Writer Mama Riffs on Raising A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids

With Christina Katz

Writing and Publishing The Short Stuff
Especially For Moms (But Not Only for Moms)!
Next Class Begins on August 20th
Prerequisites: None
Finally, a writing workshop that fits into the busy lives of moms! You will learn how to create short, easy-to-write articles-a skill that will make it easier to move up to longer, more time-consuming articles when you’re ready. Try your pen at tips, fillers, short interviews, list articles, how-tos, and short personal essays-all within six weeks. Now includes markets!
Cost: $199.00. [This class fills fast and is already filling!]
Register at Writers on the Rise

Targeting Your Best Writing Markets
Next Class Begins on August 20th
Prerequisites: Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff is strongly recommended or Permission from Instructor
Learning to sift through and analyze markets is one of the biggest challenges of launching a writing career. This class will help you tackle the markets head on while covering: idea management, how to discover your best audiences, how to allow those audiences to lead you to fresh ideas, how to break a magazine down into the key areas that matter most to freelancers, and how to start specializing right away so your career will achieve lift-off faster. And how to determine your speciality or specialties so you can earn more.
Cost: $175.00. [Last time at this price!!!]
Register at Writers on the Rise

Platform Building Basics for Writers
Next Class Begins on October 8th
Prerequisites: Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff, Targeting Your Best Writing Markets, and Pitching Practice all strongly recommended or Permission from Instructor
Be the first to sign up for the companion class to my forthcoming book, Get Known Before the Book Deal. Picking up where Targeting Your Best Writing Markets left off. This class helps you go position yourself as a seasoned professional, who isn’t afraid to let the world know what you have to offer. This is an advanced class, for people who have taken classes with Christina Katz and who are ready to take their writing career to a more professional level with a blog, Web site and newsletter. By the end of our six weeks, you will have a clear vision of your platform, and a plan for first and future steps. You will be ready to anchor your book proposal to that all-important online and in-person presence, agents and editors are looking for.
Cost: $199.00 [This class fills fast and is already filling!]
Register at Writers on the Rise

With the media attention on large-advance book deals for bloggers, more and more writers may feel confident that their drive to put their most valuable content online is worthwhile.

I’m wondering what writer mamas think about this. Because I write for money, the lion’s share of my daily efforts are not visible on this blog. For example, I’m rewriting my second book right now and I’m not planning to share much on that topic until the book is done.

For me, it’s a matter of containment and concentration. Books require an extraordinary amount of detailed thinking. And I need deep concentration to get there and find the right words.

Other writers feel differently. They like to get immediate feedback to what they are working on. So they “blog” their books in various ways. They say that the open book writing process makes their books better.

However, it’s still the case that most of the writers I know who make their living writing (through freelancing and writing books) don’t necessarily open up their writing process via a blog, they focus on serving editors and/or clients.

Whereas, I know lots of writers who write a lot online, who are not necessarily making much money from writing. Though I see a few who are doing such a good job with their blog that I wouldn’t be surprised if that road lead to a book deal. But those writers are still very much in the minority, at least based on the hundreds of writers I personally know.

So…what do you think? Where is the smartest place to share your “value” as a writer? Is it online or is it to serve editors without the emphasis visibility?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how you do one, the other or both.

I’ll tell you what, when you set an intention and act on it consistently, it’s amazing how quickly you will get results. That’s what I teach in Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, in my classes, and in my presentations. But it’s nice to apply those same proactive principles to other areas of my life and witness the transformation.

For example, simply from exercising four times a week (while I watch Oprah!), I have lost about five pounds. I look better. I feel better. And this just motivates me to keep exercising.

Notice, how I’m not hyper-analyzing it or becoming obsessed with dieting or losing weight. All I did was start exercising, incorporate it into my daily routine, and I’m seeing results.

At four o’clock, I simply say, “Oh, time to exercise.” And one day a week I get to take a pass, which is nice to either save for the end of the week or use if I have an appointment or something.

I’m even adding additional exercises over time to increase the results. Because, as I always say, results lead to results.

Speaking of results, we are eating healthier because I am cooking more. We are shopping less because we are buying in bulk for the month at the local discount supermarket instead of Costco (where we always spent more than we needed/wanted to). We get some healthy frozen option from Trader Joe’s (we’re a small family, so we can get away with that) for nights when I don’t want to cook (which still happens for one reason or another). And this provides flexibility for when things come up, which is nice to have.

I’ve worked out a positive childcare situation for my daughter since her childcare provider stopped taking part time kids last June. She stayed home for the summer, but in the fall, since we chose a half-day Kindergarten instead of full-day (which suits her better) I needed to find more help. I was not able to get all of my full-time job done with her home half-days (actually more because “half-day” is a misleading description). So I found a neighbor who does in-home childcare for two afternoons a week and a friend, who I offered to pay (because I’d have to pay someone else if not her), to watch my daughter three (soon to be two) afternoons a week.

Samantha is very social by nature and she’s happy to have these opportunities to see so many friends each week.

Of course, things will change, they always do. But by knowing what my priorities are, I can identify and address my needs, ask for help, and keep my eye on my priorities.

On a sidenote: I’ve been tagged for memes and am receiving a high volume of networking e-mail over the past weeks. Please bear with me while I am under my 60,000-word deadline. I take a great deal of pride in my work, which work goes through many stages and revisions, and it doesn’t look like I will be doing much “socializing” online or in-person until classes start mid-February. Sorry!

I’m looking forward to announcing the winner of the first Writer Mama Scholarship tomorrow, though.

I just wanted to share that I’m working hard and I’d love to hear how you are too, and what kinds of results you are seeing, so far, in 2008.

I’m laying low, working on book two.

Remember, the top-secret one? I’ve been very good about not talking about it. VERY good.

I plan on keeping it that way until after the New Year, so if I sound, oh I don’t know, maybe a little cagey, here’s why:

Talking uses up precious writing energy for me to talk about my next book. I wish I had heeded this more when I was working on Writer Mama. I’d talk, talk, talk about it and then wonder why I couldn’t focus on writing. Talking can dissipate the words…

I’m on a tighter deadline than I was last time. So needless to say, the less I talk, the better! The second time around is so much less full of ANXIETY. The first book is hard, hard, hard. Not because the writing is hard. I knew how to write. It was the combination of nerves and excitement that often rendered me…useless. Just moan softly if you know the an anxiety cocktail of which I speak.

And lest you think that the all the hush-hush means I’m going away or I’m not just as committed as I was on Writer Mama, not true! I’m just immersed in the writing and I LOVE being immersed in it.

So much so that it’s tough to come out and play sometimes.

In the meantime, we’ve got an awesome Writer Mama Ezine launching in January. I’ll be back in classes come mid-February. And my second book will be out by the holidays next year.

Can you believe it? Yahoo! Back in tunnel I go.

Happy holidays!

That’s sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?

I hope you’ll be inspired by my “Dear Fellow Writers” letter from the editor for November/December issue of Writers on the Rise.

Can’t wait to read your recap of your year after your first book is published. Send me an email when that happens and I’ll post it in my blog!

By Christina Katz

As professional writers, we write and we write and we write, but wait a second, isn’t there anything else we can do to jumpstart our careers?

You’d better believe it. Here are twelve booster rockets to pop you out of your chair and into action.

1. Regroup
Take stock of your writing from the past year. Purge your file cabinet. Clear your clutter. Set up new, better systems to track ideas and writing-in-progress. And don’t forget your computer. You probably need to purge and organize in there too. Most importantly, if you’ve been putting it off, back-up your entire computer system. Then make an extra copy of your most valuable writing and send it to a friend or family member for safekeeping. If your system ever crashes you’ll be oh-so-glad you did.

2. Reassess
You’ve eliminated the junk and it feels good, doesn’t it? Now it’s time for the good stuff — updating your portfolio. If you provide more than one service with your writing skills, you may want to keep separate portfolios. For example, I have one for articles, another for consulting, coaching, editing, and teaching, and another for my newsletter’s back issues. Not only is reviewing your progress from the past year satisfying, it’s good preparation for number three, which is…

3. Give Yourself a Pat on the Back
Do not skip this step! It doesn’t matter whether you’ve met all of your goals so far or not. You absolutely deserve to celebrate past accomplishments before you go forward. Besides, you’ll probably glean valuable insights about where you are going based on where you have been.

4. Pat Another Writer You Know on the Back
Perhaps you could meet for tea or coffee and compare portfolios with each other, tell tales of caffeine-fueled deadlines met, stories of overzealous editors confronted, accounts of elusive scoops professionally snared. When that’s all done, you could review page-by-page your stunning book, ohhhing and ahhhing in all the appropriate places, of course. And before parting, take a few moments to acknowledge what you’ve learned from each other. Because let’s face it, no one appreciates what we strive for and accomplish as much as another writer.

5. Form a Writing Circle with Like-Minded Writers
What better way to share resources and encourage each other on a regular basis. Writing groups are great places to share insights you’ve gleaned about editors based on their likes and dislikes, swap ideas for increasing productivity, and set lofty goals you’d like to accomplish, but could use some encouragement attempting. Support groups are not merely for giving and receiving critical feedback. They can be helpful for moral support as well. Mind the gossip and gabfest though, accountability first, socializing second. And whenever possible, invite in publishing writers who can share real-life success stories.

6. Re-evaluate your Niche
Perhaps when you started writing, it was all about parenting because you had just had a baby. And maybe you favored the attachment parenting school of thought. But what happens when you tire of writing about breastfeeding, the family bed, and endless opportunities for bonding? I’ll tell you what happens, you start looking around for fresh ideas — food writing, travel, maybe even book reviewing. Writing can be a terrific outlet for a fickle nature. Simply abandon the terra of well-traversed writing material when the appeal of incognita pales.

7. Assess your Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer
What strengths can you leverage as you move forward? What weaknesses could use improvement? Seek out classes that specifically address your needs. Investigate local community college schedules, check out online classes (http://www.writersontherise.com/classes.html), and talk to your writing friends about workshops they’ve taken. Nothing beats a word-of-mouth recommendation.

8. Review and Renew Your Subscriptions
Are the magazines that show up in your mailbox each month still your favorites or have you outgrown them? Since writers read publications for inspiration as well as potential markets, it’s important to subscribe to those that resonate strongly with you. If you are tight on cash but need sample copies of publications to query, I suggest Moira Allen’s article, ” Finding Sample Magazines - Without Breaking the Bank at http://www.writing-world.com/basics/samples.shtml.

9. Join a Professional Writer’s Association
Like, perhaps…the ASJA (http://www.asja.org/). How would it feel to say, “[your name here] is a member of the Association of Journalists and Authors.” More professional, yes? I think you’ll agree that the multiple benefits are worth the cost.

10. Join a Regional Writer’s Association
Joining Willamette Writers in Portland, Oregon (http://www.willamettewriters.com/) has been a boon to my career. What regional writing organization might serve your upcoming goals? Google the nearest group and show up at the next meeting. The networking opportunities alone are worth the price of membership.

11. Create a Reprint File
All those articles you published last year can be turned into cash next year if you resubmit them strategically. Three good articles on the topic include:

“Selling Reprints” by Moira Allen
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/reprints.shtml

“One Article, Many Checks: Selling Reprints” by Kelly James-Enger
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/enger.shtml

“Selling Reprints: An Editor’s Perspective” by Lisa Crayton
http://www.spiritledwriter.com/june2004/reprints.html

12. Plan Now to Attend a 2008 Writer’s Conference
Don’t just consider attending a writing conference in 2006, but actually commit to going to one. You can start at Shaw Guides (http://writing.shawguides.com/), but remember, do not pass go and collect the increased self-esteem until you actually make the reservations.

The main thing to remember as you assess your writing progress from last year is that you are further along than you were. You can move even further ahead by taking time now to reflect, assess, and dream about where you’d like to be at this time next year. Good luck!

You are welcome to reprint any article in your zine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, blog, etc. so long as Christina’s title, byline and bio remain as they appear with each article.

Christina Katz is the author of “Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids” (Writer’s Digest Books, March 2007). She is a featured presenter at the Writer’s Digest/BEA Writer’s Conference, The Whidbey Island Writers Association MFA Residency, and the Willamette Writers Conference. She’s been teaching writing-for-publication classes for six years and has appeared on Good Morning America. She is also publisher and editor of “Writers on the Rise” and another called “The Writer Mama.” Christina blogs daily at http://www.thewritermama.wordpress.com/. For more about “Writer Mama,” visit Christina’s website at http://www.thewritermama.com/.

In gearing up for my next round of classes, I review the feedback forms from the last class so that I can improve the class accordingly. I am often amused to notice that those who put the most into the classes in terms of effort and positive attitude clearly gain the most from the experience (and offer the most glowing reviews both of the class and of me as an instructor).

In my classes, students succeed as much as they apply what is offered and tie it into their own process and what works for them. Therefore, self-reflection is tied into the class. I don’t offer “insider secrets,” I hold the space where folks who are ready to work can do so and reap the benefits of the work that they do.

Check out these comments from a former Pitching Practice students for a clearer idea of how my teaching style is helpful to my students:

Christina was the task master/deadline diva I needed to keep my butt in the chair. She encouraged my muse and calmed my perfectionist so I could keep typing and focus on sharpening my writing and launching my work into the world.

~ Gigi R., Portland, Oregon

This class is the fabulous next step for anyone who’s been writing and is now serious about breaking into the magazine market (and yes, you have to be serious). Christina provides quality instruction and lots of tips on how to break in, along with valuable marketing information. This class is a must!

~ Joanna N. Bellingham, Washington

A whole boatload of “insider secrets” won’t do you any good if you don’t immediately apply them to your process. But six weeks of hard work can change everything.

That’s what I offer. If you are interested in Pitching Practice, an invaluable class where participants polish their query-writing skills, please let me know. Class begins tomorrow.

I also couldn’t help noticing at the Willamette Writers Conference that two of my former students who’d completed a full round of classes with me (WPSS, the old WPNA, PP & Platform Building) likely landed their first book deals.

I’m not bragging, I can’t take credit. But I think this paints a clearer picture of what is required from writers in terms of commitment-level for higher levels of success. Whether that level of commitment is exercised through my classes or elsewhere, I thought readers of this blog might be inspired by this quality of example. I know I am!

Oh dear, I’ve gotten behind on my thank yous.

First on my list is the Oregon Writers Colony. Thank you so much for inviting me to speak! I gave a presentation at the Cedar Hills Crossing Powell’s in Beaverton–Powell’s new home in Beaverton–at the end of June.

I loved the new suburban Powell’s location. So spacious and airy compared to downtown Powell’s (which is wonderful, of course, in its own mouse-in-a-maze way).

We had a nice turnout and I was so grateful to speak for such a respected and historic organization for writers. Did you know that Oregon Writer’s Colony has been helping writers for twenty-five years? That’s a good long time.

I’m looking forward to getting more involved with OWC in the future. Special thanks to Marsha Weber and Linda Leslie.

If you would like to learn more about the Oregon Writer’s Colony and their upcoming events, please visit their homepage. If you are a Pacific Northwest writer, I hope you will consider membership.

Here’s the list:

1. I went to my mailbox at the post office today and it was like Christmas! Full of great giveaways for the Writer Mama Back-to-School Daily Giveaway that starts September first! I am giddy with excitement. Hope you are too.
2. If you’d like to post the badge for the giveaway in your blog or on your website, I made an even smaller size that should (fingers crossed) fit in any blog sidebar. You can find the badges, in assorted sizes, here. Thanks for spreading the word!
3. Less than one week until the next round of classes starts. There are a few spots left in Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff and several in Pitching Practice. Please register right away as I’m my own administrative assistant around here. I will firmly shut the door on registrations on Tuesday, August 14th at midnight.
4. Fair warning: The October 3rd Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff is filling up ALREADY. These moms are on it. I love that. Saves me time and frustration of doing things at the last minute.
5. I’ll be away this weekend, and back atcha on Monday! We’re doing a trial run with our now nine-month old pups at a local kennel and hitting the beach! Hopefully it won’t be too cold. (Sorry, all you folks in a heatwave, not trying to rub that in but it is like Fall here already. Hope I didn’t just jinx us.)

Happy end of summer weekend everyone!

Back-to-school time is coming What actions will take your career to the next level, when the kids head back to school (if you’re so lucky)?

I will be working with writers for six weeks starting August 15th and October 3rd.

Here are the classes I’m currently offering:

Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff (Starts in August—almost full and October!)

Pitching Practice: Write Six Queries in Six Weeks (August15th)

Platform Building Basics for Writers (October 3rd)

All the details can be found on the Writers on the Rise website. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.