The Importance of Awards

In the last blog I provided a few starting points to finding an agent. So, I am assuming
you have finished your manuscript, and you are ready to start the arduous process of
getting published. Ask yourself, what is the best marketing tool available for your book?
AWARDS.
While you are looking and submitting your work to agents, simultaneously submit it to
contests. There are hundreds out there. Some are more important than others. Submit
to many. Submit to the best and to those that are at a lower level. Any award provides
a credential.
When I published Small Moments: A Child’s Memories of the Civil Rights Movement I
made the mistake of self-publishing first and then sending it out to contests. Publishers
rarely want to republish a book that has already sold to what they call ‘low hanging fruit’
or the long lists of friends and family. Having already published, I then sent it out for
awards, and it won several, including the Midwest Book Award. However, I have yet to
find a publisher willing to republish. Lesson, send your manuscripts out to as many
contests as possible while working to find an agent and before. Give yourself time to get
the book ready to catch the attention of a publisher.

Finding an Agent

I promised I would provide information about publishers and the tools to reach them, sohere are a few starting points:1) Understand that for most writing (novels, plays, memoirs and non-faction) youwill need an agent. There are only a very few publishers that will look at workthat has not been submitted by an agent, and thoseContinue Reading

Scheduling a Break

You may have noticed my blogs have been delayed these past few weeks. Health,family and travel have interfered. While years ago, I would have managed all threewithout interruption, not so as I get older. Multitasking appears to a part of the past.Having recognized this, I am delighting in scheduling hours of full attention and havefoundContinue Reading

Writers Groups Over the Age of 60 – Sharing Ideas regarding Agents and Publishers

One of the first questions to ask in a writers group is “do you want your work to be published?” This is essential to both knowing your audience and to alerting members of the group of your needs going forward. If you have decided you want to be published, then the group can and shouldContinue Reading

Food or No Food at Writers Groups Over Age Sixty?

This is one of those questions that really doesn’t need me to answer. Each group will know what they want to do. My group, for example, likes to have some kind of snack as one member comes from playing tennis, another from work and we meet at dinner time. So, we take turns providing whatContinue Reading

How Many Should be in a Writer’s Group When Over Age Sixty?

There is no one answer to how many should be in a writer’s group. However, if you want feedback on your work quickly, then focus on having a small number. My current group started out with five members – two men and three women. Everyone had a different project including memoir, historical fiction, essay, andContinue Reading

Blog for September

It is a beautiful day in Chicago. The weather is making the transition from summer toautumn and the lighting is lovely.I am thinking about transitions as I have noticed some problems with the transitions ofmy blogs from one posting to the next. My apologies. Please bear with me while I editand repost.

Writer’s Groups Over the Age of 60

As I started the ‘Writer’s Groups Over the Age of 60 Blog,’ I was trying to grasp why a writer’s group is so important especially in this age group. I was also working to start my own group. Several weeks have now passed and several lessons have been learned. Let me explain. I’d been ‘looking’Continue Reading

PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE A WRITER AT AGE 60 OR OLDER

By now I hope you have decided to at least try writing your memoir and that you havemaybe joined a writer’s group. For both, it is helpful to have a ‘writer’s toolbox.’ In an earlier blog, I made note of a few physical tools that are helpful for writing; alaptop computer, sticky notes and aContinue Reading

HEALTH REASONS TO WRITE MEMOIR & JOIN A WRITER’S GROUP WHENOVER 60

The difficulty I have when writing a blog is that I continuously circle back to ways ofexpanding my thoughts on subjects I’ve already covered. I’ve decided, however, not toview this as a problem but one of the benefits of blogs. So, I am now going to add why itis a good idea for your healthContinue Reading