Your Digital Arsenal

My writing life includes a daily ritual in no particular order: caffeine infusion (coffee and/or chocolate), my girl powered playlist, searching out content for my Aspiring Author Daily e-newsletter, some encouragement from my Twitter tribe, and of course, writing. Today during my search for content, I came across a fascinating giveaway and two interesting book promotions that reminded me that attention must be paid to our digital selves, and that our arsenal must be plentiful.

The Domain Name Giveaway
K.M. Weiland is an accomplished author who shares principles of the writing craft on the Helping Writers Become Authors blog. Last week, she posted a giveaway that is insanely practical, but often overlooked by writers aspiring to become published authors. The prize: three free domain names.

Domain names help readers find you, and you in turn expand your reach by exposing your work to more readers. Here are a couple of sites that can help with domain names:

• Namecheap.com (sponsor of the giveaway)
• Godaddy.com
• networksolutions.com

And, just for fun, here a couple of writers' websites that I stalk/envy/love:

www.laurenoliverbooks.com (YA Fiction)

www.sophiekinsella.co.uk (Commercial Fiction)

www.jamesmcbride.com (Literary Fiction)

The world of publishing has evolved, and digital platforms are key to publishing success. Digital is no longer a niche, but rather a necessity. So, if authors are offering their stories in digital formats, it stands to reason that readers should be able to find them and their books through their digital platforms--websites and social media--and that they should be visually appealing, user friendly, and refreshed accordingly. 

By the way, there's still time to enter for your chance at winning the three free domain names. The winner will be drawn Friday, January 24. Good luck!

Tumblr Book Promotion

Also in our arsenal are a range of social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and a few others I'm sure I've missed. Featured recently in Publishers Weekly, Random House unveiled how they used Tumblr to build buzz about a book without revealing too much about the plot. In preparation for the May 13 launch of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (Delacorte), the publisher acted outside of the box and used a fresh approach to tease the characters, the setting, and the mood. The final product is visually enticing, memorable, and a promotional blueprint for novelists.

Facebook Book Launch Party

No party balloons here, but lots of bells and whistles. Designed to give authors exposure on Facebook through fan engagement, a Facebook launch party is an inexpensive tool to consider adding to your digital arsenal. Its purpose is simple: promotion. Book tours are a publicity staple for authors, along with press releases and author bios. A virtual book tour can help you engage with your readers on platforms where they are -- no driving to the bookstore, no rearranging your schedule, no long lines. Readers can access virtual book tours from their computers and hand-held devices from the comfort of their homes, offices, cars, or wherever they are in the moment.

A Facebook Book Launch Party can be a component of a virtual book tour. It's easy enough to handle on your own, but could probably gain more traction if managed by a company that specializes in virtual book tours. 

I discovered the Cloaked in Danger Facebook Launch Party being promoted through the A Bookish Affair blog. I registered because the plot of the story is enticing, but also to witness how a Facebook Book Launch Party is executed on the platform. 

As an aspiring author, I would likely choose to let the professionals handle this for me. They have the contacts in place, and the staff dedicated to the work, and the experience. If you're like me, here are a few companies that specialize in virtual book tours:

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Orangeberry Book Tours

Promotional Book Tours

Websites and social media platforms are a writer's digital arsenal. Finding the perfect blend to showcase our stories will forever be the challenge. Greet this challenge in earnest, and remember the perspective of Margaret Laurence: “When I say work I only mean writing. Everything else is just odd jobs.”

Always,
Athena

2014 Resolution Round-Up

I’m going to make this quick. This year I did not succumb to writing New Year’s resolutions, I did not make a pot of black-eyed peas, and I did not demand that the first person through the front door of my home be a man (family superstitions die hard). But I did spend an inordinate amount of time reading resolutions and advice aimed at writers, many of which appeared in my Aspiring Author Daily publication.

I thought you might appreciate a round-up of sorts. They are in no particular order, as I’m not out to sway your opinion – or your resolutions for the year. Some of them aren’t resolutions, but more resources to revitalize your writing life. So, here’s to life as a writer, setting goals and resolving to be better. Enjoy! And, Happy New Year!

Always,

Athena

~Shout-outs to all the bloggers featured in 

the round-up for sharing their insights~

Helping Writers Become Authors

10 Easy Writing Resolutions for 2014

Storyfix

Novelists: Hatch a Stronger Story Idea in 2014

WOW-WomenOnWriting

The Writer’s Resolution Conundrum

New Year’s Resolutions: Writer Your Dream in 2014

Three Ways to Take Your Children’s (or any) Writing Career Seriously in the New Year

Brian Klems’ the Writer’s Dig

62 of the Top Writing Articles from 2013 (That Can Help You in 2014)

Guide to Literary Agents

Make A New Year’s Power Grab

HuffPost Books

The Geek’s Guide to the Writing Life: A Challenge for 2014

Set Goals, Not Resolutions: First Year in Print

How To Over Come Stumbling Blocks for Writers and Keep that New Year’s Resolution to Write Your Novel

Find Your Writer’s Voice in 2014

Julie Hedlund

2014 Anti-Resolution Revolution

Writer’s Edit

New Year’s Resolutions for Writers

Writers Write

New Year, Same Ole Me – My 10 Writing Resolutions for 2014

Write By Night

2014 Writing & Reading Resolutions

Terrible Minds

Writing Resolutions: 2014 and Beyond

The Walden University Writing Center

Writing Resolutions for the New Year

The Alliance of Independent Authors

New Year Resolutions for Self-Published Writers

All Things Writing

2014 All Things Writing Resolutions

Bookmasters

Resolutions for Better Writing in 2014

Flogging the Quill

2014 Writing Resolutions? Writing Plans?

Not Another New Year’s Resolution Blog Post

In mid-December, pop icon Beyoncé Knowles sent ripples through the music industry and her fandom when she released a self-titled album produced in secret, and complete with videos for every track. Just one month prior to Beyoncé’s devilishly released album, I, the aspiring author, shocked family, friends, and colleagues when I resigned from my high-profile communications position in search of a new professional challenge -- and some dedicated time to creative writing.

What Beyoncé accomplished should be taught in PR courses across the country; what I did should be possible for anyone who desires to devote himself or herself to a dream (even if it doesn’t work out as planned).

Now that I’ve crawled out on this limb, I’m going to go a step further with the re-launch of my blog…starting with this post. The blog isn’t new—its renewed—and it is not -- I repeat, is not -- my New Year’s resolution. Going back to square one with the blog now is just about timing and leveraging a moment.

Keeping with my commitment to share resources and my personal experiences on the road to becoming a published author, I am expanding the reach and depth of the content by inviting guest posts by published authors, editors, publishers, bloggers, agents, publicists, university professors, and other professional voices that can offer aspirational advice to writers.

There’s no specific schedule here, but new blog posts will be teased in advance. Comments are always welcome and encouraged, and I whole-heartedly invite suggestions for topics. I am but one voice in a tribe of aspiring authors, and we know that writing is such a solitary endeavor. It is my desire to build a platform where a community of writers can share and learn from each other. I know it’s not innovative, but it is sincere.

I recently began soliciting for guest posts through Twitter; that will continue. If you’d like to write a guest post, suggest a guest, or a topic, email me at athena@athenahernandez.com.

Also new for me, I just completed my first guest post on Scribbleweed. Please check it out—Kelley is amazing.

Maybe this will be a year of “firsts” for me. Stay connected and let’s see what happens! Happy New Year!

Always,

Athena

Athena's West Coast Wonderland

In 12 days I'll be on a plane destined to Monterey, California, the recipient of arguably the best gift I've given myself in my journey to becoming a published children's book author. When I started down this path about 18 months ago, I couldn't even comfortably call myself a novice. I was, in fact, simply aspiring.

On September 22, 2010, I posted on this blog about my adventures in Wonderland, comparing my foray into children's book writing and publishing with the enduring popularity of Alice's adventures. I was prompted to craft the Wonderland post by my discovery of an editor. See, as an aspiring author, every step in the process...every discovery...every stumble...every class...every work in progress is wondrous, and can at times feel preposterous. Yet, my sense of wonder has not diminished and continues to burn brilliantly bright with each word that I commit to paper.

In 2011, I discovered a workshop that promised "a hands-on intensive weekend designed to ready [writer's] manuscripts for publication." I was intrigued, but skeptical. Not that anything created in the spirit of Henry Miller could disappoint -- but I was fearful that my work would be an utter disappointment to the cadre of published authors, editors, and agents assembled to guide the work of new writers. That my talent lived only in my imagination and would crumble under scrutiny. So, I watched from the sidelines. I attended the SCBWI annual conference. I took a picture book writing class. I wrote another manuscript and began revisions with an editor. I even wrote a novel (now two). And as I scuttled between adventures in my wonderland, I kept an eye on the Big Sur Writing Workshop.

The decision to submit my work was not easy. Though I've learned a lot in the year since I first discovered Big Sur, there still exists doubt. First, I made money my excuse for not attending. Then I decided that my work in progress needed more revisions and wasn't ready for the light of day. And as the deadline crept closer and closer, my excuses began to fade. I did have the money, if I prioritized. And my work in progress was just that -- a work in progress that might be made better once examined by professionals whose one goal is to help aspiring authors become published. 

My excuses vanished and I took the plunge. I paid my fees, submitted my sample chapter and query letter on February 10 (the last day to register)...and then I waited...

I checked my personal email account every hour. I re-read my submission countless times. I conjured up scenarios of why my work would be denied. I imagined receiving an email thanking me, denying me, and encouraging me to keep trying. I thought the biggest hurdle was the submission; I discovered that the waiting was far worse.

If you're reading this, then you might be wondering what the big deal is with Big Sur, and why I wanted it so badly. Here's just a few reasons why.

1. Writing is a solitary endeavor that can be equally rewarding and punishing to your spirit. Until your work leaves the confines of your solitary world, you wonder if it's good enough and if it can survive. The best options for learning comes from your peers and those in the industry (writers, editors, and agents). At the Big Sur Writing Workshop, I will have access to some of the most well-respected professionals in the industry:

Agents from the Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Editors from Chronicle Books, Disney-Hyperion, and Viking, and
Authors, as well as special guest, literary manager and producer Brandy Rivers

2. I love the conference format. When it comes to my writing, I can be an introvert and hesitant about sharing (yes, I want to be published but am afraid to let anyone read my work--I know it sounds crazy, but it's true). Usually, I prefer bigger conferences where I can gather information and settle into obscurity. But at Big Sur, I will meet and work with three faculty members throughout the workshop. With a ratio of faculty to writers of five-to-one, the level of attention I will receive is better than any of the many classes I've taken in my more than two decades of education.

3. The schedule includes critique groups, lectures, and rewriting time. I can devote the entire time to my craft under the guidance of a faculty of authors, agents, and editors. Pinch me, I must be dreaming!

4. And lastly, what could be better than writing in Monterey, California! While I will not be able to take advantage of all that Monterey has to offer, it's not lost on me how geography can impact the muse. Traveling cross-country to write and be critiqued might not be appealing to many; but for me, it's the stuff dreams are made of.

As it turned out, I was not forced to wait and wonder. On the same day that I submitted my sample chapter, I was accepted as a participant in the March 2-4, 2012, Big Sur Writer's Workshop. I count my acceptance as a triumph and an extension of my wonderland to include the West Coast. What awaits me on this next adventure remains to be seen. But like Alice, I am up for the challenge and can't wait to meet my West Coast cast of characters. Armed with my Greta Garbo fountain pen, my faithful MacBook Air, my brand new portable printer, and a full copy of my young adult novel -- Taketh Away -- I will not slip down this new rabbit hole unprepared. See you on the other side!

Milestone 002 -- Do All Rejections Shake the Earth?

Hello, my Faithful Following Few! Today, the Washington Metropolitan region experienced its biggest earthquake ever AND I received my first manuscript rejection. Symbolic and overly dramatic--yes! And much like the earthquake, my first rejection was big, it registered high, and I survived it. Now it's time to assess the damage and where necessary, rebuild.

On the bright side of this weirdly eerie day is the fact that I just added another anecdotal morsel to the story of "how I first got published."  Won't I have great fun regaling audiences of children and their families about how the earth shook when Beach Lane Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint, graciously declined my cute little story of an adorable little black girl on the first day of school with outrageously uncooperative hair and unattractive shoes. I see that day as clearly as I felt the earth shift beneath my feet today, so I know it's possible.

But until that glorious day comes to pass,  I am just like the structural engineers who are no doubt assessing buildings all along the East Coast: assessing my manuscript, my query, and my choice of publishers. Where I need changes, they'll be made. Where I need advice, I will seek it. And where there was a "no," I will continue to seek out the "yes." Sure, my plans for forward movement look good on paper. But I know the proof is in the execution.

Lucky for me, Beach Lane Books was merciful with my virginal submission and said no quickly, giving me a chance to shop my manuscript in greener publishing pastures. They could have taken weeks and kept me dangling in the wind. They didn't, and I'm grateful. So tonight, I am scouring my Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market bible for my next earthquaking response.

So, what of the rejection correspondence you wonder? For now I am printing and framing my adorable little rejection email as a reminder of my courage to believe I have something to say that children want to hear. And I am clinging to the page I snatched from my President's book that gave me the audacity to capture and live my dream.  

If you're curious about my query and their response, check it out below. And I hope you'll join me in celebrating the fact that an editor at a highly regarded publishing house read my manuscript! I couldn't be more proud...well, maybe a little more ;-).

Always,
Athena

MY QUERY

Greetings Ms. XXXXXXXX:

I am pleased to submit PIGTAIL BLUES AND UGLY SHOES, a 405-word picture book geared for children ages 4 to 8, for your consideration.

I had the pleasure of meeting you at the SCBWI 40^th Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA this month and was impressed with your enthusiasm for picture books and personal commitment to your authors. That, coupled with my desire to deliver great stories for kids featuring multicultural images and themes, led to my decision to submit.

This poetically humorous story opens with Lulu, a 7-year-old African-American girl waking up on the first day of school to hair disaster. Like most young girls, her hair is an important part of her grooming ritual. Through vibrant images girls of all nationalities will appreciate Lulu’s struggle to be a big girl by tackling her unruly hair, and the morning tango between moms and daughters on wardrobe—especially shoes.

Lulu’s story is timely, simplistically revealing, and marketable. Picture the imagery of GOOD NIGHT, WORLD coupled with Lulu's character joining the ranks of Sophie Peterman, Tallulah, Fancy Nancy, and The Ladybug Girl in the picture book market for child champions.

I am a member of SCBWI and have several picture book projects underway in addition to PIGTAIL BLUES AND UGLY SHOES. I would be happy to share those with you at your request.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards,

Athena W. Hernandez

THEIR REJECTION

Dear Athena,

I’m afraid we don’t see a spot for your story here at Beach Lane, but thanks very much for sharing it with us—and for your kind words about the conference.

With all best to you in your career,

XXXXX