Taking Rejection by Balls & Bourbon

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 E.M. Goldsmith6 Comments

The words “The End” sit at the end of a page after 114,254 words according to Word’s last count. I am reading my book out loud to the pug. It helps to see if the rhythm of the words work, checks for pace and cadence, things the naked eye misses. Then my current book is off to two friends, both avid readers with editing experience for one last look through.

The next many months will be tracked in my Book of Submissions, Rejections, Ecstasy, and Agony. In this book, I will bind each query I write, every single blessed one, personalized as needed, the first 10 pages of my book as they stand on the day I enter the trenches, a short synopsis and a long synopsis and all the iterations of such materials.

The current schedule (some dates are flexible)

Dec 5-7 – Query workshop with New Leaf Literary (help me nail the query)
Dec 22 – hand finished book to fresh editing eyes (if I miss this date, all other dates will move forward by two weeks at least)
Dec 22 – Jan 2 – Put together list of agents, revise query based on workshop feedback, tinker with synopsis
Jan 3-15 – (provided editors have returned feedback), last edit for submission (this deadline subject to change if anything major needs to be changed or life dumps on me)
Jan 22 – 31 (around here) Query first 10 agents on my list
2019 As Needed – for each response from agent, send new query to next agent on list until I get and accept an offer of representation from dream agent. Any agent I accept is my dream agent.

Join me for this journey. There will be loads of pug pictures and concerned cat pictures along the way, and a few new bottles of bourbon will likely have to be opened. Wish me luck.

Writer’s Tears Crisis

November 29, 2018November 29, 2018 E.M. GoldsmithLeave a comment

The blog is in super peril now. I am almost cried out. My precious writer’s tears are almost at an end. And I need them so I can dive deep into the query trenches, get an agent, and book deal and a much better retirement plan.

Frankie seems unconcerned at my critical situation. Look at the bottle. Almost empty. What will I do? It was hard to find that bottle. Oh well, I will read another chapter out loud to the pug and hope for the best.

Publishing · Writing

Book Nesting

November 28, 2018November 27, 2018 E.M. GoldsmithLeave a comment

The time has come. I have been cultivating this book for three years now. The blog will suffer as my schedule until the end of the year has become a sprint to make ready for querying in the New Year. I must wait for several agents to re-open to queries so I am taking one last lap around pacing and exposition issues. Then here is the rest of the schedule:

Nov 30- Dec 3 – Prepare initial query (hope it is not abysmal)

Dec 4-7 – Query Workshop with New Leaf Literary

Dec 8 – Dec 15 – Prepare Synopsis and all supplemental materials.

Dec 8 – Dec 15 – Read entire book out loud to the pug – for final pacing and all that rot

Dec 8 – Jan 18 – Prepare list of agents that fit my work

Dec 15 – send book for binding at UPS for live edits by me, Ryan, and Ginger

Dec 22 – distribute editing copies with red pens to Ryan and Ginger

Dec 23- Jan 15 – revise as needed, get rid of glaring mistakes

Jan 18 – Jan 21 – Send out first 10 queries

For Entire process – document everything – rejection, retribution, all of it.

Books · Publishing · Writing

Cups of Coffee for Cursing Revision

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018 E.M. Goldsmith1 Comment

CreativeWriter It is getting late. Work was long today. I am tired and yet here I pour over what I hope is a final block revision of my latest book. There will still be a line edit, and probably another set of eyes will have to look it over for good measure. But some day this damn book will be finished and ready to go seeking a place out in the world. I have a cup for that.

And yes, this is the very last freaking draft…really…

Publishing · Reading · Writing

Libraries vs Pirates

July 30, 2018 E.M. Goldsmith2 Comments

Piracy I write. I love doing it. I also work full-time. Most writers must. Even writers that have multiple books published. Yes, there are writers who make quite a nice living from their craft. They are the exception. Most of us don’t.

I follow the publishing industry quite closely. The other day, on social media, I stumbled upon a book pirate, a thief, trying to justify illegally downloading a novel to the author from whom he was stealing. The pirate was confused at the author’s irritation with him. He seemed to think the writer should be flattered that he wanted to read his book at all. I found this quite disturbing as a writer. I know how much effort goes into getting your book from conception to publication.

I work at a local school system and pretty much live pay check to pay check. I work nights writing my books and blogs. Not much sleep happens. This is the way most writers live. And stealing their work is so damn disrespectful.

Please, don’t support piracy sites. A reader with nothing but lint in their pockets can go to their community library. If the library does not have the book a reader is jonesing to read, most of libraries will order it for the reader free of charge. This saves the cost of the book and supports writers and communities. Win. Win.

Stealing by downloading from piracy sites hurts the writer whether that writer is self-published or with a big publisher. It’s stealing and it can tank the writer’s career. The first book is a test for a writer. The publisher will look at sales to decide if the writer gets to keep his or her career. Pirating books can tank those sales numbers because those downloads do not register.

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Furthermore, stop thinking of big publishers as big, mean cooperations that deserve to get screwed. Publishers are made up of lots of hard-working people – editors, assistants, interns – people who need their jobs.

Pirate a book, that thief is also stealing from that new graduate working her way up through the first rungs of her career, living on ramen, barely making rent in an 8 x 5 room a forty-five minute train ride from the office. That’s who loses their job when the publisher starts to have to cut back because of selfish asshats stealing their product.

Then there’s the agent. For the most part, agents are super-heroes who work way over forty hours a week and only ever get paid if the author gets paid. They are the shepherds of the writer’s career, allowing the artist to concentrate on their craft, while taking care of all the business end of things. The pirate is stealing from the agent too and all the staff at the literary agency. Once more, it’s the bottom of the rung that finds themselves without work.

Piracy is illegal. Stealing is wrong. Going to the library, however, is always the right thing to do. And if a reader must own the book, there are contests, discounts, give aways they can participate in. There is also book sharing. Try that. Why be an asshat if there are so many better alternatives?

Thank you for not pirating art by download.