the one question people ask me the most

April 11, 2013

Once every six weeks or so, I join my friend Tsh (Simple Mom) on her HomeFries podcast. We tend to talk about very important issues like the Oscars, our favorite food, and episodes of Friends.

Tsh and me with short hair at the beach in 2011.

Tsh and me with short hair at the beach in 2011.

This week, we decided to be a bit more intentional and attempt to tackle a question we both get a lot. Here it is:

“How did you get your book published?”

People come at it from different angles, wanting to know about the proposal writing process, how to get an agent, or some other detail of the process. But the bottom line is questions about publishing are by far what shows up most often in my inbox. As in, nearly every day.

I love and hate this question – love it because I want to help people and it’s a gift to have people trust me enough to ask. I am willing to share everything I know. But I also hate it because I don’t know that much. The way I did it isn’t necessarily the way to do it. It’s just my story. And there are a bajillion people who dedicate entire blogs and books to this topic.

Even though you can google anything you want to know about publishing, I realize one of the really cool things about blogging is you can hear personal stories from the authors themselves. Sometimes that’s more helpful for you than the technicalities of the business.

So here we are, adding two more voices to the conversation about publishing. It’s informal (as you will quickly discover) and entirely about us (and also our big selves) but if you have an idea you might want to write a book and you are wondering where to begin, perhaps these words will be helpful to you.

You can listen to the conversation Tsh and I had about publishing here. If you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, here is a detailed break-down of the conversation for you to peruse and fast forward at your leisure:

simple-mom-podcast-0:55 We spend the first two minutes making disclaimers. So that’s informational and not annoying at all.

2:50 Where to get started and the question almost all writers struggle with.

4:30 Why I was embarrassed at my first writer’s conference.

7:25 What I did after my first writer’s conference.

8:44 Book Proposal: what it is, getting started, resources, how long it took us, and why it’s so important.

15:20 Details about the market analysis section of the proposal and how it can make you crazy if you let it.

20:56 Different ways you can package a proposal

23:34 Agents – what it felt like not having one, how we met ours, how to perhaps find one

34:30 On having a blog

37:50 A few generic thoughts from us about traffic and stats. It’s life-changing.

39:50 What happens after the book is published – on brand, platform, marketing and self-promotion.

42:00 Owning your influence and knowing your limits

48:33 Some thoughts on reviews, feedback and releasing your work to the reader

58:00 On having unicorns

58:40 Where you can go to learn more about the publishing process from people who know a lot more than we do.

So there you have it. In the show notes, Tsh included a lot of the links we mentioned so you might want to check those out. Though I would prefer to talk about writing over publishing, I have a few events planned this year where I will be doing a little of both. The conference I mentioned in the show is called She Speaks. This summer will be my fourth year teaching a workshop there. I will also be in Austin in October to speak at the Re:Write conference.

Is there anything we didn’t cover in the podcast you would like to know more about? Maybe we could point you in the right direction.

15 Comments · Filed Under: traditional publishing, writing

when it’s good to keep your art a secret

December 14, 2012

At 11 am this past Monday morning, I sent off a manuscript to my editor, thousands of words that will become my third book. It is as complete as I am able to make it right now and I’m thankful to have that massive deadline behind me.

I realize I haven’t talked about this book much on the blog and I’m not sure how I feel about that. With the first book, you knew about it when it was only a book proposal and were so kind to walk with me through each step.

With this book, I signed a contract and had it half-written three months before I even mentioned it here.

I’d like to think I’ve learned a few things along the way – one is that I need to save my breath because if I chatter away about a project too long before it comes out, then I’ll be chattering away about the same things for two years straight. No fun there. This next book is due to release in November of 2013 and so I just don’t want to wear you out by talking about it too much too soon.

But that isn’t the only reason why I’ve kept it to myself. I think part of it also has to do with knowing what is to come, in a way. I know that sooner or later, these words will be available to anyone gracious enough to accept them as well as those who might not.

That doesn’t scare me like it did the first time around. But it does make me a little tired to think of it. There is a time for sharing and speaking out. But I’m learning that my own rhythm of listening, creating, and waiting comes first.

There is a sweetness for me in keeping quiet this time, in holding my art close to my chest for a while, in sitting with my words and ideas in silence month after month before I begin to talk about them, in carrying my questions with a few people before I ask them in front of many.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to write. I’m thankful to you for reading. We already have a title and a subtitle for this next book that I can’t wait to share with you, but it isn’t yet time.

And so the manuscript sits in the inboxes of my editor and my agent and I pray my words make sense to them. I’ll know soon enough.

Do you have a project still in the stage of sacred waiting? What are the challenges and blessings for you as you hold your art close to your chest?

32 Comments · Filed Under: traditional publishing, writing

tuesdays unwrapped 2012

December 4, 2012

The book is due in less than a week and the computer decides today would be a great day to run out of space. I dared not close out my document, moved instead to save it. No luck – no more space for documents. No more room in the inn.

That’s a terrible comparison. I take it back.

I go into Finder to check out just how crowded it is in there and would you believe that not only do I still have complete copies of my first two books saved in my documents, I also had page proofs and corrected proofs saved as well? That means I had three copies of Grace for the Good Girl and three copies of Graceful on this computer, not to mention all the other hundreds of files.

And all the while I work away at this next manuscript all Save-y McSaverson, and my computer finally stops being a good girl and shouts enough, woman. Clean me out already.

I found the old files, moved them to the trash, waited the twenty minutes it took for the trash to empty. I do exaggerate, and I do know I have the manuscript backed up in several other places already, but one thing I do not do? I do not freak out.

When things like this have happened before, I have freaked out. I have run (and fast) down the road of crazy, insisting I needed a new computer, cry into the sleeve of my dirty sweatshirt, gnash teeth and hate everything. I have done that and then I have calmed down and done all the things I actually did first this time. Like realize it’s not that big of a deal, delete some files, and carry on.

I’m not saying I won’t ever freak out again, but I’m thankful for progress.

It’s Tuesday in December, and that means we’re unwrapping the lovely, the messy, and the unexpected. For me today, I’m unwrapping the gift of avoiding the messy and facing the unexpected without falling apart.

Now, do you know what is happening in me as I realize this is what is coming out for my first Tuesdays Unwrapped post? I feel compelled to delete it and share instead something about my family or my home, something to prove that I’m not a workaholic and I do see things beyond my computer screen, afterall.

But I think that would be a mistake and would miss the entire point of what we’re doing here in this space. This is your life, where you are right now, the things you hold in your hand. Whether you are in a season of work or rest, celebration or grief, take a moment to see where you are and not where you wish you were instead.

Taste the air of the moments that surround you and unwrap them here with us. We can’t wait to have a peek.


43 Comments · Filed Under: traditional publishing, Tuesdays Unwrapped, writing

behind the scenes: the truth about why I’m writing on quietness

October 10, 2012

After the relief of Sunday night, I’m drawn heavily toward my sofa, toward jammies, toward snuggling children and a few weeks off. That time will come, and we’ve done it some. But the schedule is full and mostly, so is my heart.

Tomorrow I fly to Indianapolis to speak at The Influence Conference. We’ll talk about how to uncover hints of our unique design and how beautiful it can be when we dare to be who we really are.

This conference is one reason I’ve wanted to write on listening and quiet – traveling can yank the hush right out of me, and this month I’m doing quite a bit of it.

But there is more, and here is the main reason I’ve needed to write on listening this month.

Two months from today on December 10, my third book is due to my publisher. I know. I haven’t told you I’ve been writing a third book.

I’m writing a third book.

I signed with a literary agent back in February and signed the book contract in July. I’m  just about 30,000 words in. It isn’t only for high school girls or even specifically women.

This book is just for people. I don’t say “good girls” even once.

I’ve wanted to tell you about it, but it just felt like a bit much with the release of Graceful this fall. I’m still figuring out what it means to be an author of books and a writer of a blog.

I’ve mostly kept it to myself – read some books in the way of research, worked quietly on the words, listened long and hard for clarity, voice, and heart.

It took me months to say yes to this book, because do I really want to do this? I know how hard this job is. I know what is required of a writer and her family.

The first two books came as a surprise, packaged together in a way I never expected. The past three years have been consumed with work on them, talk about them, thoughts and heart surrounding that message.

I’m proud of those two books. I hope you’ll still read them if you haven’t yet. I tell my story in them, one I have already lived and am still living in many ways. I wrote them with as much heart and authenticity I could manage at the time. But those books lead up to where life sits now.

This new book? Oh, this new book hurts. I’m digging deep into what it means to live life like a poem instead of a program, a lyric rather than a list. Is it possible? Can life really look like art?

 So I hush. I have to. And I have my sights set on this:

One week from Friday, I’m flying over a thousand miles from home. I’m not speaking at a conference or a retreat. I’m not being paid to go. This one is for me, a trip for my soul to breathe.

I’ll travel alone, but there will be others when I get there. Strangers but not, because in Christ is there really such a thing? There will be a week of listening, of wise teaching, and lots of soul talk.

I will ignore my inbox. But I will still work on the book and continue to type out the words here on quietness and listening.

These kinds of posts are hard for me to write. Your turn.

This is day 10 of 31 Days to Hush. You can click here to see a list of all the posts, updated daily. If you would like to receive these quiet thoughts in your email inbox, subscribe now.

68 Comments · Filed Under: 31 days to Hush, traditional publishing

all writing is not created equal

August 30, 2012

I’m huddled over the laptop this week, typing out painful lines onto the screen, lines made into questions for the small group leader’s guide for Graceful. This is checkbook-balancing work for me. I can do it, but it takes me a long time.

emily freeman office

Slow.

Detailed.

Write a line, erase two.

I’m quite honestly not very good at this.

So instead of working on the guide, I’m going to interview myself because that’s what people do when they have lots of work to finish and only a limited amount of time to finish it in.

Emily, isn’t your book already printed?

Indeed it is. It releases on Tuesday. Of next week. As in, five days from now.

So didn’t you kind of miss the deadline to put a leader guide in?

Yes, but we did that on purpose. It didn’t seem right to put a guide for leaders in the back of the high school book. The book is for girls. Period.

If you don’t like writing leader guides, why are you doing it?

I cannot in good conscience send out a book for high school girls into the world without leaving something for small group leaders to grab onto. I have been a small group leader too long to do that.

Describe the process to us.

I sit, labor, squeeze out words, read the book I wrote. Then read it again with my own questions. Then read it again and roll my eyes at myself.

Would you rather write a 60,000 word book than a 5,000 word leader guide?

Yes. True story.

Stop complaining. This is your dream job. Dream jobs take real work. Get over yourself.

I know. I’m sorry. You’re right.

Why are you telling us this anyway?

Because I have felt disconnected and crazy and I just thought you should know.

So when you finally finish talking to yourself, how can we get our hands on a leader guide?

The guide will be available to download for free from the Graceful book page. As soon as I finish it.

I’m a small group leader and can’t wait to lead my girls through your book!

Really? Thanks! That’s awesome. Say hi in the comments. I’d love to see your face.

You are really giving in to the resistance today.

Obviously.

44 Comments · Filed Under: Graceful, traditional publishing

the day networking died

July 25, 2012

I attended my first professional conference when I worked for a local university in their Disability Services department. I was the sign language interpreter coordinator and I flew to Chicago to learn more about the craft and meet other interpreters around the country.

I was 12 weeks pregnant with the twins at the time so one of my most poignant memories of that conference was throwing up in the hotel bathroom and getting up early to walk to the Starbucks around the corner so I could have some orange juice with ice. But there are other things, too, and one of them was the pressure and anxiety I felt to make connections. Rub shoulders. Network.

I don’t remember any of the people I networked with. I remember my roommate Stacy who brought me tea when she knew I wasn’t feeling well. I remember cold orange juice. I remember lonely. I remember my husband on the other end of the phone, offering acceptance and comfort in the midst of a difficult week.

Looking back, I’m not sure why I felt anxious in the first place. It was a bunch of sign language interpreters, after all. But every profession has their own celebrities and none of us are immune, I guess.

Still, I couldn’t wait to get home.

This past weekend, I spent some time at a conference for writers and speakers called She Speaks. My editor and I led a session where we offered 12 truths to know before you write your next book. This is the fifth year I’ve attended this conference. The first year I went as an attendee. Every year after that, I’ve gone as a speaker.

I really love this conference – the women who run it and the women who attend it are lovely, kind, humble. Still, in environments like this, aren’t we always on our best behavior?

People ask questions like how to grow your readership and how to build your platform and I find myself wanting to offer a hug and also fling heavy objects across the room.

Here’s the thing: You are a person and I am too, and we desperately need each other. We eat tuna on rye and have bushy eyebrows and we hold our hearts together with smile-shaped band-aids and a handful of Oreo cookies.

Pass the milk, please. I can’t do this without you.

After writing on this blog for six years, having my first book published a year ago and preparing to launch my second book in six weeks (six weeks!), there is one thing I’ve learned about myself. I’m lousy at networking. It’s a corporate word and I’m not a corporate girl.

But I’m pretty good at making friends. And I’m an expert at being myself. After doing this for a while, I’m learning that’s really all people want anyway.

We can be professional without being stiff.

We can be influential without being preachy.

We can share our stories without being self-centered.

So let’s learn how to make friends, build trust, pray, listen. The world doesn’t need more networks.

How have the people in your life earned the right to influence you?

94 Comments · Filed Under: traditional publishing, vocation, writing

the one big reason I want to quit writing

April 17, 2012

You cannot possibly know how many times in the past few months that I have wanted to quit writing. Keep the social, scrap the media. You would think it’s because of the critics. Being a woman who still has good girl flesh lingering within me, the idea that people could tear me to shreds at any moment has been uncomfortable, to an extent.

The critics still linger and it’s true, we still don’t always see eye to eye. Obviously. But I have made peace with the threat of them in my head. That’s where most of them live, anyway. The idea of critics isn’t enough to make me want to quit.

Another reason why I have (in the past) thought about quitting is because of the fear. What if I have nothing new to say? What if I look like a fool? What if my teeth fall out? In many ways, I learned to counter that voice last year by focusing on making art – not the kind that hangs in museums, but the kind that comes from brave hands in the midst of the messy living. So fear isn’t enough to make me want quit.

You would perhaps think that the reasons that would drive me to want to put it all away and never look back would be because of something dark and ominous. But the fruit in the garden was, I’m sure, a most lovely shade of red. No, the longing to walk away and daydream about setting my laptop on fire did not come because of the critics or because of the fear.

The number one reason I have been tempted to quit writing is because sometimes I’m afraid I love it too much. Love makes people do crazy things.

What has remained after releasing one book and writing a second is a deep and abiding love for writing. I believe God has made me to worship him this way. I believe God created the world with words alone and he creates with words still, through us. But what if I start to worship the created thing rather than the Creator? What if my art-making starts to be a little too much big-brave and not enough small-dependence?

And so there has been this part of me that has been tempted to turn the writing all the way to zero so I won’t be held responsible for it. I have feared if I go all in, I will love it more than God or family or anything. That I will so desire this time and space for writing that I will forsake all in search of it.

In all the talk of making art, of being brave, of living full, there has been an invisible understanding within me how capable I am of making the writing an idol.

Sometimes it feels like a longing so deep that the only way to keep it from ruining my life is to kill it. One week after Easter, I’m beginning to think that is exactly true.

But if I were to shut it all down and kill it myself, that’s saying Christ’s sacrifice may have been enough to reconcile the world to himself, but it was not possibly sufficient to free me from hoarding my time to write. It feels more natural to come to him with shaky knees and broken hands while acknowledging my disappointments. But what of those things I love? Was his death not sufficient for even these? It’s easier to release my fear into the hands of God than it is to release my loves.

Christ died for my obsessions. Love makes God do crazy things.

If it’s true that Christ died and I died with him, then all that I am is now hidden within him. This writing is a gift, one I am not entitled to. And as I surrender it to him, as I surrender myself, it’s his job to spin me back out into the world the way he sees fit. And for now, he has handed the writing back to me in spite of myself.

I am not saying we should feel guilty for those things we love to do. If you think I’m saying that, perhaps you’re new around here. Instead, I’m saying we are free. And sometimes I need to remember that I’m not only free from the critics and the fear, but I’m free from being entangled by those things I love. I am free to express and to write and to love it without fear that I will wreck it all up with loving it too much.

Is there a thing you worry you might love too much?

62 Comments · Filed Under: faith, traditional publishing, writing

so what’s it like to have a book published?

March 5, 2012

As more bloggers begin to write books, more blog readers are seeing photos of computers with coffee and pastry and time. And our captions say something like, “Finally tackling these edits!” Forgive us if it seems obnoxious – making it look like the business of book writing is all about lattes and leisure time in cozy coffee shops. It isn’t. But sometimes the work is so tedious and the resistance so powerful that we simply have to document when we see the scene around us looking even remotely familiar to what we always imagined. This, we say, is how I thought it would be. 

It’s not as fun to take a picture of the laundry mound, of the family headed off to the movies without us, of the fight we just had last night because we forgot to sign the homework papers, of the uninspired meal we’re making again tonight, of the misunderstanding looks we get from people who wonder why we can’t do things during working hours since we “don’t have jobs.”

Over the past six months, I’ve had many people ask me what it’s like to have a book published. I never know how to answer that question. Everyone who has a book published would answer that question very differently. For me, I can tell you with great confidence that writing the second book was easier. Not because of the content, but because I am learning a bit better how to balance the writing life with just plain life.

Most of the things that have changed are invisible things. My rhythms are wiser. I feel more alive. I am learning to see criticism differently. I know I can actually finish something. The fear has faded (slightly). I laugh more often. I am learning to celebrate my smallness in tangible ways.

But there is more. Now, I have easy conversations with people about things that used to be private. Having a blog is like that to an extent, but in my case, the things I wrote in the book are ten shades more personal than the things I write on this blog. So when I stand in the hallway at church and have a twenty-something single guy tell me he’s reading my book because his girlfriend asked him to, it’s a gift I never expected.

But I’m not gonna lie. As thankful as I am for gifts like these, there is always a temptation during those kinds of conversations for my inner introvert to turn me into a hallucinating Ally McBeal. And in my imagination, my eyes pop straight out of my face, my knees turn into stretchable clay, my body twists around itself in one graceful swoop, and I disappear in a swirling blur of color, right there in the middle of the church hallway with nothing but fairy dust left in my place. When I reappear, I’m sitting on the floor of my bedroom closet with a fuzzy blanket and a blindfold on. Maybe if I can’t see, then I can’t be seen.

This is what happens in my head sometimes.

Just this weekend, in fact, three different men have told me they’re reading the book. Oh, hello sir. You mean you’re reading about how I cried like a baby on my couch when I first got married because I couldn’t pick out a paint color? You’re reading about how I felt like a failure for having a c-section? You’re reading about how I used to care so desperately what people think that I actually compared it to a nuclear holocaust when I was rejected? Really? You’re reading about that? What’s your name again, sir? (Cue spinning, disappearing, fairy dust.)

And I die a little on the inside. Of embarrassment? Maybe a little. More accurately, of co-crucifixion. This is another reminder – this life I live in the body I live by faith. Again, I let go of my own reputation. Again, I release my tight hold on managing the opinions of others. All over again, I have to take the outcomes of my own choices and neurosis that I wrote about in that book and submit them into the hands of God.

So yes, having a book published is a gift and hard work and kind of fun. It is a reminder of how there is more power in sharing our weakness than in sharing our strength (as Brennan Manning so wisely has said). It provides many opportunities to embrace my own inadequacy in a good way. It’s also a little like that nightmare you have where you show up to school with all your homework but forgot to get dressed. Or that other nightmare where you stand up in front of a crowd and every last one of your teeth falls out.

But seriously, what was the alternative? Not to write the book at all? Well, I could not have done that. I tried that for a bit of time and it was miserable. I was haunted by this voice in my head, compelled to organize my thoughts around this central idea. It wasn’t clear from the start what it would end up being, but it was clear enough that I couldn’t ignore it.

Do you have a thing like that? Something that gnaws at you from the inside and only presents itself as a kernel of an idea? I hope you’ll give yourself permission to sit with it and see what comes out. I’m sure it will be worth any eye-bugging, swirling, disappearing temptations it may lead you to have.

***

Just a reminder that Grace for the Good Girl is still on sale for $5 at LifeWay, both online and in the store. The sale continues through March 11 and they tell me they can’t keep the book in stock because of your great response so far to buying at this low price. So thank you! The lovely people at LifeWay wanted to take a few minutes to chat a bit, so we jumped on Skype and here is a peek at what we talked about. (And also a peek at how Skype somehow erased my chin. Not necessarily a bad thing.)

While we’re peeking, here is the setup in my laundry room that you couldn’t see on camera. There were many more dirty clothes than is shown. I threw them in the hallway. Naturally.

And while we’re doing this, I’ve finally started the process of putting a newsletter together for anyone who might be interested in keeping updated on some things going on that I might not always put up on the blog, upcoming books and events, and exclusive content. I plan to send it out monthly-ish. If you would like to subscribe to receive these updates in your inbox once a month for free, you can sign up here. Now go buy your $5 book.

43 Comments · Filed Under: Grace for the Good Girl, traditional publishing

join me today on the Simple Mom podcast

November 11, 2011

These lovely girls have been on my mind a lot this week as I’ve thought about the bloggers on the Compassion trip. The Relevant Conference was the first time we saw each other again since we travelled to the Philippines this past summer. That’s Tsh there, second from the left. What a gift to get to know her better this past year. She had me as a guest on the Simple Mom Podcast this week.

Here’s what you can expect to find:

  • Behind the scenes of writing 31 days to change the world  (1:00)
  • A bit about time travel and the Philippines (5:30)
  • The Relevant Conference (8:00)
  • On editors and agents (11:45)
  • What it feels like to have a book in bookstores (13:33)
  • On writing a book, being a good girl, and marketing your stuff (15:00)
  • Photography tips, my favorite lens, free editing software, and the sign of a good photographer (24:45)
  • This is the part where I brag a bit on one of my favorite bloggers (38:10)
  • The illusion of doing “it all” (40:00)
  • And finally, to tie it all up with a bow, the embarrassing contents of my bedside table (47:00)

So if you would like some company while you fold your towels this afternoon, click here to listen to the podcast.

11 Comments · Filed Under: Grace for the Good Girl, on blogs, traditional publishing

The 11 Secrets of Getting Published

September 29, 2011

When I saw congrats and squee!s for Melanie at The Big Mama Blog burning up twitter yesterday, I scrambled to find out her news. After refreshing her crashed blog 47 times, I finally read that she recently signed a contract to write a book for Tyndale! And I quietly rejoiced with her in my heart because I know her journey was not quick and easy. I know the fear and the responsibility that come out of the shadows as soon as you sign your name on the line above the word author. I know the unexpected panic that seems to accompany a book contract, the kind you are completely unprepared for, tempting you to want to do anything but write that book.

Might I tread lightly into uncomfortable waters for a moment? Am I wrong to say that sometimes when a blogger announces they have an agent and are writing a book for a publisher and everything, am I wrong to say that sometimes it can bring a heavy cloud of discouragement? Because even though everyone knows that one person’s success doesn’t decrease anyone else’s chances, sometimes it feels that way.

And so we sit in a corner of scarcity, fearing our ideas will never be read, heard, seen, or appreciated. Three years ago when I was busy working on a book proposal, I was sure any real person in publishing would laugh at my ideas all the way back to their big city book office. Sometimes it was difficult to hear the success stories because I worried there were secrets I didn’t know. I worried my ideas were ridiculous, my writing was mediocre, and my desire to write would always only be a desire. Nothing more.

If publishing is something you are serious about, if writing has always been your thing, please don’t allow discouragement to derail you in your journey towards publication. Might I offer you some encouragement today in the form of words from a friend and writing mentor?

Mary DeMuth has written a fabulous 300 page book called The 11 Secrets of Getting Published. And she should know. She wrote in obscurity for ten years with no book and no recognition. Now, she’s the author of 12 books and counting. This girl knows some secrets. One of the things I love about Mary is that she is relatable, touch-able, personable and honest. (Okay that’s four things). She is a successful author who has translated her work into tips and keys for the rest of us. And then she put them all in an ebook for us to refer to as much as we want. There are no secrets with her.

11 people who need The 11 Secrets of Getting Published:

  • a man or woman who wants to learn more about publishing or writing in general
  • anyone who wants to clean up their writing, hone their skills, and better learn the craft
  • anyone who needs encouragement on her journey towards publication
  • a writer who wants to write a book proposal and wants someone to tell them what to do
  • an author who is published and wants advice on marketing, career, and purpose
  • a fearful writer who worries about both failure and success
  • a non-fiction writer who wants tips and perspective
  • a fiction writer who needs direction and motivation
  • a writer who wants to learn more about the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing
  • a blogger who is curious about publishing and what it might mean
  • anyone who has always wanted a writing mentor
Mary holds nothing back. She shares her own fears and frustrations on her journey and is a wise and encouraging voice for the rest of us. Not only does she share lots of practical advice on the craft of writing, she also uses stories and behind-the-scenes snapshots to remind us of the work it took for the success stories to become successful.

“Did you know that George Clooney appeared in The Golden Girls’ episode, “To Catch a Neighbor” in 1987? He was one of the two police officers who stayed in the women’s home as protection. And now what’s he up to? Anything he wants. But George had to work. He had to pretend he was a young police man on The Golden Girls. He paid his dues.”

Mary DeMuth, 11 Secrets

The 11 Secrets of Getting Published is only $4.99. For the cost of a venti frappuccino you can have Mary’s hard earned wisdom and advice at your fingertips. And it won’t give you a stomachache or cellulite. You can have it delivered to your Kindle, Nook, or email as a simple PDF. Today, Mary is giving away 10 copies to 10 commenters on this post! Simply leave your answer to this question to enter:

If you could write about anything in the whole wide world, what would it be? Magical fiction? A blog about cooking? A rich and full memoir? Short stories? A book about the love of God? A column in a magazine? Pay no attention to that voice of reason. Just answer honestly in the comments. Ten winners will be notified Friday September 29. Go.

243 Comments · Filed Under: books I've read (or want to read), traditional publishing
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