Catholic Writing and Publishing – Page 40

Rejection: A thorn by any other name still stings…

January 24, 2012/4 Comments/in Catholic Writers Conference Online, Catholic Writers Guild, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Editing, Encouragement for Writers, The Writing Life/by Leslie Lynch

Ouch.

I don’t care who you are, rejection hurts. But as writers, we all experience it, so it behooves us to learn to deal with it.

It’s tempting to pitch a fit, sulk, or even threaten to quit writing altogether. But when we take a look at these responses, it’s clear they are self-sabotaging…and ultimately ego driven.

This is what I’ve learned about rejection. It’s not about me. It’s about the needs of the publisher, or timing, or the quality of the writing – but it’s never about me, the author (unless I’ve made such an @$$ of myself that no one wants to work with me, no matter how brilliantly I write. But you’re too professional for that!)

Some factors that lead to rejection are out of our control. If a publisher just signed a contract for a story involving a blind golfer, and my story is about a blind golfer, it’s unlikely they’ll buy mine, even if it’s more brilliantly written. Or the editor hates stories about blind golfers. Or the editor just got sued by a blind golfer. Or… Well, you get the idea. None of these are within our control, so we cannot take the rejection personally, even when it’s unlikely we’ll ever find out the underlying why.

The other two reasons are within our control. Maybe I’ve pitched my epic poem about a blind golfer to a house that doesn’t publish poetry. Do your homework. Use Writer’s Digest or other resources to see what a specific publisher is looking for. Read your target publisher, then tweak your work to fit their needs and style.

Finally, maybe the quality of the work is an issue. (Ouch, again!) I look back on my initial submissions and cringe at the amateurish mistakes I made. Yet, at the time, I thought my work was brilliant! We all need to continually work on improving our craft, no matter our level of experience. Read books on craft. Check your local library. Take online classes, get involved in the CWG forums, the CWG online conference, or a writing group. Volunteer to judge contests. (That’s a real eye-opener, a glimpse into an editor’s life.) Find or create a critique group; it’s much easier to see someone else’s blunders, and eventually you’ll learn to recognize and fix those weaknesses in your own work.

If you’ve done all those things and still get rejected, what next? Bounce back. Is there is a lesson in a particular rejection? Learn it. Don’t give up. Keep writing. Keep submitting – but don’t beat a dead horse. If a project doesn’t sell, either re-work it or move on. Keep a positive attitude. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb on his 1000^th try. He did not view the first 999 attempts as failures, rather as the 999 ways to not make a light bulb. Each step was necessary for his eventual success. Each rejection we receive brings us one step closer to our success.

What are your favorite ways to deal with rejection? How do you turn rejection into a positive element in your writing life?

Catholic Writers’ Conference Online

January 23, 2012/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Karina Fabian

(Feel Free to Repost/Distribute elsewhere)
CONTACT: Karina Fabian
E-mail: [email protected]

For Immediate Release

Registration for Free Catholic Writers Conference Online Opens

World Wide Web—The Catholic Writers’ Guild will again hold its online conference March 17-30, 2011. The conference will feature presentations on writing and marketing as well as pitch sessions with publishers.

The conference is held via chats and forums at http:// www.catholicwritersconference.com. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild, the online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register before March 1, 2011. The conference serves both fiction and non-fiction authors and covers aspects of the Catholic faith in writing as well.

“The conference is a wonderful opportunity for writers,” said organizer Karina Fabian. “In addition to presentations and workshops covering everything from worldbuilding to article ideas to marketing your published work, we have critique sessions and pitch sessions with Catholic and secular publishers.”

This year, the conference is taking a different tactic: March 17-24 will feature forum workshops, while live chats will be offered March 23-30. Fabian said that this was by request of attendees, who felt overwhelmed by the number of topics offered and wanted more time to appreciate both venues of learning.

Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences. Non-Catholics may attend, as long as they respect Catholic beliefs and the conference’s Catholic focus.

To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.

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Graphics, interviews and further information available upon request.

Notes on Homilies: Sacrifice and Suffering

January 22, 2012/5 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Karina Fabian

by Karina Fabian

Saw an interesting blog post by Roman Catholic Cop. He was challenged to record one thought from the weekly homilies at Mass.

In Matthew Kelly’s talk, “The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality” he suggests taking ONE thing from father’s homily on Sunday and to write it down in a journal. He says after one year of going to mass you will have an amazing guide to spirituality.

I like this idea, so I’m going to attempt to do the same here. Too often, I find something at Mass really touches me, but as soon as I get out the doors and have to deal with lunches and kids and to-do’s, I forget what it was that made such an impact. Writing them will give me a chance to remember, and I thought you might like to share in them as well.

Today’s homily was about sacrifice and suffering, and how our vocations in life involve each. The priest spoke of a high school boy paralyzed in a hockey accident, and in an interview he said that this was his calling, his vocation. “It is a mystery, but I embrace it.”

What an amazing attitude for a teen to take. I think about the days I just want to give up on everything because I’m tired or have a headache or someone got mad at me, but this kid may never walk again, but he’s not only not giving up, but embracing this mystery he’s been dealt. I’m humbled.

The other thing I’m taking, which applies to the first, is the idea that suffering can mean putting yourself aside to serve others. That’s one I have a hard time with because (like I said in my book, Why God Matters), I tend to have a martyrdom streak, and a loud martyrdom streak at that. Instead of putting myself aside in my suffering in order to serve others, I tend to make a noisy point of my suffering as I serve others.

What about you? What did you take from today’s homily or sermon? What do you think about suffering and service?

Living Life Offline

January 11, 2012/8 Comments/in Blogging, Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Sarah Reinhard

My husband made a comment in a teasing sort of way, mid-December, that there was no way I could spend a week offline. I needed no further impetus to answer a pull I’d been feeling for a while.

I spent the week between Christmas and New Years mostly offline. I didn’t read blogs, post status updates to Facebook or Twitter, or read my email.

I read four books, an advance manuscript, and a friend’s first-draft manuscript. I puttered around the house, doing my usual assortment of household things, and waited for my phone to ring (it didn’t, though I’ll bet that would have changed if I had refused to text).

The week was wonderful, in many ways. It was a tangible reminder that, as online as I may be with so much of my work and communications, I have to live my life offline.

My best ideas and my best inspirations come from the world around me.

Though I read plenty of things online and there is a lot of room for inspiration, for me, the best is what’s happening around me: the brilliance of the sunrise, the book I’m reading, the antics of my family.

When I am online all the time, I run the risk of living an alternate life. I become the Sarah people think I am, as opposed to the Sarah who’s really here, right now, tapping away during the baby’s nap. I lose sight of the humor and heartache in my real world, and while there’s room for my world to include the internet, I have to remember my priorities.

My best source remains real life. The rest is extra.

Immediacy is sometimes overrated.

As I’ve been at this writing thing longer, I’ve noticed that the ideas that really need to stay…do. The more I try to catch and capture and keep, the more they seem to slip between my fingers.

On the other hand, the more I sit back, rely on God for my inspiration, and trust in His ways, the better everything seems to go.

(All of that, mind you, is easy to type and advise you. It is much harder to follow it myself.)

When I’m online, it’s harder to slow down, to think, to ponder, which leads me to my next observation.

I’m less distracted when my online time is segmented.

The internet looms around me. It will take over every single minute that I let it have.

Now that I have an iPad, it seems it never stops. I can drop in and check email after the kids are in bed, even though my laptop’s tucked away and I’m technically offline. I can ignore what I dubbed “Offline Evenings” a few Lents ago, because I’m just popping in.

The problem is, the “popping in” lasts all evening, and I’ve not only lost the only real reading time I’m guaranteed, but also any chance I could have had to interact with my husband.

I’m a better blogger because of time spent offline.

I am forced to focus, to keep it real, and to be efficient. I have to pay attention to my priorities, and if I’m not careful, they’ll creep in the wrong direction.

Do you spend focused time offline? What have you found?

image credit

The “Control” of Self-Publishing

January 9, 2012/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Self-Publishing/by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Self-Publishing is so easy nowadays that anyone can publish his or her own book. Because of that, many self-published authors are producing poor quality books. This can give self-publishing a bad name.

In some respects, self-publishing is more difficult than publishing with traditional publishers. After all, publishers take care of the editing, cover design and all the jobs that go with creating a quality book. They often do extensive marketing as well.

However, I believe the advantages of self-publishing outweigh the disadvantages. Over the next few months, I’m going to share what I believe are the main advantages of self-publishing.

I do not use Trafford, Author House or Publish America. I simply started my own publishing company and currently sell my books through Amazon, Kindle, Smashwords and my publishing website.

This month: Control

As a self-published author (and owner of my own publishing company), I maintain 100 percent of the control and decision-making. I like having a say in every part of my book’s creation. I enjoy working with my husband in the creation of a cover that I feel will best illustrate the content and story of my book.

I transcribe the book, make necessary edits, typeset it, convert it to Kindle and do all the marketing myself…which is why I’m only able to knock out four books in ten years.

If I can’t perform a specific job (like overall editing and copy-editing), I hire people to complete that job. I currently hire an editor, copy-editor and several proofreaders.

Control re: prices

This is especially important when it comes to setting Kindle e-book prices. As a self-published author with little overhead, especially with e-books, I can offer my novels at a remarkably cheap price of 2.99. Traditional publishers generally don’t do that, which means that I can sell more e-books than they do.

Control re: content

While my editor makes suggestions on plot, character, settings etc, I make the final decisions regarding those things. I don’t have to water down the Catholicity nor do I have to make it generic Christian, unless I feel that a certain project warrants that.

Self-publishing gives the author control over every stage of book production from first draft to publication.

Personally, it’s the way I like it.

Next month, Finances and Self-Publishing

I’ll be doing two moderated chats on self-publishing at the 2012 Catholic Writers Conference Online in March. Click on the link to find out more information about the conference.

Ellen Gable Hrkach is an award-winning novelist and vice president of the Catholic Writers Guild. She lives in Canada with her husband and sons.

“To Outline or Not to Outline”

January 3, 2012/4 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, CWG Member News/by Larry Peterson

Before I get to the topic at hand, I would like to announce that my new book, The Priest and The Peaches officially launched two days ago. So, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It is in e-book format and the publisher is Tribute Books. This is a work of fiction and I would like to let you all know that, in my own way, I have tried to compliment, praise and elevate the priesthood with this work. In fact, part of the dedication is to the priesthood. The truth is, I’m sick and tired of all the anti-catholic, anti-priest stuff that has been smothering everyone, and maybe, in my own small way, I might be able to counteract that. Anyway, if you might want to take a peek at the book you can go to http://www.thepriestandthepeaches.com. Okay–to the point at hand.

I have been fulfilling numerous requests for “guest posts” on blog-sites. You know how that goes. They ask you to write 300 to 500 words about such things as writing habits, inspiration, character development, character interviews, etc. etc.. One question I was asked was, “Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?” So, let me “fess up” about me and outlining.

I think they call someone like me a “pantser”. That is because I do go along for the ride and “fly by the seat of my pants”. I outline the book after I’m done. I mean, I do have a potential ending in sight when I start, but, like some of those remodeling jobs I have done in the past, I never know what to expect. I might tear out a wall and, lo and behold, there are plumbing pipes staring at me. Where did they come from? You don’t want them there but you cannot get rid of them so–you adapt and change things. Consequently, as I write things become clearer and clearer, and anticipating problems and glitches happens more quickly.

Ultimately, I outline when I’m finished. I understand that, according to all the “poohbahs” out there, I am doing it all wrong. Well, my goal is to get to the finish line. For me, getting there is all that counts. If I fall down ten times, bust myself up and wind up bloodied in the process, I don’t care. Look, I am probably the type of writer you do not want to emulate. But, when all is said and done, we must march to the beat of our own drum and I have always had a hard time keeping in step with the beat.

I sincerely hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas, and a I wish Happy New Year to all of you.

Vice President’s Column

January 1, 2012/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Do you make resolutions for the New Year?

One resolution that I would encourage all CWG members to make is to write more. Anne Faye, in a recent CWG post, talks about the value of finding 15 minutes a day to write. Whether it’s a journal, blog, essays, articles, short stories, a play, a non-fiction book or a novel, when we increase the frequency of our writing, we improve. A fellow Catholic novelist once told me that the only way I could improve as an author was to write and to write a lot. Most authors take a lifetime to perfect their craft.

Join a live writers’ critique group or an online critique group. And…try to schedule just 15 minutes of writing time every day.

You’ll be glad you did.

On behalf of the Catholic Writers Guild Board, I’d like to wish everyone a Blessed and Happy New Year.

Ellen Gable Hrkach is the vice president of the Catholic Writers Guild. She is the award-winning author of In Name Only, a Catholic romance and Amazon Kindle bestseller (Top 100 Religious Fiction/Romance). Her third novel, Stealing Jenny, is also an Amazon Kindle Bestseller (Top 10 Religious Drama). Her website is www.ellengable.com. She and her husband and five sons live in Pakenham, ON Canada.

Catholic Arts and Letters Award Accepting Submissions NOW!

December 5, 2011/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Ann Lewis

To view the application and information for the CALA click here.

The CALA for Fiction is awarded to authors of works of fiction in which judges find exemplary literary merit. All submissions must first be awarded the Catholic Writers Guild’s Seal of Approval, a process by which books are reviewed by a Catholic panel to certify that content does not disregard Catholic doctrine.

“The Guild’s mission is to lift up Catholic writers,” says CWG President Ann Margaret Lewis. “It hopes to encourage them and embolden them to create great art and compete in the world of ideas. This award recognizes well-written fiction that does just that.”

At last year’s CMN, the CWG awarded the first CALA for fiction in two categories. In the children’s fiction category, Regina Doman was awarded for her young adult novel, Alex O’Donnell and the 40 Cyberthieves. In adult fiction, it was awarded to Michelle Buckman for her novel, Rachel’s Contrition.

“It was a great privilege to be the recipient of the first CALA for fiction,” says Michelle Buckman, “especially given the high caliber of the other submissions. My hope is that this award is bringing attention to the availability of great Catholic novels. I encourage all writers to submit entries, and all readers to check out the growing list of Catholic fiction listed on the Catholic Writers Guild website.”

Regina Doman was equally thrilled to be awarded the CALA in the Children’s division. “Catholic fiction for children and young adults provides entertainment that also reveals faith at work in our lives, and this award will hopefully make more people aware of all the great books available. I am grateful and honored to be the first to receive this award.”

The deadline for 2011 book submissions is February 29, 2012. Details can be found at the CWG at this link.

Famous Self-Published Authors

November 14, 2011/2 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Are you a self-published author or thinking of becoming one? Well, you are in good company.

Here is a list of authors and the books they self-published:

Remembrance of Things Past, by Marcel Proust; Ulysses, by James Joyce; The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter; The Wealthy Barber, by David Chilton; The Bridges of Madison County by Robert J. Waller; In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters; The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield; The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. (and his student E. B. White); The Joy of Cooking.

Has one of your books ever been rejected by a publisher? Again, you are in good company. Here is a list of books that were rejected by one or more publishers:

Pearl S. Buck, The Good Earth – 14 times; Norman Mailer. The Naked and the Dead – 12 times; Patrick Dennis, Auntie Mame – 15 times; George Orwell – Animal Farm; Richard Bach – Jonathan Livingston Seagull – 20 times; Joseph Heller, Catch-22 – 22 times; Mary Higgins Clark, first short story – 40 times; Alex Haley (before Roots) – 200 rejections; John Grisham , A Time to Kill – 15 publishers and 30 agents; Chicken Soup for the Soul – 33 times; Dr. Seuss – 24 times; Louis L’Amour – 200 rejections; Jack London – 600 before his first story; Diary of Anne Frank.

(Thanks to Dan Poynter www.parapublishing.com)

Other famous self-published authors include:
Deepak Chopra, Gertrude Stein, Zane Grey, Upton Sinclair, Carl Sandburg, Ezra Pound, Mark Twain, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Stephen Crane, Bernard Shaw, Anais Nin, Thomas Paine, Virginia Wolff, e.e. Cummings, Edgar Allen Poe, Rudyard Kipling, Henry David Thoreau, Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Alexandre Dumas., William E.B. DuBois, Beatrix Potter.

Do you know of any other famous self-published authors? Feel free to leave a comment below…

Ellen Gable Hrkach is the vice president of the Catholic Writers Guild. She is the award-winning author of In Name Only, a Catholic romance and now an Amazon Kindle bestseller (top 100 Religious Fiction). Her new book is Stealing Jenny which is a contemporary pro-life suspense novel. Her website is www.ellengable.com. She and her husband and five sons live in Pakenham, ON Canada.

"Just Something to Think & Pray About" on ALL SAINT"S DAY

November 1, 2011/2 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

The topic for the first Tuesday of the month is supposed to have something to do with writing; however, my head is somewhere else. Consequently, this post goes in a different direction.

I am more or less sure that we here, at the CWG, have not had the experience of ending each day with no place to go, no food to eat and nowhere to lay our heads. This kind of day-to-day existence seems unimaginable but it is a fact of life for more than a million folks (adults and children) in America. Many ask, “Why don’t they just get a job?”, “Don’t they have family or friends?”, or maybe, “I don’t understand.” Like it or not, these types of feelings have a tendency to generate indifference. Maybe it is just so hard to believe that a defense mechanism triggers itself inside us to protect us from stuff that is, to us, unexplainable. I don’t know.

What I do know is this; as catholics, we are supposed to be non-judgmental and do our best to see the face of Christ in all of our brothers and sisters (sometimes a daunting task). Then, if possible, help them (many times you cannot) or, at the least, pray for them. Since I have been deeply involved with folks like these for a very long time I thought I would post a copy of a letter written by one of these people who was participating in a survey conducted by a group called “Urban Anthology, Inc.” To point out how this is nothing new this was written more than 10 years ago. One thing that seems to always stand out with so many of these people is their trust in God. Please remember all of these brothers and sisters of ours in your prayers, especially today on the feast of ALL SAINTS.

PATHWAYS INTO HOMELESSNESS—PERSONAL CRISIS

Date: Summer, 2000

Site: St. James

Demographics: Latino/m/30-40

I had a job and a family and things went okay. Then bad things started happening. My brother-in-law got killed in a gang fight. My sister who ain’t married got pregnant. My mother died. All of it was too much. I started drinkin’ a lot and taking drugs—all kinds of drugs—uppers, downers, heroine, crack, weed. I lost my job and my wife and kids moved in with her family. I stayed with my father for a while but we didn’t get along because he was still grieving for my mother. Then I went to my brother’s house but he didn’t want me to be using around the kids, so he kicked me out.
I been staying mainly in parks because the weather is good. I do some work for [odd job place]. I can’t do too many drugs because I ain’t got no money. But I pray and I think that God will get me back to where I was. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to be where I was. I think things happen for a reason and I will just let God lead me where I am supposed to go. I go to church every day when I’m clean and sober. Things happen for a reason, you know.
I applied for a couple of jobs, but it’s kind of hard to get one, you know, when you are homeless and don’t look too good, and you got no number they can get you at. But when the right one comes along, I will get it. I just got to take care of myself until the right time happens. In the meantime, I read the bible and go to church and get in touch with my spiritual side.