Excitement is in the air. Hundreds of writers and hopeful authors are buzzing around the Double Tree Hotel in Mission Valley, California eager to improve their writing and their chances for publication. We drove out of the rain south toward sunny San Diego County yesterday. I mingled with the writers who had arrived by evening to attend the SD State University Writers’ Conference. It wasn’t a full house in the grand ballroom and I heard this was because storms across the country had grounded many planes and made land travel difficult. I’m hoping for 20 to 30 in my workshops today so I can hand out all of the handouts I’ve prepared.
I’m thankful to learn that they have scheduled my 5 workshops with nice breaks in between. Except for the last two sessions, I have an hour or more between them.
This means I can take advantage of the wisdom of Dan Poynter (on self-publishing), Penny Sansevieri (on marketing), Jeniffer Thompson (on web design for authors) and maybe attend a panel of agents.
So far I’ve learned from attendees that they are doing multiple writing projects. One husband and wife team from Arizona have 9 manuscripts ready to go and no idea what to do next. They write in several genres—thriller, romance, historical fiction… They came here for direction, guidance and probably a large dose of encouragement.
Another woman told me about the nonfiction manuscript she’s working on and the many articles she writes for free. She hopes to discover how to earn a living through her writing.
One woman came by to show me her newly published book. She said, “I had an email conversation with you last year. We talked about my book. Well, here it is.†It is a POD publishing company produced book. At first glance, I was put off by the margin space. I tell people to get over their obsession with concerns over margin size, etc. But I also advise that they keep the reader (whether a publisher or consumer) in mind when they put their manuscript or book together. We like to see space around the text on a page, but not too much space. Please, especially when you’re preparing your book for publication, know what you are doing. Learn how to work in an appropriate page layout program or hire someone who can use Adobe Page Maker, Quarks Press, etc. Look at the layout of other books. Think about the reader.
And I met a man who told me about his fiction thriller story. I questioned the term “thriller†for the story he described. He said, “Oh yes, it’s a thriller. I’m not sure I would have been thrilled while reading it. One description of “thriller†is whether or not it “thrills.â€
The definition between genres has muddied so much in recent years, that it seems one element included in the book can make the difference—one reference or scene. Choosing your book’s genre appropriately can be quite a challenge in today’s crazy publishing industry.
I’m looking forward to a busy and satisfying day with folks who want to know more about article writing. I hope to provide just what they want and need—guidance, a little hand-holding, a reality check, but also lots of encouragement.
If you’d like to talk to me about your writing project, contact me at plfry620@yahoo.com. Sign up for one of my courses at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm