One of the many joys of being a writer is in the community. Writing is oftentimes a solitary endeavor, but the writing process as a whole is a team endeavor. Whether you enlist the help of beta readers to provide input on your latest draft, or team up with another author much like you might team up with someone at the gym. By checking in with a fellow author, updating them on your status, and coming to them with your struggles, you’ll feel like you aren’t alone.
As a community, we gather together on occasion to share ideas and meet one another. Much like any conference, experts in the field come in to share their insights on specific topics and panelists critique submittals.
I have a special place in my heart for the Michigan Writer’s Workshop, held in Livonia this past Saturday, Maya 4th. Without Michigan Writer’s Workshop, I wouldn’t have my agent. And for those of you who feel you had a lousy pitch, let me tell you a story.
I found out about this conference at the last minute last year and by the time I signed up, most of the agent slots for pitching my book had already filled. One of the agents I selected didn’t even cover my genre, which she told me when we met. But she did say she had an associate who might be interested. She told him about me and he told me to send my query letter to him directly. One year later, I have an agent, a completed and edited manuscript, a book proposal, and hope for my dreams to succeed.
So just because something doesn’t immediately work out, don’t get down on yourself. That rejection might lead to an opportunity you hadn’t previously considered!
Bye for now!