Tell the Unspoken Stories

I talk a lot about how a circle of literary friends can help support you during the hard work of penning your story. The importance of a writing network is even more important if you are a disenfranchised group - like a prisoner in Burma. That is why I am dedicating this blog to the Voice of Witness, a nonprofit book series that empowers people who have lived through human rights crises by helping them tell their stories.

Titles include:

• Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated
• Voices From the Storm: The Peopole of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath
• UnderGround America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives
• Out of Exile: Narratives from the Abducted and Displaced People of Sudan

As Maggie Lemer and Zoe West said so eloquently in the Copyblogger post How to Use Stories to Change the World, "Bloggers are storytellers, and your stories give you power." They are looking for ways to get the word out about all of the books in Voice of Witness, including Nowhere to Be Home: Narratives from Survivors of Burma's Military Regime.

Do you know anyone who is too scared, tired, or oppressed to tell his or her story? Reach out and offer to listen, to make connections, to get that story heard. You can leverage your writer's group to find ghostwriters, translators, editors and publishers who can bring these untold stories to a larger audience.

Only when the power of personal connection has been made can lives be saved, laws made and changes occur. You have that power as a writer. Use it wisely.

Yours in writing,

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander

JT Long

Another Day Another Book Launch

2010 has been a great year for my writing group. It seems every month another member is planning a book launch.

First we hailed Judith Horstman's second book for Scientific American, Brave New Brain. It received great traction because it was such a timely topic and a fun read. Then Jennifer Sander and her co-author Paula Munier burned up the book shelves with Hot Flash Haiku. Again, it was perfect timing as an ideal Mother's Day gift. Verna Dreisbach was next out of the gate with Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives. It is getting great reviews and, I hear, going into a second printing. Now our own Dawn Lairimore has released her kick-ass princess young adult novel Ivy's Ever After. I love the book and the launch page. I know of two others about to be released, one is a mystery romance and the other a travel book.

Although the subjects vary widely, the support each member has received from the group at the launch parties, on their web sites and in their personal networks has been universally powerful. Mastermind groups share in the journey and the celebration at the end.

So, why were so many of our members able to cross the finish line at once? It is the result of a number of things.

• Momentum: The energy and excitement of each launch encourages the rest of the group to pursue their dreams. This is not competition, this is all boats rising in the tide of publishing.
• Collective Resources: The more published writers we have in the group, the more agents, publishers and strategies can be shared at each meeting.
• Magnetic Power: The more successful our group is, the more it attracts other successful authors and empowers the first two items.

Powerful isn't it? Well, time to go get ready for the next launch. Please take a moment before your next book bash and share with me your group's success secrets.

Yours in Publishing,

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander

JT Long

Master Writing Resolutions

New Year's Eve is an obvious time for making resolutions. We can pledge to be thinner, nicer, more productive - and mean it. But what is the secret to keeping those vows long after the smoke has cleared? Your band of fellow writers, of course. 

A resolution is simply the public statement of your heart's desire in an attempt to add motivation to your will power. A MasterMind Writer's Group is a formal way to announce, hold accountable, secure resources and celebrate success.

January is a great time to hold a special meeting dedicated to rejoicing all the great things your members accomplished last year, setting realistic goals for next year and putting in writing plans for achieving those goals. 

I will start. 

I am celebrating the fact that I found some exciting, consistent publishing outlets in 2009 who allowed me to explore new subjects, new ways of telling stories and new audiences. 

This year, I hope to enter the national consumer market with some expanded trend pieces. 

I will start by sending out at least one query letter a week to publications I have not worked with before. I will attend at least two national conferences to meet national publishers. And with the help of my wonderful writer community, I will position myself as a resource for editors looking to educate and entertain their readers.

Resolutions are not right or wrong. They are great exercises. Check out this one from the very funny Nanny Goats in Panties. The key is to really mean it and call on your friends to hold you to your word.

Your turn. What goals did you reach in 2009? How will you expand on that in 2010?

Yours in Writing,

Promptmaster

JT Long

The Gift of a Writing Community

This is the time of year when we reflect on the things that make life joyous. At the top of my list is my family and my writing family. 

All year long the members of my writing group have been there to encourage me, give me advice, share tips and celebrate my swishes. I would like to thank them for caring and let them know that I will be there for them when they need some perspective, the name of a good agent or a pat on the back.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of forming a circle of writers, this is the one shameless promotion plug of the year. If you are still struggling to find your writer home or know someone who needs a support network, Writer's Secret: MasterMind Your Way to Publishing Success makes a great Christmas gift that doesn't have to be wrapped or bought at the mall. It is a wonderful way to start a new year that could end with author being added to your title. 

So to all my friends with pens, I wish you a happy holiday and a literary new year.

Yours in writing

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander

JT Long

Four Must-Do Steps to Polish Your Book Proposal

Like the turkey, after countless hours of stuffing and basting, your book proposal is almost done. You have written a compelling outline, two sample chapters, a bio that made you look like the literary chosen one and a marketing plan that will move books out the door at record speed. Now it is time to clean it up.

I know, you are probably sick of looking at this book within a book, but a final polish could be the thing that makes or breaks the deal. Following are four must-do steps to finalize your ticket to published author status.

1. Proofread Every Word. This is essential. One major typo in the opening could send all your hard work to the slush pile. The agent and/or editor needs to feel comfortable that you can deliver a clean, error-free book. Grammatical lapses in the introduction will not induce confidence. This is where your MasterMind Writer friends can help. You have seen every word so often that you probably don't see the individual letters anymore. Divide it up among the members of your group or share it with your trusted writing companion. They will catch things you might have missed reading it 10 times.

2. Formatting. You don't have to learn InDesign or turn your proposal into a coffee table book, but make sure the font type and size is legible, the margins are consistent, the proposal flows well. Make it as easy as possible for your agent/editor to read it and say yes.

3. Attachments. You have a succinct summary that will quickly convince the gatekeeper that you are worthy. Now attach any corroborating evidence in case he or she would like to know more. Do you have newspaper or magazine articles you have written on the topic? How about endorsements for your previous works? Attach them. Most importantly, don't say you will attach something and then forget to add the file or include it in the envelope. Never make your editor search for something that just isn't there.

4. Send it. I know, this sounds obvious, but editors won't buy your book project if they can't read the proposal. Once you have finished it, send it. Stop fussing. Send it out into the world (Look for more next week on how to target the right agent). 

What are your book proposal rituals, success/horror stories? Share them with the Group.

Yours in Writing, 

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander

JT Long

How to Turn an Editor's Head

Think back to third grade. What was the first assignment your teacher gave you when you returned to school in the fall? You wrote about your summer vacation. 

Why did your teacher give you this predictable assignment? Was she doing a thesis on waterparks of the greater metro area? Did she want to torture you with images that were now long gone? No, she knew you would be more likely to write if you wrote about something you loved - like yourself.

Now that we are grown authors, we are told, "Write what you know." What do we know better than ourselves? 

So why does writing your bio in a book proposal seem like such a chore? 

It's not like we have to do a lot of research. 

It can't be because we are shy. Aren't authors, by definition, narcissists?

The challenge is that this can't be just any old bio. This needs to be a description of yourself that positions you as the best person under the sun to write about this particular topic. Or as the kids on the playground would ask, "Who died and make you king?" You have to crown yourself.

Start by doing some brainstorming. List every connection you have to the topic. Call your mother or your MasterMind team if you need help seeing the resource in the mirror. This is no time for modesty. 

List your education, life experience, other writing on this topic, talks that you have given. If it is a new age book go ahead and include a past life or two if that helps. This should be easy. You have been talking about yourself since third grade.

Now weave that into a narrative that convinces the editor you uniquely understand the subject and the audience and your phone will start ringing. 

Good luck.

Yours in writing,

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander

JT Long

Viral Book Titles

How are you progressing on your 100-day book proposal challenge? Have you brainstormed with your MasterMind group to come up with the perfect topic? 

Now you need a headline that will go viral. 

Human brains are the original search engines, constantly sending out feelers looking for interesting bits of information that resonate and intrigue. You need a title that is optimized to latch onto those inquisitive minds by playing off trends, fascinations and identification. It needs to worm it's way into their psyche so they have to buy that book from the infinite stacks in the physical and digital book store.

How do you do this?

Grab a MasterMind partner and start a quick word association game. Write down every term that comes to mind. If the topic is swine flu, then the list should start with bacon and end with tetanus. 

What natural word phrases come from those roots? What words stress the uniqueness of your book? The Virus that Launched a Billion Shots? The Pandemic that Never Was? Feel free to jump in at any time. The more ideas the better at this point.

Your sub-head can clarify the catchy title and explain what the reader will learn by the last page. The Race to Distribute N1H1 Vaccine. Modern Methods for Communicating Urgency. You get the picture. Now start the word spew.

I look forward to hearing your titles and updates on your 10--Day Book Proposal Challenge.

Yours in Writing

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander

JT Long