A.M. Boyle's Blogomatic: Recent Comments

Comment on The Literary Agent: Who is that Person Behind the Curtain?

2010-06-14T13:57:28Z

Thanks a million for this blog, Ann! Intelligent, beautifully written and incredible advice. I've completed my 115,000 word debut historical thriller and am now seeking an agent. Hit some landmines along the way -- especially unscupulous editors. Wordcount is the problem. Sounds like you'd make an awfully good agent/editor - caring, honest. I plan to read your blog on a regular basis. It's incredible. Thanks Again, Eileen

Comment on The Literary Agent: Who is that Person Behind the Curtain?

2010-06-14T11:56:21Z

Ann, thanks so much for this. I'm about to start writing my first travel book and this is the first bit of info I've read about getting into the industry - really useful. Suppose I should really start to write before worrying about this though, eh?!

Comment on WHAT’S THE TRICK?

2010-06-14T08:14:06Z

So true! But you forgot one D - Discipline. Different to Dedication because it involves choices. And perhaps another D - Drudgery - for all those times when it's such hard work that mere Dedication isn't quite enough.

Mel Menzies: author of the novel, A Painful Post Mortem

Comment on House of Mirrors--When Champions Become “Chump-ions”

2010-03-12T18:13:56Z

Writing organizations (at least the ones I'm familiar with) exist to help the published author. Most, if not all of these orgs were created long before there were micro-presses and self publishing as we know it today, back in the day when vanity presses were extorting cash from naive, desperate writers. The orgs offered legal services and networking to "career" writers, those pros who were committed to a writing life.

We now have hundreds of writers getting published through all manner of self-publishing as well as micro-preses, some of which are as good as self-pulishing. Not that there aren't reputable micro-presses busting their backsides to put out good books, because there are. It's just that there are so many of them, it's impossible for any org to read their books to find out if their quality or not.

In order to avoid an org overrun with writers who don't care about quality (be it plot, storytelling or editing) and just want to be published, they've set up minimum requirements to become members.

Some of these orgs offer different levels of membership to accomodate those that can't get paid the minimum advance to become an active member. I'd be very hesitant to join an org at a secondary level for more money than the actives pay.

These orgs are not out to be elitist, or snobs, but as I've seen, having writers who aren't serious about writing (hobbyists, if you will, as opposed to career-minded), bogs down the org's ability to function and help those who are serious. I'm not saying this is every case, but on average.

If an author wants to join one of these writing orgs, they may want to find out what the minimum requirements are and what publishers the org approves and submit to them or keep sumbitting to agents.

As much as I understand your rant about these writing orgs, they have the right to have minimum requirements for authors to join. I agree that when a writer needs an org most - when they're getting started - most orgs shut the door on them, and that's wrong. They should all have an entry level membership giving newbie writers a place to ask questions and get answers from those who've come before.

I know of one org who will most likely introduce a new level of membership which allows anyone to join. Stay tuned...

Gary . . .

Comment on House of Mirrors--When Champions Become “Chump-ions”

2010-03-12T17:45:43Z

If you're concerned about being able to join SFWA, I would check their website for "approved" publishers and submit to them.

Comment on House of Mirrors--When Champions Become “Chump-ions”

2010-03-12T17:38:26Z

The writer organziations exist to help the published author. When a publisher will not give an author a minimum advance ($2,000 for a couple of these orgs), for their hard work, the org feels the publisher is not one they can "approve" for active membership. My publisher fell on this list.

However, several of these orgs have a secondary membership (the HWA calls theirs affiliate membership (an advance of $200 gets you in for the same price as an active member)) for those who haven't met the criteriea for active status.

I do believe orgs should offer a third level, open to anyone serious about writing.

Comment on House of Mirrors--When Champions Become “Chump-ions”

2010-03-12T15:28:21Z

You are a great bitcher. You are also dead on the money. There are a lot of people who will agree with you. I can tell you what it boils down to. Ego and fear. Writers can be tremendously high-strung competitive people. For some reason, they think if one of their "fans" picks up someone else's books that they will no longer have a customer. I suppose there are a significant number of people who will buy a tried-and-true author's book just because his name is on it, but I won't. If the book doesn't look interesting, I don't care whose name is on it.

I can understand the concept of what these big writers groups started out by banning authors who were published by subsidiaries and places like PublishAmerica. When you pump out a self-proclaimed "21,000 books" you are not practicing quality control. But instead of nixing the author because of who published him, why not make it a condition that a copy of the book be sent to speak on behalf of the author before trashing him. No, I guess that would go against the high-brow attitude of "We are published/You are not."

Struggling authors need to unite and support each other, but like you point out, just where can they go where THEY have a voice. We are living in a literary fascist state.

Comment on House of Mirrors--When Champions Become “Chump-ions”

2010-03-12T00:08:22Z

It's absolutely intentional. And the bigger they get, the more exclusionary they become.

Comment on House of Mirrors--When Champions Become “Chump-ions”

2010-03-11T20:53:40Z

Is this exclusionary behavior intentional? I certainly hope not, because I'm about to query my SF novel and think solid affiliations help n author gain traction.

Comment on House of Mirrors--When Champions Become “Chump-ions”

2010-03-11T20:38:52Z

How right you are, Mr. Boyle. I applied to (probably) the same two "prestigious"groups as you and was turned away. Yet I have published books with university presses, had two books become Writers Digest Book Club titles, had others published by a mid-size trade publisher, written for Esquire and other magazines, etc. What are they thinking about?