Category Archives: Networking

Cultivating Fanaticism

Business Conventions Guest Posts Publishing 1 Comment

A guest post by Sam Sykes.

The first rule of being a successful writer, as any author will tell you, is to write a good book.

Indeed, if you felt so inclined, you could call this the sole rule of being a successful writer.  For if your book is even just pretty good, it will sell and your needs will be largely taken care of.  And if your book is very good, it will likely sell very well and you’ll find yourself doing what all successful writers do, which is largely hiding in a dark room and weeping into a glass of whiskey as you struggle with the desperate self-conviction that you are a fraud.

While this is still technically possible, it’s much rarer than it used to be.  Because it used to be quite common, with a fantasy author’s readership largely pre-defined as small, humble geeks who would buy whatever you put out because they were immensely starved for entertainment.

But it’s not quite the same anymore.  There’s no 02_finalshortage of absolutely thrilling fantasy authors these days and the audience is much, much broader.  The geeks are louder, more outspoken, more eager to be open with their passions.  You see this scrawled out in events such as Comicon, where movie geeks, comic geeks and video game geeks all brush shoulders with your readership, the book geek.

This is frequently the source of bemoaning the end to Comicon’s purity, but I view it as a good thing.  To find a niche-specialized nerd these days is increasingly uncommon, as the more we brush against each other, the more our passions are shared.  Suddenly, gamers are comparing the stories they play against the stories they read and comic book readers are keen to devour any story they can, be it illustrated or not.

This is the future.  This is your audience.  They are massive, they are multitalented and they are hungry.

And with a new, varied audience comes a new opportunity to draw in potential readers.  While your book (undoubtedly very good) will be the thing to hold their attention and make them a fan, there are a number of ways you can draw people in.

One such means I found was in creating a comic book with the help of the tremendously talented artist, Ashley Cope, creator of the webcomic, Unsounded.

Set as a prologue to my newest book, The City Stained Red, due out in 2014 by Orbit Books, it’s a means of quickly and vividly conveying what my book is all about to an audience increasingly focused on absorbing information quickly through visual stimuli.

05_finalThat all sounds dreadfully scientific, perhaps even a little coldly mercenary.  I assure you, though, that any thought and study as to the practical effects of this were an afterthought.

Because I am one of the new nerds.  And my first thought was for the simple fact that I freaking love comics and wanted to see my characters, my stories made into one.

Now, it’s certainly a good idea, from a business standpoint.  It stretches across the medium to reach a new audience and it’s quick to be digested to hook new readers.  So, if this sort of thing appeals to you, as an aspiring author, I’d like to offer you three tips as to how to make it work for you.

Let Enthusiasm Guide You

One of the big things you’ll learn about geeks is that they can smell crass corporate dictation.  A lifetime on the internet has left them cynical and suspicious of anyone pretending to be like them.  But this also means they are more easily infected by enthusiasm and passion.

Hence, be enthusiastic in all your side projects.  Never do anything unless you’re excited about it.  Never let yourself be dictated solely by business.

If you don’t understand comics and aren’t interested in them, it’ll seep through and alienate people.  Likewise, if you’re absolutely mad about directing and cinematography, then putting together book trailers or short web videos to act as supplement to your books will draw people in.

 Always Be a Professional

One of the biggest joys of this sort of thing is the creative collaboration between artists that occurs.  I, for one, can’t draw with any great skill, and thus I sought out Ashley Cope (who can write with incredible vigor, how unfair is that).  It was a tremendous joy working with her and learning how to let my thoughts be made into something illustrated.

I have an immense respect for artists.  I’ve worked with several of them and I know, as I implore you now, that you must treat them well.

Always be respectful of their time; good artists are always in demand and have busy schedules.  Always be prompt with payment; they work hard for you, you owe them the courtesy and the payment.  Never be afraid to offer feedback; they’re interested in making the work come alive, not in having their butts kissed.

And never, ever, ever offer to “pay them in exposure.”

I will seriously kill you if you do.

Remember Rule One

Supplemental side projects are just that.  They are only as strong as the story you’re going to write and it’s always going to be the story that holds the attention of your readers.

You can have the finest comic, the best trailers, the coolest web series around, but if it’s based on a crappy book, it’s not going to mean much.

Don’t get caught up in the excitement.  Finish the book.  Then make plans.

Good luck, and keep writing!

Sam Sykes Bio: Sam Sykes
Sam Sykes is the author of The Aeons’ Gate trilogy, a vast and sprawling story of adventure, demons, madness and carnage.  Suspected by many to be at least tangentially related to most causes of human suffering, Sam Sykes is also a force to be reckoned with beyond literature.At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy.  Tome of the Undergates and Black Halo are currently published in nine countries.  He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.

Information about Superstars Writing Seminars

Business Conventions Craft & Skills Kristin Luna Superstars Writing Seminars The Writing Life Writing Tools 1 Comment

You may have noticed that quite a few of the posts this month have mentioned Superstars Writing Seminars. There’s a good reason we keep bring up this particular seminar, other than it’s because what all of the Fictorians have in common (we have all attended at least once).  It’s because it’s a darn good conference.

Superstars is a 3-day conference that happens once a year about the business of writing. Kevin J. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta organize the events and are part of the faculty. Brandon Sanderson, James A. Owen, David Farland, and Eric Flint are also faculty and partners. All will be instructors at the upcoming Superstars in February 2014.

What you need to know about Superstars Writing Seminars 2014:

And most importantly, if you are serious your writing career, this seminar is for you.

Click here to register now.

 

The Solitary Life of a Writer

Business Conventions Guest Posts Motivation 2 Comments

A guest post by Heidi Wilde.

As soon as I discovered the existence of books and realized that human beings wrote these precious passports to lands unknown, I knew that I wanted to be a writer.  The span between that realization and the present day I like to call My Rationalized Life (sounds better than My Wasted Life, don’t you think?).  A little over two years ago, I decided that if I was ever going to be a writer I needed to get serious.

At first I thought that becoming a writer would involve a lot of time locked in my room, alone.  That I needed to sequester myself away from “real life” in order to get in touch with my Writer Self.  It’s a romantic notion, and you do need focused, concentrated time for your writing, but I found that merely sitting alone with my laptop wasn’t getting me very far.  I started looking online for inspiration, tips, advice and stumbled into the world of Conventions and Workshops and all manner of Enticing Gatherings.

I try not to do anything in half measures and my first foray into this strange land was no different.  I found a workshop that was held in conjunction with Dragon*Con and involved submitting a short story or the first chapter of a manuscript to the author who was running the 3 day workshop.  It popped my eyes wide open, let me tell you.  It also introduced me to the idea that writing is a community effort.  Yes, when it comes down to it, the only one who can tell your story is you, but we aren’t meant to walk the path from inspiration to fruition alone.

My second convention experience was attending LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything – a speculative fiction symposium) where I became acquainted with a group of people who were interested in forming a writing group.  I’d never had a writing group and I was a little nervous about how it would all work.  I mean, these people would expect me to submit my writing.  I would be expected to critique theirs! It was all very new and scary to me, so of course I jumped aboard.

In the beginning these people were strangers.  They held no familial obligation to tell me my writing was good.  They were going to give me what they wanted me to give them in return; honesty and ways to improve.  If you aren’t currently in a writing group and have any interest in publishing – or at the very least improving – your work, I highly recommend finding a group.

There are a few things to consider when you begin searching for a group.  First, you need to figure out what you want to get out of being in a group.  Do you have a few projects that are nearly finished? Just need those extra set of eyes?  Do you want to develop better critiquing skills?  Do you need moral support for your writing addiction?  A place where people speak your language?  Know what you want/need so you can communicate those things to prospective groups.

Every group dynamic will be different; you need to find the one that fits you best.  Trust me when I tell you you don’t want a group whose only feedback is that everything you write is awesome.  This may sound like a good thing, and at times we do need to cosset our egos, but how much will you improve if you’re never told how or what needs improving?  On the flip side, you should avoid groups that make you contemplate suicide at the end of each session. Moderation in all things, right?  This is just as applicable to writing groups as to anything else.  Find a group where you feel safe to submit, but also challenged to improve.

Don’t forget, writing groups are as much about what you can offer the rest of the group as they are about what you can gain from them.  Make sure you are willing to read other people’s submissions and give them your honest feedback.  Again, moderation.  Don’t hang in the shadows for too long, but don’t expect that the spotlight is there just for you.

Be sure you are ready to accept and (where you deem appropriate) apply criticism. Once you have decided what story you want to tell, listen to your group’s comments to make sure you are telling the story you want to be.  There is no need to make every change suggested by your group (that is one good way to lose your story), but if you hear the same comment from multiple sources you need to pay attention.  A problem area is being highlighted.  Somewhere along the way what you meant to say and what you actually said became two different things.  Whether or not you use any suggestions you receive on how to fix the problem, the section needs to be fixed.

In addition to writing groups, I found that attending seminars and workshops help your craft as well as get you out mingling with people “in the know”.  Yes, I’m talking about networking, rubbing shoulders, brushing elbows, playing footsie.  No matter how nervous the idea of actually speaking to other people may make you, it is a very important piece of the pie.

The best experiences I have had with this aspect of writing have been during Superstars Writing Seminars.  I could write a long post full of effusive praise for this seminar, but since this post is already quite lengthy, I’ll just mention one thing.  This is where the budding thought of community that I received at the Dragon*Con workshop and watered during LTUE fully bloomed and bore fruit.  Never in my wildest dreams did I image Superstars such as Kevin J. Anderson, Brandon Sanderson, Rebecca Moesta, Dave Farland, Tracy Hickman, Eric Flint and James Owen would claim me as a member of their Tribe, but they did.

Of the millions of things these wonderful authors said that touched me, the one that really changed my outlook on this business of writing was when Kevin told us to look around at the rest of the attendees.  “These people are not your competition; they are your comrades.”  Build your Tribe.  Work on your writing, of course, but especially develop strong relationships with your fellow writers, editors, publishers, agents – and yes, even those I.P. attorneys (hey, we all need love) and you’ll find fulfillment and success in this insane, scary, wonderful world of writing.

Heidi Wilde Bio: Me in the Scots Tower
Heidi A. Wilde is a Respiratory Therapist by night and aspiring author by day.  She spends her nights dragging people back from the brink of death, but she has dedicated her daylight hours to the pursuit of all things writing.  Current projects include a Children’s “How to” Poetry book, a Regency romance series as well as a foray into the realm of Steampunk.  She attributes the bulk of what knowledge she can claim to attendance in fabulous programs such as Superstars Writing Seminars, Dave Farland’s workshops and various conventions.

Get Your Fanny Out There!

Business Conventions Motivation Quincy Allen 2 Comments

I used to have a friend—a good one—and that friendship ended recently. It’s a rather long, sordid tale about politics and methods and appearances and styles and plans and… well, a lot of things. And mostly, it has to do with how each of those applies to a burgeoning writing career. Put simply, he and I are on different paths. We’re both committed to those paths. And we came to verbal blows as a result of those paths. Truth be told, we’re no longer friends for a lot of reasons. I’m telling you about the loss of a friend because of how strongly I feel about networking. Our difference of opinion on the subject isn’t why we’re no longer friends, but it was at least one nail in the coffin.

Ultimately, as entertainers (and we absolutely are), the only way we’re going to be successful is for people with disposable incomes to know who we are. And the only way we’re going to stay successful is to ensure that they never forget us—in a positive light, I might add. So how do you do that? Well, I can give you an example of how I got invited to participate in this really fantastic group of writers called the Fictorians—a move that was frowned upon by some. It all started with the Superstars writing seminar. If you’re a writer, you should look that one up. While I was there, I made an effort to meet people and talk with them. I asked what they wrote and how their careers were coming along. They returned the query. Friendships were borne, and not long after they asked me to write a post for them. And one thing led to another… and another.

And now, here I am, a virtual unknown writer who is lucky enough to have you reading his words because of that seminar and the simple process of networking.

The same goes for conventions and conferences. Attend them. (Note the imperative.) And while you’re there, meet and greet as many people as you can. Get to know them. Make them more than acquaintances. TALK to them about who they are and what they’re working on. And be a good listener.

I need to caveat this.

We’re writers, which means that many (most?) of us are introverts who really do prefer spending time at home in a quiet room while we chain words together than we do going to cotillions. It’s the nature of the beast. I have three words for you: GET OVER IT. And do so in, like, the next 4 seconds.  I know that sounds flippant, but the biggest and best free (or nearly so) thing you can do to advance your career is to go out and introduce yourself to the writing community. Let them get to know you. And in that process, you’ll meet fans, you’ll develop contacts, and you’ll get invited to participate in things that help getting your name out there… or vice versa.

My girlfriend uses the phrase “creative sanga” where peoples of like-minded endeavors get together and are subsequently capable of creating things greater than the sum of their parts… or something like that.

It’s not B.S.

The writing community isn’t that large, and it’s full of really amazing people from all walks of life. Discover who they are. This is what business people call networking. I’ve come to refer to it as making friends, and when it comes right down to it, there’s little of the successes I continue to have in my career that aren’t as a direct result of this process.

And while you’re at it, introduce yourself to me. Friend me upon Facebook or Twitter. Look me up at the next convention I’m at. Give me the opportunity to get to know you. I can think of no better way for us to make our ways through this mortal coil as we pursue our writing careers.

It is a dream I have.