Rx for Writers

Transcripts

MODERATOR is Kristi Holl, the web editor for this site, author of more than 20 middle grade novels and 50+ articles for adults and children, and a teacher for the Institute of Children's Literature for l5 years.

Terry is Terry Whalin, a prolific full-time freelance writer from Colorado. Terry's magaznie articles have appeared in more than 50 publications, plus he's written 55 books since l992. A former editor for Decision Magazine, Terry specializes in the inspirational field.

Names color coded in blue are audience members who asked questions.

Interviews in the Scheduled Events Room begin on Thursday evenings at 8 Eastern, 7 Central, 6 Mountain, and 5 Pacific.

MODERATOR: Good evening, everyone! Welcome to our interview with Terry Whalin, who will be discussing "The Business Side of Writing" with us tonight. I'm Kristi Holl, the web editor for this site and your moderator for the evening. We know that in order to make a living as writers, we need to treat our writing as a business. Tonight we'll be talking with a writer who made the break to full-time freelancing in l994. How can we as writers be more productive? What about the new management tools available? Finding an agent when we need one? Networking with writers and editors? Terry will be sharing answers to these business questions--are more--tonight. Terry's magazine articles have appeared in more than 50 publications, plus he's written 55 books, so this is a writer who knows his business! Welcome, Terry!

Terry: Hello, everyone. I'm delighted to be here tonight.

MODERATOR: First, Terry, can you give us a bit of your writing background, telling us how you started and how you ended up freelancing full-time?

Terry: I worked on my high school newspaper at the encouragement of my high school English teacher. Then I went to college at Indiana University and majored in journalism. Then I left my writing for ten years while I was in linguistics. I returned to writing magazine articles about fifteen years ago. My first book was a children's book published in 1992. Since that time I've written more than 55 books in a variety of genres, all nonfiction. Also I've worked as an editor at In Other Words, a missionary organization, then for a year I was the Associate Editor at Decision, which is the publication of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association with a circulation of 1.8 million. After Decision, I launched into my full-time freelance business and have been going at it ever since.

MODERATOR: That's a HUGE number of books since l992! Do you now write both fiction and nonfiction?

Terry: I have written some short stories for magazines. My magazine work has been published in more than 50 magazines, but the bulk of my writing is nonfiction.

MODERATOR: What is one important key to being able to write full-time? (I'm thinking of your productivity!)

Terry: One important key is to be motivated. That motivation can come from several sources. I write in the religious/ inspirational marketplace so much of what I'm writing about has a spiritual purpose. Since I've been a full-time freelancer, I also have the motivation to make a living, pay my mortgage and all those regular sorts of things. I can't afford not to be productive and still pay my bills.

Willie Willow Tree: Where do you find your topics in the non-fiction area?

Terry: Willie, I find my topics all sorts of places. Newspapers are a great source of ideas because they are only on the shelf for a limited time, like one day. Also I am always looking for interesting stories and people. I meet new people on the airplane when I travel or at church or almost anywhere. As you can tell, I'm fairly outgoing. Yet I'm also always thinking about ideas and the marketplace.

Norene: What are a few of your non-fiction topics that have sold well?

Terry: I've written a new series of prayers--Prayers for My Son, Prayers for My Daughter, Prayers for My Husband and Prayers for My Wife--these books came out in September. Also I wrote a business book which came out in May and has done well called Lessons From the Pit. The Pit is the Eurodollar Pit on the floor of the Chicago Merc. My co-author, Joe Leininger, traded there for ten years and made a million dollars every year he was there. These topics have sold well.

Willie Willow Tree: So what area of writing brings in the cash on a steady basis?

Terry: For me, it's been in co-authored books. These are books which either do not have my name on them or they are ghostwritten or books which say, "by ---- with W. Terry Whalin." The advantage to collaboration or co-authored books is that you as a writer don't have to be well known; you simply have to have writing skills and you are joined with someone who has a story to tell.

Ducky: Aren't coauthored books and ghost-written books the same thing?

Terry: Ghost written books don't have your name on them. Co-authored books have a "credit" for the writer.

Ducky: How do you find these kinds of jobs?

Terry: They come from a variety of places. Sometimes I meet an interesting person--like Joe Leininger who worked in the Eurodollar Pit. Then I used my writing skill to write a nonfiction book proposal and find a publisher. Other times the publisher approaches me, like I wrote a diet book called First Place with Carole Lewis in Houston, Texas. The publisher approached me for this particular project. There is no set pattern for how they come about.

Ducky: Do you advertise your services?

Terry: Not really. I have a website at http://www.terrywhalin.com and people learn about my writing on the website, send me e-mail, etc. I tend to follow any and all leads for work--It's one of the ways I stay in business as a full-time writer.

Kevin: I can see that I need to be more productive. Do you just have to work longer hours than other writers?

Terry: I DO work long hours but there are some other things to consider as well. One means to increase productivity is to compose at the typewriter. Some people draft things by longhand but I generally write the first draft at the keyboard and I've been doing this for years. Another way to increase productivity is to focus. So often writers spend time on things that take away from writing. I have daily goals, weekly goals, etc. I have a lot of things in motion at any one time. There is so much talk and more talk in this business. Sometimes that is all it is--talk--but other times there is actual action behind it. I try to keep plenty in motion so I have enough productive things going that I can keep my cash flow up and pay my bills.

Ducky: How long have you been writing?

Terry: I've been writing full-time for the last six years and about nine years before that on a part-time basis.

Willie Willow Tree: Why is it important to increase productivity besides the money?

Terry: The exposure is just as important as the money. The business tends to build. If you get published in one magazine, then it can lead to more magazine work. The key is to get known as an excellent writer who meets deadlines with quality material, which is my reputation. I'm also known as a fast writer. Then when a publisher is crunched, they will draw on my experience and call on me. In August for example, I ghost wrote a project which I completed for a publisher in two weeks after I signed the contract. It is a true ghost project. My name isn't on that particular book--which will be out in early 2000--yet I earned some real praise from the publisher for my rescue and I almost guarantee they will be back again.

Ducky: How fast do you work? How long does a book usually take you to write?

Terry: It depends on a lot of variables about the time frame for a book. How much material do I have to work with, for example. Also what sort of deadline has the publisher given me for a particular project. I wrote my diet book, First Place, in 11 days--that's over 40,000 words in a tight time frame. I would have liked to had more time but the deadline pressured that situation. Also it depends on the availability of my co-author--sometimes they just are too busy to make a book happen in that sort of time frame.

MODERATOR: Your writing speed rather takes my breath away!

Ducky: Do you also make time for public appearances, speaking engagements, etc.?

Terry: I don't have a lot of requests for public appearances. The challenge for me with those appearances is to make sure they are productive in a financial sense because my material is spiritually based and motivated, money isn't the total objective. Yet it's a pragmatic consideration when it comes to such appearances. If I'm traveling and away from my computer, I'm simply not writing, which is my primary source of income.

Norene: Terry, how do you allocate your time between your writing and your ministry?

Terry: Well, it's hard to know how to answer that question because I see writing as my ministry. I'm not terribly active in my local church. I don't teach Sunday School or some of those other things. I'm asked regularly but I see my writing as my ministry. Recently I've agreed to be on the pastoral search committee at my church and this is a ministry.

Willie Willow Tree: Do you set your deadlines ... or does the editor?

Terry: The deadlines from from both places--editor and self. I have a high standard for myself. I expect to write daily and I achieve this goal. So if I have a 120 page book and write ten pages a day, then I can generally complete a draft of that book in 12 days--unless I am interrupted.

Nessa: Do you work better under pressure?

Terry: Yes, I'm an old newspaper reporter in that sense that I return to my training as a journalist. In those days, we used to have early morning story meetings (7 a.m.), our copy deadline was 11 a.m. and the article was in the afternoon newspaper by 3 p.m. It was terrific training. I always encourage people to work on a newspaper if they get a chance. Then the several month deadlines for a book or the month long deadlline for a magazine article is a piece of cake.

Ducky: Do you believe writing goals are important?

Terry: Yes, I believe it's important to be shooting for something. It doesn't have to be a huge goal. You can set a goal of writing a single page a day, then increase that amount as you need to do. Or it could be a goal of writing three query letters a week to get magazine assignments. You need to determine where you are as a writer and where you would like to go. Years ago, someone asked me about my dreams and asked me to put those down on paper. It was a terrific exercise. At the time, I had not written a book and barely published any magazine material. Goals aren't something you should be slavish about keeping. I don't always keep my goals but I'm certainly aiming at something--constantly.

Norene: Terry, when you write, is it as if you are on fire with the story or article, as if you can't type fast enough to get the words out?

Terry: Sometimes that's the way it is, Norene. Other times it's much more labored and deliberate. It depends on the project. Once I agreed to write a magazine article about the equipment in churches. Now writing about church steeples and pulpits wasn't the most entertaining piece I've written, yet I worked from an outline and had an exact plan how I was going to put that particular article together and meet the word count and deadline.

MODERATOR: You work on many projects at one time. How are you able to get anything completed with so much unfinished work hanging over your head?

Terry: I do have a lot of unfinished projects in motion at any one time. The key is to figure out which projects are due at what time and to be diligently moving along the work. One of the ways I'm wired is to remember a lot of things at once. As I get older (I'm 46) some of that ability is slipping, but in general if it's a deadline, I know where I am with it. I know other writers use a large project board in their office or other tools but I don't tend to use such things. I do have a day timer where I keep my meetings, schedules, etc. but when it comes to the writing, I generally keep that in my head.

MODERATOR: How do you find the right balance between work and family? Or as Norene wonders...

Norene: When do you take time off?

Terry: Good question. I try to take what they call mini-breaks. I work out on my treadmill as a bit of relaxation and weight control and stress reduction. I try to do that about four or five times a week. I also have a very understanding wife--who is truly amazing. We watch TV together in the evenings or go to movies. Even when I'm at the movies, I'm aware of the storyline and how it's put together. So all of that creative input feeds into my writing. We take vacations in the summer (my wife is a teacher), but the key is balance and trying to find that right balance between productive work and play.

MODERATOR: I read in an interview that you read a writing book per month. Is that true? If so, why?

Terry: Yes, I'm always trying to learn more about my craft. Years ago, I observed several writers who had published books and acted like they had "arrived." Even though I've got an undergraduate degree in journalism from one of the top universities in the nation--Indiana University--I always can learn more about my craft and improve as a writer. The minute we quit growing as writers, then we tend to tell the same old stories or write in the same way. I hope my writing is improving each month and each year through growth and through practice. So I've got shelves of writing books and read them cover to cover, marking them and learning from them. Fiction. Nonfiction. Craft, storytelling... I've got a variety of books on all sorts of topics that I buy as an investment in my writing. Also I attend writers conferences and belong to professional groups as another way to grow as a writer. I've been traveling to NYC for the last three years in May to attend the American Society of Journalists and Authors East Coast conference. I've learned a great deal at each of these meetings and do it for my own professional development.

MODERATOR: These next two questions are related...

Mary: What are the best writing references available in your opinion?

Ducky: Are there any you would recommend?

Terry: It depends on the topic. For example, one of my favorite books is Stein on Writing by Sol Stein (St. Martin's Press). Stein is an amazing writing teacher and novelist. This book includes some sections about nonfiction writing but the bulk of it is fiction. For query letters, it's Lisa Collier Cool's How to Write Irresistable Query Letters. For book promotion, it's Jump Start Your Book Sales by Tom and Marilyn Ross. If you are a beginning writer and want to write for the religious market, I particularly recommend Sally Stuart's new book, Getting Published (Harold Shaw, 1999). Sally has an annual market guide for those who want to write for the Christian marketplace. It depends on the genre, but there are some excellent books out there--including Write More, Sell More on the productivity topic by Robert Bly (Writer's Digest books) and I've got several pages of an interview with me in this last book. If you have a particular need or weak area in your writing, then you can almost always find a good book or two on the topic.

bernie: Also do you have favorite writing periodicals, newsletters and Internet newsletters, and writers' areas you would recommend?

Terry: It depends again on the area of your interest. If it's children's writing then you should subscribe to the Society of Children's Book Writers Bulletin. I'm a subscriber to Writer's Digest magazine and enjoy their articles. By the way, I understand with their January issue they will be completely redesigned which should be interesting. I also take several Christian writing publications such as The Writers Information Network (WIN) Informer or the Cross and the Quill (find out about this one at http://www.CWFI-online.com) or the magazine called The Christian Communicator. Many of these publications, you can find out about how to subscribe by searching for them online. One of the search engines that I use all of the time has a terrible name but it's effective--- http://www.dogpile.com ... check it out.

TMart29778: Would you say that writers or editors that you have met at professional meetings have been helpful to you as a writer? In what way?

Terry: Yes, the writers and editors have been a tremendous help in my life. First, nothing is new under the sun and we can always learn from the mistakes and success of other writers. I've had the good fortune to write a great deal of personality profiles about best-selling authors. This means I've interviewed face to face more than 100 writers. Then I write their experiences into my article, but in reality I learn more than I can ever communicate in my 1500-word or 2000-word article. These writers have become my network and if I need to know something, I generally call, write or e-mail and ask what I need to find out. It's become a great resource and something which didn't occur in a single time, but has been built, relationship by relationship, for years. Writer's conferences are great for meeting editors. These people have become my friends and we also have on-going relationships and they call me with work or I help them with a particular project. In some unexplainable way, it all works together. I value the relationships and it's a good stance to take as a writer.

Norene: Terry, you have so many credits to you--writer, journalist, minister, husband--do you ever feel as if you've lost yourself to your public?

Terry: No. I don't have such great demands on my person that I feel lost to the public. It's a good thought but it hasn't happened to me. I know who I am, just a regular old person who makes mistakes yet works hard each day at his craft of writing. I don't see anything real magical about it other than I've discovered I have a talent and gift in this area of writing, and I'm determined to use that gift every day in the widest possible manner.

Mary: There are several Christian Writer's Conferences scheduled for next year. In your opinion, what would be the best one to attend if you're not able to go to several of them?

Terry: Mary, that's a good question. It depends on where you live in the country. I'd encourage you to attend one which is nearby. Another key is the magazines or publishers represented or possibly the writers who are attending. Are they someone you admire and want to learn from? I teach about once a year and I'll be in Florida in January at a conference teaching the advanced writers. In the spring, I'd encourage you to attend Mount Hermon's conference in California--south of San Jose. In the fall, I'd encourage you to attend either the Sandy Cove Christian Writer's Conference in Maryland on the Cheseapeake Bay, or the Glorieta Writer's Conference in New Mexico. In the summer, there is the Write to Publish Conference in Chicago. These are the major Christian Writers conferences in the nation but there are smaller regional events which are also excellent.

MODERATOR: Do you have an agent? Did you always?

Terry: I went many years without an agent. The problem with an agent is like the publishing problem--you have to have a track record to attract a good agent. I always encourage people to build up their publishing credits in the magazine world. Then you will be more likely to attract a quality agent. The problem with agenting is finding a good one. The good ones are busy and almost anyone can hang out an agent sign and try to represent you. I recommend another book in this area--a new book from John F. Baker, who is an editor at Publisher's Weekly. It's called Literary Agents: A Writer's Introduction (MacMillan, 1999). Baker interviews a number of different agents and profiles them with their background. The introduction gives you some insight about how to attract their attention with your initial package to them. The key is finding someone who believes in you and can take your writing to a higher level of exposure and income. I've worked with several different agents. I don't work with an agent for every one of my projects. Sometimes I do the project without an agent, yet more and more I'm learning to depend on their counsel. My agent is with the William Morris Agency in NYC--which is the biggest talent agency in the world. If you don't have an agent and have a book contract, I recommend that you contact a literary attorney. This literary attorney can look at the contract from your perspective and protect you in some important areas. I've found an excellent literary attorney, Sallie Randolph, who is a law professor at the University of Buffalo Law School and she specializes in literary law. Sallie is a published author and has started a law clinic where students will work with you on your contract under her supervision. It's an excellent arrangement and her e-mail at the law school is: sgr1@buffalo.edu.

Willie Willow Tree: When is it time to get an agent?

Terry: Good question, Willie. First, agents don't help you with magazine work--in general--because there isn't enough income for them in such work. Also there are some agents who specialize in the children's area but other agents will not bother with such books. Again, it's a financial issue. You need an agent, when you've written a few books on your own, or you feel the expert advice of an agent would help you move to a higher level in your writing career. The danger is if you try too early in the career process, then you will not catch anyone's attention, or at least not much of their attention. The decision is pretty personal as to when you try to get an agent, but the key is to be as widely published as possible before you begin to look for an agent. Then you will find the agents will likely be approaching you and want your business. Then you are in the driver's seat more than the position where you come to the agent and ask them to take you on as a client. Hope that makes sense.

Norene: What percentage of what you get for a represented work does the agent get?

Terry: In general an agent gets 15% of your income. For that fee they find the publisher (marketing), negotiate the terms of the agreement and generally monitor your royalty statements to make sure you are fairly treated by the publisher. They also handle reprint rights and other business aspects of the publishing business.

Nessa: My friend paid thousands of dollars for an "agent" to get her book published and it has not been accepted by anyone yet. What about this?

Terry: Yes, some agents operate on a fee basis but the truly reputable ones don't have these fees attached. I hate to say this for your friend's sake, but many people are making money from people who want to get a book published. You have to be cautious and wise when it comes to such people. The ones who advertise heavily are the ones generally to avoid. Reputable agents who only charge the percentage belong to the AAR, the Association of Authors Representatives. The key to understand with these types of agents is that they only make money on sales, so you want to send them your very best material--nothing marginal because they don't have time for such things.

author2b: How do you find out what agents do specialize in the children's area?

Terry: One of the best ways is through the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. They have a resource in this area that you can use.

MODERATOR: We're talking tonight about the business side of writing, and how to treat your writing like a business. First, what do you consider the characteristics of a good business?

Terry: There are several characteristics of writing like a business. First, you are not doing this as a hobby. It's a professional business. I've got hours for my work--I'm generally in my office by 8 a.m. and I'm always answering my phone until 5 p.m. Also I'm aware that I've got to be professional about my business appearance, so I've got things like business cards, a website (http://www.terrywhalin.com) and I keep good accounting records of anything related to my business. These sorts of basics pay off in the long run at tax time and in general.

MODERATOR: Many writers hate the business/financial side of writing. How do you handle money management?

Terry: Well, numbers is definitely a weak area for me. I've not had any math since high school. I use Quicken for Home and Business. The advantage to this particular program is that it also allows you to make invoices--which is excellent when you have magazines or clients who want you to bill them. It creates such an invoice. Also the program keeps track of my business expenses, which is an advantage at tax time. You may think I'm overboard on this issue, but I keep track of almost every dollar that I spend in a year. It involves a few minutes daily to enter the information, but the savings are tremendous. Many people don't keep track of their miscellaneous expenses and they lose out on claiming those expenses as deductions. I don't miss out because I'm faithfully keeping track.

MODERATOR: How do you handle taxes (self-employment, IRS, state)?

Terry: I'm a sole proprietorship so I pay at the self-employed rate and I pay quarterly taxes. Until last year, I was using Turbo-Tax as a program to file my taxes. The advantage to the program is that it collects the data from my Quicken (also made by the same company---Intuit). Now I've found a local CPA who is doing my taxes each year. She's nearby, works out of her home (read "lower hourly fees and overhead") and is excellent.

MODERATOR: Let's talk now about some "tools of our trade." What type of computer system/capabilities do you recommend for writers?

Terry: Good question. I have a windows based computer because I travel from time to time and need to work on the road. I've got a laptop for my main computer. I have a port replicator in the back of the computer so I can plug in my external keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. Then when I head on the road, I simply put the computer in my travel bag and I've got everything in one place. Pretty handy package and I changed to this type of system about three years ago.

Ducky: Do you keep your submission records on the computer?

Terry: Yes, there are some handy programs for such submissions. I like Ink Link for example (use the search engine and look for it) or the CD in the Writer's Digest Market Guide comes with a submission program. Or you can simply keep track of them in a composition note book (non computer) which is what I did for many years.

MODERATOR: I am constantly interrupted by the phone, answering it in case it's one of the kids or an editor. Is there a way to manage my phone better so it doesn't control me?

Terry: I've got an answering machine and I will let the answering machine pick up on my calls. Another handy device is call waiting and ID. I've got call waiting on my phone, and I've got caller ID--so often if I'm on one phone call, I can see who the second phone call is, then make a decision if I pick up on that call or not. The key with these features is to manage your time and phone--not have the phone managing you.

MODERATOR: I know you conduct a lot of interviews. Do you use a tape recorder? (You also mentioned a great tool called Call Manager. Can you discuss this too?)

Terry: Yes, I do phone interviews and I recommend that you tape those interviews. You always need to ask for the other person's permission and get that on your tape. I've never found it to be a problem. For taping, there is an excellent little gadget that you get at Radio Shack for recording phone calls. I don't remember the exact name but it's for phone recording. The advantage is that plugs between your phone and the wall--with a cord outlet plug for your recorder--then you are recording directly off the phone line and have excellent quality when you hang up. It's an inexpensive type of device and a pure necessity for any sort of phone interview work.

Call Manager is one of those great secrets that any freelance writer needs to know about. I've got A T & T as my long distance carrier and Call Manger is an unadvertised service of that company--other companies like Sprint or MCI also have such a service--but you have to inquire with the phone company. It takes a few days for your Call Manager to be turned on. Here's what it does--when I am working on a magazine article, I make a lot of phone calls. The editor has agreed to reimburse me for my phone expenses. Before Call Manager, I spent hours going through my phone bill, totaling the calls, finding the calls, etc. and all to get reimbursed for often a small amount of money. Many writers simply give up but with Call Manager the calls are collected in one spot. So, when I work on a magazine article or for a particular project, I assign that project a three digit number. Then when I make a long distance call, I dial O (area code and number) 001. If I use that 001 consistently for a particular project, all of those numbers will be collected in a single location and group on my phone bill. It makes reimbursement a snap.

MODERATOR: This is so helpful! I didn't know some of this equipment even existed!

bernie: What type of drive do you use for backups and copies of your work and records?

Terry: Good question. I've got a floppy drive on my computer and use it daily for my book projects. I copy particular files on a small diskette. I've also got a ZIP drive that I use to back up my entire computer and hard disk. Also Quicken periodically asks to back up the program (one of the features of this program). It's a good habit to have and protect your material.

MODERATOR: For the last ten minutes, I want to take some miscellaneous questions ...

WLawton: Do you have trouble switching between children's writing and adult books?

Terry: Wendy, not really. I generally write my children's books in eight to twelve year old category. My adult writing uses larger words but that's about the only difference. It must be the way I'm wired, but making the shift doesn't seem to be any big deal.

Nessa: When you first started out, did you know what you would end up doing, or has your focus changed over the years, i.e. ghost writing?

Terry: No, my direction has changed and modified over the years. It's one of the advantages to continually growing in your craft. I plan to write some novels some day--I've got some plots but haven't carved out the time for them. At first I simply wanted to get published. So I wrote for magazines, then I switched into books. And the future? I have no idea but I'm having fun doing it and will continue.

Ducky: Do you still enjoy writing as much as you did in the beginning?

Terry: Most days. Some days it's pure torture to crank more words into the computer, but in general it's fun and I get a huge kick out of seeing my work in print. Ironically even though I've had more than 50 books in print, I celebrate each work or each magazine article like it's the first one. I dance around the room sometimes and celebrate the printed work.

GreyWolf: Then, you being a ghost, do you get credit for the book?

Terry: Sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes you get a note of appreciation in the acknowledgment page and other times there is no acknowledgment page. It all depends on the co-author and how much they want to express that aspect in the book.

Nessa: Does it bother you not to have your name on your work?

Terry: At first it bothered me because I was building my career. At this point in my career, it's not as critical as other times. Yet my name on the book (even in small print) is a career building move so I try to get it in general.

Norene: Is there ever any problem with your ghost writing getting paid?

Terry: Not if I have a signed contract with the publisher, which has been the case with my books. I've never had a problem getting paid on a book. Now magazine work is another story. You have to be cautious sometimes because you can get stiffed and not paid for that work.

christine collier: What was your bestselling book for children or adults?

Terry: My bestselling work was for adults. It's a book which doesn't have my name on it and I probably shouldn't say here. The bestselling work with my name on it came out in May--Lessons From the Pit.

Nessa: In what ways have you noticed improvement in your own work?

Terry: I'm a better storyteller and have a quicker ability to easily produce quality material. Perfect material? No, but I'm getting better from year to year--at least I hope so.

bernie: What do you recommend for us who are in your age category and just starting out?

Terry: Begin writing magazine articles, write query letters to magazines and pitch your ideas and get assignments. Then go to writer's conferences and meet editors--magazine and book editors--and begin forming these important relationships.

Ducky: Do you think it is important to stick with one kind of writing or should you be diversified?

Terry: I always recommend diversification. Then if children's writing is hot--you can go with it but if it's not too hot that year, you still have work. One of my dear writing friends is a preschool writer. Because she's specialized for several years, she could hardly sell anything. Now her market is back, she's as busy as can be, but the diverse writer is always working.

MODERATOR: I hate to interrupt, mostly because I am learning so much myself! But I'm afraid it's time to close, and I want to thank Terry so much for coming tonight and sharing his expertise in the field with us. We want to succeed in our writing, and attending to business is certainly a critical part of it. This has been so helpful! Thanks, Terry!

Terry: It's my privilege and I'm delighted to be with you. Thank you for the opportunity and keep writing, everybody--yet also keep working at being as professional as you can be as a writer.

MODERATOR: Good advice! Now, if you've checked the schedule of upcoming events, you will see that there is a gap for the next three weeks. On November l8 and December 2 I will be having surgery on my neck, and I won't be able to moderate any interviews those nights. November 25 is, of course, Thanksgiving, and I hope you'll all be overstuffed on turkey and pie, and just relaxing with your families. Our next scheduled interview is December 9.

On December 9, l999 Sandy Asher will discuss how to "Write from the Heart: Finding Our Own Best Stories." Sandy Asher has published many award-winning YA novels, as well as anthologies and plays. Sandy believes that we must tell "the stories only we can tell," and if we don't, they are often not told at all, or told in ways we do not approve. Sandy is experienced in working with community members to create story anthologies (like her newest one, With All My Heart, With All My Mind) and plays based on real experiences. If you have a personal story you'd like to tell--in fiction, nonfiction or play form--be sure to attend this interview! Until then, Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Good night, everyone!

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