Skip to main content

Elizabeth Seckman and the Adventures of Publishing


 Happy Independence Day everyone! Hope all of my U.S buddies have a wonderful day! 

Today, the superbly talented Elizabeth Seckman speaks to us about the adventures of publishing. It is a topic Elizabeth knows all about as her first book, Past Due, has recently been published and is now available to buy!


 Looks good, yes? :D Now, I will hand you over to Elizabeth! 

****

During this ‘trying to get published adventure’ I spend quite a bit of time cheering on and being cheered on by other writer friends ( and of course by my husband, who I must add has recently asked to be included in the edit process and I am now imagining all the poignant places he’ll want to add some fight/sex  scenes and  spandex bikini wardrobe changes…but that’s a topic for another time…)

For today, as I closed an email from a friend who offered up all the love and support a wavering wannabe could ask for, I decided it was only right to give back. So this is a post for the aspiring writers.  

*Now, I know not everybody in the world wants to get a book published, but for the half of the world that does, here's a thought...
Getting an agent or an editor is like dating. You shower and dress pretty for each date. But not every date ends in a score. Sure, some have more luck than others and their every date becomes a sure thing, but they are the exception, not the rule.

For the rest of us? Plan to put your party shoes on and dance till your feet blister and you think your shoes just might wear out...then you may be getting close to that magical moment when the stars align and love strikes.

What to do until then?
1. Enjoy each date. There's something to learn from each one...even the toughest 'don’t call me’s, I’ll call  you’s' teach you something.
2. Respect your date. Just because they didn't show the love doesn't make them an idiot. Follow up hate mail will only flag you as the idiot that you are.
3. Don't make every date a blind date. Find out a little something before you ask them out. Do they share the same  interests? Like the same kind of books? Why waste your time and sensitivities on people who aren’t even your type?
4. Find a writer buddy. You'll need a shoulder to cry on, preferably one who understands that a 'personal rejection' is something to be brag about.  (And who can be trusted better than a friend to let you know you have spinach in your teeth before you head out of the house?)
5. Always remember, your first love is rarely your true love. Keep creating while you’re planning other dates~you don't have the luxury of wallowing in the past or in a single work.
I know you’ve heard it all before but I’ll bore you with it again… If at first you don’t succeed, then write, write again.

Cause as long as the band is playing....then we shall dance!

Chin up, fingers cramped, and God will bless. :)

**** 
Many thanks Elizabeth for sharing your wisdom! If you'd like to buy Past Due, you can do so here. :D
Labels:

Comments

  1. Clare4 July 2012 at 09:52

    Excellent advice Elizabeth.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Annalisa Crawford4 July 2012 at 12:25

    Brilliant. Now I know where I'm going wrong - my shoes aren't pretty enough :-D

    Great post, Elizabeth - and thanks for hosting Kyra!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth Seckman4 July 2012 at 15:52

      I happen to love your shoes! You just have to find somewhere to dance in them where they play the sort of music that makes your toe tap!

      Delete
  3. Suzanne Furness4 July 2012 at 18:28

    Lovely post and wise words, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hope Roberson4 July 2012 at 19:19

    Great analogy :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lynn Proctor6 July 2012 at 01:25

    she does sound very wise indeed :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nick Wilford6 July 2012 at 14:46

    Great advice! I love the analogy. And yes, I've heard that as much advance information as possible is best. Those blind dates are scary!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Unknown7 July 2012 at 02:57

    Haha. Very funny dating analogy. I loved it! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Emily R. King7 July 2012 at 22:50

    Love it! I'm still waiting for my special someone. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous22 July 2012 at 08:17

    This made me laugh... great analogy.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IWSG: Performance anxiety

Welcome to the August edition of IWSG, hosted by the amazing Alex J.Cavanaugh ! So, as most of you know by now - because I haven't shut up about it LOL - my first novel, Game On, has been released. The blog tour officially starts next week (YAY!) but I find myself becoming increasingly nervous. A blog tour not only highlights my book, but me. What if people don't like me? What if my guest posts suck, and everyone thinks I'm boring? If I can't engage people in 300 words on a blog, they probably aren't going to pick up my book. And then there's the "what happens next" question. I plan to make Game On into a series, which feels a bit arrogant of me. I don't know how many people are going to like the first book, should I really be planning to keep the series going? So far, Game On has actually been incredibly well received. I've had great reviews, so maybe I shouldn't worry about people not liking it, but what if Book Two isn't as goo...
81 comments
Read more

IWSG: Am I doing it right? And does anyone care?

Happy IWSG Day! This genius idea created by Alex J. Cavanaugh is a place for all of us insecure writers to gather together to talk about our worries, and cheer each other on. Check out the full list of participants here ! Think right now about your favourite writers. How do you feel when you know they have a new book being released? It's usually something like, "HURRY UP, I CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE!" right? And also, think about when one of your super talented blog buddies announces they've got a book coming out soon. That is even more exciting because it's someone you know, someone you may have seen struggling to reach their goal of publication. Someone you've seen go through the rough times, and have finally made it to where they want to be. I can tell you that when Jolene Perry, or Nyrae Dawn announce a book release - I bounce up and down like a crazy person! These two awesome ladies are writers I absolutely adore for their ability to write so natural...
98 comments
Read more

J is for Jackass

My plan for the A - Z Challenge is to write every post as if it were a diary entry by a character from my WIP. Today's post comes from Bree Collinson. ** I am so lucky to have my husband. He's handsome, and strong, and fun, and did I mention handsome? He doesn't say much, but that's okay, I talk enough for both of us. If I was single, I might have to deal with skeezy men like Radleigh McCoy. He is such a jackass! I've seen the way he thinks he can get any woman he wants, and he usually does. He's kinda hot, but I hate the way he's treating Leah. She is so not into him, but he won't leave her alone! This morning, Leah and I went for a swim at the training ground before work, and he said he'd like to get a few lengths in with her! I mean, that's not even cute, it's just kinda gross. McCoy needs to find someone new to hit on. Or maybe if he stopped being such an asshat, she might start to like him. Actually, they might make a cute coupl...
89 comments
Read more