Please help me welcome romance author Terry Odell. Terry was born in Los Angeles, moved to Florida, and now makes her home in Colorado. An avid reader (her parents tell everyone they had to move from their first home because she finished the local library), she always wanted to "fix" stories so the characters did what she wanted, in books, television, and the movies. Once she began writing, she found this wasn't always possible, as evidenced when the mystery she intended to write rapidly became a romance.
When she's not writing, she's reading. She also volunteers for the Adult Literacy League in Orlando, training new tutors. She used to do a lot of needlepoint, but ran out of wall space in the house. Terry is a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as the Kiss of Death Chapter and the Central Florida Romance Writers chapter. She also belongs to the Mystery Writers of America. Her contest successes include the Suzannah, Gotcha, Jasmine, Molly, Great Beginnings and Finally a Bride, The Lories, The Gayle Wilson Award Of Excellence, Aspen Gold, and the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.
When she's not writing, she's reading. She also volunteers for the Adult Literacy League in Orlando, training new tutors. She used to do a lot of needlepoint, but ran out of wall space in the house. Terry is a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as the Kiss of Death Chapter and the Central Florida Romance Writers chapter. She also belongs to the Mystery Writers of America. Her contest successes include the Suzannah, Gotcha, Jasmine, Molly, Great Beginnings and Finally a Bride, The Lories, The Gayle Wilson Award Of Excellence, Aspen Gold, and the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.
Here's Terry: Thanks for inviting me to be a guest here today.
As writers, we tend to be solitary beasts, sitting at a keyboard, usually blocking out intrusions. Even those who write in public places manage to get into their own zone. I started writing more for fun, for myself. It was a challenge, and a creative outlet (since I'd run out of room for needlepoint on my walls). I never thought beyond the creative process—until I met a friend at a meeting, and she said she was writing too. She introduced me to a critique group, and I began picking up a lot of knowledge of the craft.
Eventually, I finished the novel. I don't know what I thought came next—I was content to start writing another, but my crit group insisted I start submitting. Assuming someone would knock on my door and ask if I happened to have a novel lying around wasn't the way things worked.
Dealing with submissions, rejections, more submissions, more rejections wasn't something I'd considered, but it was still a solitary ordeal. However, I did get published with The Wild Rose Press, Cerridwen Press, and Five Star Expressions. Had I but known how much "non-writing" stuff accompanied being a writer, I might not have ever started.
If you're not a big name with a big NY House, you have to promote. A LOT of promoting. Now, I'm not shy about speaking in public. I spent many years as a teacher, and I love doing things like giving workshops or talki
ng about the writing process. What I don't like is having to initiate contact.
Last year, at the Romantic Times conference, author Barry Eisler was a panel speaker. He was in the room well ahead of time, and instead of sitting behind the table, he was in the middle of the room, introducing himself to every person who entered, handing a business card (as if anyone at that conference didn't know who he was!). I'm not sure I could do that.
I've done book signings, but always in groups. I'm not confident enough to approach a book store and ask if they want me to have a solo signing. I'm not comfortable enticing people to my table. Ask me to wander around the bookstore handing out bookmarks? Not me. I did get brave once, and offered a bookmark to someone who was reading a book at Panera. She said, "No, thank you." Devastating. I mean, how hard would it have been to take it and throw it away when I wasn't looking?
Even the more "anonymous" promotion bugs me. I've got the Social Networking sites. I've seen authors who reply to every friend request with a "thank you for friending this author of [insert name of book]". To me, that's intrusive, and I can't bring myself to do it, although I'm sure it's effective for many. If it bugs me to see it, then I don't want to do it.
Had I known how much self-promotion was involved in writing, I might have had second thoughts. Right now, I'm supposed to be asking published authors if they'd be willing to read my manuscript and provide cover quotes. And of course, they want well-known authors or the quotes aren't going to sell the book. I know lots of "much bigger than I" authors, but I'm reluctant to approach them. They'll be put on the spot. How to decline politely. Or what if they do read the manuscript but don't like it?
For me, writing is fun. But trying to get the word out about ME isn't. Which might be why I'm willing to bet very few, if any, of the people reading this post have read any of my short stories or books, despite positive reviews.
Meanwhile, I'll keep writing. Because not writing is like not breathing.
As writers, we tend to be solitary beasts, sitting at a keyboard, usually blocking out intrusions. Even those who write in public places manage to get into their own zone. I started writing more for fun, for myself. It was a challenge, and a creative outlet (since I'd run out of room for needlepoint on my walls). I never thought beyond the creative process—until I met a friend at a meeting, and she said she was writing too. She introduced me to a critique group, and I began picking up a lot of knowledge of the craft.
Eventually, I finished the novel. I don't know what I thought came next—I was content to start writing another, but my crit group insisted I start submitting. Assuming someone would knock on my door and ask if I happened to have a novel lying around wasn't the way things worked.
Dealing with submissions, rejections, more submissions, more rejections wasn't something I'd considered, but it was still a solitary ordeal. However, I did get published with The Wild Rose Press, Cerridwen Press, and Five Star Expressions. Had I but known how much "non-writing" stuff accompanied being a writer, I might not have ever started.
If you're not a big name with a big NY House, you have to promote. A LOT of promoting. Now, I'm not shy about speaking in public. I spent many years as a teacher, and I love doing things like giving workshops or talki
ng about the writing process. What I don't like is having to initiate contact.Last year, at the Romantic Times conference, author Barry Eisler was a panel speaker. He was in the room well ahead of time, and instead of sitting behind the table, he was in the middle of the room, introducing himself to every person who entered, handing a business card (as if anyone at that conference didn't know who he was!). I'm not sure I could do that.
I've done book signings, but always in groups. I'm not confident enough to approach a book store and ask if they want me to have a solo signing. I'm not comfortable enticing people to my table. Ask me to wander around the bookstore handing out bookmarks? Not me. I did get brave once, and offered a bookmark to someone who was reading a book at Panera. She said, "No, thank you." Devastating. I mean, how hard would it have been to take it and throw it away when I wasn't looking?
Even the more "anonymous" promotion bugs me. I've got the Social Networking sites. I've seen authors who reply to every friend request with a "thank you for friending this author of [insert name of book]". To me, that's intrusive, and I can't bring myself to do it, although I'm sure it's effective for many. If it bugs me to see it, then I don't want to do it.
Had I known how much self-promotion was involved in writing, I might have had second thoughts. Right now, I'm supposed to be asking published authors if they'd be willing to read my manuscript and provide cover quotes. And of course, they want well-known authors or the quotes aren't going to sell the book. I know lots of "much bigger than I" authors, but I'm reluctant to approach them. They'll be put on the spot. How to decline politely. Or what if they do read the manuscript but don't like it?
For me, writing is fun. But trying to get the word out about ME isn't. Which might be why I'm willing to bet very few, if any, of the people reading this post have read any of my short stories or books, despite positive reviews.
Meanwhile, I'll keep writing. Because not writing is like not breathing.
