Steph Auteri

Spill It: Do You Unknowingly Waste Your Best Stories?

12

Oct

Tomorrow morning, I’m heading up to Good Commons in Plymouth, VT, for a Revitalize Retreat organized by healthy travel organization Pravassa. I don’t travel (or unplug) often, and I’ve never taken a vacation alone. But I’m looking forward to daily yoga classes, and cooking classes during which we’ll prepare farm fresh meals. I’m looking forward to field trips to nearby sustainable farms. I’m looking forward to soaking in the hot tub, and stuffing my face with s’mores at the fire pit. I’m looking forward to spending quiet hours with my stack of books (Michael Ellsberg’s The Education of Millionaires, Elizabeth George’s I, Richard, and Karen Russell’s St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves), and to meeting other blissed-out, beginner yogis.

When I told my yoga instructor about the trip, he was all, “Cool! Are you writing about it!?” And then I hemmed and hawed and finally admitted to him that it hadn’t occurred to me.

But this is only half true. Another part of me had thought about it in passing, and had then decided that I wouldn’t be able to come up with a compelling story angle. Or that it would be too much of a long shot to sell a story that wasn’t about sex. And was it worth the effort? Wasn’t I supposed to be having fun? Unplugging?

I do this all the damn time. Not that my life is a non-stop party, but what about that casserole competition I enter every year? What about the traveling potluck I partake in? What about my very first trip to a fertility center, or my very first trip to a biker bar? Aren’t these story-worthy? Am I surrounding myself with wasted opportunities? Or should I feel okay about not mining every aspect of my life for my writing?

I guess I’m allowed to slack sometimes, but I feel as if it happens way too often. And considering how burnt out I can get on sex writing, I should probably branch out into other content areas. So what holds us back from writing about our outside-the-niche experiences, and how can we push back?

1. It doesn’t occur to us to write about that awesome, fantastic, one-of-a-kind experience, because it’s not work-related.Â

Our minds should always be open to new story ideas, and this means analyzing every experience and interaction with a writer’s eye. Show interest in others’ stories. And show interest in your own, too. Look through your calendar and ask yourself: What can others gain from this super-cool thing I just experienced?

2. We have trouble coming up with a unique story angle.

So I’m going on a yoga retreat. Big deal. Almost every other writer out there has come to make yoga a big part of their lives, and stories about the transformation they’ve experienced through yoga are a dime a dozen. There are even hybrid yoga/writing retreats! No one cares about my experience!

This kind of mindset is poop. Self-defeating poop. Examine your experience from every angle. What sets this one apart from others of its kind? Is there an interesting back story? Did you learn some counterintuitive lesson? Is there a how-to or Q&A that can grow out of this experience? Get creative. I mean, isn’t that your job?

3. We worry about venturing outside our niche.

This is also poop. Plus, I recently wrote about it! Revisit that post to learn more about starting from scratch in a new niche.

Am Â the only one who does this? Or do you regularly use new experiences to break into new niches?

Filed Under: brainstorm, spill it, story idea, writing

Are You a Typical Freelancer?

10

Oct

By Steph Auteri

When Thursday Bram approached me with the idea of a post exploring the idea of the “typical” freelancer, I was intrigued. I’m of the mind that there’s no such thing as “typical,” that the best freelancers carve out their own, unique path, and that a successful freelance career can look different to every freelancer. But as Thursday points out, beginning freelancers often want to know the right way to do things. They’re desperate for answers. So what does the typical freelance path look like? Thursday — a full-time freelancer and the co-founder of Â Enhanced Freelance, a membership site for freelancers ready to up their game — has your answers.

“So, are you a typical freelancer?”

The question honestly threw me. It came from a woman who was considering becoming a freelancer herself, who was trying to figure out what she needed to make the leap.

I told her no, explaining that I started freelancing in high school, continued (along with some odd jobs) through college and went full-time right after graduation. I didn’t know a lot of freelancers who hadn’t had a solid nine-to-five for quite a while.

But the question got me thinking. What’s the typical career path of a freelancer? Is there a right way to do things that guarantee that, when you’re ready to strike out on your own, you get it right?

There’s a lot of standard advice that seems to point to a “right” way to freelance: You’re supposed to take a decent enough job that will let you get established and earn some money. You’re supposed to start taking on freelance work on the side, building up a killer portfolio and a client list that keeps you busy every single hour you’re not in the office, along with a nice fat savings account. And then, when you’re about to collapse from the workload, you’re supposed to quit your day job â€” probably negotiating to keep your ex-employer as a client â€” and freelance full-time.

The problem is that while I know a handful of freelancers who followed that route, they’re something of a rarity. It’s definitely not what I did. It’s not the path taken by anyone who decides to freelance so they can stay home with the kids. It’s not what happens to someone who gets fired and starts freelancing so there’s still money coming in. And, it’s really not what happens to anyone who gets fed up and tells the boss where to stick it on the way out the door.

Once you’ve gotten started, the question of where your freelance career can take you gets complex. For many of us, the goal is first and foremost to build up a list of clients that pay us a lot of money â€” but just how much is a lot can vary. There are freelancers who make six figures a year just from client work. That route requires choosing high-paying clients and work. But because most of us bump into the fact that there are literally only so many hours in the day that we can work, there are a lot of other paths that freelancers take:

Â Teaming up with other freelancers to create an agency
Subcontracting out work and building a team of your own
Creating products that answer some of your clients’ questions
Building products based on your expertise in other areas

The different routes a freelancer can take are endless. The only one that I would recommend against is not moving forward at all. It can take some trial and error to find the right approach to freelancing for your personal interests and priorities, but the alternative is just picking up work as you come across it. That approach can make you money but it can also let you stagnate. Don’t be the freelancer who doesn’t make a change in her career for years at a time.

Filed Under: career path, freelance

How to Start from Scratch with a New Niche

27

Sep

By Steph Auteri

This is a metaphorical lump of dough.

Like any good love affair, even a thriving writing career can get into a slump. And by “slump,” I’m not referring to the lean times in your typical feast-or-famine cycle. I’m referring to a successful business that — for some reason or another — you just feel bored with.

You know the feeling: Every targeted press release seems to say the same thing. Every forthcoming book you’re offered for review seems to have the same premise. And when your favorite sex toy purveyor offers you the latest and greatest vibrator with all the bells and whistles, you just feel meh.

While your niche may once have been a passion (and perhaps still is), it doesn’t seem to leave room for all the new interests in your life.

But is it worth it to switch gears? Will food editors be interested in a piece from a veteran health and wellness writer? Will tech editors care what the go-to sex columnist has to say?

I’m not the same person I was 10 years ago. Way back when, after stumbling upon an internship creating adult content for a personals site, I threw myself into the sex content niche for very personal reasons. I was interested in exploring sex positivity within the contexts of feminism, sexual dysfunction, and past abuse.

These days, I’m cool with the sex writing, but it’s not all I am. I also sing funeral masses. I love hoop dancing. I’m addicted to yoga. I’m a disaster in the kitchen, but I love cooking, too. I go wine tasting with my husband. And I’m a crazy cat lady.

Gee whiz. It sure would be fun to write about those things, too.

And I can but, in order to succeed, I need to take a lesson from those days when I was just starting out. Luckily, while I may — for the most part — be starting from scratch, I still have one of those pre-made crusts to work with. (Too much? Too corny? To hell with it.)

Step One — Research New Markets:

As has become pretty apparent here lately, I have a new hobby. It involves doing headstands and acquiring a hot ass. I’m also into dance-based workouts like belly dancing and hoop dancing, have been doing callanetics for 12 years, walk wherever I can, read books like French Women Don’t Get Fat and The Flex Diet, and enjoy cooking things from scratch. So why the hell does my writing only focus on sexual health?

Wanting to rectify that, I recently took a field trip to Barnes & Noble and picked up copies of Om Yoga & Lifestyle, Yoga Journal, Women’s Health, Fitness, and Whole Living. I flipped through the magazines, bookmarking the masthead, making note of the story layouts, and familiarizing myself with the various magazine sections. I asked myself: What story could I write to fit this publication?

If you’re considering a new market, you should do the same. Visit your local bookshop and browseÂ the magazine racks. Check out mediabistro’s How To Pitch series, which allows you to search publications by category. Search sites like Alltop by subject matter, or scour the blog rolls on popular blogs. And of course, there’s always the good old Writer’s Market.

Step Two — Expand Your Network:

You have 1,981 followers on Twitter. The entire Internet knows about your experience with the Sexerciseball. At this point, all the “how to boost your libido” blog posts and mythology-based erotica essays are coming to you. But you know what’s not coming to you? Anything that’s not about your vagina.Â Obviously, you need to expand your circle in new directions.

Use sites like LinkedIn or Twitter to find contact info for the editors at your new dream magazines. (And while the mediabistro How To Pitch articles may not be up to date in terms of contact info, you can always use them to snag a magazine’s email format and then pop in the latest names on the magazine’s masthead.) Send these editors LOIs (letters of interest), or ask them if they’d be up for an informal chat about their experiences within a niche. Tell them you’d love to hear more about what they’re looking for. (I’ve landed many lunch invites this way.)

Or connect with other freelance writers who are active in a subject area you’d like to expand into. Having a strong freelance network is key for swapping tips, clips, stories, advice, and sometimes even important contacts. I never would have written about my cats for Petside, for example, without a tip from a fellow freelancer writer. The site just wasn’t on my radar.

Finally, attend networking or industry-specific events. As a sex writer, I’ve attended my share of dating blogger happy hours and dating site parties. Do your homework and see if the writers in your new niche are doing something similar. Or attend those professional conferences in order to make valuable industry contacts or gain inspiration for future stories. For example, if you’re looking to break into Psychology Today, check out Psychotherapy Networker to see what’s what in the world of the mind.

Step Three — Start Small:

Despite being a total sexpert, I once wrote the Ultimate New Jersey Wine Tour for a regional magazine based upon the strength of my pitch alone. And I’ve written a roundup on fitness classes that make you laugh for a newer, regional magazine. While it helped that my query letters were kick-ass (more on that in the next step), the fact that I was aiming for regional — rather than national — markets was probably also a factor. Oftentimes, the smaller publications are far more willing to take a chance on new writers.

So if you’re having a hard time getting in the door at the major glossies, pretend you’re building up your portfolio all over again and aim a bit lower.

Step Four — Wow Them With Your Letter:

I’ve raved about the importance of a strong letter in the past. And I’ll do it again. When you’re lacking clips in a certain niche, a strong query letter can showcase your writing ability, spotlight a brilliant idea, and act as proof that — despite the skimpy portfolio — you’re the best writer for the job, whether because of expert contacts, personal experience, or certified expertise.

Step Five — Don’t Discount Your Prior Experience:

This is where that pre-made crust comes in. (And I always cheat by using the pre-made crust though, in this case, I think you’ve earned it.) Â Basically, even though you’re a newbie to the niche, you still have a leg up by being an established, professional writer. What does this mean? It means that you have a proven track record of producing Â brilliant content under deadline. It means you know your way around an expert interview, and rock the house at research. It means you have an already-existing readership. It means that you’re worth those professional rates.

So please. For the love of god. Don’t shortchange yourself. Realize that if you did it before, you can do it again.

And p.s. Don’t be a wuss. Always negotiate for higher rates. You’re worth it.

Filed Under: career path, clips, niche, portfolio, starting over, writing

Want Freelance Success? Watch Your Health

22

Sep

By Steph Auteri

At the beginning of June, I started ghostwriting an ebook with a very aggressive timeline. I didn’t take on many other projects during that time, aside from a blog post here and there, and some copyediting work. I also didn’t take breaks for lunch. I stopped going on my afternoon walks. My topless living room yoga sessions became far less regular. And I ate a lot of takeout Chinese.

Finishing that project (the last of the edits were completed in mid-August) was like coming up for air. It was freeing, but I also felt burnt out and unmotivated. I lost all momentum. For weeks, I did the bare minimum, telling myself I’d get back in the saddle after “that trip” or “that holiday weekend.” But I never did.

Then I started making yoga a bigger part of my life* and, suddenly, I was able to jump into new coaching work, start singing funerals again, and write a book proposal. Magic? Not quite.

Yesterday, I had a free wellness coaching session with Linda Formichelli. I had previously only known Linda as a freelance guru and writing coach, but I was intrigued when she announced the launch ofÂ HappyFit Coaching.Â To me, it made sense to see her expand her business to include health and wellness. Why? Because incorporating exercise and other positive health practices into your work day is about much more than achieving optimal work/life balance.

In chatting with Linda about my love affair with yoga, I admitted to her that, aside from making me feel stronger, more balanced, and more toned (you should check out my ass), yoga has also:

helped me wake up in the morning, making the transition from sleep to work a lot less excruciating.
given me a much-needed break in the middle of the day, allowing me to come back to the computer screen feeling refreshed and ready to kick some ass.
stretched me out, which is great when you experience chronic back, neck, and shoulder pain from being hunched over your computer for the majority of your existence.
quieted my mind, which is nice when you’re stressing the eff out over late-paying clients, scope creep, deadlines, and life in general.
helped me get to sleep at night, which was previously impossible due to my inability to turn my brain off.

In short, being healthier made me a lot more productive.

Wouldn’t you like some of that?

Your own healthy habits don’t have to include yoga, but they should include activities that invigorate you, stretch you out, and give you an endorphin high. You should also eat nutritious meals (the pre-cooked chicken wings at the supermarket don’t count), so that you feel less horrifically sluggish, and you should make sleep a bigger priority. No more all-nighters, yo!

I’m not a health professional (which would be obvious if you ever secretly observed me), but I can point you toward some of the things that have inspired me to lead a healthier life.Â French Women Don’t Get Fat, for example, taught me a lot about mindful eating. And The Flex Diet – which isn’t actuallyÂ a diet — provided me with lots of suggestions for eating healthier and enjoying my workouts.

And if you can’t afford a gym or studio membership, no worries. I rent belly dancing, hoop dancing, and yoga DVDs from Netflix all the damn time. Oh. And walking is free. (Don’t ask me to run, though. I don’t go above a power walk.)

Have you been giving your health short shrift? Do you think it may be negatively impacting your work? What one health-related change can you make to your day in order to boost productivity?

*Why yes, I AM obnoxiously obsessed with yoga lately. I”m sorry. You’re gong to have to deal with it. I’l try to mix up the yoga mentions with photos of my cats.

Filed Under: balance, fitness, health, linda formichelli, productive, productivity, wellness, wellness coaching, yoga

Should You Add Ghostwriting to Your Freelance Toolbox?

16

Sep

By Steph Auteri

Just the other month, I asked if you write for the bucks or the byline. As someone who had stumbled into a fairly steady stream of ghostwriting and co-authoring work completely by accident, I wondered: Is my ego too big to give up the byline? Should I suck it up because the money is good? How do other people feel?

Then I decided, why not just add it to the mix? Because — as someone who juggles sex writing, career coaching, funeral singing, and (now) ghostwriting — I’m all about finding that perfect mix.

Of course, if I was going to be serious about this, there was only one person I could turn to: the lady who wrote the book on ghostwriting.

I had seen Kelly James-Enger’s name here and there throughout the Twittersphere, and knew her as someone who created helpful how-to content for other freelance writers. I had also started reading her column in The Writer magazine. When I realized she’d written the book on ghostwriting — Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer’s Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books – I knew it was bound to provide valuable insight into an area of freelance writing I had not yet fully explored.

She did not disappoint.

As with all my favorite how-tos, James-Enger really went into the nuts and bolts of how to make it as a ghostwriter. While many of the tips she includes throughout the book can be applied to other aspects of freelancing, this book goes beyond what you’ll find on the average freelance writing blog, providing, among other things:

descriptions of the types of clients who typically need ghostwriters or coauthors, and how to target them.
what to ask a possible client before negotiating your price, and signing on to the project.
what should be included in the ghostwriting contract.
actual examples of ghostwriting contracts.
sample pitch letters.
stories, tips, and examples from other ghostwriters.
additional resources.

By the end, it had earned a spot on my permanent writer’s reference shelf (which, at the moment, is a tiny drawer in my tiny desk; sigh).

And for those of you still on the fence about ghostwriting? Those of you who are still wondering if ghostwriting is a tool you should have in your freelanceÂ toolbox?Â James-Enger even includes a quiz to help you figure out whether or not this type of work is the right choice for you.

Ghostwriting: It isn’t for everyone, and that writerly ego can easily get in the way. But man I do love those paychecks.

Filed Under: book review, ghostwriting, goodbye byline hello big bucks, kelly james-enger, writing

Looking for Fulfillment? Donâ€™t Hold Out for Perfect

13

Sep

By Steph Auteri

For the past seven years, I’ve had a love affair with the self-help genre. I’ve devoured books like Only French Women Get Fat and The Flex Diet looking for solutions to my body hate. I’ve gobbled up books like Introvert Power looking for validation. I’ve read and re-read books like Naked, Drunk, and Writing and The Boss of You, chasing career success. I’ve turned to cliche classics like Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in order to manage my mood.

There’s a lot of hate out there for self-help books, from people saying they provide false promises and lead readers to fruitlessly pursue perfection. And while I don’t look at these books as the answer to my everything, instead opting to apply what resonates with me and leave the rest, there’s definitely truth to the fact that people have a hard time being happy unless they feel they’ve achieved it all.

The other week, J. Maureen Henderson of Generation Meh wrote something on Salon that resonated with me. She described happiness as a jigsaw puzzle we could only lay claim to “once we’d carefully laid all of the pieces — careers, relationships, sense of self — into their rightful place.”

It was something that rangÂ true.

My mood has been on a downswing lately, and I’ve spent an awful lot of time focusing on the worst parts of the past year and a half.

Our condo, for example. We put it on the market last summer, and have seen a pointed lack of interest since then. It’s frustrating to have half of our stuff in storage (making our condo look extra-spacious for the people who never come to see it). It’s frustrating to send my cats to live in my parents’ garage during open house season (to keep the condo clean, and to keep our association from finding out we have pets). I hate feeling so helpless, and I hate feeling unable to move forward.

Then there is the fact that I stopped taking all of my antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication two years ago, because I wanted to be chemical-free when I eventually got pregnant. The lack of success in that department hasn’t done much for my state of mind. Today, I’m calling a fertility center to schedule tests for both me and Michael so we can find out if there’s a problem, or if we’re just god-awful at babymaking sex.

And of course, Michael and I almost separated.

I know there are those who are (much) worse off than us.Â But knowing doesn’t always help. Because I want all the pieces. I want all the pieces of that puzzle in place.

The thing is, it doesn’t help to fixate on the things you can’t control.

The other week, I read Kripalu Yoga, and it listed five yamas (restraints) and five niyamas (observances) the Indian sages felt we should strive for. One niyama was santosha, or contentment. Contentment was defined as “joyfully accepting whatever life provides and not wanting more than is at hand.” I began to think of what I had at hand. What I could control, and what I was succeeding at.

I thought of my career.

According to an industry report recently released by the International Freelancers Academy, “the economy’s impact on freelancers has not been quite as severe as reported.Â The majority of freelancers (52%) either have not been impacted by the economy orÂ have faced only a very minor impact.” Not only that, but 59 percent of freelancers feel more secure as a freelancer than they did working for someone else, and 39 percent are now earning more than they did as an employee in the same field.

For me, this is all true. Freelancing has given me more control than I’ve recently felt in any other aspect of my life. And while my definition of success may differ from yours, when I think of my career now, I feel successful.

Where can you create contentment in your life? Where can you find control?

Filed Under: balance, content, control, international freelancers academy, perfection

The LinkedIn Lowdown: How To Pump Up Your Social Media Campaign

7

Sep

By Steph Auteri

I'm quoted in here, yo.

I create content for online magazines. I blog here at Freelancedom. I spend way too much time on Twitter. I get all my news from whatever I happen to be subscribed to in Google Reader. I spend my days seated in front of this laptop and, when my phone rings, I get confused. Why didn’t they just text or email? I wonder. (God I’m a recluse.)

My husband, meanwhile, works full-time for SocialFlow, a social media startup that optimizes tweets. He has a web development business on the side. He’s always glued to his Droid, and he uses Foursquare even when we’re at the goddamn recycling center.

His best friend says we’re “so Web 2.0.”

Yet I avoid Facebook. I’m not as active on LinkedIn as I should be. And when Google+ launched, I wanted to flee the country (or at least my inbox). Am I missing marketing opportunities?

I’m not one to embrace every social media site out there. I believe in figuring out where your audience hangs out, and participating accordingly. In fact, I wrote a lot about this — and other ways to avoid social media fatigue — here. But active participation on a handful of social media sites can really boost your traffic, your visibility, and your career.

LinkedIn, for example, has increased my visibility even without my active participation. I’ve even landed several lucrative projects through the site. Imagine what I could do if I joined some LinkedIn groups and jumped in on the discussions happening there. Imagine what I could do if I started reaching out to more people, and swapping recommendations, instead of passively accepting a small number of connection requests.

Yes. Imagine.

Unfortunately, I’m too damn lazy. But I do know what can be achieved with even a little bit of effort, and I’ve seen results from these (tiniest of) efforts, which is why — I suppose — Susan Johnston was good enough to interview me for her recent ebook, LinkedIn and Lovin’ It.

Published through Rockable Press — an online publisher offering detailed how-to guides and resources for web professionals — LinkedIn and Lovin’ It places a magnifying glass over one of the most popular — yet still underused — social media networks out there, and shows readers the marketing possibilities they’re missing. In fact, this book is so in depth that it even provides readers with the step-by-step on how to set up their own profiles, going into the nitty-gritty of headline writing, resume creation, photo uploading, and how to include external links.

It goes on to cover:

the ins and outs of building your online network
ways of maximizing your LinkedIn presence (and establishing yourself as an expert in your field)
conducting research
finding jobs
and more.

What I love about this book — aside from the fact that it contains concrete steps for boosting your online presence, helpful case studies, and… um… me — is that, despite how much I thought I already knew, this books goes even deeper. I walked away from it feeling inspired to do even more with my account. Because, honestly? Why wouldn’t I take advantage of a smart and easy way to bring in more eyeballs?

LinkedIn and Lovin’ It will become available later this month. In the meantime, you could always consider boning up on another aspect of online media. WordPress design? Facebook marketing? Freelancing? Copywriting? Rockable PressÂ [<----- That's an affiliate link, FYI] has you covered.

Filed Under: book review, linkedin, linkedin and lovin' it, marketing, rockable press, social media, social media marketing, susan johnston

Spill It: Are You Working Through the Long Weekend?

1

Sep

By Steph Auteri

Michael and I were supposed to travel up to Vermont this weekend for an incredible Labor Day Food, Wine, & Rejuvenation retreat. There were going to be daily fitness classes. Kayaking. A field trip to the Green Mountain Sugar Shack. Hot tubbing. A fire pit. A folk and blues festival. Food and wine pairings. Lots of other things. OH MY GOD IT WAS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE.

Then, Hurricane Irene happened, and Vermont was hit pretty damn hard. The retreat, understandably, was canceled.

My yoga instructor told me I have to find a fun replacement for those canceled plans.

But here’s the thing.

Most of the time, I’d rather be working than doing anything else.

I don’t do relaxing. I don’t do vacations. I don’t do downtime (though I’ve been getting a little bit better at this). This was honestly the first trip I’ve been excited for since I went to Austria at the age of 20 (and that was 11 years ago, yo). I don’t know that I can make this weekend live up to what it was supposed to be. And that makes me seriously bummed.

So I’m sorry about this, but I’m going to have to live vicariously through you. I know it’s a lot of pressure, but I’m going to have to insist that you step away from the computer this weekend and really live it up. And then tell me about it.

In the meantime, I’m going to a potluck tonight (I made mini quiches with leeks and maple bacon!). I’m going to attend yoga class every damn morning.

And I’m going to think wistfully of the maple wonderland that is VT, and what could have been…

Filed Under: balance, labor day, spill it, vacation

How To Increase Your Chances of Landing That Book Deal

30

Aug

By Steph Auteri

While it may seem that my life revolves around short-form magazine pieces about vibrators and low libido, what some of you may not know is that — once upon a time — I worked full-time for a book publisher, weeding through book proposals, drawing up author contracts, and developing marketing/publicity plans.

And so, while I’ve not yet courted traditional authorship myself, I do sometimes help clients with book proposal preparation and lit agent research.

In fact, as I’ve learned from working on several ebooks for Good in Bed, it’s a pretty short leap from being a short-form freelance writer to putting together an entire book. Which is why I thought some of you might be interested in 77 Reasons Why Your Book Was Rejected {and how to be sure it won’t happen again!}.

Because perhaps you have a book in you, too?

ANYway. After receiving a review copy of 77 ReasonsÂ and tweeting it up, a friend of mine (a published author who probably bristled at the admittedly provocative title) commented that I should give the book — and anyone who rejected me — “the Middle Finger, and then start looking for other smarter publishers/agents.”

I understood where he was coming from. After all, stories like the one surrounding The Help show that sheer determination, and an unwillingness to give up, can lead to authorial success.

But aspiring authors should be aware that some level of effort is still required on their part to increase their chances of getting a lit agent and/or a book publisher to sign on the dotted line.Â While writing an entire book is a daunting prospect to most of us, and we admire and envy those of you who can pull it off, that accomplishment does not, unfortunately, grant you a golden ticket to traditional publication.

EnterÂ 77 Reasons.

Its author, literary agent and former acquisitions editor Mike Nappa, doesn’t leave much to chance. Throughout the book, he provides readers with the many reasons an editorial board, marketing department, or sales team might pass on your book, and then gives tips on how to avoid each of these pitfalls. He also givesÂ aspiring authors an inside look at the book proposal consideration process, which may make readers amazed that any book has ever made it to publication.

Some of the pitfalls and pointers may seem common sense, but I feel confident that anyone in the midst of pulling together a book proposal will find value in this book. In fact, I suggest keeping it around on your reference shelf and using it as a checklist once you’ve pulled your proposal together.

It can only strengthen subsequent drafts.

Filed Under: agent, book proposal, book review, publisher, rejected, traditional publishing, writing

You Need To Wear Many Hatsâ€¦ But You Shouldnâ€™t Wear Them All

23

Aug

By Steph Auteri

You can't wear ALL the hats. You'll just look silly.

Last month, I wrote a piece on spec for a new online startup. I wouldn’t typically do such a thing, but I was excited about the forthcoming website, and the project was backed by several companies I admired.

When the piece was killed, I was disappointed, but the editor I was in contact with assured me it had nothing to do with me. She told me that her and her superiors liked my writing style, and wanted to give me another assignment. Despite misgivings, I went ahead with it, working my ass off to get the piece done before deadline.

Then, the second piece was killed. We like your writing, the editor wrote to me, but the two posts you’ve written for us fail to demonstrate an understanding of what people are interested in or intrigued by.

Lemme tell you. That email really ruined my day.

Yes, I was angry at myself for doing work on spec. Twice. But I was more upset because I felt insulted by the implication that I didn’t know what people wanted to read… and I was the target audience!

I started to doubt my abilities as a writer. (Surprise, surprise.) I knew that anonymous commenters and online trollsÂ were best ignored, but editors? Where could I go from here?

Then, a well-paying job floated in from a new client. Another regular client approached me with several more projects. I talked another editor into doubling their rates for me. I landed a new coaching client.

I realized:

I can’t please everyone. Nor should I want to. Because when you try to write for everyone, you end up writing for no one.

I’m not implying you should ignore contrary comments from your editors because you’re awesome and perfect and poop word glitter. No. Please do take that constructive criticism from the editors whose judgment you trust, and use it to become even awesomer.

What I am saying is that you can’t be the right fit for every editor. And that’s okay.

Take what you excel at and for the love of god run with it.

Have you ever received criticism from an editor that gave you pause? How did you bounce back?

Filed Under: constructive criticism, criticism, editor, motivation