Table of Contents
I
Introduction: The Freedom and the Power 3
Being a writer is not a hobby
We all have a different story to tell
Living an engaged life
From inspiration to publication and beyond
The evolving ecosystem of writing and publishing
A successful author is an informed author.
1 Getting Started 13
Establishing goals and making informed decisions
Educational goals
Terrance Hayes recommends five healthy reading habits for living a life in poetry
Writing goals
Publishing goals
Financial goals
Money matters
Higher goals
Living a deliberate writing life
There is no road map.
Writer's Notebook: George Saunders on Motivation
2 Inspiration 38
Demystifying inspiration
Being open to new ideas
The art of observation
The adjacent possible
The writer's commonplace book
The concept of flow
Shutting out the noise
Eight apps to help you focus while writing
On distraction.
READING LIST: Cheryl Strayed Recommends Five Books to Read When You Need to Be Brave on the Page
3 Writing Prompts 50
A symphony of ideas
Walk with me
Shape-shifting
Pandora's box
Line of inquiry
Not the same old story
Recreating fear
Digging deep
Foregone conclusion
Open house
Reshaping the past
On beauty
Missed connections.
Writer's Notebook: Ocean Vuong on Becoming a Poet
4 One Hundred Notes on Craft 70
A way of thinking
Character and event
Dialogue
Poetry as a political act
Truth and nonfiction
The narrative sentence
Point of view
Rhythm and meter in poetry
Image and emotion
Form and matter
Time and experience
Poetry and place
Deep structure
Romance in fiction
Rules and revision
The vivid and continuous dream.
Reading List: Yiyun Li Recommends Five Books to Remind You Why You're a Writer
5 Finding Community 98
The writer's paradox
Connecting with others
Literary festivals
Twenty-five of the best book festivals in the United States
Writers conferences
Fourteen conferences and retreats for underrepresented voices
Trade shows
Writers retreats
Six ideas for DIY writers retreats
Twelve residencies abroad
Elements of a writers retreat application
Writing groups
Readings.
Writer's Notebook: Christina Baker Kline on Encouragement
6 A Writer's Education 125
Can writing be taught?
MFA programs
Six authors on whether to pursue an MFA
Full-versus low-residency MFA programs
Twenty-one questions to ask
How to choose
Eight elements of unique MFA programs
What you need to apply to MFA programs
Who is reading your application?
Advice from MFA graduates
MA and PhD programs
Nonacademic writing programs
Online programs
Parting thoughts.
Reading List: Natalie Diaz Recommends Five Books to Read When Constellating Indigeneity and Our Individual and Collective Relationships to Bodies of Land, Language, Water, and Flesh
II
7 Writing and Time 155
Stealing time to write
The struggle with time as a positive force
Learning to say no
How long it takes to write a book
How long it takes to publish a book
The age-old question
It's never too late.
8 Writing and Money 165
A little financial planning
Debt and the MFA student
Federal student aid
Expenses and cost of Living
Taxes and insurance
Health insurance
Getting paid
Eyes on the prize
Worksheet: valuing your time
Worksheet: business deductions (unreimbursed).
9 Writing and Happiness 175
Expressive writing
Narrative medicine
Flow and productivity
Permission to be proud
The tortured artist myth
Imposter syndrome
Rejection
The pressure to produce
Writer's block
Envy
Our team is winning.
10 Writing and Family 184
Respect and expectations
Supportive partners and friends
All expectations are not equal
Impediment and inspiration
Writing with children
Communication
Resources for writers who are parents.
11 Writing and Respect 193
Writing about others
Let your fear drive you
Sensitivity readers
Quality as a sign of respect
Opinions: everyone has them
Book critics on the value of negative reviews.
12 Writing and the Law 200
Copyright
Electronic rights
Exclusive rights
First serial rights
Reprint rights
Subsidiary rights
World rights
World English rights
Film options
Libel
Fair use
Public domain
Basic parts of a book contract.
III
13 Literary Magazines 211
A brief history
First steps in publishing
Getting started
Free online databases
Reputation
Reach
The company you keep
Magazines that pay
How to submit your work
A note on reading fees
What to expect after submitting
If your work is accepted
What to do with rejection.
Writer's Notebook: Charles Yu on the Inner Writer
14 Writing Contests 233
Sorting the options
Pros and cons
A cost-benefit analysis
Entry fees
How contests are run
The smart approach to contest submissions
On winning
On Losing
Letting go of the results
Worksheet: submission tracker.
Reading List: Dani Shapiro Recommends Five Books to Read When You're Feeling Lonely, Solitary, and Out of Step with the World
15 Self-Publishing 247
A fork in the road
A brief history
First, some questions
The advantages and drawbacks of self-publishing
Not a sure stepping-stone
The logistics of self-publishing
How much it costs
Publicity efforts for self-published books
Looking ahead
Hybrid publishers
Parting thoughts.
Writer's Notebook: Jane Hirshfield on the Poem as a Field of Possibility
16 Literary Agents 263
The small world of publishing
Going it alone: contests and small presses
Finding an agent: preparing the ground
Eighty-four agents active on Twitter
Approaching an agent: the query letter
Five basic elements of a successful query letter
Case study: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's Friday Black
Five key query questions
Case study: Nathan Hill's The Nix
Selling nonfiction: book proposals
Case study: Polly Rosenwaike's Look How Happy I'm Making You
Getting to the submission: working with an agent
The agency agreement.
Reading List: Anthony Doerr Recommends Five Books That Might Save You When Your Writing Starts to Feel Dry and Dull and You Consider Becoming a Full-Time Dog-Walker
17 The Book Deal 298
How publishers make decisions
Profit and loss: how editors think about your work
The bids: individual, preemptive and auction
Advances: how the money works
Ancillary rights: what's in the fine print?
Nonfiction; selling the truth
Beyond the book contract
Inking the deal.
Writer's Notebook: Adam Haslett on Faith and Wonder
18 Independent Publishers 315
The indie publisher alternative
Eyes on a prize greater than dollar signs
Before you sign a small-press contract
A launching pad for emerging writers.
Reading List: Benjamin Percy Recommends Five Books That Will Change the Way You Think About Writing
19 Working with Your Editor 322
Communication, trust, patience
Types of editing
The author-editor relationship
Expectations
What happens if your editor leaves?
The editing process
What was the most unexpected thing about the publication process?
How Long do you need to wait before your book is published?
Pacing the follow-ups.
Writer's Notebook: Luis Alberto Urrea on Trust and Power
20 Publication Checklist 335
Cover art
Promotional copy
Blurbs
Author photos
Publication credits
Permissions
Parts of a manuscript
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Quotation page or epigraph
Preface
Foreword
Table of contents
List of illustrations
Dramatis personae
Prologue
Appendix
Glossary
Endnotes
Bibliography
Index.
Reading List: Nicole Dennis-Benn Recommends Five Books to Read if You're Unaccustomed, Queer, and Alien in a World Too Stuck on Labels to Read Between Lines and Across Borders
21 Publicity and Promotion 346
Publicity and promotion in context
Working with your publicist
The changing media landscape
Small-press publicists
Communication and collaboration
Media outreach
A few thoughts on engaging readings
A sample press release sent to media outlets
Considering a freelance publicist
Social media
Ten of the best writers on Twitter
Good things can happen on Goodreads
Author websites.
Writer's Notebook: Jennifer Acker on Promoting a Book as an Author with a Disability
IV
22 Surviving Success and Failure 381
Empires built on shifting sands
F is for failure
The "loser" list
Failure is forever
The implicit shrug
S is for success
What is your definition of success?
Playing the game
R is for reading the reviews.
Reading List: Naomi Shihab Nye Recommends Five Books of Poetry to Turn to When the Going Gets Rough
23 Careers 398
Supporting-cast work
Academia
The publishing industry
Freelance editing
Freelance writing
Pitch writing 101
Other writing gigs to consider
Speaking engagements
Literary nonprofits
Parting thoughts.
Writer's Notebook: Ada Limón on Sadness and Succulents
24 The End of the book 417
What writers don't talk about
Don't be embarrassed
Be proud of yourself
Find your team
A mixture of feelings
Fear and doubt
Feel all of it.
Reading List: Nafissa Thompson-Spires Recommends Five Bucks to Remind You Why You Started Writing When the World Is Too Much and Not Enough and Expatriation or Giving Up Isn't an Option
25 The End is Just the Beginning 421
The path up ahead
Something bigger than ourselves
The forest for the trees
The freedom and the power
Time to get started.
About Poets & Writers, Inc. 425
Free Resources at pw.org 427
15 National Organizations Serving Writers and Writing 431
140 Books for Every Serious Writer's Bookshelf 435
20 Top Podcasts for Writers 443
5 Video Playlists for Writers 447
Acknowledgments 449
Sources 451
Index 463