Courage in Numbers

Teaming Up

In the stone age when I first got serious about being a published novelist, I joined a team. Is there such a thing, you ask? A team that helps you get published? Maybe like those ads on TV where some "publisher" says that "if we decide to publish your book" they will do everything for you -- edit it, choose a cover for it, make it an ebook, send it to bookstores all over the country, etc. All you do is sit back and wait for those royalty checks to rain on you.

Uh, no. Not like that. That, my friends, does not exist. That "publisher" probably will ask you for money.

I'm referring to a writers' group. In my case, the Tulsa Nightwriters. I relied on several of their members to assist me from one summit to the next in  my quest to climb to the top of the mountain. One of the best things I did was attend the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc.  (OWFI) annual conference in Oklahoma City. These educated me about the writing/editing/publishing process and gave me a window on how such conferences work and how to get the most out of them. By the time I joined the brand new Romance Writers of America (RWA) and attended its first conference, I was an "old hand" at such events. I had already acquired a literary agent, thanks to OWFI's conferences, and I was prepared to submit polished, professional manuscripts. I knew the "lingo" editors used and what they wanted from writers. I still had a lot to learn, but because of the Nightwriters and OWFI, I avoided a lot of the mistakes "newbies" make early in their efforts.

For example, I knew how to prepare a manuscript properly. I knew how to write a synopsis or outline and what editors would be looking for in the first three chapters of a novel. I knew how to write a professional and intriguing query letter. I knew how much each publishing house offered in advances and royalties to new authors. Thanks to my "team," I never embarrassed myself or shot myself in the foot in the starting gate.

Today, I still depend on a team. I rely on my literary agent and her staff to assist me in charting my next career choice, marketing my work, and in educating me on the ever-changing landscape of publishing. I rely on my prep team -- my editor, proofer, copyeditor, cover designer, and beta readers. And I rely on my "street team."

My street team -- or, as I call them, my Happy Campers -- encourage me throughout the process of writing a book and then help me announce it to the public once it's released. They also consist of reviewers I can trust to read my ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) and publish reviews as soon as the book is published. Reviews are very important in independent publishing. You just can't get enough of them -- or I can't! There are so many books released every month that reviewers are swamped and have to say "no" to more than half of the requests they receive. Therefore, it's smart to create relationships with as many reviewers as possible and keep the communication going in between your books so that you aren't forgotten and relegated to the back of the line again.

I'm constantly looking for more Happy Campers, so if you like my books and would be willing to post notices about them on Facebook, Twitter, Bookbub, Goodreads, etc., let me know! Post a comment here or message me on Facebook or through my website. I'll be launching another western historical romance this summer and I'll need all the help I can muster. I'm also in the early stages of devising my next contemporary romantic suspense novel and I'm seeking suggestions from my team on what they like or don't like about those kinds of books. As you can see, writing and publishing relies more on just the writer and writing. We all need a team.