Push Yourself to Pitch

Recently I commented to Angela Mackintosh, our fearless leader here at WOW! Women on Writing, that I had applied to work as a contributing writer for Writers Hive Media. Ang told me that she wonders how many of us send in work to the various markets listed in the monthly markets newsletter. If you’ve never read the newsletter, you can find the June 2023 issue here. It’s the issue that included the listing for Writers Hive. 

If you’re anything like me, it is easy to read through the newsletter or spot a market listing on Twitter but never get around to pitching. After all, we've all got a list of things we need to accomplish and people clamoring for our attention each and every day.

The way that I’ve solved this for myself is by creating my weekly push. Those pings that you get on your phone whenever an email comes in or a Youtuber you follow posts a new video? Those are push notifications. 

I don’t create notifications that pop up on my phone. It would be pointless. I ignore them! 

Instead, I email myself a list. It might be a list of interesting agents that I find in the Query Tracker weekly update. Other times it is the list of markets that I find in the WOW! Women on Writing Markets Newsletter. I just select the market listing, copy, and paste it into an email. 

As I copy and paste, I arrange them based on a variety of factors. Something with a tight deadline often goes at the top of the list. Even if the deadline isn’t stated but it is for seasonal material, the listing goes near the top. 

Sometimes I find only one or two markets. This time I found five. What's on my June list? Writers Hive, the New Scientist, The Victorian Writer, Oh Reader, and Wired. 

Whether it is markets or agents, once I have compiled the list I click SEND and off it goes. Ping! (That’s the push notification telling me that it has dropped into my email inbox. Don't worry, I'll ignore it.) 

Does this work better than simply leaving the newsletter in my inbox?  Yes!  Because once I’ve read a newsletter, I can ignore easily ignore it even if I know it contains several solid markets. It is much easier to find the markets that I want if that’s all that’s in the email. 

With my June list, I applied to write for Writers Hive and then clicked forward.  Then I delete that particular market from the list and send the items that remain back to the top of my inbox. Ping! 

Why does this work for me? I couldn’t begin to tell you. But what I do know is that this year I’ve gone from sending out the rare and occasional query, pitch, or submission to sending out three a month. Do I succeed every month? So far, the only month I didn’t get it done was March when I had two book deadlines. 

Whether your interest is literary journals, writer’s retreats, agents, or book publishers, you can do something similar. When you find a listing, email it to yourself. Resend the list to yourself periodically as needed to keep it near the top of your inbox. Its presence will act as a reminder. “Hey! Hey, Sue! Send in that query. Pitch that article idea. Apply for that position.” 

And, if you’ve submitted to any of the markets listed in a WOW! markets newsletter, why not let Angela know below? My own list includes Writers Hive, Writer’s Digest, and Creative Child. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of 40 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

The next session of her new course, Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work will begin on July 10, 2023).  Coping with rejection is one of the topics she will cover in this course.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins July 10, 2023) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins July 10, 2023).

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8 comments Agents, markets, motivation, pitching a manuscript, push yourself, querying, reminder

Writing Locally for National Markets

What do you write?  History?  Parenting?  Gardening?  No matter what you write, publishers want something new, something they and their readers haven't already seen. This makes sense, but if you are trying to break into a national market you have to find something with . . . can you guess? . . . national appeal.

I write a lot of history and coming up with something that is both unknown and has broad appeal is tough. After reading Don Brown's Henry and the Cannon's (Roaring Brook Press), I have a much better idea how it should be done. He found an unknown person with a local story (Boston), but the story involved a national event and a big name.

If you already know about Henry Knox then you're way ahead of me. I had no idea who he was until I read this book. When Washington (yes, George Washington) was trying to take Boston from a larger, better armed British force, he and his officers realized that cannons would solve it all. Benedict Arnold (yes, that Benedict Arnold) had captured Fort Ticonderoga, 300 miles away. Knox was the man who said that he, in spite of 300 miles of winter weather, could get the cannons from Point A to Point B.

Before she read this book, the editor had probably never heard of Henry Knox. Brown gave her an irresistable hook -- an event of national importance (American Revolution) and two big names (The mighty George Washington and traitorous Benedict Arnold).

If you are interested in selling history, consider -- what big events or people have ties to your area? 

I'm in St. Louis, Missouri which means that I can easily hook into the Louisiana Purchase and through this Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark as well as the Civil War, Teddy Roosevelt, and Charles Lindbergh. I came up with that list off the top of my head on half a cup of coffee.

This same technique can apply to home decorating (local business, national trend), gardening (local success/innovation, national trend) or science writing (new discovery, national problem).  What hooks can you use to turn a local story into a national sale?

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards teaches our course, Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults.  The next section starts on March 2nd.

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5 comments history, marketability, markets, reader appeal

Studying a Market

There’s nothing easy about finding the right publisher for your work, but here are some questions to ask yourself as you look for just the right home for your manuscript.

Ask These Questions as You Study the Catalog:

• How many (romances/mysteries/biographies/fill in your category) do they publish each season? A market listing can include a wide variety of categories, ranging from adventure to fantasy in fiction and from reference to social issues in nonfiction. Although the publishers market listing may show interest in a wide variety of books, study their catalog to see what they have actually been buying. If you have written a biography and they only produce one a year, this doesn’t mean you should scratch this publisher off your list but they probably shouldn’t be your first choice.
• How would you describe this publisher’s taste in books? When I was looking for romance publishers to interview for an article, I noted that some publishers filled their lists with trendy titles teaming with vampires, werewolves and other paranormals. Other publishers wanted only contemporary. Still others featured covers filled with brocade bodices. A publisher who actively avoids trendy titles may be interested in your romance that another editor passed on because all of the characters were human.
• Is the book part of a series or do they publish only stand alone titles? If they go for series, this is a publisher who knows that their readers want to spend time with specific characters through multiple story lines. Conversely, a publisher who only puts out stand alone’s won’t be the best match for your series.
• Did the titles in this publisher’s catalog first appear overseas? Some publishers fill their lists with books that were initially published in another country. You may have to examine the books themselves to puzzle this one out. Look for a translator and check for multiple copyright dates, including some for country specific rights. A publisher who seems like a perfect match, but fills their list with books published first in Australia or Germany probably isn’t your best choice.
• Last but not least, who are this publisher’s authors? If you find numerous authors with only one or two books with this publisher, you have a much better chance of making a sale than if all of the authors have a long list of titles with this house. Also check to see if the authors are celebrities, professionals writing books in their field, debut authors, or award winning authors. Only you know which category you fall into.

Collect this kind of information and maximize your chances of getting a YES on your submission.

–SueBE

Author Sue Bradford Edwards blogs at One Writer's Journey.

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2 comments markets, writers markets

Order Up...With Audio On The Side

Last year I won a giveaway for a copy of a cozy mystery. When the package arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find not just a book but a companion audio disc of the author reading her novel! I stuffed the book onto a shelf and popped the CD into a player. We had a terrific time, this author and I, both in our kitchens. I was cooking dinner; she was baking…and solving a mystery. Not long after that I downloaded an audio file of Sherlock Holmes stories and just recently I listened to the first chapter of an Irish mystery which I can hardly wait to purchase so I can hear the rest of the tale. I’m hooked on audio, and I’m not alone.

According to the Audio Publishers Association 25% of Americans listen to audio books. The demographic is well-educated, median-income consumers who also read more books annually than the average non-listener. The Association of American Publishers states that downloadable audio books accounted for 81.9m in sales in 2010 with physical audio books bringing in 137.3m. And this doesn’t include all those teens attached to their listening devices! Is there a market for audio books? You betcha! Would you like to get in on it?

If you contract with a traditional publisher your agent can make all the arrangements; indie, small-press or self-published authors listen-up.You will need:

A quiet place to record

A good quality studio microphone (sometimes called a pod-casting mic)

Audio recording and editing software

Someplace to market your audio book

Software for recording, editing and converting audio files is available via download and there are several choices. Two of the most popular are Audacity and WavePad. Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing, it is updated often and you can choose from “stable” versions or Beta versions. WavePad offers both free versions and professional versions. Depending on your computer system and the desired result you might choose to use more than one editing program.

Once your audio file is ready it will need to be available for purchase. Digital Content Center and PayLoadz offer file storage, automated delivery, shopping carts with multiple payment options. CDBaby works with both digital downloads and physical CDs. They handle distribution and sales to Amazon, iTunes, and other outlets. (Note: iTunes has exclusive agreement with Audible.com and will pull anything labeled “audio book” that isn’t through Audible).

Will offering audio books suddenly make you rich? Not likely, but you’ll gain exposure to readers who may not stumble upon you otherwise. Not every novel is available in audio format, but audio lovers scour over all the novels offered. If they like the audio chances are they will purchase the book, or eBook, and recommend your book to family and friends.

By Robyn Chausse

Thank you to Scott Swift of darktimetales for sharing his experience.

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4 comments advice for writers, Audio Books, markets, Robyn Chausse, Writer's Tools

Contest update, Forum News & Freelancer News!

A Special Holiday Greetings to all of you!

CONTEST NEWS:

If you entered our contest, you should've received an e-mail regarding your status on the Fall 2006 contest. If you entered and didn't receive an e-mail, please let us know. We try to respond to everyone, to keep you updated on what is going on.

Both Beryl and I have entered a number of contests in the past -- some where we got lucky and heard from the judges, and others where we didn't hear anything at all! So taking this into consideration, we strive to keep you up-to-date on what's happening. We know it's rough... you have your story that you worked so hard on, and want feedback. Isn't that what all of us want?

FORUM NEWS:

Well, great news! By mid-February we will finally have a comprehensive forum up! We are truly excited about this, since it's been a goal of ours from the start. But not just any forum for rants and raves etc. We are going to have sections just for you. A Virtual Writer's Group where you can post your work, discuss, and receive feedback from other women. A safe place to share your work, chat or post, and gain insight. It will be free (like all of our content), yet moderator approved. Meaning, that you can be assured that there won't be any message board 'flaming' going on... only constructive critiques and encouragement. This will help us all become better writers. In fact, best stories, articles, reviews etc. for the month will be published in WOW! and/or receive prizes. We truly believe that writers should be awarded for their efforts, and we will wrangle up goodies from our sponsors and ourselves to inspire your growth as a writer. This is important to us.

Other rooms in the forum may be: the daily struggles of writing, inspiration, prompts, reviews, freelancer's markets, magazine issue feedback, letters/questions to the Eds, PR & book promotion, post your events/press releases, contests, journaling, book clubs, and general chit-chat.

Every month we hope to have a professional guest to join our forums to answer any questions you may have regarding the business of writing. This is an extremely valuable resource to gain insight and professional advice to help you reach your goals as a published writer. You can do it!

FREELANCER NEWS:

Ladies, we're adding two new columns! Premiering in our January Issue: "Freelancer's Corner" -- a place for freelancers to write, share, and give tips to other writers, as well as event listings. This column is a paying market, as is the rest of our columns. Pay is .05 cents/word, up to 1500 words. Query your idea, we're open!

Another new column we're adding is "Funds for Writers" by Hope C. Clark. Hope will give you insider tips on grant writing, emergency funds for writers, retreats, residencies, finding funds for a conference, etc. This should prove very informative and exciting.

As always, our columns and features are open. Please query the appropriate department. Our pay is .05-.10 cents/word. Up to 2500 for features (that's $250!) and 1500 for columns. We're looking forward to your queries and submissions. We request that it be previously unpublished material for the uniqueness of WOW!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and as always, we're here, day in, day out, so give us a shout!

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Leave a Comment columns, Contest, forum, freelance, funds for writers, markets, writing