What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?

Lately I’ve been hearing this question over and over again: What would you do if you weren’t afraid? It’s a good question, meant to inspire us to dream beyond our boundaries, to “think big,” to pursue our goals. But I think we tend to hear it and then brush it off, not really spending time with it. Maybe we think we’re not afraid of much. Or the opposite — thinking about our fears overwhelms us. Maybe we don’t have time for such silly exercises. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the point of the question. And I found myself getting defensive, if only in my mind. I’m doing the best I can. Why must I feel bad for not doing MORE? But then I decided to honestly consider the question. What would I do if I weren’t afraid? Maybe... [ Read More → ]

Try “Thinking Negative” for a Change

I’m an optimist by nature — I usually expect things will all work out. But I find that I’m more successful and experience less disappointment when I practice “thinking negative.” What do I mean by that? When I “think negative,” I factor into my habitual “positive thinking” a realistic assessment of the difficulties, challenges or obstacles that may be in front of me. I attempt to understand any potential risks or pitfalls in my path. Wherever I’m headed, whatever my goals might be, I can’t afford to be unreservedly positive. There are several clear advantages to “negative thinking,” including: ♦ When you’re focused on “thinking positive,” you may not be adequately prepared for the challenges of... [ Read More → ]

7 Ways to Look Good on Your Webcam

http://www.rachellegardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/527116_s-150x150.jpg Have you been on Skype lately? Had a meeting via Google+ hangout? Done any video-blogging? These days more of us are communicating via video rather than just voice or the written word — and I highly recommend it. People seem to like it because  communication is more effective and memorable when you can see the other person’s face. The downside is that you’ll probably need to get out of your PJ’s and run a comb through your hair for your “phone call” or blog — potentially a big deal for those who work at home. Since it’s important to make the right visual impression, I thought I’d share a few tips I’ve learned from experience. First, let me say: Don’t stress out! With a little effort, it’s not difficult to create the right... [ Read More → ]

The Lonely Life of the Writer

http://www.rachellegardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lonely-tree-150x150.jpg People often ask me what I do for a living. If I say “I’m a literary agent,” I’m likely to receive a blank stare. I quickly tell them I work with authors to help them get their books published; sometimes I’ll say, “You know how actors and athletes have agents? Well, authors have agents too.” Occasionally (depending on my listener) I might say I’m like Jerry Maguire, but for authors. Show me the money! The point is, most people in the “real world” are pretty clueless about the publishing world. And those who think they know something are quite often wrong. But you can’t explain it to people — if they’re not involved, they just won’t get it. As a writer, you experience the same thing. Much of your energy is... [ Read More → ]

Who Should Read Your Unpublished Work?

One of the most common pieces of advice writers are given is: Get outside feedback. Published or not, writers typically show their work to beta readers, critique partners, friends, family members or anyone who will read it, to get feedback before submitting to an editor, agent or publisher. I’m one of those who frequently gives this advice. But here is a caveat: All readers are not created equal. Getting feedback from the wrong readers can be more than simply unhelpful — it can steer you in the wrong direction. Worse, you may not even realize the input you’re receiving is bad. I can’t tell you how many times authors have lamented about the contradictory, unhelpful or confusing feedback they’re getting from readers, only to unpack it and realize they’re... [ Read More → ]

3 Ways to Change Your Thinking Today

The writing and publishing life can be hard on the equilibrium. It’s full of ups and downs, hopes deferred, dreams dashed, dreams realized, ego strokes and debilitating criticism. We wonder if we’ll ever reach our goals. We swing between high-on-life optimism and crushing pessimism. We decry that this path shouldn’t be so difficult. We rail against systems. We wonder how to write a good book. We despair of ever reaching our readers. But there is another way to think about it. Many of you have probably read Good to Great by Jim Collins, a classic book for business and leadership. In it, he explains what he calls the Stockdale Paradox, a way of thinking that can get anyone through the most harrowing of circumstances. You can click here for a short audio clip of Jim... [ Read More → ]

Don’t Feed Your Discontent

Back when I was in my 20′s, I went through a phase in which I was extremely unhappy with my looks. My hair, my face, my weight, my clothes — nothing was right. I was buying more expensive makeup, going on fad diets, and spending too much money on clothes in the attempt to feel better about myself. One day I had an “aha” moment when I realized I was feeding myself a steady diet of fashion magazines like Glamour, and entertainment magazines like People, that featured an endless array of “beautiful people” who would always be prettier, skinnier, and more fashionable than I (and who, in fact, didn’t really exist except as a product of endless Photoshopping). Deciding to give up my magazine addiction, I noticed a substantial improvement in my self-image... [ Read More → ]

The Facts vs. The Story You Tell Yourself

As an agent, I spend a lot of time talking writers through the obstacles and difficulties — both tangible and emotional — of a publishing career. We’re constantly making important decisions together and solving problems. One thing that persistently thwarts a writer’s ability to stay positive and optimistic is the tendency to see a set of facts and then construct a “story” from those facts — a story that isn’t objectively true. Like a set of blocks that can be used to build an infinite number of structures, a set of facts can be interpreted in numerous ways (although with the facts, some interpretations are correct and others aren’t.) Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean: Scenario #1: Fact: An unpublished author has been querying... [ Read More → ]

What’s Your 2013 Focus?

Happy new year! I’ve been on a blogging break, and while it was refreshing, I’m excited to dive back in. Since we just celebrated New Year’s, I decided to start by to discussing our areas of focus for 2013. Many of us have spent time over the holidays evaluating our lives and our work, and coming up with goals, resolutions, thoughts or words to guide us through the new year. Have you done this? In all this thinking and envisioning what I’d like to accomplish this year, I had an epiphany and I wanted to share it with you (in hopes that maybe you’ll share your epiphanies too). I frequently read books and blogs about business and leadership, but I’ve always read the leadership material from a rather distant standpoint, thinking of it as hypothetical... [ Read More → ]

What’s Your Holiday Writing Plan?

Ah, the holiday season. I have to admit, I absolutely love this time of year. I’m crazy about Christmas music, decorations, and Colorado sun shining on the snow. But the holiday season can lead to frustration when we’re trying to juggle work and family with the increased demands the holidays put on our time. The time available for writing dwindles and you start to feel behind and get stressed that you’re not meeting your goals or deadlines. So I propose that today, or this weekend, you take a few quiet moments to make yourself a Holiday Plan. Let’s face this time of year with a strategy that will take us through to January 2nd with the least amount of stress possible. How should you create your Holiday Plan? 1. Take a look at the next three weeks on the calendar... [ Read More → ]

How Do You Know If Your Work is Any Good?

A question from a reader on Facebook: I’ll ask the question that’s been asked a hundred thousand times by writers perhaps at all levels. Outside of selling, how do you know that your work is actually good? You may pitch a book, and it might be good but might not be what an agent likes. So how do you validate that what you are doing is good? Always a good question! And a tough one. Here are some thoughts: First, there’s the definition of “good.” Art and entertainment are completely subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While there are certain standards by which many of us agree to judge worthiness, it’s still not even close to being objective. Organizations routinely give awards to books that would bore the heck out of most  readers.... [ Read More → ]

Do You Have Impostor Syndrome?

This week I’m celebrating the sale of a client’s project to a dream publisher—a project I first saw (and loved) two years ago. I knew the moment I read the manuscript that it was something special. I resonated with the author’s story and her writing, and I felt very strongly that many others would too. Eventually. My instinct was that it wasn’t the right timing to put it out to publishers. I suggested she take some time to polish the manuscript, while also working on her blog and building her platform. I told her the market just wasn’t ready for it, and I didn’t want to show it to publishers at the wrong time. I promised I’d be watching for the right time and the right editors to send it to. She handled all of this like a professional. She... [ Read More → ]

Success in 90-Minute Increments

A few months ago, I blogged about interval training for writers. I referred to the growing body of research on human performance suggesting we’re most productive when we move between periods of high focus and rest, rather than attempting to maintain high focus for long periods of time. I’d been strongly influenced by Tony Schwartz’s book, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working (which is still a favorite). I wrote that: 90 minutes is the optimum high-focus work time; and a maximum of three 90-minute focused periods a day provides for the most productivity.* Lately I’ve been experimenting with this, using a timer on my desk to create 90-minute intervals for highly focused work, usually writing. The first few times I did this, I was amazed at how I finished the... [ Read More → ]

Are You Ready for the Pain of Publishing?

Guest Blogger: Ed Cyzewski (@edcyzewski) “Publishing a book would be neat.” I hear that all of the time from people when I mention I’m an author. I rarely tell them what my experience of book publishing has actually been like—except for this one time. A friend was just starting to explore writing full time with the goal of publishing a book. “You’re serious?” I asked. “Definitely,” he replied. “Are you ready for two or three years of rejection?” I began. “It could happen. That’s how long it took me to get my first book deal. I’ve heard of successful authors being rejected thirty, fifty, or more times.” His eyes widened as I continued. “And then there’s the chance of a contract being cancelled—that’s happened to me and several friends. And... [ Read More → ]