T Minus Seven…and Counting

Seven days from today, I leave for Japan. This trip is a fairly big deal, for several reasons. –Despite publishing several novels set in medieval Kyoto, this is actually my first trip to the country I love so dearly. (I work with a historian and a tour guide who live in Japan, but despite my intentions, it’s never worked out properly for me to go before.) –My son, the Sophomore (almost the Junior now…) has spent the last three months in Japan on a study abroad program through his university. This is the longest he’s spent away from home, and I’m eager to

Read more

Seizing the Joy

I blog quite a bit about legal issues, seahorses, and the writing path. Most of those posts carry lessons…in no small part because my life is one long lesson-studded path (many of which, I don’t learn the first time through). Every once in a while, I notice other people’s lives on similar trajectories. And when I’m very fortunate, I get to share the happy parts, not just the troubling ones. Recently, I offered an author advice about dealing with a troublesome publisher. To my delight, the publisher voluntarily gave the author what we’d asked for–even though it wasn’t an industry-standard request. Last night, I

Read more

Avoiding Ambiguity in Publishing Contracts

Today’s post takes a look at the importance of avoiding ambiguity in publishing contracts. Many times, authors praise a publishing contract for being “short” or “easy to read” – but many dangers lurk in shortened or ambiguous contracts.  1. Short-form contracts may be missing important terms. Which ones? Many times, authors don’t know, because they don’t know what to expect.  2. Legalese is difficult to read, but read it anyway, and get help with anything you don’t understand. Many times, authors agree to terms they don’t intend because they didn’t understand the language in the contract. Don’t do this! If the language is

Read more

Dominance on the Reef

As a rule, seahorses are fairly peaceful creatures. In my tank, Kirin has established herself as the dominant female–and the dominant seahorse–in the group. While generally peaceful, she’s not above wrestling, or grabbing heads, if someone gets out of line or happens to hitch to a coral she wants to hitch on. After considering this for a moment, Kirin swam up and hitched to Rygel’s tail. Rygel didn’t struggle, and didn’t seem too bothered by Kirin’s aggression. She simply waited until Kirin finished eating (at which point, Kirin released Rygel and swam away) and then moved back up to the bowl and

Read more

Walking In the Moment

Much of a writer’s life is spent in places so far from “here” and the “present” that sometimes seems hard to find the way back. Before we finish our very first book, we focus on writing the novel. Before we have a publishing path, we focus (or should) on which one meets our needs. Before we find an agent, we focus on finding an agent. Before we have a publisher, we focus on finding the right one. Before we publish (regardless of path) we focus on sales, and dollars, and whether the book will become a bestseller. Let’s be honest…we focus on that before we publish every

Read more

Business Structures and Pseudonyms: When Do(n’t) Authors Need Them?

Today’s post comes from the question files: “Do I have to use an LLC or a corporation if I use a pseudonym? Also, do all writers need a corporation (or limited liability company), whether they use a pseudonym or not?” Let’s deal with the second question first. Do writers NEED a corporation or limited liability company? Not always, and never without making sure it will actually help you.  Many people incorporate their businesses (meaning, they create a corporation or limited liability company) because they want a shield against personal liability. Unfortunately, corporate structures often don’t protect authors from personal liability the same way they do

Read more

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Sometimes Takes a Decade

Twenty-six years ago this month, I completed my first full-length manuscript (for a fantasy novel which will absolutely NEVER see the light of day). Fifteen years ago, in August, I attended my first writers’ conference. My then-current manuscript, a historical novel based on a wife of Genghis Khan, placed in the finals, and I believed my lifelong dream of becoming a published writer was on the horizon. Fourteen years ago this month, I realized that novel would not sell. Ten years ago this month, I made a commitment to treat my writing as more than just a hobby. I decided to write a book

Read more

Don’t Nuke Your Own Query Letter

Authors seeking traditional publication will need to write query letters to agents and/or publishers as part of the publishing process. The query letter is a pitch for the author’s work – and many resources exist to help authors write and perfect them. One of the best query writing resources is Janet Reid’s Query Shark blog (in fact, it’s so good that I’d rather you read it all the way through, including the comments, before going elsewhere). Writer’s Digest also offers a lot of high quality information about the querying process. However, that’s not why I’m bringing the topic up today. Today’s post is about not shooting

Read more

The Value of A Second Set of Eyes**

**This post originally ran in May, 2011 (you can tell from the photos, the shots of my reef are not new). However, the message resonates as clearly today as it did back then, so I’m reloading it today: Over the weekend, my friend shot more photographs of my aquarium. She visits about once a month, and her fantastic images are the ones which appear on this blog. While shooting this time, she made an interesting comment. She said, “I like that you let me shoot and don’t just tell me what pictures to take.” An important life-lesson, and applicable to more than just

Read more

A Writer’s Journey, Part 1: The Outline

Today, I’m pleased to introduce Kaitlyn Bolland, a talented author I’m mentoring as she works on her first full-length manuscript. Kaitlyn will be guest blogging here on a regular basis in the months to come, chronicling her experiences and answering some interview questions about her writing process. She’s also attending the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Conference in September (her first writers’ conference) and she’ll be blogging here about that also. Kaitlyn is a friend as well as a fellow writer, and I’m delighted to be a part of her writing journey. Today, I’ve interviewed her about outlining, since she recently completed that phase of

Read more