You Need To Be Connected...

... to make it in the publishing business...

In a manner of speaking.

Couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a local school to speak to a group of tenth and eleventh graders about the journey of the writer (or any creative endeavor for that manner). We discussed many topics and then one student asked, "Do you need to be connected to make it?"

I live in L.A. Anyone worth their salt knows to make it in Hollywood you need to know people.

So I didn't hesitate. "Absolutely," I said. Silence from the young faces. "But not the type of connected you may think."

Writing is a solitary art. At first. As Stephen King says, write your first draft with the doors closed. Revise and edit with the doors open.

When you're writing, it's you, your characters, your muse, and maybe even your demons. When you're done you need your community.

I can't imagine submitting a manuscript (to an agent, to a publisher, or if self-publishing, pushing "submit" on Amazon) that hasn't been vetted by my team.

Who is in my team? It starts with my first reader, my wife. Them it goes to my beta readers, each picked over time because they bring something I don't have. Even after that, I have to have my freelance-editor go through it with a fine tooth comb. And after that, I get a select two to look at it once again before I even consider moving forward. If the timing is right, I make sure I attend read-and-critique workshops to further develop the opening chapters. Then, and only then, am I ready to send it to my agent.

These people--my tribe--are my connections. How did I get them?

Twitter, Facebook, writers conferences (Santa Barbara Writers Conference and Southern California Writers' Conference), professional writers organizations (Romance Writers of America and the local LA chapter).

In all cases, I helped and they helped back. I contributed and they contributed back.

You may start on an island but you will need your tribe to cross the finish line.

This coming week I return to my third consecutive Santa Barbara Writers Conference, running from June 7th until the 12th. These are all-day events, starting at 8 AM and ending at 1 AM or so (depending on your stamina and access to coffee).

Pirate workshop at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference ~ June 12, 2013 @ 11:58 PM

It's all read and critiques. Yes, you get to read your chapters and accomplished writers and workshop leaders help you refine your work. But the part that gives me the most value is when I listen to all these intelligent people speak and give feedback. Not only about my work, but all the feedback (particularly the other feedback). And as you develop as a writer, you also realize who is your type of writer. That's when you make your connections.

Find your comfort zone and jump into the wild beyond. Whether it's Twitter, Facebook, or a conference, you'll need to start somewhere. And if you're lucky you may build friendships that are built on a common love -- story telling.

Find your tribe. Make your connections.

Fight the good fight!

Dude Writes Like a Lady

"Oh, I thought you were a woman."

Not a lot of guys would grin if they were told that. I heard it five times...in a span of 40 minutes...by Literary Agents no less!

An explanation is in order.

In early June, I attended the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. This was my second year attending. In

Lunch on the beach during the conference

advance of the conference, I had sent in pages from the first chapter of Game of Love (my manuscript).

Although the story is a dual-perspective novel (switches between the female and male protagonists), the first chapter begins with her, Gemma. In fact, the story is Gemma's story. Andre is the agent of change. Also, although one could argue that this is a love story and therefore probably a romance novel, this story is can also pass for women's fiction.

So, to summarize: the pitch to the agents is that the manuscript is women's fiction or romance (depending on what they're looking for), the story begins in the head of my female protagonist, and to top it all off, my name is not the most manly name in the world.

Ara the Barbarian? Ara the Invader? You see what I mean?

Anyway, so as I waited for my first meeting, I began shadow boxing, humming the Rocky theme, and asking myself, "Are you going to bring it? Well are you?"

With that, I entered the lion's den. I found the first agent and marched up to her.

"Hi, I'm Ara. Nice to meet you." Firm handshake. Very manly.

"Oh." Pause. "Nice to meet you too." Pause. A shy grin. "I thought you were a woman."

The first time, my eyes went wide before I grinned. By the fourth one, I was laughing, full of pride.

Why, you ask?

Because I had succeeded in effectively capturing a woman's voice in the opening pages. I had done my job as a writer -- respect the characters. The agents all said the same thing. "You've nailed it," one said. Another said, "Readers may be surprised."

To be fair, this is not an out of the world skill. Successful authors do it all the time. A famous example: JK Rowling is not a teenage boy. You get the point. This is normal and has to be done. We all do it.

But for me, this feedback was monumental. When I set out to write Game of Love, I wanted to tell Gemma's story. Not the way a guy would perceive it, but the way she would perceive her life and the challenges she faced.

I've blogged about this before, and if you don't believe me that's fine. Just believe me when I say that I believe my characters are real. They exist in my head, my thoughts and imagination. My job is to listen to them and put their words on paper, the best way I can.

It appears I did a good job of that--or at a minimum the character is credible. Now all I have to do is convince an agent and then an acquiring editor that the story I've told is a sellable one.

Fight the good fight!

Santa Barbara Writers Conference - June 2012

I attended the Santa Barbara Writers Conference last week.

This conference doesn't mess around. It is six days of intensive work. There's something brilliant in the way it's been architected. It's been designed so that the more you put into it, the more you'll get out of it.

While there, I learned from the guest speakers. Dorothy Allison's speech infused me with fire. Gar Anthony Haywood's honest and raw words put reality back into the equation. The road to success is long and often elusive. And Fannie Flag reminded me why I love to read.

On Monday, I met with agents. The plan was to get their take on my novel, and its marketability. What I didn't count on was the interest I received. Now I have my work cut out for me. But that's why I play this game I love. When it's a labor of love, there is no such thing as too much work.

But the thrust of the conference was dedicated to the craft of writing. Each workshop dedicated to read-and-critique. If you haven't done this before, the basic approach is this: you read 2-5 pages of your work, and others in the workshop make fun of you give you valuable feedback. Truth be told, the workshop leaders and the attendees were brilliant. Spot on and helpful. I was suspicious at first, unsure what to expect. Instead I walked away with dozens of pages of notes.

But when I listened to other people, and dedicated myself to helping another, that's when magic happened. Have you ever tried to help another by teaching them something, or coaching them? Then you know the power that is generated in those conversations. You get better in the process.

You'd think that would just about cover it. It was in the agenda, after all. We'd get to work on our material, we'd listen to brilliant writers, and we'd get to meet with agents. Could there be more?

Yes. There is more.

The most important thing I got was the expansion of my tribe of writers. Each time I spoke to another writer, my world expanded. Each conversation brought us closer. And each toast we drank, solidified our bond.

At the Santa Barbara Writers Conference my tribe grew. I met some phenomenal people -- too many to mention, but some that I hope will be part of my writing journey for decades to come. Believe me that their success will be mine. We writers, we're all the same. We live with doubt and hope. Both ever present and powerful. But when we are with our kind, our tribe, we know that we can accomplish anything. All we need is a pen and paper (or iPad for that matter). We are writers.

Fight the good fight!

P.S.

Time for desert. When you have time, watch this video. Fair warning: she's a badass!

http://www.facebook.com/sbwriters