…Susan Toy outlines 10 Ways To Kill Your Writing… PART THREE…

…I’m delighted to run a five-days consecutive series of posts from my terrific pal, Author, Susan Toy, for every author to enjoy and prob’ly learn lots from… here’s PART THREE :

10 Ways to Kill Your Writing

This 5-part article is from a talk I gave at the Calgary Public Library Writers’ Weekend Feb. 4, 2012.

Thanks to all of you for reading this series that is very kindly being hosted by the ONE, the ONLY, SEUMAS GALLACHER!

Part 3

Learn nothing about the publishing business

There was a time when writers sent their work off to publishers, signed a contract, worked with an editor, then sat back and let the publisher take over. They had no clue as to what happened next in the process of printing, publishing and selling their books. And, to be fair, many publishers liked that things stayed that way.

I believe authors do themselves a great favour by learning something about the publishing business because by doing so they then can become a more effective partner in the publication of their book.

Publishing Trendsetter’s Life Cycle of a Book

http://publishingtrendsetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Book-Cycle-FINAL.pdf

Publishing Trendsetter is a website I stumbled upon that is devoted to educating the industry. Elisabeth Watson, the president, and her staff developed the above flow chart called The Life Cycle of a Book, and a series of videos covering all the steps a book takes from concept to reader. I love flow charts! And this one is particularly good. Do spend some time going over it carefully. How many steps are covered that you didn’t realize were part of the process?

Writer – has an idea for a book, writes it, edits it into a manuscript, sends to agent.

Here’s Adam Gidwitz, first-time author, speaking of his initial experience as a new writer…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vJ77QvwRowA

After you’ve finished reading the rest of today’s post, go back to the site and watch the other videos. Educate yourself!

Stop trying to improve your work

I attended a talk given by Aritha van Herk during which a person in the audience asked, “When do you know that something you’re writing is finished?” And Aritha’s answer was, “You never finish. You can always improve.”

Writing is a process and we can constantly learn, and improve, and discover ways to make our books better.

So don’t think you’re finished because you’ve written “The End.” That should be your cue to go back to the beginning and figure out how to make your manuscript even better. After all, you owe it to your readers to make whatever you write the very best it can be!

Susan Toy has been a bookseller, an award-winning publishing sales representative, a literacy teacher, and is now a published author, publisher, and promoter of fellow authors and their books. Born and raised in Toronto, and after completing a degree in English Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, she moved to Calgary in the late 70s and immediately found a job in a bookstore, beginning what has become a life’s career working with books and their authors.

Link for Island in the Clouds: https://islandeditions.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/where-in-the-world-can-you-purchase-island-in-the-clouds/

Link for That Last Summer:

https://islandeditions.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/where-to-purchase-islandshorts-ebooks3.pdf

…yeez can catch some of m’Lady, Susan’s WURK and links here :

www.susanmtoy.com

Blog: http://islandeditions.wordpress.com/
And a blog dedicated to promoting other authors and their books
Reading Recommendations