LIVE PANEL: The Debut Year

LIVE PANEL: The Debut Year

Conference 2018, Live 2018 62 Comments


This post will go live 5 minutes before the session begins. To ask a question, leave a comment below!

Alexa Donne is a Ravenclaw who wears many hats, including fan convention organizing, teen mentoring, college admissions essay consulting, YouTube-ing and podcasting. When she’s not writing science fiction and fantasy for teens, Alexa works in international television marketing. A proud Boston University Terrier, she lives in Los Angeles with two fluffy ginger cats named after YA literature characters. Visit her at www.alexadonne.com or on most social media spaces @alexadonne. Her debut is Brightly Burning.

More About Alexa Donne

Heather Fawcett is a YA author who has worked as an archaeologist, photographer, technical writer, and backstage assistant for a Shakespearean theatre festival. She was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, where she spends her time exploring the mountains and occasionally getting lost in the woods. Even the Darkest Stars, her first book, was published in 2017 by HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray. The sequel, All the Wandering Light, is out September 4, 2018.

More About Heather Fawcett

Rosalyn Eves grew up in the Rocky Mountains, dividing her time between reading books and bossing her siblings into performing her dramatic scripts. As an adult, the telling and reading of stories is still one of her favorite things to do. When she’s not reading, writing, or teaching writing at a local university, she enjoys spending time with her chemistry professor husband and three children, watching British period pieces, or hiking through the splendid landscape of southern Utah, where she lives. She dislikes housework on principle. Her first novel, Blood Rose Rebellion, first in a YA historical fantasy trilogy, is available now from Knopf/Random House.

 

More About Rosalyn Eves

Margaret is the author of An Enchantment of Ravens which came out with Simon & Schuster in Fall 2017. Previously to being an author she was a marketing assistant, graphic designer, and freelance artist; and before that she was a cultural anthropology major at Miami University in Ohio, while also a canoe livery counter girl and amusement park employee. If you go back even further she’d have to tell you some harrowing tales about a half-feral child who ate worms, caught live bees, and bit people, so she’ll spare you the details.

When not writing Margaret can be found drawing, reading, gaming, making pudding, or creeping through the woods in search of toads and mushrooms. She enjoys collecting odd scarves and watch more documentaries than is socially acceptable (according to some). Currently she lives just north of Cincinnati, Ohio, but one day she would like to live next to a forest that gets darker at night than it should and makes strange noises during the witching hour. She enjoys all things weird and unsettling. You can visit her at www.margaretrogerson.com.

Margaret is represented by Sara Megibow of KT Literary.

More About Margaret Rogerson

Tags:
62 Comments

62 Comments

Leave your reply.
  • Shanice
    · Reply

    I’m writing a series and I’m worried that once the first book is published, I’m not going to be able to keep up with promo for the first book while writing the second. How do you manage that balance and the demands from your editor to stay on top of deadline when you’ve never had a deadline before?
    Thanks

  • Janine
    · Reply

    What did you do in promoting the book AFTER it was released? I see so many cases of so much hype before the release, but never hear about it again after that. Do you have certain days you promote the book sometime in the first year (say tied into a holiday or significant day in the story)?

  • Shanice
    · Reply

    Did you all have an author platform before being published? If so, how can I amass followers on mine when I’m currently a nobody? Is it ok for me to wait until after I’m published, because all I have is an IG and twitter account that I keep up with.

  • Diane Landy
    · Reply

    What tips do you have for engaging with a PB audience?

  • Tiffany
    · Reply

    Hello! Thank you so much for doing this! I have several questions
    What are things that you wish someone had told you when you first became a published author?
    What are things aspiring authors should expect and prepared for their Debut year?
    And do you make plans about which bookish conventions/events to go to and how much of those trips does the author pay and the publisher pay? Thanks again!

  • Shanice
    · Reply

    What is one thing that you were unprepared for, that no one told you prior to your debut as an author, that every debut author should know?

  • Elza
    · Reply

    Which “marketing strategies” did you find to be most rewarding, personally? (example, blog tours, interviews, or maybe streaming on social media?) What’s your favorite way to connect with readers?

  • Danica
    · Reply

    Are any of you morning writers? If yes, have you always been that way, or if you had to work at it, do you have any tips for those of us trying to become morning writers? (I work full time in a creative role for a company, and I’ve noticed by the end of the day, I often feel too drained to get much writing for myself done.)

    • Kayla Cox | Epicfied
      · Reply

      I’ve started to become a morning writer. I work full time and I’m definitely too shot at the end of the work day. I started getting up earlier to let coffee kick in and then start doing small writing sprints, 5 or 10 minutes each.

  • Emma
    · Reply

    Does writing truly get easier after the first book?

  • Shanice
    · Reply

    How do you make this a career? I’m not married and work but I’d love to make writing my career, but there isn’t a lot of money in writing until you’ve written a LOT of books. How do you make a steady income as a debut author who became a full time writer?

  • Cassy
    · Reply

    What was one thing that happened that you hadn’t been at all expecting once you got your publishing deal, and then once the book was released?

  • Danica
    · Reply

    What is the longest a book has ever taken you to get to a presentable stage? (So, not just the first draft, but several drafts after that — like where it’s ready for beta readers or agents.)

  • Kayla Cox | Epicfied
    · Reply

    What is your favorite question you’ve been asked in an interview?
    (Would any of you be interested in an interview?)

  • kate
    · Reply

    What was “the call” like for each of you? What questions did you ask and how did you know which agent was the one for you?

  • Leanne
    · Reply

    Hi! So excited for this panel.

    What’s something that’s surprised you about the experience of debuting?

    Any advice on balancing working on multiple projects at once ? (For example, editing one while drafting another.) How do you keep your focus and motivation going?

    Thanks!

  • Elza
    · Reply

    How much of a window do you have for recognition after a book releases before the title is “old news”? What are some good ways to keep a new release in front of people long enough for it to stick without being annoying?

  • Christina
    · Reply

    Sorry everyone! We are having some technical difficulties! Too many awesome writers in one place!

    • Suzanne
      · Reply

      Is there anything we can do to help the technical situation? Logout and login? Refresh? Also, I can’t see anything, and assume that’s the tech problems but wanted to make sure I’m in the right place. Will the live panel load here once the issues are resolved?

  • Danica
    · Reply

    If you had one piece of advice for those of us in the middle of a rewrite — what would it be?

    • Rosalyn Eves
      · Reply

      Just keep at it! (And keep a copy of the original). I feel like rewriting books is like deep-cleaning a room. You’ll hit a stage where everything is a bigger mess than it was when you started, but if you keep at it, the story eventually falls into place. I also find it helpful to get readers when I’m done to make sure I haven’t missed anything as I Frankensteined the pieces back together.

    • Margaret
      · Reply

      Rosalyn has great advice here—I second “just keep going” as the best possible thing you can do.

      I’ve also found that during rewrites, I often struggling with the feeling that my book is dry, flat, and uninteresting. If you struggle with the same thing, it’s important to recognize that it’s usually a perception bias: you’ve already spent so much time writing about these characters and their world that none of it is new to you, and the magic has worn off. The reader will feel much differently.

  • brittney
    · Reply

    Hiiii Alexa and Margaret! (And I’m super excited to check out Heather and Rosalyn’s books as well!) – Did any of you ever have any issues with editors or agents wanting to change your story to the point where it lost what you loved about it? If so, how did you handle it?

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      I haven’t had any extreme experiences with this, but I have taken notes that didn’t sit right with me. Honestly I’m a pretty confident and straight-forward writer–I’m willing to take on critique and make changes, but if I don’t like something, I say so and I don’t make changes I don’t like. I just gently pushed back, asking for clarification on the notes and being firm that I wasn’t comfortable doing XYZ. This said, I always balance the few things I will not change with being willing to change a lot. If you give on 80%, you can draw your line in the sand for the 20%, if that makes sense? But others may have had more extreme experiences and be better able to speak to that! I’ve been fortunate to have both a supportive and open-minded agent, as well as a very flexible editor.

    • Rosalyn Eves
      · Reply

      I haven’t dealt with this on a large scale. I think if an agent wants you to change your story that much, it might be a sign that they aren’t the best agent for you–I had an agent suggest an R&R that missed the heart of the story. An editor is harder, because by that point you’re under contract. For smaller issues, communication has been key. If my editor requests a change I don’t agree with, I usually talk with her to try and understand where she’s coming from and explain where I’m coming from. Most of the time, I’ve come around to her vision, but in a few cases, where it was important to me, she usually trusts my vision. This isn’t true of all editors, but that’s been my experience.

    • Margaret
      · Reply

      Hi Brittney, I’m so excited to see you here, and sorry that we didn’t get to your question in time!

      I haven’t had this issue personally, but it’s a great question, so I wanted to jump in and say that you both can and should speak to agents/editors about their editorial vision for your book before signing with them. Generally you will get a very good idea based on that conversation whether they’re someone you trust with your novel. If you don’t feel fully confident that they understand your writing, don’t sign with them!

      Also know that under legitimate circumstances no one will ever force you to make revisions that you feel will destroy your book. When an editor or agent makes a suggestion for changing something, I recommend spending a day or two thinking about that suggestion and the underlying issue that your editor wants to address. For example, is the plot slow in that section, or the character motivation unclear? Once you’ve identified the issue, you can come back to your editor and say, “I’m not comfortable making the change that you suggested (for X reason), but I see the underlying problem and agree it needs to be fixed. How about we address it this way, instead? Here’s my idea…” Ultimately, your editor wants you to write the best book you can, and would far rather work with you collaboratively instead of ordering you around.

      Lastly – I know that finding an agent or a publishing deal can be a high-pressure situation, and while unsuccessfully querying agents I remember feeling at times like I should take whatever representation I could get and be grateful for it, even if that involved doing an R&R I felt would hurt my manuscript rather than help it. That is a terrible mindset to have, and if you ever feel that way too, don’t give in to it! Finding the right agent (and later, the right editor) is critical for your career, and it must be a decision you make without reservations.

      I hope that helps, and please let me know if you have any more questions!

  • jackie
    · Reply

    Can you share your experiences with the debut year in the context of still having a full time careers that you can’t afford to quit yet? How are you able to travel to meet with your agent, publisher, and industry people and/or do book tours/events/promotional stuff?

    And how soon, if at all, were any of you able to quit your day jobs, even if your book wasn’t selling like Harry Potter, etc.?

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      Hi Jackie! I’m very fortunate in that my day job has been super understanding about my book career. It’s a small division within a large media conglomerate, and my bosses are very supportive of work/life balance. I reassured them that book deal didn’t equal quitting (I explained book advances to them!), so they knew I was in it for the long haul, and I have given them a LOT of warning, re: taking time off for travel. I’m also fortunate that I’ve worked at my job 7 years now, and so I get 3 weeks of vacation. I banked an extra week from last year to roll over into this year, so I have a lot of days to work with. One thing I can reassure you of: book travel is very weird and typically you’ll do 24-48 hour turnaround on events. So I’m only having to take 1 or 2 days off work at a time so far for most of my events.

      The harder part for me has been juggling day job responsibilities + book responsibilities, generally. When work is hectic, I really struggle to draft/do productive book career work, and vice versa–being really “in the zone” on my draft, or juggling book deadlines can really torpedo my focus at work. I’m having to learn to better compartmentalize and handle both at once–a stressful day at work followed by a productive writing evening at home. Another thing I’ve done is just accepted that I will, more or less, work 7 days a week–my weekends are now for being productive with drafting, promo and my YouTube channel. Luckily I enjoy the book work, so it’s not complete torture, but it does mean I have less downtime.

      Relating to the brain “switch”–I’ve only done one book event thus far, and I’m doing my second tomorrow, and I am anticipating it being really tough to switch back and forth between author mode and IRL day job mode… we’ll see how that goes! It’s all about juggling, and none of it is easy, but I’m fortunate in that I like my day job (less when it’s crazy busy haha) and the steady income and health benefits give me the peace of mind to be creative, take my time and also take risks in my book life. I’d like to say I have a “long game” plan to be able to quit to write full time in 2-3 years, but honestly it’s out of my control: so much of being able to quit your day job rests on how much you sell your debut for, then how well it sells, and then subsequent book deals. I’m making it a point to keep my day job life healthy (giving my all at work, liking what I do) because I may end up staying long term.

      I hope that helps 😀 (I have a video on this on my YouTube channel, too! Called “Don’t Quit Your Day Job”)

  • Kristen
    · Reply

    How to find an editor that is cost effective?

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      I will jump in and say that if you are pursuing traditional publishing, that I don’t advise paying for an editor. Others may have a different opinion, but that is what I’ve heard not only from authors, but from agents. The conventional wisdom is to find critique partners and to self-edit–money is supposed to always flow to the author. But if you really want to hire someone, the key is to look at freelance editors’ qualifications. Did they work at a publishing house? At a reputable agency? Have they taken a certificate course? Talk to a variety of their clients, not just the testimonials on their site (a lot of editors who set up shingles start by getting endorsements from friends). Do a test on a partial to see if you like their style.

  • jackie
    · Reply

    Alexa, can you share the experience of the process being so fast? Why was it so fast? How were decisions made? Who made them? What was the strategy? What’s been most challenging? Are you losing out on (or is it costing you?) important things other authors who have to wait longer experience?

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      Hi Jackie! It’s just something that happens with publishers sometimes! Every publisher has a release calendar that goes several years out (2-3 years, sometimes), and they also pay attention to other publishers’ release calendars. So sometimes a publisher will see a trend, or a hole in the market/release calendar (“the other major houses have a magic fantasy in Winter and Fall, but no one has a big title for Summer”), and when they acquire a book that fits their needs, they’ll slot it into the calendar for the next year.

      In my case, HMH had a hole in their calendar for Spring/Summer, re: SFF YA titles, and the book wasn’t going to need a ton of editing, so they felt they could get it ready in 13 months. I was certainly game, as it meant less waiting! The decision was made by my acquiring editor and the VP of editorial, in conjunction with marketing/publicity and sales. All the departments have to talk to each other, and typically it’s something they discuss at acquisitions.

      So the most challenging thing has simply been that everything has been compacted for me. I’m simultaneously promoting my debut and traveling for it while drafting my second book. Most authors have a lull period between sale and editorial/publicity where they have a tiny bit of grace period to draft their contract book. But, honestly, the challenge has also been one of the most rewarding aspects, too. I feel super lucky not to have to wait to debut–and after a lot of stops and starts with agents and books on submission, I was pretty impatient to debut haha. I was ready to hit the ground running, and it’s been a whirlwind. It’s crazy and exciting how quickly my life has changed in less than a year.

      I would say that having less time for buzz has had a few downsides, however, I really can’t complain. Being a bit late on buzz is NOT the end of the world–what really matters is the last few months before release, and keeping the “tail” going after. There are books that have the full 2 years between sale and release and they end up in the same place, ultimately, as I will with 13 months lead time. I have a pretty optimistic view of the whole thing 🙂

  • jackie
    · Reply

    What is a typical set of deadlines the editor/publisher gives you after the first book gets published and you have to start the second? What does that look like?

    • Rosalyn Eves
      · Reply

      Publishers usually work backwards from when the book is supposed to be out, so it depends on some extent to when they want the second book out. My books are each a year apart, so the deadlines reflect that. For instance, my books come out the end of March. In order to get the developmental edits, copy edits, and everything done in time to get ARCs out 9 months before the debut (which is what Penguin/Random House typically does), the book has to go to copy edits sometime around February of the previous year. That means my editor needs to get my draft around September, to have time for 2-3 rounds of edits. So my schedule looked something like this:

      January 2016: book 1 goes to copy edits
      February/March-September 2016: drafting book 2
      March 2016: copy edits for book 1
      July 2016: ARCs for book 1 and pass pages
      September 2016: book 2 to editor
      late October: edits for book 2
      January 2017: turned in edits for book 2
      February 2017: second round of edits for book 2
      March 2017: book 1 came out and I got copy edits for book 2
      April 2017: drafting book 3 (which I turned in September 2017).
      And repeat. 🙂

      If your book is on a tighter schedule, you’ll have less time between steps. Not all publishers follow the same schedule either. But most schedules involve some juggling between drafting and editing.

  • Swati
    · Reply

    Any advice on being crashed as a debut? Tips, tricks, things to be aware of?

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      Hi Swati!

      Gird your loins? Haha. Mostly, my advice is to be ready to work a lot on tight/short deadlines, while juggling everything else. Being crashed can be a wonderful thing, but it also means that your life changes SUPER rapidly and there are a lot of new things to deal with. Lots of cognitive dissonance. You’ll have editing deadlines, drafting deadlines, promo to do/platform to build, and then all your IRL stuff to both carry on as normal. I advise you to enjoy it as much as possible–at least that was my outlook. I’m pretty energized by being busy and, uh, yeah boy did I get what I wished for.

      You are probably going to have to drop a few IRL things (or even book world things) that you did that you enjoy but that will make your book life harder. I didn’t realize this and didn’t scale back at all, and then all the things I had to juggle in the fall hit me in the face and something had to give. That something was both book promo and drafting book 2, which I’m paying for now (it’s all good, but man. Choices.). So it means next year I know I have to drop several of my side-hustles b/c I simply cannot juggle it all. Book work + day job are the only things I can realistically focus on. (this all may be the case with any book publishing schedule, but b/c I was being crashed and the change happened SO FAST, I was slightly unprepared).

      Also, you’ll need to pick & choose what you can handle, re: promo. I had so many grand ideas and couldn’t execute half of them. There just wasn’t enough prep time. But it’s ok!

      I mean, really, enjoy it. It’s insane but also kind of fun? Maybe I’m a masochist though haha.

  • Anne
    · Reply

    How much direction did you get from the publisher in terms of promotion?

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      Such a great question. So, first, I brought a lot to the table, and I do encourage authors to do whatever they are comfortable doing, on their own terms. Generally you won’t be introduced to your publicist/the marketing department until relatively close to your pub date–as far as 6 months out, but sometimes as close at 2-3. When you have that call, I think it helps if they have observed what you are doing, what kind of author you are, what you’re good at, and then they will have suggestions for you and will also be able to tailor their plan around you.

      So for instance, my publisher knew they could pitch me for conferences and festivals/panels because I’m super comfortable doing them–you’ll actually fill out an Author Questionnaire for them where you outline what you’re doing/what you’re good at, etc. I was explicit that I have panel experience and I’m willing to do events (not every author is comfortable with this, and that is ok!).

      That is to say, I simply did a lot of stuff on my own, because I wanted to, and didn’t ask for permission haha. I did receive guidelines from my publisher when I signed, re: social media and promotion, but I was already doing most of the things in it–that’s the closest I got to direction at the beginning. But now that I am closer to release, I have had some super productive calls with my publicist and received some ideas/tips/direction… all suggestions, nothing prescriptive, but all helpful. I think they know I’m open to doing promo, and thus they offer direction, if that makes sense? Most publishers won’t make you do promo, though they may gently nudge you if you’re not doing a ton. My feeling is that the best results come from the author putting their best foot forward, giving their publisher something to work with, and then you collaborate… it doesn’t have to be a lot, but even just maintaining a Twitter or Instagram is helpful!

  • RebeccaKlay
    · Reply

    Hi guys! Thank you so much for doing this 🙂

    I was wondering if any of you, or if you know of any authors who, have anxiety but are still able to make this work for them? Sometimes just the thought of having to do promo, or conferences, signings, interacting with humans etc makes me so anxious that it stalls my writing, and I worry that there’s no point in continuing if I won’t be able to do all the pre/post-publication stuff. Which is frustrating, because I love writing and this is what I want to do. Is it possible to succeed in this industry, even as an introverted, anxiety filled person?

    (Sorry that was a bit long-winded!)

    • Rosalyn Eves
      · Reply

      Hi Rebecca, as an anxious, introverted person, it’s absolutely possible to do this! For one thing, if some aspects of promotion (like conferences) amp up your anxiety, it is possible to tell your publisher no and stick to promotion that works for you. I’m a teacher in my day job, so I don’t mind conferences so much (but meet and mingles make me terrified!). I think it’s really important to have a support system that works for you: I wound up talking to a therapist regularly, taking anxiety meds, and venting to a supportive writing group. I’ve found that *lots* of writers struggle with anxiety. Probably more than not. So you’re definitely not alone in this. There’s no one solution to working through anxiety, but there are definitely ways to do it.

      • RebeccaKlay
        · Reply

        Thank you so much for responding! That’s really encouraging to hear that it definitely is possible. Those are some really good suggestions, and I will definitely keep those things in mind. That makes me feel much more encouraged about moving forward and not giving up on writing. Thank you 🙂

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      I totally feel you on this! I’ll tell you that I believe a majority of my 2018 debut class has anxiety in some form or another. It’s a very common bonding point among writers, though of course we all have it to varying degrees.

      I know it doesn’t seem like it: but I am an introvert and I have anxiety. I’ve worked on it for yearsssss, in part because my day job has demanded it (I work in marketing and the media industry), but also I inadvertently made huge strides via working on fan cons. I realized that as long as I had confidence in whatever I was speaking about (Harry Potter or YA!), and if I prepared enough, that panels/cons/networking were actually really easy for me… as long as I then spent a LOT of time alone afterwards to decompress. So I was fortunate to get in a lot of practice, first attending lots of panels, then moderating them, then being a panelist on them, and so now the things my publisher asks me to do don’t freak me out as much. Although I have to give a speech tomorrow and I am honestly kind of freaking out? But it will be fine! *nervous laugh*

      Everything becomes easier via developing strategies and coping mechanisms, and you can definitely start practicing now. Pick the social media platforms with which you are most comfortable, and get used to promoting yourself every once and a while (self-promo is still so weird). Attend bookish events if you’re not already, and watch a lot of panels. Observe the different styles authors have, and rest assured more than half of them have anxiety… you can do it! I can tell you that a LOT of authors do their panels and then disappear into their hotel rooms for several hours to decompress. It’s very normal, and always know that you can take that time for yourself. Down the line, before panels, request the questions ahead of time! Meet the moderator and let them know you’re a bit nervous, and not to call on you “out of turn.” Prepare your answers so you are confident in them… over time you’ll learn to participate more on the fly, but being prepped in some way will ease your anxiety. Don’t worry there is always one person on a panel who is more than fine talking a lot, so you don’t have to, haha.

      This solution isn’t for everyone, but one of the reasons I started my YouTube channel was to get more comfortable with public speaking, and with seeing myself on camera. It’s made such a HUGE difference, and I think it’s the only reason I’m not losing my mind about this speech. (OK, I am slightly losing my mind) BUT as Rosalyn said, you can also let your publisher know if certain types of promo are simply a hard no for you, and that’s ok! A lot of authors won’t do on camera interviews/TV appearances, or big conferences, or things like giving solo speeches. Your publisher can work around it, but also I promise most things aren’t as bad as you think they are, and you are not alone.

      • RebeccaKlay
        · Reply

        Thank you Alexa 🙂 I would never have guessed you get anxious, you come across as really confident and outgoing! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and respond to my question, and your advice and suggestions are really helpful, thank you. That’s not really a side of being a writer that I’ve heard about before, so it’s reassuring to know that it’s ok to have to go away and decompress, or be able to say ‘no’ to some things.

        Thank you again for taking the time to share, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. And good luck for your speech tomorrow! You’ve got this! 🙂

    • Margaret
      · Reply

      Hi Rebecca,

      Rosalyn has great points and I agree that many if not most authors experience anxiety to some degree. I myself suffer from SEVERE anxiety to the point that it can interfere with my ability to remain functional. The great thing is, publishers know that authors are a bunch of anxiety-ridden, high-strung neurotics and they are used to dealing with us. You can talk about this stuff up-front with your agent and publicist and they won’t bat an eyelash. Just be clear about your limitations, while also remaining open-minded. I’ve discovered to my great surprise that I can do some things that I absolutely thought I’d never be able to do without literally passing out and/or throwing up from anxiety, like school visits, as long as I ease into it slowly and include considerations for my anxiety issues (ex, the set-up has to allow me to sit down so I don’t get lightheaded). For sure, the people you work with will help you and support you instead of dumping you into shark-infested waters like a chum bucket!

      • RebeccaKlay
        · Reply

        Hi Margaret,

        Thank you so much for your reply. I completely understand what you mean. I’m not even anywhere near having to worry about that yet, but the thought of it was almost paralysing, and definitely nauseating. Knowing that it’s not uncommon, and that the industry at large is understanding and supportive of all of that, is really reassuring.
        Thank you for sharing your experience, I really appreciate it. It’s definitely made a difference, and eases a huge weight off my shoulders.

  • CarolynTara
    · Reply

    Hi ladies! And hi Alexa, AMM r3 checking in here! My question: what if you have a job that keeps you really busy? I only am able to write 1x per week, for about 4-5 hours each Sunday. SO I work slowly. Will agents and publishers be willing to work with my schedule?

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      Hi Carolyn!

      I also work pretty slowly! For the most part, your publisher isn’t going to ask you to write a book in, say, two months, so this should be workable. This is something I would discuss with your agent, when you sign with one, so they can broach the subject with your publisher, as needed. Most publishers get that if they aren’t going to pay you “quit your job” money, that they have to work around you having a job!

  • Anne
    · Reply

    Did you initiate blog tours or wait to be invited?

    • Rosalyn Eves
      · Reply

      I’ve seen both. In my case, for my debut, I reached out to a blog tour company I liked to run the blog tour, and my publicist worked with them; my publisher arranged an instagram tour for me. With my second book, I reached out to the same blog tour company and it turns out my publisher has also arranged some separate blog tour posts, but I’ve arranged for an Instagram tour on my own. (Fwiw, I think Instagram tours are becoming a bigger deal now than blog tours).

      I think it’s smart to ask your publicist what the publisher plans and then take your own initiative if they aren’t doing anything. (But you’ll want to set it up probably 4-6 months before publication).

  • Tiffany
    · Reply

    How many of you guys are a plotter or a pantser? And if you were a pantser before becoming a debut author, has that changed or no?

    • Margaret
      · Reply

      I’m a plotter but have dabbled in panstering, both before and after getting published. We all mentioned that we find the process of writing each book to be different, and I’ve found that to be true with plotting vs panstering… though for what it’s worth, all my books that have turned out successfully have been plotted chapter-by-chapter, even if took a discarded pantsy draft or two to reach that point.

    • Alexa
      · Reply

      I am a devoted pantser! So far so good on book 2, though I think my pantsing baffles my agent & editor. I’m like “so I wrote 36K and then I figured out what the real plot was so from that point on my MC is very concerned about a mystery that never appeared before that.” (I fix things in revision) But it really invigorates me. That said, I always have a pretty firm direction, so it’s not pure pantsing. You do have to submit proposals for the books you want to write, so you have to figure SOMETHING out, but I basically warned my publisher that the skeleton would remain the same but the organs might move around.

  • CarolynTara
    · Reply

    Have any of you written books in different genres? What was that process like, and did you have to face pushback from your publishers, agents, etc?

    • Rosalyn Eves
      · Reply

      I haven’t yet, but I have a critique partner whose initial book 2 was rejected by the publisher as being too different a genre (historical rather than contemporary MG). Her editor indicated she might consider that for a later book, but until she was established, they wanted her to keep the same genre. I think that’s pretty common, though it will vary from publisher to publisher (and on how successful you are!). Some authors have to switch publishers for different genres, but it’s not impossible.

  • kate
    · Reply

    Thank you! This was really helpful and informative.

  • SusanAntony
    · Reply

    I really enjoyed your panel. Congratulations to you all.

  • Natalie
    · Reply

    Thanks so much for all your advice. I really enjoyed what I could here. I had to miss some but will go back and listen to it.

  • Leanne
    · Reply

    That makes me feel better hearing it’s a struggle for everyone! I’m revising with AMM and trying to draft something new and it’s a challenge. Thank you all so much for a wonderful panel.

  • Sandra
    · Reply

    Thanks for sharing your stories! I loved hearing from all of you. So encouraging…

Leave a Reply

Your email is safe with us.

Follow Us

© 2019 writeoncon.org. WordPress Management by Wodu.