Don’t Listen to Me

Seriously, don’t listen to me. Or at least, don’t listen to just me. About anything – writing, publishing, marketing, or anything else short of my personal life, my writing, my kids, and my animals. I am just one voice in a crowd of many, and let me tell ya – there’s a great deal I don’t know. What I share here on the Blue Inkwell is based on my research and my experience only.

Am I some great & wonderful, all-knowing guru? Well, my dogs might think I’m great and wonderful, but even they wouldn’t bite into the all-knowing guru part. (Unless, of course, it involves bribery. Ham bones and roast beef might do the trick, but only if they haven’t eaten much today. Maybe. And I’d probably still have to use The Alpha Dog-Master Voice.) 

Here’s what I am. I am an obsessive writer and avid reader. I’ve written everything – from short stories to poetry, from song lyrics to technical how-to’s – since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I’ve had articles published in numerous publications – most you’ve probably never seen or heard of. I’ve worked as an author’s assistant (read as author’s favorite hold-that girl and bitching post.) I’ve worked as an editor – but didn’t have the heart to tell people “you’re writing sucks!”

For the last 2 or 3 years, I’ve worked exclusively as a ghostwriter. My next goal is to complete my manuscript and land a traditional publishing deal. (Hence the Author in Progress badge over in my sidebar. That should be a big clue that while I’ve worked on the fringes of the publishing industry for years, I haven’t been published yet either. So what do I know, right?)

What makes me an authority? What gives me the right to sit here and offer advice? Simple – I bought the domain, I set up the site, and a-blogging I will go. I don’t want to be ”the” guru of all things writing/publishing. I don’t want to be “an expert in my field” like so many info marketers tell you to do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know a thing or two. That doesn’t mean I can’t share what I know.

I simply want to pass on what I know & what I’ve learned to like-minded writers. For those writers who are a few steps behind me on the writing/publishing journey…I want to leave a trail of breadcrumbs, some sign posts. Nothing more. (And for us Fence Writers…a swift kick in the tochus to get you motivated.)

If you want industry leaders & publishing gurus, you won’t find them here. If that’s what you’re looking for, let me tell ya – I ain’t it. You need to be reading agent blogs, editor blogs, and the host of books & websites out there with that kind of industry information.

Need help finding some? Here are the agent blogs I read (and enjoy)

Janet Reid, Fine Print Literary Management Want real help, without the hype and fluff? Janet tells it like it is, but tries not to be too harsh about it.

Nathan Bransford, Curtis Brown Ltd Nathan gives great advice about all things agent related. I especially enjoy his Query Madlib idea.

Jessica Faust, Bookends, LLC Another good agent blog. Jessica even updates the status of her slush pile on the blog. A word of advice, don’t query the dog!

Lynn Price, Editorial Director, Behler Publications I like Lynn’s blog. (Obviously, or it wouldn’t be on the list.) She wrote a post a few days ago called I Have a Blog. (Ding! Ding! Future blog post idea. Note to self: expand platform posts to cover the stuff you thought most people knew already. Duh.)

And hey Lynn! I have a blog…but I know that it won’t be useful as part of my platform unless I cram it full of useful content, marketing the Hell out of it, amass an impressive following, become the “talk of the town,” and most importantly – show a proven purchasing market with it (i.e. people willing to buy stuff from me, relative to my book’s topic.) That’s another duh-huh kind of thing, folks. Anything else is just a hobby blog. Seriously.

And finally, Miss Snark, the literary agent. This is a dead blog. The lights are out. No one’s home. But the information is good and the reading’s fun. Miss Snark retired back in 2007 because she didn’t have anything new to say. Browse through the archives. There’s good info in there. You might learn something.

As for the Blue Inkwell? Think of me as something of a passive writing group. Someplace to get ideas, find good links to writer-related stuff, get a little encouragement, and a swift kick in the ass if/when you need it. I’m the friend on the other end of the phone who tells you “quit telling me about it and just do it, for crying in the mud!” Nothing more.

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