As I continue to explore new revenue streams for the upcoming year, I’m trying to add a bit more in the way of editing, since it’s one of the things I really enjoy doing, and which feels in some ways like an extension of the fiction.
So here’s my “Completed Nano? What Now?” package.
I will read your lump of words. And then I will give you feedback that includes:
What sort of novel I think it is, along with possible markets
A rough roadmap of what you need to think about in order to turn it into something you could submit to a publisher (or self-publish, which more and more people seem to be turning to)
What you’re doing right – your writing strengths and how you might capitalize on them
What you’re not quite doing right – your writing weaknesses and how you might address them
People writing in the same vein that you might look to when thinking about agents and publishers
Identifying pieces that might make short stories
Pricing:
Sign up by midnight PST, Friday, December 9 and get the special price: $79, which you can also claim if you’re a past or current student. Otherwise it’s $99. Contact me at spezzatura AT gmail.com
When would we need to give you the lump of words, if we were interested? I’m hoping to get through a bit more revision on the things I know I want to change before handing it off to anyone else. 🙂
When your great ideas are stuck, it can help to have a deadline. If you sign up for a wrtiing class or critique you get the gift of an outside person expecting you to write and giving you a deadline. Or start a wrtiing group those deadlines work well, too. Best of luck!
Want access to a lively community of writers and readers, free writing classes, co-working sessions, special speakers, weekly writing games, random pictures and MORE for as little as $2? Check out Cat’s Patreon campaign.
Want to get some new fiction? Support my Patreon campaign.
"(On the writing F&SF workshop) Wanted to crow and say thanks: the first story I wrote after taking your class was my very first sale. Coincidence? nah….thanks so much."
~K. Richardson
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Using SFWA Effectively for Book Publicity
People sometimes ask whether or not the membership fee for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America is worth it. I think it is, but mileage will vary. That mileage is certainly dependent on how effectively you use it. So here’s a sample action plan I’m putting together for my next book.
4-6 months ahead of time
Look to see what upcoming events, such as local reading series, conferences, and conventions work with your schedule. For example, if your book were being released in May, you might want to supply some ARCs for the Nebula Conference swag bags. Or if you’re in the Pacific Northwest area, you might contact the local organizers of the readings series in order to set up a reading.
Look at the SFWA boards to see if there’s any upcoming cooperative efforts you might become part of, or propose your own, along the lines of “Hey, I’ve got a book coming out on this date, anyone else got something coming out around then that wants to coordinate publicity?
If you’re doing that cooperative effort, make sure all your items are lined up!
The day of the release
Make sure you say something on your personal thread in the Discussion Forums so people know to spread the word! Give them as many resources to do so as you can, such as supplying a graphic or a pre-composed tweet.
Tag @SFWA in a tweet or two to get them to RT it.
After the release
Keep an eye open for the next SFWA Storybundle; they appear every six months or so.
Make sure there are copies in .mobi, .epub, and .pdf forms in the appropriate forums on the discussion boards if you want members to be able to read it when thinking about making Nebula nominations.
Fen pre-empted any observation he could make about the weather. "The statues will be done by midsummer, they say. Later than anyone had hoped for, but still enough time to get to the coast before winter sets in."
Another Tabat story is brewing, this time explaining one of the city’s architectural features: the ninety-nine statues of figures from the history of Tabat, commissioned by a Duke to be placed along Salt Road. A mystery arises – what is it about the 99th statue that sets it apart from its fellows? Here’s a snippet from the beginning:
It was one of those rainy days that make up most of Tabat’s spring, a day when the clouds hung so low that the city’s upper terraces were shrouded in fog. When Nicolas started up the foot of Salt Road, it was clear, but as he ascended, the white mist around him thickened and he found himself breathing in cold moisture that made his lungs feel as sodden as the thick wool coat he had imprudently chosen that morning, thinking it would snow and he’d want the warmth.
He shivered and glanced sideways and slightly down at his companion. Feniker marched along with his hands in his pockets, smugly dry in his oilskin cloak and waxed leather boots, both brand new. An elaborate cockade was pinned to the black fabric’s breast.
“I see the Duke has chosen to outfit you,” Nicolas said.
Feniker glanced down at himself. “This is what all the expeditions are equipped with. Nothing but the best.”
“Still planning on going?” Nicolas asked. He regretted the words as soon as they left his lips, but Feniker didn’t reply, just nodded and kept on walking.
Nicolas kept his pace in step with his friend’s, despite the discrepancy in their heights. He hunted for a safe topic of conversation but everything seemed fraught, tinted with departure.
By now, they could barely see the street, surrounded by a wall of meaninglessness, robbed of any sign of wall or fence or street-sign. The cobbles underfoot were slick with moisture. Tonight when the temperature dropped, Nicolas knew, they would become black ice, and most of the city would come to a standstill, with only the lines of the trams moving up and down the terraces.
4 Responses
When would we need to give you the lump of words, if we were interested? I’m hoping to get through a bit more revision on the things I know I want to change before handing it off to anyone else. 🙂
I’d say up to a month afterward? So by the last day of December.
When your great ideas are stuck, it can help to have a deadline. If you sign up for a wrtiing class or critique you get the gift of an outside person expecting you to write and giving you a deadline. Or start a wrtiing group those deadlines work well, too. Best of luck!