The Value of Networking by Diane Burton

Writers attend writing conferences for various reasons. Education, industry news, promotion (learning and doing), and networking. Catching up with old friends and making new ones is the most pleasurable experience at a conference. Meeting editors and/or agents can be a highlight, too.

Not everyone can afford the major conferences, like RT (Romantic Times) or RWA (Romance Writers of America). Some choose not to spend the money. Flying (or driving) to the location, paying for meals, and the conference fee itself can strain anyone’s budget.

Smaller conferences might be a better option. Local chapters (of RWA or other writing groups) often put on weekend workshops. Margo Hoornstra and I have talked about our RWA chapter’s Retreat From Harsh Reality. Our founders (Margo was one) decided not to invite editors or agents. We invite one author to present two formal workshops plus more informal Q&As. At first (back in the mid-1980s) our own published authors gave the workshops. We’ve expanded since then. For instance, recent presenters were Jennifer Probst, Christie Craig, and Rita Clay Estrada. The best part of our retreat is the laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. Blue jeans and T-shirts instead of more formal attire. Again, the most pleasurable thing (for me) is getting together with like-minded people. Those who understand what writing is all about.

So what does a writer do who can’t afford a conference (or a retreat)? Or those conferences are too far away, and flying is too expensive? How do they learn writing basics or industry trends or get together with like-minded individuals? How do they network?

Online.

When I started in this business over twenty years ago, the internet wasn’t available. We did have email but not the proliferation of networking opportunities. With YahooGroups, Facebook, Instagram, and other means of social media, writers can get together with other writers and it costs little or nothing. We join groups like Authors Helping Authors, Marketing For Romance Writers, and groups that target writers and readers of specific genres. Sisters in Crime, Savvy Authors, and RWA offer online courses in all aspects of writing—from basics to advanced writing, how to use Scrivener, the business of writing, etc. And the cost is minimal.

I love getting together face-to-face, but when I can’t do that, online is great. I’ve met so many new (to me) writers, made friends, and learned so much from them. This group is a fine example. When I first joined, I only knew a couple of you. Now, I’ve made some great friends and discovered authors whose books are now my one-clicks on Amazon.

We aren’t isolated any longer.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. She blogs here on the 16th and 30th of each month. She shares snippets from her stories every weekend on her blog.  Her latest release is NUMBERS NEVER LIE, a romantic suspense, available at Amazon, free for Kindle Unlimited.

What are friends for? by Barbara Edwards

Getting into the routine again hasn’t been easy.  I finally realized I needed to resume the routine I had before all the chaos that broke it into pieces. As you may recall, my husband had cancer. It turned into months of treatment, other issues and finally time for recovery. He just had his second six month cat scan and is still clear.

What a relief. Then I discovered having all the stress relieved didn’t release my creativity.

In fact, I felt empty. 

Writing is a journey. I’ve used emotions and incidents from my life to fill out my plots, but I couldn’t use this. Thinking about what occurred gave me nightmares. the days waiting in the hospital. The recurring chemotherapy treatments. The surgery that lasted hours. Just mentioning it makes my shoulders stiff with tension.

So  how do I take this phase of my journey and turn it into a positive step.

I

 know all the tricks. Take a walk in the woods. sit by a lake or river. Listen to the wind. Look at the stars. Read a book.  I bet you have a special way to refill that empty tank and could share  it.

I tried going to RWA chapter meetings and found the other authors a source of strength. Everyone had serious problems. Everyone was hanging onto their dream of writing that book by their fingernails. It was a comfort and a challenge. They talked me into volunteering to be president. 

So here I am. I’m writing again. Because of my friends.

Check out the on-line class we’re sponsoring at www.charteroakromancewriters.com

Marie Tuhart shares the basic’s of writing erotic romance.

I’m taking it because I still choke at writing love scenes.

Please follow, friend or like me. I love to hear from my readers.

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Progress by Christine DePetrillo

Back in July, I attended the RWA Annual Conference in Orlando. I didn't post anything about it back then, but thought I'd speak today about some of the things I learned and what I've done with that learning.

Hold onto your hats, peeps. I feel a list coming on.

TOP FIVE THINGS I LEARNED AT RWA CONFERENCE
(and how they've helped me move forward)

1. Scheduling social media posts - Okay, so I knew I could do this, but I didn't realize how the consistency of it would encourage more interaction on social media. I basically stick with Facebook because I don't like the format of Twitter and don't take enough pictures/videos to make Instagram worth my time. By taking an hour to an hour and half each week to schedule two posts a day (8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. per conference learning) to my author Facebook page for a week's time, I have seen more people like my page, like my posts, comment on posts, and share them. I truly feel as if I'm using Facebook much better to push my writing career in the right direction and gain more readers.

2. Ten percent of writing revenue should go into marketing - Say what? Had no idea. I was spending way, way, way less than that for sure. I'm probably still not spending that much, but when opportunities come by or I find them for myself, I'm a little looser with the purse strings because, honestly, you do have to spend money to make money.

3. Canva.com - I won't even admit publicly to what I was using to make social graphics and advertisements. I can't say it aloud. You'll think I'm a moron. Canva.com is wonderful and has really upped my visual marketing. If you didn't know about this website, check it out right after you're done reading this blog post.

I said AFTER!

4. Just because I have more time to write, it doesn't mean I'll use it ALL to write - I go through this every summer. I think that I'm off from teaching and I'll spend an entire eight hours on the patio, writing like a maniac. I'll generate so many pages I'll be drowing in them. Never the case. Never. The. Case. And that's okay. I went to a panel about quitting your day job to write full time and all three authors said they write about the same amount as they did when they had their day jobs. What they have now is more time to promote and market themselves. More time for the "business" of writing. Makes total sense. Alleviated much of the guilt I always had when I wrote for only 4 hours a day during the summer then had other things to do. I was still living the writer's life.

5. Find your lane - This was something author Susan Wiggs said in her address to conference attendees. She was speaking about not comparing yourself to the writers around you, to find your own lane and drive in it to the destination meant for YOU. We've always got our eyes on who is making it as an author, but we'll make it too if we stay true to ourselves, take steps to improve our craft, and never give up our dreams. Success is waiting for us if we just hit the gas and keep focused on the road ahead.

Maybe these kernels will be helpful to you too. They've made my writing work feel more purposeful, and I'm happy with where things are headed.

Like my author Facebook page if you want to see what I'm all about. I'd love to see you there!

Toodles,
Chris
Find all my titles at www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com.

RWA Bound! by Christine DePetrillo

At the end of the month I will be attending my first Romance Writers of America Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida and I am psyched! I've gone to local chapter events and other writing conferences, but nothing of this magnitude.

Did I also mention that I've never been "away from home" by myself? Yeah, 40-something years old and I've never traveled alone.

You can call me a loser. It's okay. I agree with you. Why in the hell have I waited this long to go on a quest? Clearly, no one would entrust me with tossing the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. You thought it took Frodo a long time to make the voyage. Me? 40+ years people. 40+ years.

I'll know people once I get there and I've been to Disney World like nine times. I feel comfortable navigating my way around down there, but a part of me is a little nervous. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm a writer. I imagine scenarios. Like airplane problems. Getting lost. Terrorist attacks.

Or the worst... getting stuck sitting near a baby on the flight. Ugh. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

I plan to pack light and just take a carry-on bag. Summer dresses that I can roll up for easy, fuss-free packing. A pair of comfortable shoes and a pair of cute sandals. Maybe a set of Mickey Mouse ears.

Traveling alone should make for a streamlined experience, right? No one to worry about but myself. No husband who ALWAYS is the guy security wants to investigate further. "Step aside, sir." Every. Single. Time. But me? Who would find me suspicious? I'm sailing right through that check in.

I'm looking forward to the entire experience. Going a day early to bounce around the parks and get my Disney fix. Then I plan to soak in the fun of being around other romance authors and people who "get" writing. People who understand the dream.  People who, like me, enjoy weaving a good tale.

If you've gone to an RWA conference before, what tips do you have for me?

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

   

When It's Time to Say Goodbye by Alison Henderson

No, not to you, my fellow Roses. Never to you. I cherish the camaraderie and support of this group and look forward to many more years together.

No, last month I did something I've thought long and hard about for the past three years. I let my membership in Romance Writers of America lapse. I didn't simply forget to pay my dues--I made the conscious decision that after many years together, we're going in different directions and no longer have much to offer each other.

This was not an easy decision. My membership was measured in decades rather than years. I first joined the organization after LaVyrle Spencer, one of the original grande dames of romance, gave me the contact information for the Minneapolis chapter in 1990. I had written my first manuscript but had no idea what I was doing. RWA taught me my craft. Over the years, I belonged to two chapters in two states and attended four national conventions. I met so many wonderful writers and made (I hope) lifelong friends. 

So why give it up? Change. I've changed. My writing has changed. The publishing industry has changed. And I think RWA has changed, too. 

When I sold my first book to a small, non-advance-paying press in 2010, I was thrilled. However, RWA was less impressed. I was not eligible to become a member of the Published Authors Network. I understood their position regarding the money and still do, but that doesn't soothe the sting of being considered "second class." 

After three books with my original publisher, I decided I wanted to try going indie. Other writers were doing it, and it looked fun--perfect for someone who wants to be in control of every aspect of the process. It works for me, but once again, RWA withheld their seal of approval. I have made enough money now to qualify, but I no longer care.

To be fair, the organization has made a number of changes and concessions over the past couple of years, but for me, they've come too late. I have no interest in attending self-publishing workshops at nationals. After three books, I'm past that point. I've figured this thing out. 

Even then, I probably would have continued my membership if I still had a local chapter available. Nothing beats sitting down with other writers and sharing the ups and downs of this crazy business. Unfortunately, the closest local chapter is now an hour-and-a-half drive from me. Fortunately, I've met a couple of compatible local (non-romance) writers, and online sources and opportunities to network with other writers abound. When I realized I didn't miss RWA at all, the split became inevitable.

For those of you who are active members, I'm happy for you. I hope the organization continues to serve and inspire you. That's how it should be. For me, it's been a very amicable divorce.

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com

A Retreat From Harsh Reality, Re-visited by Margo Hoornstra

As you read this, I’m fully immersed in all things writing related, and have been since early Friday. Later this afternoon, I’ll arrive home revitalized and inspired fresh off the Retreat From Harsh Reality week-end put on by my own Romance Writers of America® Chapter, Mid-Michigan.

A complete week-end devoted to our craft, or profession if one is so inclined. To talk, listen, learn, try, work, share, brainstorm, implement, test, use, figure, discard, re-group. Even vent if need be.

We all need a Retreat From Harsh Reality now and then. Thirty some years ago, Leila Davis, a fellow member in MMRWA uttered those very words to me. I happened to be President of the chapter at that time, as I am again this year.

A few months later, our chapter had one scheduled. Our first Retreat From Harsh Reality was a bring your own sheets, blankets and towels, pack your own food or call for pizza delivery affair held in one of the vacant for the summer dormitories at a nearby university.

Over the years, the get together evolved to become more formalized. A block of hotel rooms with all the amenities was rented, meals were provided on site. Speakers were brought in to make presentations all day Saturday and half the day Sunday. The time to simply immerse ourselves in all things writing such as working on our own manuscripts, brainstorming plots and events, critiquing ours and others’ works in progress, somehow went by the wayside.

We became so focused on filling the allotted time with activities at the event itself, we lost sight of its original purpose. Finally, a few years ago, we came to realize what had happened and, thankfully, took corrective measures.

We still have a speaker, but on a limited basis here and there for only a few hours total all week end. The rest of the time is devoted to writing. No talking please quiet rooms are available for personal writing time and nothing else. Other areas are set up for get togethers to share.

A complete week-end devoted to our craft, or profession if one is so inclined. To talk, listen, learn, try, work, share, brainstorm, implement, test, use, figure, discard, re-group. Even vent if need be.

So what about you? Any Retreats, Conferences, Get Togethers in your future? Maybe next year you can come to ours.

My days to blog here are the 11^th and 23^rd. For more about me and the stories I write, please visit my website

Judging the Golden Heart by Barbara Edwards

I agreed to judge the RWA Golden Heart contest this year.

Judging contests has dropped off my radar for a couple years. My RWA chapter stopped running our contest and I didn’t feel motivated to help other contests. 

Judging a contest is work. And an ability to distance yourself. You can’t judge a story over using an old plot line. Or an era you don’t care for. Or a hero who isn’t your idea of heroic.

I volunteered because I’ve been in a rut. I wanted to see what others were doing, if one or more had found that certain style or idea. I wanted to be enchanted.

So maybe i haven’t found that one, but I am pleased by the quality of the entries. Nice plots, love story, good characters and enjoyable to read. So different from past entries that lacked formatting, spell-check or an engrossing story.

I don’t know how others will judge these, but I’m glad I volunteered.

Have you judged recently? What did you find?

Check out my Historical Romance, Another Love

Link: http://a.co/1a33tKq

Some promises are made to be broken.

Caught in a web of political intrigue, graft and threats to a beloved child, Meg Warren and Drew Larkin hunt the men threatening the downfall of President Cleveland and the economic fabric of America. From a poor farm to the ostentatious world of New York’s elite, they sift lies, discover trust and an attraction they cannot resist. The last thing they expect to find is a love worth more than gold.

Check www.barbaraedwards.net for more excerpts

Excerpt:

Meg quivered like a trapped bird in his arms. Her slender bones were as fragile and delicate as the lace edging her collar. Alarm widened her eyes.

"How can you prove your innocence? I can think of a way.”

 His mouth locked over hers, smothering her protest. His tongue probed the seam between her lips and she moved head back. He instantly slipped his hand to the back of her head to hold her still. His tongue coaxed.

Her thick hair loosened from its knot. The heavy length cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Drew groaned when the silken tresses brushed his hands. His fingers twined in the softly scented curls. He tugged gently. Upon her gasp, his tongue surged between her lips.

Her hands stilled, then she caught his lower lip with her teeth and bit down, hard. She whirled away to face him from the other side of the small room. If he thought she looked regal before, now she looked magnificent. A Greek goddess, breasts uplifted with pride and rage, her hair flowing like dark water over her slim shoulders.

She pointed an accusing finger at him and he fully expected a bolt of lightening to char him to a cinder.

"I will not prove anything by going to bed with you," she cried.

"Quote." – Pat Potter, award winning author calls Another Love…“A real page turner with wonderful characters and a unique plot. You can’t miss with this one.”

Review from Romantic Times Magazine **** 1/2 (four and one-half stars)

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To Mentor or Not To Mentor

~~ Vonnie Davis

Almost a year ago, I listed my name on RWA's site for finding a critique partner. The two I had before were great. Awesome. So good, in fact, they had each contracted a series with close deadlines. I felt, with all the pressure involved with the growth of their writing careers, I was adding extra stress by asking them to stop working on their stuff to read my chapters. So, maybe I could find someone who was less strained for time. Who didn't have deadlines, edits, and promo of new releases constantly  looming.

A young mother contacted me. She'd never been published. Okay, I could work with that. I was being told by my editor, at the time, that I wrote old. My word usage was dated. So, a younger adult could help me be more current. Win-Win.

She sent me her first chapter. There were several problems. Not huge, mind you. Newbie problems. Ones I'd made myself years ago. Okay, ones I still make before I do a hard edit. How much more honest can I get with y'all? Even so, beneath the almost constant use of that, just, and only, I could see talent beaming through. She didn't have "telling" versus "showing" nailed down so I sent her lessons I'd written for Savvy Authors.

In short, I mentored her.

She wasn't my first. Like many of you probably have, I've mentored others over the years. All are now published, except for one who just couldn't get the concept of popping heads. That the pov character couldn't see the person on the other end of a phone conversation shake her head. I'd helped her for over a year with little improvement. Finally, I had to cut her loose.

Not with this new young woman. She wanted to learn. Whatever instructions I gave her, she soaked up like a sponge. Slowly, the lovely woman I mentored became a stronger writer and a valuable critique partner. She began to pick up on my weak points, which pleased me. Why? Because
I knew she was getting stronger.

Once her book was written, we went through the editing process together. I learned more about street drag racing than I ever knew there was to learn. She sent me YouTube videos on the sport to watch and get the gist of her writing topic. I helped her make her Young Adult romance shine with suggestions here and there. She'd learned so much in our time together as well as the online classes she'd taken, I just stepped back and watched her shine.

I gave her tips on how to write a synopsis and a query letter. I edited them for her. Not that I had much to do. She'd gotten it.

Since she has no agent, she went to the RWA site and got the listing of publishers that accept unagented submissions. She sent off her query package according to what each publisher requested on their website, exactly as they'd requested. I'd told her this was her first test as an author. Publishers figure if you can't follow directions on how to submit, how will you follow their editing instructions?

She listened.

Pardon me while I sound like a proud Mama. This young friend, who I've never met, who's never been published has a contract offer from a small publisher...AND full manuscript requests from The
Wild Rose Press, Lyrical, HarperImpulse, Siren, Harlequin, City Owl, Entangled, and Sourcebooks.
Several who are giving her submission prompt special attention because of her contract offer from a small publisher.

So, mentoring turned into critiquing and a great friendship. Candice writing as Leslie, you go girl!

Statistics Are Like Poison Ivy. They Make Me Itch.

Statistics show romance, all forms--historical, suspense, paranormal, contemporary and erotic--command roughly 58% of all books sold. Yet, ask a woman is she reads romance and her expression changes to one whose just sucked a lemon dry. "I never read that drivel." Oooo-kay, so who is making up that 58%?

You've heard us complain in one blog post or another how hard it is to target our audience and promote to those groups. For example, the percentage of adults who read eBooks last year was 28%. Those who read print only was 69%. While those who read on their iPhones has risen to 14%. That adds up to 111%. Okay, my skin is starting to crawl. I like my figures to drawl a reasonable conclusion--like a hundred percent. I feel the need to rationalize it all. Perhaps, some people simply read a few paper books and also eBooks. That makes sense, right?

Then I got my monthly paper from Penguin Random House with an article on audio books (Reaches for back scratcher and tube of anti-itch cream). "Sales in the audiobook category totaled more than $1.47 billion in 2014, up 13.5 percent from 2013." So, where do I add those sales in?

In like manner, we've got the same crazy mix-up with promotional efforts. Blogging, many claim is going out of style. Yet my publisher sets me up on a blog tour for each release. The down side is few respond like they used to. I miss that back and forth chit-chat.

We're told our Amazon author pages are our best marketing tool. Really? Some "experts" tell us to keep our websites up to date and our Facebook author page, which I forget about. We're supposed to place our book covers in the large area of our author page heading and make it appealing for possible readers. My problem is I use my personal page out of habit.

Now...now these "experts" who have never had a deadline to meet, tell us Newsletters are the way to go. Well, yes, that sounds nice, but who do I send it to? We all get enough SPAM.

On the opposite side of the promotional spectrum, I've started watching how the big names promote. Laura Kaye, for example, tweets and tells everyone good morning on facebook. Every once in awhile she may post something about a book. At RWA, I went to a workshop given by a longtime favorite cowboy author of mine, Joan Johnston. At the end of her talk about showing stages of intimacy, she said it was time to talk about what we were all curious about--advances and how they were shrinking. She said she'd once gotten a six point two million advance. I nearly toppled out of my chair. I think I recall her saying her next advance was three million. I was still hyper-ventilating over the first figure she'd tossed out. She is still getting six-figure advances for her books. Another speaker told how she was making millions going Indie.

I turned to the lady next to me and bragged, "I once earned enough to fill my car with gas." She slid her chair away from me. Who knows...maybe I made her itch, too.

 When you're a turkey trying to fly with the eagles at RWA, how do you stand out? You impersonate one of your favorite characters. Effie, the pink-haired hippie who is obsessed with what a man does or doesn't wear under his kilt. To find out more about me, visit www.vonniedavis.com.

Fellowship

By Diane Burton

The problem with being the blogger at the end of the month is that the posters who have gone before have taken all the good stuff. <g> Since this month’s theme(s) have all begun with the letter F, I wracked my brain trying to come up with something new, different, but appropriate. Then it hit me. The reason for this blogsite: fellowship.

I tend to view the word fellowship in connection with church membership. But when I checked the definition, fellowship also refers to a community of interest. One of its synonyms is camaraderie. And that’s what I’ve found in writers’ groups. We come from all over the world. We are of different social, marital, and economic status. We’re young, middle-aged, retired. (Notice, I didn't say old.)  Despite our differences, we have a common interest—writing. And that draws us together.

Writing is a solitary occupation. Yet, as humans, we crave interaction with others. We may closet ourselves when the writing is flowing or when we're on deadline and only come out of our caves for food, drink, or potty breaks. Think of the scene in Romancing the Stone after Joan Wilder types “The End” and goes looking for a tissue only to find sticky notes everywhere reminding her to buy tissues and t.p. Yep, that’s what it’s like.

When we emerge from our caves (aka office, converted bedroom, basement), we desperately need to talk to someone. Our spouses/children/BFFs, as supportive as they are, do not get our thrill of a great day’s/week’s writing the way another writer does. Or the satisfaction of completing a 100,000 word novel. Thank goodness for email and social media where we can post at two in the morning that “we did it.” As much as they love us, even our best friends don’t like celebratory phone calls in the middle of the night.

In the twenty years I’ve been seriously writing, I have met so many wonderful people through writers’ groups--foremost, Romance Writers of America and its affiliated chapters. My local chapter, Mid-Michigan RWA, inspires, bemoans our rejections, and celebrates our successes. And, when needed, kicks our butts when we're discouraged. The online community does the same—and we don’t have to wait for an entire month to get together.

Of all the benefits the writing community offers, the one I saved for last is the most important—friendship. The song “You’ve Got a Friend” certainly applies to writers’ groups in general and the group that makes up The Roses of Prose. I feel very fortunate to have made such good friends with some of the Roses and look forward to becoming friends with the others.

I blog here on the 8^th and 30^th of each month. On Mondays, I “muse” about life, writing, and whatever strikes my fancy on my blog: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com You can read excerpts from my books and other information on my website www.dianeburton.com

See you again on August 8^th.