Jan: Welcome to our discussion on motivation with workshop leader, Simon Rose. Simon is the author of several splendid mid-grade novels and we're happy to have him. Now, let's talk motivation.

Yaya: I was wondering if you work on one book at a time or, do you have two or more books that you are writing at the same time? Thank you. Also, do you go from one article to another and back and forth?

JS: Hello Simon - I am curious about the same thing (simulataneous projects), especially as NANOWRIMO approaches, where I will be diving into a completely new project while working on my current book begun here at ICL. Tips from the pro? My eyes, ears (and mind) are wide open! :-)

Simon: One novel at a time as a rule, once I have the contract in place, but I do work on other projects such as articles for Dark Roasted Blend and other magazines simultaneously. I also tinker with ideas for as yet unwritten novels, add notes to them and so on, all the time.

Louisa.M.Alcott: How many times do you have to rewrite a draft before you actually get something you like?

Simon: The first novel was revised at least twenty eight times, the others between five and ten times during the writing process.

Louisa.M.Alcott: If you don't mind my asking, what prompted you, a.k.a inspired you, to become and author?

Simon: It was when I had children of my own, I think, and came into contact with children's books again for the first time in many years. Some I thought were great and others very poor indeed. Like many people I thought 'surely I can do better', but I'm not an artist so couldn't do picture books. As a result of reading Harry Potter, I was drawn to writing stories for eight to twelve year olds, but was never interested in stories about dragons, magic wizards and so on. I wanted to write about the things that interested me at the same age - time travel, history, science fiction, parallel universes etc.

mmmgood: My problem boils down to this: I want to write what I want to write. I love writing poetry, and short fiction. I LOVE writing poetry and short fiction. I also sort of use "inspiration" as an excuse to write what I want. I'm struggling with writers' block on two non-fiction articles that should be fun to write. I like the subject matter for both. I just don't know how to "get into" them, and write them in a fun and informative way. I have zero inspiration. I have inspiration out the whazoo for poetry and short stories, which I write every day without fail. I use "inspiration" as my excuse to write them. After all, I have to get them down while they're in my head, right? Do you have any magic motivational words of wisdom?

Simon: Not sure if these are magical words of wisdom, but to combat the dreaded writer’s block, you can engage in non-writing activities and just walk away for a while. It might seem perhaps overly simple, but you’d be surprised at the ideas that come to mind or the clutter that can be removed from your thoughts when out walking the dog, for example. And even if you don’t have a dog, get out in the fresh air and blow away those cobwebs. Maybe try driving whilst running errands, doing laundry or other housework, yard work in the summer or raking leaves in the fall. Meditating or relaxation exercises may ease the stress associated with the temporary impasse with your writing. Perhaps you also pursue other artistic endeavors like painting, completely unconnected to your usual projects, but this again may stimulate your creativity. You could even attempt something out of the ordinary or merely try something that is a genuinely new experience for you. If your particular writer’s block has resulted in a lack of new ideas, attempts to spark creativity by going somewhere new or doing something different could prove very worthwhile. Reading, watching movies or plays, listening to music or similar activities might also bring inspiration. If you prefer not to join a critique group or some other writer’s organization, be sure to occasionally meet up with friends for coffee or dinner, to chat about something unrelated to writing. The change of scene will most likely do you the world of good and who knows, inspiration may even strike in the most unlikely settings.

mmmgood: Do you have any tricks to drawing inspiration for a need-to-do-but-doesn't-strike-my-fancy commitment? I’m sure there are times when an author is commissioned to write something that he/she isn’t “in to.” So how do they go about writing it, and making it quality work?

Simon: I'm not sure what to suggest, not knowing your exact circumstances. I have lots of ideas too which send me off in different directions, but usually an article for which I am being paid usually has a deadline and this is motivation enough at times to get it done. As to how to make it quality work, whether it is accepted by the client is usually the only measure you have. In the course of your career, you will write numerous articles, short pieces, even entire novels that you aren't completely happy with, loving every word or turn of phrase. That's the nature of the business. You often have to compromise when dealing with an editor or publisher and refusing to change one word of 'your masterpiece' will certainly not get you published. Similarly with articles, if the client who is paying for the piece is happy, whether it's your best ever work or not is largely irrelevant.

Simon: I have written poetry in the past and find it very easy to create, but there will never be a huge commercial market for it, unfortunately.

Yaya: Have you ever been prompted to put any of your poetry into your novels?

Simon: No, poetry would be highly inappropriate in my novels. These amusing little poems are for younger readers and picture books or for adults.

ArborVitae: Do you have any good strategies for staying motivated when the ideas aren't flowing? When I have a great idea to write about, I have no trouble meeting my daily word count goal. But when my mind is blocked and I have no idea what to write about, I dread sitting down at my computer to write towards my daily goal. How can I make it not seem like a chore when I don't have any writing ideas?

Simon: If I’m struggling a little with a project, I also opt for writing tasks unrelated to my current novel, such as writing articles like this one, but also e mails, planning out another story, creating a new word search puzzle for my website, making changes to my online pages, editing blog entries, sending invoices and other paperwork to schools in advance of an author visit or other general marketing and promotional work. Once I am actually tapping away at the keyboard, it eventually seems to get the creative juices flowing again. It’s also a good idea to walk away from the computer every once in a while, just to take a break from your writing. I often work elsewhere in the house, such as at the kitchen table, for example, when I’m preparing a new workshop or residency, writing an outline and so on, usually with pen and paper. This can also involve editing a manuscript, if I’m at that point in the process and I need to see the novel on paper, so print off a copy and go elsewhere, simply for a change of scenery. I will also sometimes head to a coffee shop or some other similar establishment, working for several hours and invariably return home feeling refreshed. As writers, we spend so much time at our desks, engrossed in out projects and it’s a good idea to take a break and recharge your batteries once in a while.

Jan: Simon, What would you consider the top things that demotivate writers and give us some tips in dealing with them. We love tips.

Simon: Rejections of course are a big demotivator, but you can't let it get you down. If you take it personally, you might as well give up now, because that's the nature of the business. Some people never even get started because of their fear of rejection. Writer's block is also an obstacle, but I offered a few tips on that in my reply to a couple of other posts. And don't overly compare yourself to others either, whether they are published or not. Focus on your own work. Unfortunately there are a lot of great novels that never make it, just as there are some poor ones that do.

Jan: I know you do a lot of promotion for your books -- with so many books competing for attention, how do you keep yourself psyched up to do all that promoting? Do you look for new ways or approaches? Or do you stick with the "tried and true?"

Simon: It can be difficult to get going for yet another fall and Christmas season in the bookstores, to be honest, and I almost didn't book any events this year. However, I have now done three in-store events this fall and have sold a fair number of books and made some good connections with teachers and parents. I have started to focus less on traveling recently and am focusing on more local promotion, which seems to be working. However, I have put more into online promotion as well, which seems to be paying off in more awareness globally for me and my books.

Sue: Promotion comes from many different places, and I believe that those of us in the literary world are active promoters of others because we "get it." We understand what goes into the writing and we understand the elation when people are happy for us!

Okami: how do you find a balance between promoting yourself and your books, and still having time to WRITE the next one(s). I'm a bit concerned that if I can get to the point where I've sold a book, I'll need to spend so much time on the promotion, I won't be able to write anymore books, or polish the ones I wrote prior to the first one getting sold. Your thoughts?

Simon: Unless you become an overnight success you will have to do the promotional work, although you don't say if you are planning on doing it full time . You will still have time to write more books but it will be difficult, no doubt about it. I don't balance it as well as I would like, but am trying to do more online promotion, less events and school visits etc, to allow me more time to write. However that being said I have been busy promoting and marketing for six or seven years now and still write six book as the same time. Sleep becomes something of a luxury at times.

mmmgood: Do you find you are more creative/productive when the rest of the house is sleeping?

Simon: Yes, I often do most creative work at night when the kids are asleep.

Simon: I don't just make a living though the books. I do many other things - workshops, teaching, summer camps, parties, articles, websites and more. If you're prepared to do that, you can be a working writer/author.

Okami: How did you acquire the skills for all these things -- it seems a lot more than writing is required to be a successful writer.

Simon: I have a background in sales, marketing and promotion and have learned much over the years and more recently have learned about online marketing. I knew before I started that authors get paid to go to schools and libraries, so that was an obvious place to start. I have marketed myself for other writing jobs with magazines, website developers, ad agencies and so on. There's also a great book called Guerilla Marketing for Writers, which may or may not have been updated in recent years. Mostly for self help authors, it has some great tips for writers in general.

Meena: Have any of your characters totally misbehaved and done something you did not want them to do? Have they taken you down story lines that you as an author to area that you are afraid off.

Mikki: I'm not Simon, but my characters do that all the time. I had my primary antagonist in the novel I just finished wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me she was not happy with her story line and she wanted to change it. Of course, my husband thinks I've lost a few marbles when I tell him things like that, but nevertheless, it is true. I did change her story line, and the novel came out much better. I had an editor tell me that when you become so comfortable with your characters that they start talking to you, it is a good thing.

Okami: I may create the characters, but once they're realized, they do what they need to. I know this may sound psychotic, but it really is true for many writers. Granted, there are some writers who find this notion too offbeat to be possible, but to each his own, right? I still struggle with the right mix of reader appeal and what the characters need to do, but I'm getting better with it.

Simon: I have had characters behave in ways I didn't expect, but not to drastically alter the plot, I must admit. However, I do complete a detailed outline and do a lot of planning before commencing the actual novel, so that may be a factor in that.

Yaya: I, too, have had characters take it upon themselves to shape their own stories. I tend to see it as a true fulfillment of the 'Invisible Friend,' Syndrome.

Meena: My issue is not a character telling me what to do per se, rather when they "make" you "deal" with an issue you were not ready to take on yet like: suicide, genocide, religious persecution, etc...

Simon: But ultimately these characters are not real and are your creation. You can make them do whatever you want really and they are never truly in control.

Jan: I can see what you mean, Meena. Sometimes as you're writing, you realize that for this story to feel true and this plot to work out, you have to go in a direction that might be darker than you first expected or more emotionally challenging. Then, to see the story really end up being what it needs to be, you have to decide what you can handle as a writer.

ArborVitae: Do you have a local "writer's support" group? How has it helped you? What's the best way to go about creating a local writing group when everyone is so busy? I don't know many writers in my area, but I'd love to get group going. What's a good place to start?

Simon: No, I don't have a local support group, never show my work to others and have never taken part in a critique group. I know a lot of local writers, but see them individually for coffee periodically or at local events. The nearest thing to what you are asking about is my position as local rep for SCBWI. There are around twenty members locally and we get together every second month for drinks at the pub.

Simon: The best way to get started would be to try and arrange general get togethers with other writers, nothing formal, just socializing. If it evolves into everyone talking about their current projects, issues with a storyline or characters, tips on getting a publisher etc, that's great, but don't mention that at the beginning or you will put people off.

Jan: Simon, I was reading on a blog somewhere about the dangers of talking about your work in progress. And I have to admit, I have found I can talk all the energy right out of the project. I stay a lot better motivated if I keep mum. What about you? Are you a talker or do you keep a story close to the vest until it's at least through a draft. When do you feel safe talking about a book?

Simon: I might talk about the general premise of a story at an early stage, as I did today at the school, but normally keep quiet about it. I have no critique groups or anything like that and only confer with the publisher. Once the work is well underway, I put what will become the back cover blurb on my website beside 'Coming Soon.'

Okami: Do you feel pretty confident you know where your going since you don't work with a critique group? Personally, I can't imagine not getting feedback on my work at various stages, it's saved me from making serious mistakes, and even worse, sending those mistakes off into the world.

Simon: Yes, because I have worked with the same publisher for six books. I have never worked with a critique group. I have also never had an agent and have more or less given up on them.

Yaya: How did you manage to get that first book published?

Simon: Well obviously the story appealed to the publisher as a good one, but also more importantly one that he could sell, without which belief few, if any publishers, will take you on. The first novel has also proved popular with children. There is also an element of luck, being in the right place at the right time, call it what you will, but its just one of those things you can't plan for.

Simon: I sent a query, offering sample chapters, to every publisher in Canada for the genre, and had address labels printed and ready to go for all relevant publishers in the US and UK. I'm not sure how many form rejection letters I got back, but my current publisher asked for samples, then the whole manuscript, before we spoke at length on the phone. A contract for the book followed a few months later in the fall of 2001.

Yaya: Do you feel that you are an organized writer, Simon? And what advice, specifically, would you give to those of us who find organizational skills to be more challenging? Thank you for anything you can suggest.

Simon: I know where everything is on my desk and in my office, but it is rather chaotic. My computer files are all very well organized, including creative work and administrative material. I do manage time for projects reasonably well, I think. I give priority to those projects with deadlines and paydays.

Yaya: Do you have a certain goal for yourself each day, such as so many words or so many hours writing?

Simon: If all I did was write, I would do that, but I am unable to do so due to all my other projects and responsibilities.

Yaya: May I ask how you monitor your actual writing, then?

Simon: I don't really. Once I get the contract for the next book, I begin writing and set time aside for it around everything else.

Yaya: You have mentioned your children and I just wondered if, with the type of writing you do, are your children a point of inspiration or motivation in your writing? I don't mean in the way that you know you need to earn money for food and shelter, but do they say and do things that find a way into your novels?

Simon: Possibly, but I can't think of anything specific. My son's name is the name of the hero in The Emerald Curse, because I asked him if he wanted that before he was too old to enjoy the books. My daughter's name may be used in the next book, but that's still up for debate. My cat appears under his own name in The Emerald Curse as well.

Yaya: Thank you. What did you mean about asking him before he was too old to enjoy the books? Has he now reached an age where he wishes you had not used his name?

Simon: No, I meant when the book came out, he was likely to read it, but he is now too old for the books so would not read a future novel with his name in it.

Yaya: I always worry that my family will feel forgotten in my quest to be a writer. Do you feel that your family time has suffered because of the time spent with your career?

Simon: I have no spouse, but have my children here 60% of the time. I have time to work when they are either at school or in bed, and only take care of urgent e mails when they are around.

Carina: when do you know when to let go of a story? It seems there is always revision to do, even after it's been published. I read the few stories I've published and then I think, Oh no, this could have been better.

Simon: I don't really know. It just seems to be the right time, I guess, when you've revised as much as you can before it goes to the publisher. There may be still be changes after that of course, but that's to be expected. I've never really contemplated changes after publication.

Carina: How many hours a day do you write and how do you stay motivated to keep writing?

Simon: If I can focus just on writing, I could write for ten hours or more per day for weeks, but those times are rare these days due to all my other commitments. If there is no actual deadline, i have sometimes set my own deadline, such as finishing a book before the end of the summer a couple of years ago. I was actually finished in mid September, but the self imposed deadline helped. This novel has yet to find a home.

Sharonda: My question to you is did you have a specific hero that helped you want to become a writer? Or maybe helped push you to chase your dream? What qualities do you think writers should look for if (or when) they say or they decide that somebody is their hero in the writing field? Also, would you consider having a role model in the writing field a good thing? Some people say it's bad because you tend to want to write just like that person but would you consider it a really bad thing?

Simon: Sorry, no I don't have a hero or role model. I have admired, and continue to admire, some writers and their work, but have never attempted to duplicate or even lightly pay homage to another writer. I think it could be detrimental if you copied another's style to closely, especially if it was someone well known.

Yaya: May I suggest that, although we may each have our idols (so to speak), I think that we live in an age when we have subtle influences by many, many writers, artists and people of varying talents and less-talented degrees. That said, I personally feel that just as a fire, to begin to roar into flame, must follow certain patterns, we as writers tend to be sponges of sorts in absorbing information from every aspect of our lives. Are your feelings somewhat the same, Simon?

Simon: I'm sure we are influenced by many things that come into our lives, whether we are writers or not.

Yaya: After you have worked for however long it takes you to write a novel and you write the last word, do you find it difficult to then let your story's character's return to their own lives? I have a friend, Jack Weyland, who has written many books and each time he finishes one, he says that he goes into a period of mourning for the lost companionships of those whom he has spent so much time with. Do you ever feel this way?

Simon: Not really. Once the story is over, I move on to the next. Some of the novels could have sequels but there has been no interest from the publisher.

claudette: What can you tell those who see the successes of other writers and compare themselves constantly with those successes? How do you encourage the writer who sees others' work as so much more powerful, beautiful, worthy, etc. than their own?

Simon: There are always going to be people both more and less successful than you, no matter what line of work you are in. I have been a judge for several literary awards in the last two or three years and have read some great books and others that I wondered how they ever got published. I have six books in print now and know from meeting readers or receiving e mails from them how well liked these novels are. Sure, there are some books out there that are better than mine, which could be for a variety of reasons - more talent, perhaps, but also more time to concentrate on the novel could easily be part of it too. And there are an awful lot of books that are very poor, even if they somehow won awards. You have to learn to be comfortable with your own writing. I never worry too much about other writers, since that is their work, from their imagination and I can't write their book for them.

Okami: How do you learn to be confident in your own writing, and feel like you earned it, without getting overconfident?

Simon: The only way to feel confident about your own writing is to keep at it and refine it until you are happy with the result. Your skill will also improve with time and the amount of writing that you actually do. I'm not sure I ever feel like I've earned it, so I'm not sure what you mean there. Its just what I do and I know when its good, even brilliant and when it needs improvement. I also show it to no one but the publisher, so just need to be confident, even overly so, that he will like it.

Jan: First, there will always be people who are better than you. There are many writers who are better than me. But this is not a competition with only one "blue ribbon." I don't need to be as good as someone else, I need to be as good as *me.* Writing is a journey...we never just stop and camp because we've "arrived." So, the key I think is to accept that where your writing is right now is absolutely fine for right now...and where it will be tomorrow will be even better. If where I am is fine...and where I'm going is better, then I can be both free to write now (because it's absolutely fine for right now) and EAGER for corrective criticism since that's one way that I'll be even better tomorrow.

Jan: I'm a solid craftsman (because of constant improvement and practice and being open to -- if not always delighted by-- criticism) and as a result, sometimes publishers come to me. They can count on solid writing done quickly...but I'm not the elegant artist of someone like Linda Sue Park and I never will be. But that's okay. The world has Linda Sue to do Linda Sue's books. I can instead be the person who needs to write MY stuff. I can be realistic about where I am RIGHT NOW and be okay with it for right now.

Jan: If I thought right now with my work was as good as it will ever get, I would find that really demotivating because I'm always wanting to get better. I'm always wanting to move along on MY OWN writing journey. And so I look for feedback...I love being edited...I appreciate my small group of readers who look at my work for me...because I'm always looking for feedback to become better than I am, without condemning where I am.

Jan: I don't worry about deserve or earn or even confident...I focus on the next step, always. I do the work before me today (because how I am today is *fine*) and I keep my eye on the next step that will make me better than I am now...not because I stink right now, but because I'll never settle. Plus, when I write through a piece, I feel more confident because even if I'm not totally confident with THIS draft, that's cool, because I'll be an even better writer when it's time to start revising it.

Yaya: Do you have situations that insist on pulling you away from you writing and, if so, how do you ordinarily deal with them?

Simon: Yes, I do, such as family responsibilities, working in schools and so on, which take me away from the computer altogether, and these are unavoidable. Articles and other writing work also takes me away from writing books, but since they have a payday, they have to take priority.

Simon: I am trying to do more things online from home and have stopped traveling, doing more things locally, which has certainly freed up more time at the computer, since I never did any real work on the road.

DeliaJolie: I am french, it means English is not my native language. What can you tell to someone like me to gain confidence in my work?

Simon: Why do you want to work in English, if French is by far your most fluent tongue? Couldn't you create all your work in French, then look at translations into English, rather than struggling to get your message across in an unfamiliar language?

Simon: I was suggesting working in your own language then employing a professional translator to adapt the work into English. Obviously this would entail considerable expense, but it would be the only way to get your ideas across properly. My first book is being translated into Korean and I am eager to see the results, even though I don't speak the language. A publisher will find it hard to look past poorly written English, I would imagine, so perhaps the only way would be to become fluent in written English, if you were not pursuing the professional translator option.

Jan: clearly DeliaJolie's English is good, but she's more confident in French. I have seen many ESL writers who do beautiful English work -- so it is possible, but may requite unique approaches. So writing in French first and then doing her OWN translation might be an option if concerns about fluency are making the prose stiff or creating any kind of block. If you dream in French, why not write in it? It's your point of creative flow. Revision is a kind of ... more mechanical process anyway. Yours would just also include translation, but it would be translation of a piece that flowed more easily from your creative self. Trying to write first in English might be hard on your creativity, I would think since the process of translation is more mechanical...it would be like my fretting about my spelling (which is tragically bad) while writing my drafts. I don't. I just write and fix in revision.

Carina: My first language is Afrikaans. But when I decided 2 years ago that I want to do the ICL writing course, I never doubt in my English (second language) ability to write. I told my instructor and she helped me very well with the American English, which is also different from the British English I am used to. It never occured to me to first write in Afrikaans and then translate it to English, while living in the U.S.A. My tenses (in English) SUCK, has always since school days. I also thought writing for children in English would be easier that writing for adults. I was soooooo wrong.In the last 2 years I did get some of my worked publish in SFC and Hopscotch. I did write a story in Afrikaans and translate in into English for my critique group, but that didn't worked for me. Now I have to go and do the revisions in both languages! The sceret is to keep writing and rewriting.

Jan: Do you have any particular part of a novel that's your hump? I know some people have trouble coming up with the courage to begin (which isn't likely to be your hump, I know )and some people tend to feel a little bogged down in the middle, or some have trouble pushing quite through to the end, or sticking with the tough revision. What's your hump? If you don't feel like you have one anymore, what was your hump when you first started and how do you motivate yourself to push through?

Simon: Certainly not the beginning and I always know where the story is going and how the ending will be, more or less. I'm not sure if there really is a hump, although parts of the middle can be difficult. I also always write more than is needed, then cut it down, which is far easier than not writing enough then having to add parts in, since they always seem to me to be artificially grafted on. However, even though I know parts I have worked very diligently on will have to be sacrificed, its still a struggle to let it go after creating it.

Jan: You were talking about balancing children, writing, and promotion. You mentioned that writing at night has been good for you -- giving you time when your kids have gone on to bed. Can you give any other tips on how you find that balance? I know it's always a work in progress to find balance in our lives but I remember scrambling for options when my daughter was tiny since I still had deadlines. Do you write or outline or plan or anything writerly while waiting at "pick up" times for the kids, for instance? I know some writers have found ways to fit writing into waiting in the parking lot for dance lessons to end and what not? Do you triage your demands and make weekly or daily plans? How far ahead do you know what you're doing when? I know you've scaled back to local events whenever possible -- I think a lot of folks have (both for time and economy) -- do you find you can actually find enough local events?

Simon: Yes, I often take work with me to do in those situations. I always take work to do to book signings when I am in the store for four or five hours in case its really quiet. Any 'waiting' situation for children is fair game to get some notes done on a new novel or project, as long as it involves waiting and not watching a child in some kind of activity, when your full attention is of course needed. When my kids still went to playgrounds I often took a pen and notepad with me and have taken a voice recorder when walking the dog , to record and work out ideas. I also have a notepad in the car and frequently make notes when stopped at traffic lights.

unomahi: I have never submitted any writing for publishing, but I can imagine i will want to give up and absolutely take it personal if my work is rejected.( Perhaps that is keeping me from submitting my writing) What advice can you give to help me conquer this fear?

Simon: You are going to suffer rejection and if you are going to take it personally, you will be in for a very hard time. Your work will not be perfect for everyone and ultimately might not be for anyone at all. All you can do is keep sending it out.

LittleMaya: I asked this question on the board a while back. What I remember most about the feedback I got: editors reject manuscripts for all sorts of reasons, and most of the negative responses have nothing to do with the quality of your work. That's why it's important to keep sending it out. It will be perfect for someone's publication.

Okami: As I'm looking for a publisher or an agent, it's tough since it seems no one is taking submissions in my genre without an agent.

Simon: I found it strange that all these people weren't accepting anything at all, except through agents, since my own research has proved otherwise and I do not use an agent.

Okami: Maybe the business is getting tougher?

Simon: The business is not 'tougher now', because of the state of the economy or anything else like that. It has always been tough and it always will be. Like the other poster has said, you have to research the submission guidelines freely available on the websites of every relevant publisher for your genre and age group, whether this is a handful or in the hundreds. There are no short cuts.

Simon: I can more or less guarantee that there will be some who accept queries from writers without agents. And remember it is probably more difficult to get an agent than it is to get a publisher anyway and it is a well documented fact that not all writers who have become published have used an agent. You do not have to use one. And just as in any other occupation, some agents are very, very good, some are average and some are very poor indeed. Have you already been though every entry at Preditors and Editors? I have found this to be an excellent resource.

Jan: Well, many of the larger houses have postponed book release dates and scaled back on number of books. That's fact. I see it in the books coming to me for review for DISCOVERY GIRLS. But, does that mean it's harder to get published? It does mean there will be books that were right on the edge...maybe a little harder to market, maybe a little less promising for sales figures, maybe from authors whose previous books have not sold well...some of those books won't be accepted. But for most authors -- especially newer authors -- the business is just about like it's always been. It's tough. But the odds of a well written, marketable book finding a home is probably not much different than it's ever been.

Jan: As to fantasy publishers. A few of the bigger US publishers HAVE gone to wanting agented only because of the sudden explosion of really poorly written really derivative novels in the wake of what looks like easy money from Harry Potter and then Twilight. For publishers getting literarally thousands and thousands of submissions, it's just smarter to shut off that tap.

Jan: But there are still a lot of fantasy publishers who accept unsolicited queries. Really, honest and truly. I see fantasy authors getting first books in print without agents all the time...they post about it on boards. The Fangs, Fur, and Fey board (which focues on urban fantasy) often adds new fantasy writers and they don't all have agents.

Jan: Now, if you don't have an agent -- you do need a killer query because the number of publishers accepting unsolicited MANUSCRIPTS is fairly small...and most are not really good publishers. Maybe it would help if you'd let us know where you're looking for publishers...what resource material? We might be able to help you expand your search to other resources since you don't seem to be finding publishers in your present resources.

Jan: As for agents, that is one area where the news is getting better. The number of agents is literally exploding these days. It's easier to get an agent than it's EVER been. They can be harder to find since this constant addition is so new and so on-going, but I keep seeing new agents added to agencies so I know it's happening.

Jan: One thing I do think we have to be super careful not to do is self-sabotage. Writers can be dismal 'the glass is half-empty' pessimists. We don't need to be dwelling on the things we cannot do, but focusing on what we can do -- dwelling on what you cannot do is self-defeating. It'll rob your motivation. It'll give yourself permission to fail before you even start trying! As long as 'I can't' is the first thing that comes to mind in any endeavor, chances are you won't, not because you couldn't but because you never gave yourself a chance.

Jan: Thank you for visiting with us again. I can see your visit has caused a lot of our visitors to think about elements of motivation and getting/staying motivated.

Simon: You're welcome. It is a tough business, with many potential disappointments along the way and it is very important that anyone starting out realizes that.

Jan: I agree, going in with your eyes open is key to not letting the challenges and rejections derail you. Thanks again.