Two Networking Opps, One Local, One Not

Fellow friend and mystery writer Terri Thayer, author of Wild Goose Chase, a quilting mystery, let me know of a wonderful networking opportunity for writers that though local to the San Francisco Bay Area, can probably, in concept, be found elsewhere.

This event is the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime annual holiday party from 1-3 p.m. hosted by the at "M" is for Mystery in San Mateo, CA. The event will draw not only fellow hopefuls, but many published writers, as well.

Again, though the event is specific to this area, call up your favorite bookstores, especially those that specialize in the type of books you write — thrillers, romances, metaphysical, academic, science — and see if they're offering a holiday shindig where you can meet other, and possibly big-name, authors. If the bookstore doesn't have anything planned, offer to help them organize something through whatever professional writing organization to which you belong, whether the Romance Writers of America or National Association of Science Writers.

Next week I'll feature another networking opp that's both local and not.

Happy writing!

Should You Wait to Submit?

I was talking with a writer friend a few weeks ago who's co-writing a book. She said the task is taking longer than expected, but she's in no hurry to finish. Why? Because the global economic downturn has created a bleak publishing market. She said that's why another writer friend of ours has decided to wait to submit her novel.

I wondered whether I should wait to submit my new novel, too, and after talking with a top-notch agent now have my answer.

Yes.

Editors are being laid off, big publishing houses are tightening their belts and therefore agents aren't inclined to take anything but the most commercial material, and even then, only a limited amount. Where before they may have taken a risk to help you get started, now they're much less likely to do so.

As Brian Scott writes in an article titled Book Publishers Slam Shut the Door on First-Time Authors for Book Publishing News:

It is the story of David and Goliath - only this time Goliath is standing on top of a four-story New York building.

To get the whole truth, look for free snippets from the 2009 U.S. Book Publishing Report produced by MarketResearch.com. The report costs $149 — which isn't terrible if you split the cost among 10 writer friends — and among other things includes estimates:

...on the size of the industry (sales, establishments, employment) nationally and for all 50 U.S. States and over 900 metro areas... and 5-year historical trends on industry sales...

Until we see the bottom of this financial crisis, I'll continue to rewrite, perfect my query letters and wait, which is not easy for a goal-oriented person like me. But the strategy is a lot better than the alternative of pushing a project, on which I've spent so much time and energy, into a highly unfavorable market.

Were you planning on submitting something? What have you decided to do? Let me know.

Happy writing!