Taking charge...

"You are responsible for the success of your writing career..

And you are responsible for it 100% of the time."

Christina Katz

This has never been more true than now. There are so many options out there for a writer, it's sometimes hard to know which direction is the one to follow.  And, publishing is changing so rapidly, it's actually hard to keep up.

As I mentioned not long ago, I've made some decisions, set some priorities, and have started setting some goals along with the steps to reach them.  I'll be sharing some of that soon but as the year is coming to a close -- Can you believe it's almost November??? -- I want to encourage each of you to consider what you want to accomplish, what you have accomplished and then make some plans to get to your goals.

For me, it meant setting aside my fantasy writing for a while and focusing on my mystery writing.   As Earl Smooter said, "You can't ride two horses with one ass." Yes, I'll still play with my dragons and such but the main focus will be mystery for a while.  And I'm happy with that.  It was the right decision for me. 

It also meant setting my sights a little lower than the "Big Six" and New York.    Yeah, it took me a while to acknowledge that, and it's still a bit irksome but there is no way I can sit and wait for NY.  By the time I got an acceptance, then wait the 18 - 24 months for the book to hit the shelf, it could be three years or more down the line. 

By going with a small press, I'll have something out much sooner, have more input in the process and since I have to do most of the work anyway, why shouldn't I get most of the earnings.  So, I'm happy with my decisions.

Again, I want to urge each of you to consider your writing goals and decide just what's the best way for you to achieve them.  Yes, some decisions may be hard to make but it will be worth it in the long run.

When I first read the quote from Christina Katz, I tweaked it a bit, made it my own.  I then typed it up, gave it a little color and shape then printed it out as bookmarks and even a "flyer" thing.  I've included the picture below.  Copy it, post it where you can see it, take control of your writing career!



It's your career...

You are responsible for the success of your writing career. 

And you are responsible for it 100% of the time.

Christina Katz

The first time I read this, it hit hard.   My lack of publishing success was my fault.  I wasn't studying my craft like I should have been.  I wasn't writing like I should have been and I definitely wasn't sending out like I should have been.

It was easier to sit and complain about how hard it was to break in to the "good" markets, how difficult it was to figure out what publishers wanted and that the editors just didn't "get" what I was writing.

After sulking a bit, I realized I could change my lack of success.  I could steer my writing career in a new, better direction.

Sure, there are some things I can't control such as whether an agent dislikes my work. But I can control how many agents get the chance to see it.  I can do the research needed to make sure I'm targeting agents who do like things similar to mine.  I control how polished my work is when I send it to that agent, again giving it the best chance of acceptance.

I can't control whether an editor will want my piece for their magazine.  But again, I can control the research needed to ensure I target the places with the best chance of acceptance.

I can't control rejection letters but I can control how I react to them.

So, to remind myself that I'm in charge, I tweaked the quote and made it mine. Then, played with it a bit so it looks something like a little tree. (see below) I printed it out, posted it on my bulletin board.  I even made a few bookmarks out of it.  I've taken responsibility for my writing career. 

Today, I want to encourage each of you to take control of your writing career.  Get rid of whatever things are holding you back.  Sure, it's work but well worth it.