While every writer and every MasterMind Writer's Group is different, the secret to a successful cohort is to keep your goals clear. In The Writer's Secret: MasterMind Your Way to Publishing Success, we outline the steps to creating a powerful mission statement, however in any group, the basic goal should be to get everyone closer to published author status. Like the classic children's game Candy Land, the path to the bookstore shelf can be winding and we often end up taking two steps forward and three back due to circumstances (or cards) outside of our control. The basic stages of starting, finishing and publishing a piece remain the same, however. A MasterMind Group composed of writers with a mix of experience levels can make each step a little sweeter.
1. Brainstorming. You may have an idea that has been bouncing around the Candy Cane Forest of your mind for years, but floating it in the Chocolate Syrup of the group experiencewill tell you if it has market appeal. Your fellow writers can suggest new angles, brainstorm titles and resources. A solid, marketable idea is the foundation on which all the other pieces of your book rely. Feedback from a trusted group of advisers can ensure the project has legs.
2. Choosing a Path. In Candy Land there is only one way to reach the rainbow's end, but in publishing you have many options: find an agent or publishing house, self-publish or e-publish. The decisions can seem daunting. If you use an agent, you need to do your research to find the right ones that represent your genre. Then write a compelling query letter, complete with sample chapters and a marketing plan. If you self- or e-publish, you still need to research the market and have a plan to get your ideas into the right hands. That is why this step comes before the actual writing step. Your decision about how to position the book can change the recipe for cooking the perfect literary confection. Again, feel free to call on the wisdom of the group. What agents were helpful to them? Who can get you an introduction to Queen Frostine? What details held them back? What were the benefits and limitations of having a publisher take the risk and collect any reward for paying the printers? How difficult was it to land major publicity and manage production without a print house name on the spine? A MasterMind Group can give you the real world 411 so you can answer these questions for yourself.
3. Writing the Book. This may seem like the most important step, but without the others, you are writing for an audience of one. Even this private act benefits from the accountability and encouragement of a group dedicated to your success. How much more will you write if you know at the end of the week you have to answer to the group about how much progress you have made toward Gum Drop Mountain?
4. Rewriting the Book. Once you have sent the book to your agent and the agent has forwarded it to the publisher's editor, you can't wipe your hands of the piece. Multiple rounds of changes can follow. Again a MasterMind Group can come in handy, reassuring you that this is nothing personal, keeping you focused on the prize at the end. Everyone - your publisher, your agent and your writing allies - has the same goal: to get the best (selling) book possible printed and distributed. That is the rainbow at the end of the path. Trust their judgement, but don't be afraid to assert your intimate understanding of what you were trying to say.
5. Starting Over. Now that you have successfully published your book the next question on everyone's lips is "What are you going to write next?" There is no rest for the wordsmith. Now, in addition to non-stop promoting your book, you can take the knowledge you learned the first time around and try a different path - or wear in the last one a little bit more depending on your experience. You can also share your feedback with your MasterMind Group. Compare your journey with the other players in your group and on this web site. That way, everyone wins.
Yours in Writing,
Proptmasters
Jennifer Sander
JT Long
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