On Monday nights, I host an Internet radio show called "The World of Publishing." At the end of every show, I ask my guest what advice he or she has for writers.

It occurred to me (I'm on vacation this week, so have a little more time to think) that I rarely ask myself the question and give my own advice to people. So here it is (drum roll, please):

KEEP YOUR DERRIERE IN THE CHAIR.

It's really that simple, but it didn't come across to me in quite that way until I went on a writing residency this past spring to a place where there is no electricity. I brought a small manual typewriter with me, not knowing what the results would be.

The results were phenomenal. In two weeks I got 250 pages of decent material. And I have to say that had I been using my beloved PowerBook and being connected to the Internet, as I am 24/7, that wouldn't have happened.

Why? Because research is just so incredibly easy. One writes, and then one thinks, oh, what year did that happen? And one looks it up. Then and there.

Completely destroying the flow of the writing in the process.

Writing with a typewriter was oddly freeing. When I came to a point where I would normally have looked something up, I just typed in three exes and kept going. Research? Never mind! Looking things up? Pshaw! I wrote and wrote and wrote. Which was, after all, the point of being on a writing residency.

There are a lot of reasons not to write when we're working on a novel, an article, an essay, or anything else that requires hard work -- as good writing necessarily does. The first is, obviously, that it is in fact hard. Having a difficult task in front of us is an open invitation to sloth and procrastination.

Getting out of the chair to do "one more thing," to look up a reference, even to get just "one more" coffee, means that the work isn't getting done. It's that simple.

And getting out of the chair doesn't have to be physical. Reading emails as they come in, taking time to look something up on the Net, reading "just one" newsgroup or forum entry -- all this is getting you out of your chair just as much as is the coffee or the book or anything else.

So that's my advice: you want to write? Write. Don't talk about it. Don't think about it. Don't spend all your time in writing forums and on writing email lists and reading about writing: Write. Keep your derrière in the chair, and write.

And then you'll be way beyond the elements of style!


***
Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
www.customline.com

What is it that publishers are looking for? Are they waiting for the next Dan Brown, the next Stephen King, the next Danielle Steel? Does the nonfiction proposal you craft have to be about whatever happens to be popular – next year? Or do you have a chance of getting out of the slush pile and published, even if your book doesn't fit into any of those stereotypes?

The answer is, yes. You have a chance. But you need to play by their rules in order to get there.

The first thing that agents, editors, and publishers are looking for, before any other consideration, is marketing. They want an author who can promote his or her book. Wait a minute - isn't that like putting the cart in front of the horse? Shouldn't the book, first and foremost, be brilliant and original before worrying about marketing?

You'd think so. But that would mean that you're not playing by the rules. And the first rule in publishing is Market Thyself.

Like it or not, a sale is much more likely if you are an expert writing about your subject of expertise, whether in fiction or nonfiction. Look at all of the novels about forensics experts written by forensics experts, the novels about lawyers written by lawyers. Editors and publishers want to know that you know what you're talking about. If you're an expert, then they assume you do, and can promote you that way. If you're not an expert, think about taking one on as co-author.

And that is just the beginning. You need to make it clear from the start that you will do what it takes to advertise your book. That you're ready and willing to construct and maintain a Web site, that you're ready for book tours, that you'll break down doors to get reviews and interviews. Show yourself to be creative, energetic, and perseverant, and you've come a long way toward winning your editor's heart.

The second thing that you need to project is professionalism. Take the time to learn what is expected of you, and do it. If the publication wants submissions between October and June only, submit between October and June only. Show in your query letters that you are not broadcasting them randomly (even if you are) but know something about the publishing house to which you're addressing yourself.

Don't call the editor unless she or he invites you to do so. Don't ever send anything that is hand-written. Don't ever mention that your mother likes your work.

If you want to be treated as a professional, act like one!

Finally, be able to encapsulate your concept or idea in as few words as possible. If you can't articulate it, no one will buy it. Try what is called an "elevator conversation" - describe your book in the time it would take you to tell someone about it on an elevator. Can't do it? Then you're not ready to try and get a publisher's attention.

If you don't know what you're doing, it will show. This is your job now, treat it the same way you'd treat any new job: by playing by the rules, being flexible and professional, and by using every opportunity to press your concept home.

For additional thoughts on what an editor wants -- and doesn't want -- check out Miss Snark and the Evil Editor (you'll find the links to their blogs on your right).

It can be done, but not unless you're willing to do your homework first! And then you'll be... beyond the elements of style!


Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
www.customline.com

It's a word you're likely to hear a lot these days, especially if you write nonfiction. When agents and editors talk about "platforms," what they're saying is, in essence, "how are you going to sell this book?"

Not we, note. You.

The days are gone when having done something for ten or twenty or thirty years makes you an expert -- at least in the eyes of the reading public, and therefore in the eyes also of those who cater to it. These days, you need to have name recognition, and the more instant that recognition, the better.

"What do you mean, you've been a ham radio operator for 40 years? Okay, do you write a column about being a ham radio operator? No... hmm. So have you been on any TV or radio shows, talking about being a ham radio operator? Un-huh. Let's see... Do you have an advanced degree in ham radio operation? What's that? There's aren't any? Oh... Well, at least you've taught classes in ham radio operation, right? Gosh, I'm sorry. Your book looks absolutely terrific, the outline really covers the subject area, you have a lively writing style, I'd love to publish this. Can you go and find a real expert we can add on as a co-author?"

I edited a stunning book in which a survivor of domestic violence narrated her story and drew conclusions from it about the dynamics of domestic abuse. She still hasn't gotten a traditional publisher interested in the book. Apparently being beaten up for twenty-odd years doesn't mean that she knows what she's talking about: she lacks a platform.

Allyson Peletier, who is now a consultant (www.AmbitiousEnterprises.com), worked for some time at the major imprint of a major publisher. She says, "It mattered very much what an author's background was when evaluating nonfiction for two reasons -- it is generally assumed that potential readers will choose a book by an obvious 'expert' over a nonexpert, and our marketing and publicity departments insisted that their media contacts wouldn't bother with an author without obvious credentials in the field in which he or she was writing."

The platform issue has even engendered businesses. Fern Reiss, a media and public relations specialist, writes and lectures on what she calls "expertizing" (www.expertizing.com). Best advice? Buy one -- or several -- of Fern's books.

You don't have to -- necessarily -- go out and get a terminal degree in your field of interest in order to have a platform. Start small. A blog dedicated to the topic. A column in your local newspaper. Teach a course in your subject area, and then teach another. Do a workshop or a presentation on a local cable TV show -- or, better still, host your own. Get to be a recognized "expert," even locally at first, and you'll be building that platform. Build up to regional and then national publications, and eventually you can start getting your name associated with your book's subject.

And then you can approach an agent or publisher with a stunning book proposal (Customline Wordware can help you there!) that includes a substantial section on your "platform." And you'll be... beyond the elements of style!


Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
http://www.customline.com

The debate over whether there are hard-and-fast "rules" for good writing, and who can break them, is ongoing; it seems to crop up afresh every three months or so on writers' lists and in writing classes.

You, gentle reader, probably know already how I feel about the issue.

The reality is that "breaking the rules" should never be an excuse for poor grammar, faulty or sloppy usage, or uneven writing. Saying that one is above the rules in such instances does little other than to make one look silly at best, and ignorant at worst.

You must know the rules before you break them. Being a rebel is no substitute for learning to write.

This is not just true in the instances cited above, but also when one is constructing or critiquing a story. I often advise beginning writers to join a critique group (and even list three of them in the right margin here at Beyond the Elements of Style) before submitting a piece to be edited; there is a lot to be learned by having several people go through one's work with a fine-toothed comb. But there may be even more to be learned by critiquing others' pieces.

One major problem is that people in a critique group often approach someone else's work with preconceived notions, particularly in terms of the "rules" of a story. But the reality is that it is the author who sets the rules -- and the story fails or succeeds based both on the wisdom of those rules and on the author's ability to follow them.

Every story doesn't need a brilliant plot -- just a story arc. Every story doesn't need sympathetic characters -- just characters with whom the reader can identify (which means, of course, that the characters must be developed; if they are stereotypical or one-dimensional, the story won't work). Every story doesn't need a poetic voice -- just its own voice.

(On the other hand, some genres have particular structural and technical requirements. Science fiction requires plot. Chick lit requires humor and emotions. The saavy author will read a great deal in his or her chosen genre before attempting to circulate anything through a critique group.)

All these and more considerations are important when you begin critiquing others' work. Take time to learn the rules, both of good literature and of the author whose work you're critiquing, and you'll find yourself... beyond the elements of style!


Jeannette Cézanne
Customline.com

Western author Terry Burns was a recent guest on my radio show, "The World of Publishing," and we started talking about perseverence just in the last minutes of the show... not enough time to get into it in depth. So I've asked Terry to visit here and tell me more. Here's his response:

***

"Expand a little more on what we were talking about at the end of your radio show? I can do that. You asked the one piece of advice that I would give new writers and I responded, "Never Give Up!"

"As a people we've gotten to the point where we want it all, and we want it right now. This same attitude is a real problem in those who are trying to get their first work published. Getting published is like assembling a puzzle, all of the pieces have to be in place or the puzzle can't be completed. There are so many things that have to be there to be successful. We can be at the right place but the wrong time, too early or too late. It could be it isn't formatted properly or meet the submission guidelines. It can be the wrong genre, they just did a book like it, too big or too little, not get in front of the proper person, or our query letter didn't capture their interest and they didn't bother to read further.

"These are just the tip of the iceberg. To get an excellent picture of what can happen to your submission, try going to http://www.caroclarke.com/iamyoureditor.html and read what one editor, Caro Clark has to say about what happens to a manuscript when an editor gets it in their hands. She really tells it like it is.

"The hard news is that 85% of all manuscripts are rejected because all of the puzzle pieces are not there. It probably has nothing to do with the quality of the writing, though that is one of the puzzle pieces, and it surely isn't a personal rejection because they don't know us well enough for it to be personal. Yet too many do take it personal, get their feelings hurt and quit trying.

"If that 85% number is depressing, it's because we're looking at the wrong side of the equation. It also means that we are only up against 15% of the manuscripts being submitted if we are doing it right, formatting correctly, following the submission guidelines and -- most important -- doing the research necessary to insure that we are submitting to the right place, that we are sure the house we have targeted really is in the market for work such as we are submitting.

"Some will disagree with me, but for writers starting out I recommend querying both agents and editors. In a survey of over 600 writers that I did, 87% of them published before they were able to interest an agent. If possible, getting an agent first is highly preferable, but sitting around for years trying to get one without having the writing credentials to interest them has us putting all of our efforts into a 17% chance of success and increases the length of time before we can expect to publish.

"How long is a reasonable amount of time? In the same survey as above the average was six years to publish their first work. Some much earlier, some much longer, but that was the average. Part of this is because we tend to do the process very badly at first and as we are perfecting our craft and writing better, so we are learning from our mistakes, targeting better, and writing better queries. I look at my old queries and proposals and I'm embarrassed.
They deserved to be rejected, and got what they deserved. The odds of finding the right fit where all the pieces are in place is hard enough when we do a good job of targeting and querying, they are impossible when we do it badly.

"As I said on my own blog last week, in a perfect world we'd write a wonderful story and the world would beat a path to our door, pay us an obscene amount of money, and promote our work to the high heavens. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, and although our chances of success are much better of we have a good product to offer, the actual key to first getting published may have more to do with patience and perseverance than it does with the quality of the writing. I mean, all of know some work in print that we wondered how it got there, right? It was the right subject at the right place in front of the right person at exactly the right time.

"We're adults, we know not to expect something for nothing, and we know there really isn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The publishing industry rewards those who persevere, who learn from their mistakes, who work to improve their craft and learn how to market their work. We don't want to do it, we want to write our stories and have somebody else take care of the rest of it, but life doesn't work that way even if we have a good agent.

"We have to never give up."

***

Great advice from a super guest, who is definitely Beyond the Elements of Style! Visit Terry's Web site and blog at www.terryburns.net to learn more about the author and his work!


Jeannette Cézanne
customline.com

Whether you're poised to write the next Great American Novel or need to do a company report (that is, by the way, due this Friday), it's bound to strike you at one point or another. It's been called the Terror of the Blank Page. It's been called Writer's Block. It's horrible.

So what can you do about it?

1) Outline, outline, outline!

Outlines impose discipline on the writing process, and they prevent losing sight of where you're going. Keeping an image of where you're coming from and where you're going will always help you get to that destination a little (or a lot) faster.

Decide right off what are your top five or ten points and write them down as bullet items. That's it! That's your outline! Now all you need to do is look at the flow of the outline and move your bulleted items around until you like the logic. Combine or split bullets if that works better.

So now, start writing: a 100-word summary for each bullet point.

Next, expand each summary by listing bullets under each one, thus creating a second outline level.

Now turn each of these secondary points into one or two full sentences. Try to ignore the points on either side, concentrate just on that one point you are making. Once you've done this for each point, you're very close to being finished.

All you have to do now is insert an introduction, a conclusion, and the missing transitions between your points. Try not to endlessly revise as you go; save that for the second time looking at your text. When you do manage to get sidetracked, your outline will help you get back on track more quickly and easily.

2) Talk, talk, talk!

It's often helpful to talk to somebody about what you're trying to write. I've always found that talking about what I'm writing reveals just how muddled my thinking is, and gives me greater confidence in what I do have down. If there's no one to talk to, draft your ideas as an e-mail or letter to someone else, even if you never send it. The act of explaining something to another person often clarifies it for you.

3) Start new writing habits

Here's something you probably don't know: people who keep journals often find themselves experiencing writer's block less frequently than the rest of us. In that vein of thought, you might want to consider practicing the exercises from one or more of the following:

• The Artist's Way (Julia Cameron)
• Writing for Story (Jon Franklin)
• Techniques of the Selling Writer (Dwight Swain)

Finally, many people say that in order to write, you have to – well, write. Write other things. Turn off your inner editor and write for fun. (Surely you remember what that is like!)

What are you waiting for? Do it, and you'll find yourself... beyond the elements of style!

Jeannette Ceacute;zanne
customline.com
Portions of this text c. Customline.com, used with permission.

Well, it's that time again, time for Merriam-Webster to tell us which colloquialisms they're ready to accept as official: yes, folks, it's Brand New Word Time!

Do I sound a little sour? Probably so. But do we really need to add "mouse potato" to our lexicon? Is this a useful expression? Or is it important for those of us who don't have any to be able to officially use the word "bling"? Anyone who watches the Red Sox play knows about that little beard that appears to be a team trademark, but why must we name it? Doesn't "little beard" work better than -- wait for it -- "soul patch"?

I'm sorry: I have nothing against expanding our linguistic horizons, as long as there's a good reason for doing so. I applaud Merriam-Webster for including "biodiesel" in last week's list. And, like it or not (and trademark violation or not), it seems clear that the verb "to google" is here to stay.

But it occurs to me that a lot of the neologisms thus recognized are little more than verbal crutches, aids for the lazy of pen and of voice. And if there's one thing that our consumer-happy, multi-tasking, user-friendly society doesn't need, it's another way to be lazy.

I shouldn't complain. I'm waiting for the day when Merriam-Webster accepts the use of "like" to serve as a placeholder in conversation, thus giving the linguistic stamp of approval on, like, sentences that, like, sound like -- well, like this!

It's all a little beyond me... and beyond the elements of style.


Jeannette Cézanne
www.customline.com

In a previous article, I gave some pointers on publicizing your book. So I thought I'd add to them today -- you can never have too much good publicity advice!

Let's go over the basics... You have a book out... now what? When you've finished writing, your job is far from done. Promotion is challenging to most authors -- writers tend to be people who sit in a room and write -- but it is a necessary part of being published in the new millenium.

But where do you start?

The first thing to know is that publications and reviewers work months in advance. If your book came out last winter, it's already too late to start promoting it in any of the major media outlets. So learn from this time; and if you have something coming out in the near future, make sure to ask for reviews as soon as possible.

If your book is on amazon or bn.com, ask people you know to write a positive review and post it there. If anyone writes to you and says they like your book, ask them if they'd be willing to say so on amazon and bn.com. Better still, give them a direct link so they don't have to spend time figuring out how and where to post such a review.

Be creative! Have you ever heard of Bookcrossing.com? It's a wonderful system whereby books are left in public places to be picked up (and eventually passed along again) by other readers. Check it out on the Net and send some copies of your book out via Bookcrossing!

If you don't have a Web site, don't wait another moment to get one! It's your best way to reach readers. Include a list of appearances, links to reviews, and a blog. (Remember that Customline Wordware specializes in Web sites for authors and publishers -- call someone who has specific experience in the area you need.) Keep a reference to your site and your book in your signature line for additional free exposure as you participate in email lists and online forums.

Do as many readings as you can. (Not just bookstore signings; these can be awkward unless you're extremely well-known. I used to be Community Relations Manager in a bookshop, and the number of signings that were made up of just me and the author was appalling and discouraging. If you're going to do a bookstore signing, make it an event: tie an activity in to the theme of your book in some way, and use that activity to promote the book!) Find out of there are cafes or bookstores near you (or near where you plan to be on business or vacation) that would be willing to have you do a reading.

Even if you cannot do an official "signing," stop by bookstores and see if they have copies of your book. Talk to the booksellers (they are your current best friends: they'll hand-sell a book they think is worth it) and offer to autograph the books they have in stock. Ask if it can be faced out on the shelves.

If your book is appropriate, go for the school angle: call local high schools and ask to do a reading for an English class or an assembly. Libraries will also sponsor local writers to put on an event or a reading. The point is to get yourself -- and therefore your name -- out there.

Try local radio shows; they're often looking for someone new to interview, especially those drive-time shows. And get in touch with me: I host a weekly radio show called "The World of Publishing" and I sometimes interview new and emerging writers!

Draft a press release (or, better still, engage Customline Wordware to do one for you: you'll never get a second chance to make a good first impression!) and send it to every paper in your area, and to the free online PR services like PRWeb. Get the word out!

Anyone have any more ideas, things that have worked for them? Add them here, please! I don't pretend to have an exhaustive list of ideas, but it would be grand to collect a substantial "how-to" resource here!

And that will get us all a step closer to being... beyond the elements of style!

Jeannette Cézanne
Customline.com

So you want to write an article? Maybe you already have, lots of times, and have had lots of rejections. There may be a very good reason for those rejections (though, to be honest, it may also depend on the editor's mood, whether the publication has recently done something similar, or the phase of the moon).

1) Know the publication: Buy (or at least read) a copy. The whole thing. Look for tone, read letters to the editor, see what readers are interested in. Obtain the publication's submission guidelines and follow them. Don't waste the magazine's time or yours by pitching random ideas: try to reflect what you have learned about the publication in your query.

2) If an idea is worth pitching, it's worth pitching well: Don't query until you're ready. This doesn't mean that the article has to be completed (although that is a good idea if you're just starting out); it means that the idea has to be complete. Don't submit until you know what you are doing and where your idea is going.

3) Do not send a first draft: Editors will respect you far more if you follow the rules and submit polished, finished copy.

• Make sure that everything is spelled correctly. Do not rely on your word processor's spellchecker for this -- this is a case where you may actually need to look something up. Don't be afraid: the dictionary is your friend! As one magazine says in its editorial guidelines: "If, for instance, you must invoke, say, Gorbachev, at least have the wit to spell his name properly." (Dubliner)
  
• Look out for clichés. No one wants to read them anymore. If you look over your copy and something sounds too familiar, it's probably a cliché -- get rid of it. You can do better. Clichés are for the intellectually lazy. Besides, they're red flags for editors.
  
• Give your story a catchy lead: your first sentence is extraordinarily important. It needs to say what you're going to be writing about -- but in a way that grabs a reader's attention and makes them want to read the whole piece, rather than continue thumbing through the magazine. Sound hard? You bet. But essential if you want to get published and continue to be published.
  
• Include anecdotes and examples: Straight lecturing about a topic does not an interesting magazine article make. Be sure that you illustrate what you're saying with quotes, examples, and anecdotes that show the truth in what you're saying.
  
• Make sure you have a solid beginning and ending. The ending should come back in some way to the beginning, so that the reader feels you've taken him or her on a journey from which you have returned, wiser and more knowledgeable.
  
• Write logically. I recently read an article in a hobbyist magazine that was all over the place; it had the potential to be interesting, but was unorganized and ultimately uninteresting.
  

Writing for magazines can provide a lucrative career, but don't kid yourself: it's hard work, both breaking in and writing good, solid pieces. Some community colleges and organizations such as MediaBistro offer courses; it's not a bad idea to take one, or at least to run your work through a critique group. And then you'll find yourself... beyond the elements of style!

Jeannette Cézanne
Customline.com