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August 11, 2021-As we continue with our series this month, which is what publishers want, I wanted to share a question that I’ve been asked more than a handful of times.
“Do writing credits matter, and will they help me get published?” Let’s start from the beginning!
What are writing credits? Writing credits are basically any accomplishments that you’ve had in your writing. For example, if you wrote a short story for a magazine and they published it, newspaper column, blog post, letters to the editor, or you wrote a play/screenplay that made it to the big (or small screen), you’ve been published before traditionally, or you’ve won a writing contest. Writing credits are usually listed by publication (name of the book, article, contest, or movie), date, issue number (where applicable), page number.
Do writing credits matter to publishers? It depends. It’s seen as a major bonus if a submission comes in with a host of writing credits attached because it means that the author is experienced and they’re probably a good enough writer that we don’t have to spend a ton of time and money on editing. It lets us know that there’s someone else in the world interested enough in what the author has to say that they were willing to publish it and that they may already have a fan base of loyal readers who loved their previous work and will probably purchase their next book. Having writing credits does not guarantee that you’ll be published by the House you’ve submitted to; more factors come into play, such as the story’s strength, character development, and the flow and presentation of the writing. People often compare getting a publishing deal to be less likely than getting struck by lightning.
Writing credits are great for marketing yourself and can look pretty impressive to those who receive them stapled to a query. Let’s put it this way, two manuscripts land on my desk, and both are equally good in the same ways. If one of those manuscripts has a query letter attached that shows the author’s writing credits, I’m more likely to read theirs first versus the other. And if I like both of them, then I lean toward the one with the credentials. Think of it like this; you’re essentially applying for a job as an author when you submit your work, so why shouldn’t you be qualified, just like anywhere else you were looking to get hired.
If you want more advice from a publisher, check out my number 1 best-selling book here: Advice from a Publisher (Insider Tips for Getting Your Work Published!): Bakker, Lacey L., Goubar, Alex: 9781989506141: Books – Amazon.ca
August 2, 2021– We’re starting a new theme this month, and it’s all about what publishers want! We’re going to go through things like queries, synopsis’, frequently asked questions (the questions that we get asked the most), how to find the right publisher for your genre, submission requirements, and more! We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s start with one thing at a time; today, we’ll be focusing on how to find a publisher for your specific genre.
This can seem like a daunting task, and often, authors have no idea where to start. Let’s say that you’ve finished your manuscript and you’re looking for a publisher for your cozy romance novel, here’s what to do in a certain order.
We’ve got a lot to cover in August! Subscribe to our blog for new content five days a week; you don’t want to miss a thing! To check out my book, Advice from a Publisher, click on the link below:
March 17, 2021-First off, let me say a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our very own, Tim Ford! He’s the author of the Mitch Strongbow Series and is coming out with a new book, Freedom, very soon. Stay tuned for details about a release date, but in the meantime, check out his series here: A Jungle is Still a Jungle – Pandamonium Publishing House, Criminology 101 – Pandamonium Publishing House, Chasing Dragons, Slaying Demons – Pandamonium Publishing House, Inside Looking Out – Pandamonium Publishing House.
I hope that everyone is enjoying the theme of this month where I answer your most asked questions about publishing, writing, and being an author. Here is today’s question:
Q: “I’m thinking of self-publishing a book and I’ve got all of the mechanics in place to do so, but are there any tips you could recommend to make the process a bit smoother?”
A: Sure thing! Congratulations on your self-publishing journey, I can’t wait to see what you’ve written. Here are a few pointers that you don’t want to skip.
Best of luck on your self-publishing quest! If you’d like to check out some of our classes, click here: Best-Seller Bootcamp – Pandamonium Publishing House, Children’s Book Writing Master Class – Pandamonium Publishing House, Transitioning from Writer to Author (An Introductory Course) – Pandamonium Publishing House, Course: Get Your Book Noticed and Increase Your Sales – Pandamonium Publishing House
March 9, 2021– We’re continuing to answer your questions this month! All through March, we’ll explore the subjects you care about. To submit your question, send us an email to pandapublishing8@gmail.com. Let’s dive in to today’s question!
Q: “I’m a novice writer and I’ve had a couple of pieces published in some magazines that I subscribe to. I’ve decided to take the leap and write a novel. I adore mysteries and romance, but I’m not sure which one to choose to write my novel about. Can you help me decide?”
A: First off, congratulations on being published! That’s fantastic and no small feat, you should be very proud of yourself. As for helping you decide what to write about, I’m afraid I won’t be of much use in helping you answer that question; writing is a very personal thing and only you can decide for yourself. I will tell you that your heart has to be in it and that if you aren’t authentic, it will not only disappoint your readers, but you’ll disappoint yourself with trying to force something that you’re just not that in to. But, what if you combine the two things that you love to read about, you’d have a sub genre of what we call cozy romance. Here is the definition of a cozy romance according to the Huffington Post: Cozies are fun to read! Murderers in cozy mysteries are generally intelligent, rational, articulate people, and murders are pretty much bloodless and neat. Violence and sex are low-key and supporting background characters bring comic relief to the story. Plus there is/are romantic interest(s) and interlude(s) between characters. A lot of cozy romances are set during holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and so on. This sub genre is one of my most favourite to read when I need a break from my usual stuff that’s a bit heavier. Here are a few fun statistics for you about the cozy romance market share:
Cozy Romance Novel Sales in 2020
* $1.1 billion That’s roughly one-fifth of all adult-fiction sales.
* 46 percent of romance consumers read at least one book per week. In comparison, the typical American reads five books a year.
Cozy Romance Readers At A Glance:
*Age 30-54
*College/University-educated
*Average Income $55K
*Relationship Status 59 percent are coupled, 84 percent are women, 16 percent are men
*Romance readers are more likely than the general population to be currently married or living with a partner.
I know that perhaps all of this info didn’t really answer your question. The point is to write what you love! And as cliché as it sounds, write the book that you want to see on the shelf. If you want to take your writing to the next level, check out our classes here: Best-Seller Bootcamp – Pandamonium Publishing House Children’s Book Writing Master Class – Pandamonium Publishing House
March 1, 2021-It’s a brand new month and that means that we’ll be talking about a brand new subject! I’ve decided to focus on the most asked questions I get as a publisher from authors, writers, and writing entrepreneurs. Please remember to follow us on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube); we appreciate your readership!
Let’s dig into the questions that matter, asked by real authors:
Q: “I’ve been writing for about two years now and I’ve gotten nowhere. I’ve sent in multiple manuscripts to publishers, stuff to magazines, and even and editorial piece to an editor, but no one answers me back or I get rejected. What am I doing wrong and how long will it take to get published?”
A: Good for you for sticking with it for two years. It’s a long and tough road, but eventually things will happen for you! This is a bit of a lengthy answer so I’ll break it down into parts.
To get more info on what publishers want, check out my number 1, best selling book on Amazon here: Advice from a Publisher (Insider Tips for Getting Your Work Published!): Bakker, Lacey L., Goubar, Alex: 9781989506141: Books – Amazon.ca
To send in your publishing/writing question, email pandapublishing8@gmail.com
December 10, 2020-Today I’ll be dishing out advice! I love getting questions from aspiring writers and here’s a great question from one of our readers. Pick up your copy of Advice from a Publisher (Insider tips for getting your work published) here: https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/product/advice-from-a-publisher-insider-secrets-for-getting-your-work-published/
Q: “Lacey, I’ve written a book about the history of baseball and want to use photographs throughout my book, what do I need to know and is this possible?”
A: Great question! This whole copyrighting issue can get a bit messy at times, so let me explain how it works when wanting to use images that you don’t own.
For the rest of my answer and more insider tips, check out my book Advice from a Publisher here: https://www.amazon.ca/Advice-Publisher-Insider-Getting-Published/dp/1989506143/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1607423469&sr=8-1
November 18, 2020– Let’s take a page out of my own book Advice from a Publisher (Insider tips for getting your work published!) available here: https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/product/advice-from-a-publisher-insider-secrets-for-getting-your-work-published/
Q: I’m working on a couple of novels simultaneously, and I’m having a problem keeping things straight! I’ve mixed up my characters and plots in a few places during the story and am driving myself crazy! How do I fix this?
A: Kudos to you for working on two novels! Don’t worry; it’s an easy fix.
Please send me your questions! I love helping aspiring authors. You can reach me at pandapublishing8@gmail.com.