Join the IWSG monthly blog hop here: http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.htmlWhat a month it’s been! July brought another round of edits of my soon-to-be-published contemporary romance, major progress on its sequel, and my first-ever RWA National Conference. Alas, it also brought a heat wave to the Puget Sound area, land of ain’t-got-no-AC, and one of those stubborn summer colds. Yup, I’m a Snotgurgle.
But August is upon us, bringing cooler weather (for now) and another blog hop from the Insecure Writers Support Group. The purpose of the IWSG is to provide a place where writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!The awesome co-hosts for the August 1 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover, Susan Gourley, and Lee Lowery. Thanks, y’all!
This month’s IWSG question: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?
Don’t go it alone!
- For goodness’ sake, get some eyeballs on your manuscript before launching it. Even us former English teachers will miss errors because, darn it, we know what we mean. And reader reaction to your characters, plot, and writing style is feedback you need before you publish. Trust me on this.
- Find your writing tribe! Online and/or in-person, writers’ groups (like this one) are so heartening, so helpful, so necessary to a writer’s sanity. A quick trip to a Facebook writers’ group or email loop can bring much-needed clarification, encouragement, or solace. Yeah, writing is by nature a solitary endeavor, which makes it even more imperative to find supportive people who understand what we’re going through.
- On the other hand, beware of social media. At the RWA Conference, writer after experience writer mentioned this. Realizing how distracted I get when that notification buzzer sounds, I removed Facebook and Twitter from my phone. I still visit them most days on my computer, but now it’s a more conscious decision, and man, has my word count gone up!
I’m still processing all the amazing knowledge heaped upon us at RWA2018, held this year in Denver. I’ll share some of my favorite nuggets in future posts. Damon Suede’s session on The Romance Plot was astoundingly good. The Speed Pitch session yielded several requests for queries and pages, huzzah! I’m especially grateful to Adriana Anders, Andie J. Christopher, and Alexis Daira, all successful debut authors, who shared their tips for that first year as a published author. And the books! So many free books to read in the coming year!
Look at all the free loot I collected on day one of RWA 2018!
Wishing you all happy writing in August!
Fun times at the Passionate Ink RWA chapter’s pajama party. Erotica writers are a fun bunch!
Looks like you had a fun time at the RWA2018 🙂 Great tips.
Ronel visiting on Insecure Writer’s Support Group day: Time to Say Goodbye
So nice to hear you had a great time at the RWA 2018. I’m looking forward to your articles. I so agree with not doing it alone.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Wow, you’ve had a very productive July! Congrats on all the progress you’ve made on the sequel and the almost being ready for publication. That’s awesome. And, that you had some submission requests from the Speed Pitch session. Well done. You sure know what you are talking about, as your useful tips prove! 🙂
Wow, that’s a lot of stuff!
Smart to remove social media from your phone. One less temptation.
And I couldn’t find you on the IWSG list. Be sure to sign up!
Alex, I’ve linked my old blog, Late Blooming Rose, to my new one at SadiraStone.com. I’d love to change the name on the IWSG list. How can I do that without losing my place on the list?
Congrats on your requests! That’s so exciting. And it sounds like, based on your advice, that you’ll submit polished work, so I’m crossing my fingers for you. 🙂 Happy IWSG day! http://www.raimeygallant.com
Ahhhh so jealous you went to the RWA! But, what I’m hearing is that it was super informative and fun! Thanks for sharing the tips 🙂
We defintiely need a tribe! I’m with you on social media – Twitter is off the phone, and notifications for FB are turned off. Such a distraction.
So glad you enjoyed your first RWA conference. I’ve been to several mystery writer conferences – love them all. The swag is fun – especially the books!
Great advice! Looks like you’ve found your tribe at that conference.
Love this advice. It’s so helpful to have the feedback, expertise and support from other authors, and as an editor, thank you for #1.
Thanks for visiting my blog this month! Hope to see you again.