We’ve been working on it for years, but it took the global pandemic to make it possible: bringing a crowd of nearly 100 (tiny digital faces) to The Writers Circle to learn from publishing expert Jane Friedman.
“The Foundations of Getting Published” was just that—an event that gave everyone on the Zoom call a firm foundation on the ins, outs, and options of getting published, no matter which route the writer chooses to take.
Jane Friedman joined us for an invaluable two hours on Sunday, October 25, 2020, sharing an in-depth, comprehensive and remarkably concise presentation. She covered everything from the ways and means of publishing to the need for an “author platform.” Starting with the different options – from the traditional “Big 5” to small presses and self-publishing – she walked participants through the advantages and challenges of each, as well as the various stages of getting work out there.
Jane broke down genres and categories in fiction, nonfiction and even kid-lit, then helped us understand what makes a project commercially viable. The ever-anxiety-producing question of agents calmed just a tiny bit as she explained the query and submission process.
She shared countless tips and resources to help writers pinpoint the best markets for our work, and even broke down basic royalty rates—all without leaving us (completely) overwhelmed.
Attendee Elizabeth Shaw, a first-time writer from The Bronx, joined the program to help her determine whether or not to try to get published. “I found Jane tremendously knowledgeable, polished yet accessible and authentic. Loved the Writer’s Circle folks as well.”
Along with our many local writers and long-time friends, participants logged onto the event from the UK, Canada, and France. And joining the many aspiring writers were several published authors who added to the conversation with questions about managing agent relationships and second or third publication challenges.
With so much covered, there was still room for more. We hope to bring Jane back to The Writers Circle to unravel more publishing mysteries soon.
If you have a publishing topic that you’d like us to delve into, please drop us a line and we’ll put it into our planning for 2021!
