novel with similar theme and setting. Sorry.

Repeat most of the above.

Second editor response: I like this so far, but we are really looking for novels of 95,000 – 100,000 words. Yor're about 20,000 short. Sorry.

Repeat most of the above.

Third editor response: I like this but it’s too wordy. You need to cut about 20,000 words.

RECALCULATING! ---The thing I now do best.

 

What about your writing life? Ever feel like you are on a GPS merry-go-round?

The good news is that my auto GPS, most of the time, even with several recalculations, manages to get me to my destination. I hope the same holds true for my writing life, especially since I have the best model on the market, GHS, God's Holy Spirit.

Somehow I believe we will get somewhere.



If this article made you smile and feel less alone as a writer on the uphill, curvy journey to publication, please leave a comment, tweet it and share on Face book.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Elva Cobb Martin