Birthing a Book

By Vicki H. Moss

Some books are written within a few months or a year. Some books, especially nonfiction, take longer because there’s a process that parallels the path of a writer’s journey and experiences. My path to publication had its beginning through magazine writing. From there came an opportunity to write blog articles, author interviews, writing articles, poetry, a newspaper column, and the list goes on. My list includes writing that could be used as teaching examples that would one day form a book, hopefully to help other writers figure out the path to publication. So here’s my story on how I birthed a book from my experiences.       

It took several attempts accompanied by many rejections to figure out how to be one of the top ten writers to make the cut for a single issue of Boys’ Quest, and Hopscotch magazines. The magazines combined published approximately 20 articles every two months, and the editor received 10,000 submissions in one year for a total of twelve issues—bringing the total number of articles purchased in a year to approximately 240, not including the sibling magazine Fun for Kidz.

So, how to make the top ten cut in one month? Or less daunting, how to make the top 240 out of 

10,000 in one year’s twelve issues?

I determined the only way around the dilemma was to read articles written by writers who had made the cut. The project was daunting. Unlike having compilations of short stories on my bookshelves written by successful writers like Flannery O’Conner and others, I’d never heard of a book of compiled kids’ magazine articles written by one author.

Therefore, I spent a small fortune buying kids’ magazines to study. The venture paid off. My stories began selling. And one thing I noticed about the writers who were getting published in these magazines—they all had what’s known as Voice, what all editors look for in writing.

I’d been told my writing had voice. But, what exactly, was Voice? And how did one acquire it? The more I studied the subject, I realized Voice was nothing more than a writer’s personality coming out on the page. Voice could also be the tone, the mood, or the style of the piece written in a unique voice totally different from someone else’s. Voice was writing that made a reader feel like they were there—part of the story. And Voice was recognizable.

After compiling some of my published kids’ stories in one book—How to Write for Kids’ Magazines—to give other writers examples of what worked and what didn’t, which translates to “what sells,” I decided a book on Voice would be even better.

Oh, no. Not another one.

Actually, I found a few books on Voice I liked, but none at all that were a compilation of examples of persuasive voice, voice in blog writing, narrative voice, and voice in creative nonfiction, memoir, flash fiction, nonfiction, newspaper column writing, advertising, poetry, devotions and Bible studies—all of which I’d at one time published. Perhaps a compilation was long overdue so writers in a volatile writing market, having to write more nonfiction because fiction sales have taken a downturn, wouldn’t have to spend a small fortune to do what I’d done; buy a truckload of books to study voice in different genres.  

Another writer and college professor also thought a compilation was a good idea. New York Times bestselling author Lee Smith wrote a blurb for my book, Writing with Voice, “I’m looking forward to this collection…because in my own mind, voice is the single most important element in prose narrative, fiction or nonfiction. And unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to teach. The only way I’ve ever been able to do that is to give my students some good examples to read—so it’s great to have a whole collection.”   

And from my desire and passion to help other writers realize their own dreams of publication, an idea was sparked. And a book was birthed.   

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Vicki H. Moss is the author of Writing with Voice, How to Write for Kids Magazines, Adrift, Rogue Hearts, Smelling Stinkwood (available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble) and frequent contributor to the Moment’s series. She’s written over 500 articles nationally and internationally and is a freelance editor and Contributing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine.  When Vicki’s not writing and teaching at writing workshops, she’s often outdoors behind a camera.            

BIRTHING A BOOK

By Sandy Richardson

Countless writers have compared writing and publishing to giving birth. And while most  mothers would say, “No way,” I agree that taking a book from conception to delivery is in some ways a similar process.

Guys, please don’t stop reading. This post is not for women only.

           

THE CONCEPTION

Eighteen years ago, a friend and I shared a chocolate (what other kind is there?) dessert one rainy day. We had met a few years before and formed a solid relationship as writers, readers, and women.

I have always lived in South Carolina. But my friend, while born here, was a military child and had lived all over the world. She returned to South Carolina to teach at a major university. I was Caucasian; she was African American. Married for over twenty years, with children in high school and college, I returned to the university to pursue my passion—writing. She was, comparatively, a newly wed with a toddler, and was my professor.

We discussed many things that day, but when the conversation turned to family, our mother-in-law stories crossed the lines of coincidence. How could that be when our backgrounds were so different? Did others have similar stories? Were most mothers-in-law horrible people? Or was there the possibility that the bad-rap about them could be challenged?

We wanted to know, and right there over chocolate, our book His Mother was conceived.

Later, my friend found she would not be able to participate in the book, but glowing with the idea of a new project, I continued.

TAKE AWAY: Don’t close your mind as to where book ideas can originate!

THE PREGNANCY

I needed contributors like a pregnant woman craves food. I wanted both published and yet-published writers, who loved the project as I did. I wanted writers with diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities.

I crafted emails outlining my specific wants for the submissions. I contacted writers I knew personally. I asked them for recommendations. I contacted groups and placed submission calls on select writing websites.

Waiting on responses, I prepared my book proposal using models from books and publishers’ guidelines, paying specific attention to books on the market that might compete with His Mother.

I focused on how my book differed from these, what it offered that others did not.

I narrowed the hundred responses to eighteen suitable to my focus. Then, I began revising and editing. 

TAKE AWAY: Develop a writing network. Join writing groups and associations. Get active in the writing community.

Be specific about your REASON for writing a book, whether fiction or nonfiction. You must have a focus for writing whether you are a pantster or a plotter, or your manuscript will become unmanageable.

Seek the best advice and models for what you write.

Research the market.

REVISE and EDIT SEVERAL TIMES. Your work grows stronger in proportion to the time you allot to this.

           

THE LABOR

With the sample stories in shape and the proposal done, I prepared a list of agents and publishers, and sent out the proposal. Then I waited.

Several rejections later, a flutter of interest occurred. But it came to naught.

I re-submitted the proposal, sent in full manuscripts when asked, and waited again. More rejections, another flutter, but again, it proved false.

Years passed. I grew tired. Frustrated. I distracted myself. Worked on other books. But the urge to get that book out was ever-present.

I revised and resubmitted, again.      

Then one fine day, when I felt totally out-done with the project, a contract offer arrived.

TAKE AWAY: (You already know it): DON’T GIVE UP!

THE DELIVERY

After more revision and editing, all was ready, but then came a complication. Three months before the scheduled release, the publisher closed its doors.

But no way was I going to stop the momentum we had built. I owed my contributors. I decided to open my own publishing company, and His Mother debuted right on time.

TAKE AWAY: (Again) Do not give up. Be creative in your solutions to today’s publishing challenges. Believe in your work. Find a way. This business can be painful, yes, but it can also bring immeasurable joy.

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Sandy Richardson is the editor and a contributing writer to His Mother! Women Write about their Mothers-in-law with Humor, Frustration, and Love (2016). Her first novel, The Girl Who Ate Chicken Feet, was published in 1998. Her other fiction and nonfiction have appeared in several anthologies.  “Nana’s Basket” (The Pettigrew Review) received a nomination for the Pushcart Prize in 2013. Richardson is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She currently writes from her home in South Carolina and is founder and Editor-in-Chief for Southern Sass Publishing Alliances. Visit Sandy at www.SouthernSassPublishingAlliances.com  Twitter: @Southernsaspub4

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