Dear O'Abby: Do I have to pay to play?

 Dear O'Abby,

I have written a considerable amount of short fiction and feel like I'm ready to start submitting it to competitions and journals in the hope of getting published.  I've been researching and have been surprised to discover that a lot of the contests and even publications I would like to submit to, charge for it.  Is that normal?  I always I thought I'd earn money as a writer (eventually), not have to pay for the privilege of submitting.

Can you give me some advice around this?

Best,

Cash-Strapped

Dear Cash-Strapped,

Unfortunately, this is a reality.  Some publications and a large number of contests do charge reading fees or entry fees.   For contests that offer a cash prize, these entry fees often go toward making up that prize. 

At the end of the day, it is up to you whether you are willing to pay to play.  Or if you can afford to do that for very long. Personally, I agree with you and believe I should be paid for my writing rather than paying for the privilege of submitting, so if I get to a point in the submission process where I am asked for payment, I terminate it.  I'll only pay to enter something I really, really want to be in. 

My suggestion would be that you send your work to places that don't charge a reading fee to begin with.  You can spend a lot of money very quickly and a lot of publications only give you a copy of the journal as payment for your work so you don't get a chance to make that money back.  Once you have a few publication credits under your belt, you might feel more confident to pay fees for selects contests or publications.

There are plenty of publications and contests that don't ask you to pay to play, and that will pay you if your story/poem is selected.  Often not a lot, but when you're starting out, even a token payment can feel great.  I still have the first cheque I ever received as payment for a short story - it was in USD and would have cost more than the cheque was for to process at my local bank - and will probably carry it around with me the rest of my life.

Hopefully that helps!  If you want to spend some money on your writing career, you might want to subscribe to Duotrope which is a great resource for finding publications to submit your work to.  I have to admit I haven't used it since it has been behind a pay wall, but when I was submitting short fiction regularly, I used it all the time to find publications best suited to my stories.

Best of luck with your submitting!

X O'Abby

Spotlight on New Book Debut Author Alex Perry

Pighearted by Alex Perry

1- Can you please tell us more about being a "derby girl"?

My derby photos all look terrible, so here is my baby in my derby helmet looking much tougher than I do.

I practiced with my local derby team for years and loved skating as “Alexandra Jamilton” on our tennis court practice area, but I’ve never passed all of the qualifications to compete. Also, hitting people is an important part of roller derby, but I squeal when someone hits me and apologize every time I hit someone else. I’m not sure that I have the necessary fighting spirit. Then I got what’s called the “nine month injury.” After my daughter was born, I was ready to jump back into practice! But then 2020 happened and I Rapunzeled myself in my house with the baby. I hope to rejoin roller derby someday. Actually, I’d settle for just rejoining society.

I feel that. #InThisTogether


2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Find a critique group and read them your work aloud. Avoiding embarrassment has improved my writing more than anything.

Tip from J: https://wordcounter.net Has text-to-speech proofreading, if you need help vocalizing.


3- What most motivates you to read a new book?

I love that moment when a book clicks for me and I have to keep going. Usually, my petty hunger for drama keeps me turning the pages until the characters have charmed me and I get invested in the plot.

4- What is something about organ transplants that most people probably don't know?

Before writing Pighearted, I thought an organ transplant could make someone almost “good as new,” but life expectancy is relatively short. Every recipient is on several medications for the rest of their life and might experience issues with their immune system. However, the technology is improving rapidly and all of the cutting-edge advancements in Pighearted are possible today.

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book with your dog?

Birdie and Pighearted!

6- Any fun Halloween plans for this year?

Halloween falls on my debut week. It’s also the first week that we’ll be in our new home in a new state. Just getting through it will be enough for us.
I’d like to dress up my toddler and use her to scam candy from my new neighbors, but I don’t know how to do that safely in a pandemic.

7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?

When I was in high school, I thought @alextheadequate would be a cute play on Alexander the Great. I was wrong, but it’s still my twitter handle.
I’d love to shout out some of my real-life critique group members! They are that rare combination of productive, talented, and extremely friendly. With most people you only get two out of the three, but they do it all. @rebecca_fryar @JennetteGahlot @ashewriter

8- What is your favorite book to movie adaptation?

I think this is going to get me kicked out of the writer’s club, but I prefer the Lord of the Rings movies to the books. The Return of the King is one of my all-time favorites and it hits me right in the heart.


9- Are you a Plotter, Pantser, or Plantser, and how did you adopt that style?

I’m a definite plotter and I always have been. In high school they taught us to outline everything, and I just kept with it. I don’t have the self-confidence to be a pantser. I can only make it a few unplanned pages before anxiety takes over.

10- What does your basic writing schedule look like, and how often do you write?

I wish I wrote sometimes. Occasionally, I can write during my daughter’s nap. I think a lot of pandemic parents are in the same boat.

11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!

Author name: Lauren Allbright @laallbright
Title: Milo Moss is Officially Unamazing
Love because: It’s officially amazing and charming from the first page. I appreciate that the family’s structure was complicated but felt very relatable. At the same time, they were the quirkiest bunch of lovable weirdos that kept me engrossed.


12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

I want the reader to laugh out loud at least a couple of times, but at a certain point in the book I hope that they’re weeping bitter tears like they just watched UP.


13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?

I’d love for kids to take an interest in medical and STEM topics that come up in the story. Hopefully, this book makes it clear how much respect I have for young readers and their ability to understand complicated topics and come to their own conclusions about it.

14- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?

I’d have to be a toss up between two very wintry things I don’t have time for: baking and knitting.

15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

For me, diversity is accurately representing the world kids live in. My novel is set in Houston, one of the most diverse cities in America. The main character and his family are white, but none of the other main characters are. His doctor is a young black woman and his best friends are a Hispanic girl and a Muslim boy with Syrian heritage. Two female farmers are married to each other. I set out to reflect what’d I’d experienced in Houston, and the resulting story could not have been anything other than very diverse. I sincerely hope many different readers will be able to see themselves and their families in Pighearted.

16- What method do you feel is the best way to get book reviews?

I wish I knew!

17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

As you can see from the previous answer, I’m not savvy enough to be an indie author. Also, middle-grade seems like it’d be particularly difficult to market without the resources of a traditional publishing house to help connect my book with readers, teachers, and librarians.

18- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?

This is it! Publication has been my lifelong dream. My new goal is to hear that a kid has enjoyed it.

19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?

Does anyone have a favorite animal protagonist in a book?

20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Charlotte's Web meets My Sister's Keeper in this charming story told from the alternating perspectives of a boy with a fatal heart condition and the pig with the heart that could save his life.
Jeremiah’s heart skips a beat before his first soccer game, but it’s not nerves. It’s the first sign of a heart attack. He knows he needs to go to the hospital, but he’s determined to score a goal. Charging after the ball, he refuses to stop…even if his heart does.
J6 is a pig and the only one of his five brothers who survived the research lab. Though he's never left his cell, he thinks of himself as a therapy pig, a scholar, and a bodyguard. But when the lab sends him to live with Jeremiah's family, there’s one new title he’s desperate to have: brother.
At first, Jeremiah thinks his parents took in J6 to cheer him up. But before long, he begins to suspect there's more to his new curly-tailed companion than meets the eye. When the truth is revealed, Jeremiah and J6 must protect each other at all costs—even if their lives depend on it.
This charming story about family, sacrifice, and survival -set against the backdrop of boundary-pushing science and the ethics behind it - will inspire readers to never stop fighting for the ones they love.

Author Bio:

Alex Perry used to teach sixth grade in Houston, but now she writes books for kids everywhere. Pighearted is her debut novel. She lives just outside of Chicago with her husband, daughter, and two huge dogs. You can visit her at http://alexperrybooks.com or follow her on twitter @alextheadequate .
https://lbyr.com/titles/alex-perry/pighearted/9780316538800/
https://alexperrybooks.com


Pighearted by Alex Perry

OA Recommends - Helping Writers Become Authors

Every month [more or less] we introduce you to a different writer-oriented website. These are sites with which one or more of our team members has had positive experiences. We hope you'll check them out and let us know what you think!

This month on OA Recommends, let's learn more about Helping Writers Become Authors!

1- What is the origin story or history of Helping Writers Become Authors?

I started my blog mostly just as a way to share the journey—more as a conversation than a teaching tool, per se. Over the years, it grew into its own thing, and as I learned more and more in my own journey as a writer, I became more and more passionate about sharing it with others. Particularly after my first writing book, Outlining Your Novel, came out, I felt I had something to say that would help other writers overcome some of the same challenges and puzzles I was facing in my own writing.

2- What are some of the biggest changes that Helping Writers Become Authors has experienced over the years and have your original site goals changed?

It actually started as a book-review blog. I think I called it K.M. Weiland’s Bookshelf or something like that. Then I changed it into a discussion of writing, under the name Wordplay. Other than that, I’d say the main changes have had to do with the focus of the material. The site has always been about writing tips, but as time has gone on and I’ve become more and more interested in deep-diving with story theory, plot, structure, and character arcs, the posts have grown to reflect that.

3- Are there any big events or exciting news coming up for Helping Writers Become Authors in 2022?

My main project for 2022 is publishing a book based on this year’s blog series about archetypal character arcs. The series is centered around six transformational character arcs forming what I call the “life arcs,” which can be seen as important developmental challenges in the human life cycle. Within this context, I see the popular Hero’s Journey as the second of six progressive arcs. I’ve had a blast sharing my research and theories about archetypes on the blog, and I’m excited about compiling it all into a book next year.

4- How often do you have a new post on your site and is there a schedule for certain posts on certain days?

These days, I post weekly, on Mondays. Every post has an accompanying podcast with the same information, for those who prefer to listen rather than read.

5- How do you choose which topics to write about?

More and more, I write in response to reader requests or questions. But most of my posts are still very personal, based on my own thoughts, questions, and discoveries in my own writing journey.

6- Tell us about the different craft books you offer.

Outlining Your Novel is about brainstorming and organizing ideas. It covers broader story principles like discovering your characters and setting and figuring out your plot.

Structuring Your Novel is about the nitty-gritty of story, scene, and sentence structure.

Creating Character Arcs is about using structure to harmonize character, plot, and theme into a seamless and powerful narrative.

Writing Your Story’s Theme is about using plot structure and character arcs to realize a cohesive and resonant theme.

I recommend reading them in the order they were published: outlining, then structuring, then character arcs, then theme. They build right into each other. However, if you're only going to read one, I recommend Creating Character Arcs. It's more important than outlining and includes basic info on structuring and theme.

7- In your experience, which is the craft topic that most writers have the most difficulty with?  Why do you think that's the most difficult topic?

In the past, I would have said story structure, but these days I feel there is so much information out there about structure that most writers either are educated on the subject or will easily find the answers to their questions about it. So I’m going to go with theme. It’s such an abstract topic, but it’s so integral to solid storytelling. This is something I discussed in my most recent book Writing Your Story’s Theme, which I mentioned above, because I feel there are so many solid and practicable ways to approach creating and workshopping theme in your stories.

8- Tell us about your Story Structure Database.

I created the Story Structure Database as a resource where writers (including myself) could go to easily reference the major story beats (or lack thereof) in popular books and movies. I don’t update the Database too often anymore, but there are currently hundreds of easily searchable stories available.

9 - With all the websites for writers out there, why should someone take the time to read Helping Writers Become Authors; what makes Helping Writers Become Authors unique?

My main focus is story theory. I enjoy breaking down the overall patterns found in stories and trying to figure out what makes them work. If you’re into taking things apart and putting them back together, utilizing intuition and logic, as a way to write tighter, more powerful stories, then you might have as much fun with it as I do! :)

10- Would you please list the links and ways people can find Helping Writers Become Authors: website, blog, social media.

The site: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkmweiland/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kmweiland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMWeiland

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmweiland.author/

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the award-winning and internationally-published author of Outlining Your Novel, Structuring Your Novel, Creating Character Arcs, and Writing Your Story’s Theme. She writes historical and speculative fiction and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

October 2021 Pass or Pages Entry Form!

 

 

We are now accepting entries for Pass Or Pages! Before you enter, be sure to check out the rules. This month's round of Pass Or Pages is for DIVERSE VOICES. Any entry not falling under that umbrella will be disqualified. 

While Diverse Voices isn't exactly a genre, Operation Awesome is looking to showcase historically underrepresented writers of YA and Adult fiction. To paraphrase from We Need Diverse Books: "The diverse book movement recognizes all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities." If that's you, then this round could be your place to shine!

The entry window closes on Friday, October 8 at 6 p.m. Eastern.

The form will not allow you to show italics or other formatting, but if your entry is chosen you'll have time to let us know of any formatting you need fixed.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility! Best of luck!

 

The Query is key.

 

If agents are the gate keepers to the publishing world, then is the query letter your key?

This is arguably the case. Just as the key has fundamental components that allow it to function and unlock doors, so does the query letter.

  

The first primary piece of the key is the head. Without this its very hard to get the key in the lock, or your query letter read. In terms of a query letter, this is the solid information the agent is looking for: Genre, target age group, word count. Agents will be looking to see if there is anything they can grab a hold of here. Without this fundamental info the key may be pretty to look at but is essentially useless.

The next component is the spine. This is the backbone of our stories. The who, what, where and why’s. Perfect demographics and high concept ideas are worthless without a strong story (or spine) to assist in delivering them.

Finally, is the biting, and this is the trickiest part. These are the special elements that determine if the key will actually open a door. These pieces might be what set your story apart from similar looking keys that just don’t fit. Just as there are many keys there are many locks, and agent preferences, tastes, current clients and lists, can all come into play here.

Over time your query letter may change shape, get smoothed out, maybe even twisted. But as countless fictional heroes have taught us…

Happy Hunting!

 

If you are looking to make connects or get support along your journey please comment below. I’d love to build a supportive community here within the Operation Awesome universe. #QuerySupportGroup

                                                                                                            (Image by Joshua Woroniecki from Pixabay)