For Authors: Good and Not-so-Good Advice.

Years ago, when I first started out in my author journey and was still new to social media, I attended a workshop and one major suggestion was to become friends with friends of authors. I did that. I tried it once or twice before I stopped. I stopped because I am an avid reader. Now, I don't just read one author and if I hear enough people talk about an author, it makes me curious and eager to check out their work.

So, I decided I would concentrate on writing great stories and hopefully my readers will talk about me to someone else. I'm not saying that was bad advice but it wasn't so good for me. It might work for you and kudos to you if it does! However, apparently it is seen as stealing readers - I heard that from one of my readers when one of my author friends sent them a request. I told them it was just business but they didn't see it that way.

Besides reading reading reading, one of the BEST advice I received was to keep a folder of book ideas. Writing them down. Because you know what, you will not remember them all. I have a folder with a good amount of story arcs/ideas. What I don't have is the time to write them all. (Not yet.)

But writing them down gives me opportunity. As an author, you have to be prepared. You have to have your vault of ideas. Here's why. You might get an opportunity to talk with an editor and pitch your idea. But what if the agent/editor isn't feeling that idea and asks, what else do you have? Or, what if an agent/editor loves your idea and asks what else do you have? The last thing you want to have to do is say, Let me get back to you or I don't have anything. You must be able to sell yourself. Your elevator pitch has got to be on standby. Always.

Now, maybe you have the gift of gab and you can pull something out of thin air but in my experience with agents/editors, they like a well-thought idea. They ask questions. Questions you can answer, if you have proposal ideas or projects ready to go. Notice I didn't say completed manuscripts. I said ideas/proposals. Deals are made on proposals and what an agent/editor believes you can do.

I am not saying you shouldn't have completed manuscripts, but that is when you are young and starting out. Agents/editors need to know you can finish a book. However, once you have secured an agent/editor, the focus shifts from writing to get paid to getting paid to write. I am just beginning to make that shift by the way. But, this is what is great about this business. Ever learning.