Emma Khoury

Writing Conferences: Why You Should Be Attending Them & Why Not All Are Created Equal

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Writing itself is a solitary endeavor. We sit at a keyboard/notebook/scroll of parchment and we pour our souls onto the template of our choosing. But being a writer doesn’t mean you have to be alone. There is a whole community of other writers out there, spanning the globe, that understand you in a way that friends and family are unable to do so.

The Writing Community is a vast, wonderful, and wonderfully weird one that everyone who writes should take advantage of. There are many ways to do this, whether you join a local writer’s group, participate in the interwebs based community, or take part in local writer’s conferences.

That being said, I would advise you to just be aware that not all writer’s conferences are created equal and, just because you may have a bad experience at one, does not mean you should paint them all with the same brush. The reason I’m prompted to say this is because I recently went to a disappointing writer’s conference near me. I actually left early. It just felt very unfocused and the speakers weren’t up to the same caliber that I am used to.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop going to conferences though. They are a wonderful way to learn tips and tricks as well as network with fellow, local authors.

It is also where I made the connection that led me to obtain my wonderful agent! I signed up for several meetings to speak with literary agents to pitch my book The Sword and Shield and actually struck out at first. However, it’s all about who you know and that is what saved me. I spoke to an agent who wasn’t interested in my work, but knew of an agency that might be. That is how I was introduced to C.Y.L.E. Literary Agency who eventually signed with me!

Just because things seem like they aren’t working out, don’t give up hope. You may not be able to walk through a door but who knows? Maybe you can climb in through the window!

Bye for now!

Book Cover Reveal!

While people say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, most of us do. When selecting my next read I judge it by it’s title, then cover, then synopsis, then first page, then first chapter. Then I buy it. Despite that rigorous vetting process I still have five overflowing bookcases. Oh well, what can you do?

That being said, I knew the cover for my book had to be something special to grab the reader’s eye. I had a few ideas which I shared with the design team and, to my delight, they went with one of them. However, what they did surpassed my wildest expectations, rendering a beautiful product that I would be proud to put my name on.

So, without further ado, here is the proof for the cover of my book:

Drumroll please

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Let me know if you like it and

Bye for now!

The Pinterest Marathon

I spent most of my free time Friday, and five minutes this morning, uploading all my blog posts to My Pinterest Profile.

The reason it took me so long was because they kept putting a spam block on my account to prevent, well, spam. Which is understandable because I was attempting to upload 107 posts rapid-fire to the site. But it was still super annoying.

Now, some might argue having my blog posts distributed amongst the sites of WordPress, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, AND Pinterest might be a bit of overkill, but I don’t see it that way.

I am an unestablished, debut author, untested in the waters of publishing. No one (aside from you, my lovely wonderful followers) really has any idea who I am or why they should bother spending their hard earned money on my book.

That is why I am eternally grateful to my agent, Alyssa, for urging me to start this blog almost one and a half years ago. Not only did it allow me to build up a fan base, and slowly but surely explore the world of marketing, it also acted in much the same way that a diary would, allowing me to reflect on my writing process and the feelings I would have otherwise dismissed.

So, while it was a tedious and hella boring process, I did it. I now have another platform upon which to stand with my metaphorical speakerphone and shout about my writing and my book.

So if you guys are avid Pinteresters (is that the word?) then don’t hesitate to pin my posts to your boards, thus, spreading awareness and allowing me to slowly but surely take over the internet MUA HAHAHAHA!

Well shoot. I’ve shared my secret, evil plan, of world domination.

Oh well.

Bye for now!

I’m Baaa-aaack!

Hello Everyone,

I’m BACK!

It’s been almost two months since I last posted and I am recharged, refreshed, and ready to go!

A lot of great things have happened to me during this time away. Some of them reside in the realm of nunya (nunyabusiness, lol) but most of them are things I would love to share with you!

In book related news, I was able to trick – *coughcough* convince two reputable authors to read and provide blurbs for my book. You know that trend where they post reviews on the back cover instead of the synopsis? Yeah, that’s not happening. But those are the reviews I am talking about and, hopefully, I will have two positive ones to put on the front/back cover of my book.

I also received and approved the initial proof for my cover. IT’S SO PRETTY!!! I can’t show it to all of you yet but it is coming and it is BEAUTIFUL!

I was one of a select few who (through a combination of quality and production numbers) won a competition where the prize was a big costume party. It was so much fun!

In other news, as the comic above conveys, I have temporarily set aside Skye 1 and have taken up working on the second book (Skye 2) in the series. So far I am 11.5k words in and am very happy with the direction it is taking me in. And believe you me, I am not the one driving this car, the story it. I’m just the monkey typing the words.

That’s all I have today.

Bye for now!

A Brief Hiatus

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To My Friends, Family, and Followers,

As you are all aware, I started a new job in mid-July and it is going great!

However, it is also rendering within me, something I like to call, the Matilda effect.

Let me explain.

At the end of the book, once Matilda is finally able to engage in learning of a higher caliber which is able to challenge her, she loses her telekinetic powers. Similarly, I am so challenged and engaged with new information at my current job, so much so that my brain needs some time to adjust.

That being said, I will be taking a brief hiatus from blogging. My plan is to have this break last no longer than two months, during which time I will focus on my writing during whatever free time I have and recharge my creative blogger brain.

I’d like to thank all of you who have accompanied me on my journey and I look forward to continuing said blogging journey in the near future!

Bye for now!

First Week of Classes! aka Let’s Defer aka It’s my Birthday!!!

If you keep up with my blog, you know that I recently made the decision to go back to school and pursue my masters degree in Health Information Technology.

I love helping people and have an affinity for working in healthcare so it seemed like an easy decision to make.

Don’t worry! I’m not giving up on my love of writing. But as I’ve said in many previous posts, I have an aversion to homelessness that can only be fought by maintaining a full time job.

However, between the teaching style of the professor, the intensity of the coursework, and the fact that 15% of my grade would depend on a group project COMBINED with the fact that I just started an intense new job, I decided now was not the time to re-enter the world of academia.

I considered deferring till the Winter semester, however, I have been informed that working at Rock Connections on the Penny Campaign in January is absolutely bananas. It’s like Black Friday every day and everything must go!

So summer it is! The good news is, that gives me plenty of time to study the textbook and become better acquainted with the material. The bad news? There really isn’t any. It’ll take me a little longer to complete the Masters program but I’m at a job I love and don’t really mind the delay.

By the way, I turn 29 today!!!

Yay me!

Bye for now!

Beta Readers: Why You Need Them

Your book is your baby. And the last thing you want is to hand your baby off to someone who is going to take a dump on it. So it’s easy to understand why so many authors are reticent to share their work with others. Now, if you’re writing for yourself and your own personal gratification then you never have to show your work to anyone.

But if you want to share your book with others and possibly get it published, it’s important to get many different points of view.

Having another perspective, as well as having an opinion that isn’t so closely tied to the book, can only help you.

Now that we’ve decided you’re getting a beta reader, let’s start looking. Start with family and close friends. People who you trust. Their opinions may not be the most objective as they likely love you and don’t want to hurt you, but baby steps people.

Baby steps.

Ask that they make notes via Track Changes with anything they liked, wanted to see in more detail, or felt could be improved. You use that input to create a revised draft. It’s that easy, people. Now if you belong to a writer’s group and are feeling particularly ambitious, you can share your book with them. Remember, if you plan on publishing, it’s not enough that you think the story is good. It has to appeal to the masses. Even if it’s a niche market your writing to, there are still many people who may be interested in your story.

Just make sure you fix all the typos first.

Bye for now!

Write Here, Write Now

This post is going to be short and sweet and that’s because it’s a concept that doesn’t need to be over analyzed.

Carpe Diem

People put it on bumper stickers and tattoo it on their arms but how many people actually do it? ‘Seize the day’? It’s not just a fun saying, some might argue it’s a lifestyle. For the purposes of this blog, it is a lifestyle. A lifestyle of writing.

Because the book you want to write will not write itself and while tomorrow is a tempting time to start it’s always a day away. If you don’t buckle down, put pen to paper, and start word vomiting on the page then you will regret it.

Years down the line when you wonder why you never got around to penning that novel idea you were so excited about, it will not be because you didn’t have the talent. It boils down to fear.

That’s right, fear. Fear of failure. ‘You can’t fail at something you never try’ is one potential argument that I am going to shoot down like a shotgun aimed at a clay pigeon.

Having the talent to do something, and not pursuing it, is failure itself.

So pick up that paintbrush! Boot up that laptop! Do the thing you know deep down to the roots of your soul that you were born to do!

I believe in you!!!

CARPE DIEM

One Month into my New Job aka Dealing with Stress

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Happy Monday to you all!

As of last Thursday I have officially spent one month at my new job at Rock Connections. In that month we’ve covered a lot of ground. The benefits at this job are amazing, but boy do they make you earn them. Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m happiest when I’m being challenged and I can tell that I will find constant surprises and challenges awaiting me in this position.

Now, if any of you out there are about to embark on the adventure of a new job, or if you’re still wet behind the ears at your current job, listen up.

DON’T PANIC

It seems like something most people would know but many, myself included, oftentimes need to take a beat to remind ourselves that it is important not to let stress and anxiety cloud our minds. We do not function at 100% when, in our brains, there are a bunch of people running around screaming while fires rage on, unattended, in the background.

There really is a gif for everything!

My point is, nothing is accomplished by panicking. Sometimes it is necessary as a part of the Hard Shut Down of one’s own brain. Have you tried turning it off and on again? But, and I can’t stress this enough, only allow yourself a brief window to stress before rebooting.

Stress is not, sadly, limited to the experience of beginning a new career. It is an ever waiting goblin that hopes to catch you unawares when you are at your most mentally vulnerable.

Wherever you are in life, whether you are trying to balance work/writing/family/life, dealing with family drama, starting a new job, managing finances, or trying to maintain a weekly blog schedule, stress waits in the shadows.

The important thing is not to let it defeat you. You are stronger than your stress! The contributing stressors in your life, while important, are not worth your mental health. Or your physical health if you allow those stressors to linger.

Self care, everyone, self care.

Bye for now!

100th BLOG POST!

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I know, I can hardly believe it myself. It’s been almost exactly one year since I started this wild ride of blogging and marketing myself and boy am I glad my agent told me to hop on this bandwagon. Writing about writing has not just given me the chance to share my knowledge with others, but also it has helped provide insight into my own flaws as a writer and a person.

Writing this blog has helped me to grow, allowed me to vent, given me confidence, and been way too much fun to ever stop!

I want to thank everyone who had supported me this past year, both by reading and giving feedback on my posts. Your encouragement has helped to keep me going, even when the idea of weekly posts seemed excessive. I’ve written through good times and bad. Through inspiration and writer’s block. And through it all I’ve had a blast.

I look forward to celebrating my 200th post with all of you!

Bye for now!