The Writer's Connection(sm),
a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach(sm)

"The Creative Process of Writing is a
Liberating and Therapeutic Experience"

virtualwritingcoach.com
July 2004

In This Issue:

1. Preview
2. Publisher's Note
3. Writer's Conferences
4. Getting into Action


1. Preview

The Writer's Connection explores the creative process of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and actions. We are an interactive community of authors and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge, skills, and experiences in writing fiction in any genre, but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing information.

Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript, and are provided to the general public. Because we are an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.

2. Publisher's Note

July, 2004

Dear Writer's Connection Subscriber,

This month features information about Writer's Conferences.

3. Writer's Conferences

I just returned from our annual "Cozy Cats and Hard-boiled Heroes" conference in Houston. We had excellent speakers including Erica Spindler, romance suspense author and Evan Marshall, principal and author of Evan Marshall Literary Agency. These conferences are great ways of finding out what's happening in the publishing field (if you don't subscribe to www.writersmarket.com or www.publishersweekly.com). What we heard this weekend is that "crossovers" are becoming more populare.g. romance and suspense thriller, science fiction and suspense. With the success of the Da Vinci Code and Rule of Four, religious suspense is a popular genre weaving intrigue with historical half-truths and mixing in a bit of hype. It seems that editors wait for the general public to determine what is selling and then solicit manuscripts that emulate the hot sellers. This is the case with mainstream fiction. As is typical with the fiction market, thrillers are still the toughest market to break into because there are so many good thriller writers out there with an annual mega-hit. Publishing houses are risk-averse to taking on new authors unless the work is a fresh look at a traditional theme or a twist on an existing genre.

Evan Marshall was particularly helpful with what literary agents are soliciting currently. Despite the advent of email for query letters, it's advisable to snail mail your query to an agent so he/she can see how you represent yourself by your writing. Give much thought to your query; there are excellent resources on how to write queries through Writers Digest Books and other "how to" books. Remember to include past publishing credits if you were published with a traditional publishing house or if self-published and sold more than five thousand copies of your book.

Another buzzword is "platform." Every author should have a platform or strategic plan on how the book will sell and a marketing plan on getting copies to the public. For example, if you're tied in with event planning for a medical supply company and you've just written a medical thriller, you might use your booth to sell copies of your book and have free brochures or bookmarkers that tell something about yourself. Another author used his physician training to market his book to medical schools and conferences. Shameless self-promotion if done right, puts yourself out there and the networking is important for first-time authors. Join writer's groups and ask for table space for your books.

Lastly, it's fun to resume friendships with fellow authors and see what our current projects are. Much of our time is spent researching our next novel. Some of us are still working on our first novelfine tuning it for the sixth time. Others have shifted to another genre and trying our luck at a different audience. Word to the wise. If you try a different genre make sure you take your core readers (loyal fans) with you. Don't attempt science fiction if you've never written one. Take time to read the genre you're writing in and be subtle about your shifte.g. if you're a thriller writer, reduce the stakes and high drama and setting if you want to shift to a "cozy" mystery. Perhaps the murder takes place in a hospital or school, rather than Rome, Italy, with worldwide political and religious implications.



4. Getting into Action

"Getting in to Action" is a monthly feature of The Writer's Connection. In this section of our Newsletter, we will discuss action steps the writer can take to improved his/her knowledge base in writing novels.

This month's recommendations:


1. Find a writer's conference and go. You'll be inspired to resume your writing career.
2. Join a local writer's group. The work of others will motivate you and the group will be supportive of your efforts.
3. Subscribe to Publisher's Weekly newsletter for $225 a year; they will also give you a 30-day free trial, no obligation or credit card.


Subscription Information:

The Writer's Connection is a free publication. If you want to continue to receive this Newsletter, you can SUBSCRIBE at Virtual Writing Coach.

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Be assured your name and email address are confidential. We do not sell, rent or share our mailing list with anyone.

Contact Information

Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Voice: 281-893-5405
Fax: 281-893-1735
Web: http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com
E-Mail: keith@virtualwritingcoach.com
(c) Copyright 2003 A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.

Distribution Rights

The Writer's Connection (sm) is copyrighted, but you may retransmit or
distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added, or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy it to a web site.

Republication of The Writer's Connection (sm) in paper media is encouraged and permitted by individuals, organizations and associations, as long as the issue is reprinted in its entirety, without change, and includes the contact information.

With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication also is encouraged under other circumstances. However, the advance permission of A. Keith Barton, Ph.D. must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired.

The Writer's Connection Mission:

The Writer's Connection is dedicated to helping first-time authors create their first manuscript for publication and to offer an exchange of ideas and opinions from our readers who might be interested in becoming authors.

The Writer's Connection™ is a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton, Ph.D. and a registered trademark.

We would like The Writer's Connection to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like addressed, or can suggest additional resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time. Send your e-mail to
keith@virtualwritingcoach.com.

Please forward this issue to anyone you think would find The Writer's Connection interesting and beneficial. Your recommendation helps us keep growing, and ensures an excellent exchange of information and techniques.

Archives

You can read previous issues of The Writer's Connection at our archive at http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com/archive.html.

About Keith Barton, Ph.D.

Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist for over thirty years. He is currently enrolled in MentorCoach and is accepting new clients. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in executive development, founded and managed Texas Community Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home services to persons with mental retardation, and for the past 13 years founded and runs a clinical practice in Northwest Houston. He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate interest in helping others become attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.

Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made presentations and conducted workshops about:

Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Marital/relationship enrichment
Wellness issues
The relationship between psychology and spirituality

© 2003 The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton.