Lessons from the Writers League — Part I

Lessons from the Writers League of Texas conference.

I spent Saturday at the Writers League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference and came away with a lot of practical advice and information. Everyone was eager, professional, and wonderful to talk to and work with. My panels, on historical fiction and alternative worlds, were well-attended, and panelists and audiences had plenty to share.

Chuck Sambuchino‘s keynote address. Chuck is an editor at Writers Digest and he writes a Guide to Literary Agents blog that is one of the most popular on the Web. As Chuck says, there’s so much the writer can’t control. So what does a writer have control over? (Note: I have made plenty of these mistakes.)

Chuck Sambuchino’s Top Things You Have Control over as a Writer

• Always write the best thing you can. Polish, edit, prepare. It’s not someone else’s job to fix your errors.
• Investigate all publishing options and research them carefully. This means self-publishing and traditional publishing. Don’t get blindsided. Know what you are getting into.
• Create and develop a platform and always be visible in the marketplace.
• Keep moving forward. This is the number one thing, according to Chuck. Don’t stop after one rejection or two or multiple. Keep writing the next thing, keep developing the next project, keep going.
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Agents always want to know what else you are working on. They don’t want to take on one-book authors.
• It’s okay to write for money.
• Don’t believe everything you hear.
• Don’t give agents a reason to say no. This goes back to writing the best that you can.
• Steal from yourself. If you have an old idea, repurpose it for articles, short stories, novels, etc. Maximize the value of what you write.
• Success comes from rejection. Keep going forward and find the right publisher.

And the number one secret to writing. Are you ready for this?

Drum roll, please…

• Put down the remote control.