Youtube Interviews

I watched some video interviews yesterday, wherein several writing teachers were asked questions regarding their experience with publication.

First up was Robin Becker, who revealed that she queried ~70 agents before settling on Janet Reid (whom I've written about). Becker used agentquery.com to locate candidates. What she published was a zombie novel and she is currently working on a thriller, though I can't recall if it is at all related - I think not. Becker was pleased to break into the published world with a zombie novel because the genre is big right now. She said that while twitter and facebook may not be ideal publicity tools for beginning writers, they are certainly good for keeping up with trends.

Becker used the word, "workshoppy," to describe certain works that focus on form over story. To her, story is the most important thing.

Mark Spitzer got published by sending out his works like a machine. Sure, he made mistakes (addressed to wrong editor, anyone?) but had to learn not to fear the indignant reactions from publishing houses. He likes to think about quantity over quality for beginning authors, and about stirring things up in the literary world; get noticed! One of the tricks he used was to write a chapbook and send a nice copy out to publishers, allowing them to publish whatever they fancied or to even review it, should the mood hit them. Spitzer likes to work on more than one project at a time; he is currently writing a teen-post-apocalyptic story (hey, it's popular right now!)

Garry Craig Powell may be British, but he enjoys topics about the American South. He had an easy time getting published when he wrote about blues while on a trip down that way. Powell's strength is his ability to network and he has got some things published under the auspices of Dave Eggers and found an agent through another contact in New Orleans. He had some good things to say about indie presses, likening them to indie films, while the mainstream is becoming like Hollywood.

John Vanderslice was first published in his college's literary magazine. When he felt ready he began researching more journals and began sending out submissions to five or six journals at once. All authors are encouraged to keep files on what they've published and what is being sent out at any given time and Vanderslice likes to use the old-fashioned file drawers. He keeps two types of files: one categorized by the names of the journals he is soliciting, with the stories that are sent there all alphabetized; and one file on stories, with each of the journals solicited listed in alphabetical order. He finds that the best time to send out submissions is in the fall, as there is a better chance that the publishers are open to material at that time.