Category Archives: optimism

September 13, 2011   Stephanie   about us, fun, libraries, optimism, Stephanie  
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Musings on the library

As I floated through the Twitterverse today, I came across this great link I want to share with everyone. Apparently, for the past several months, there have been mysterious discoveries at libraries throughout Edinburgh, Scotland—delicate, intricate creations that are carved from paper, mounted on books, all of which form small yet fascinating works of art. These complex pieces have been left at places such as the Scottish Poetry Library and the Central Lending Library completely anonymously. My favorite is the most recent, which includes a small note: This is for you in support of Libraries, Books, Words, Ideas…LIBRARIES ARE EXPANSIVE.

Looking at these creations and their deeper meaning brought me back to my days within library walls. Throughout my college years at NYU, four to be exact, I worked at the school library. I began at the very bottom of the totem pole—shelving books and assisting harried (and usually rude) graduate students—and worked my way up to a research assistant in the course reserves and archives department. Besides meeting and working with some of the best people whom I now consider my second family, my time there exposed me to so many different elements of academia and taught me skills I couldn’t have learned elsewhere. I’ll never forget shelving first edition copies of books—printed in 1896—and marveling at the fact that they still existed and were accessible to anyone if only they knew where to look. Likewise when I worked in archives, searching through row upon row of microfilm reels, holding documents from all over the world that were several centuries old. The large majority of my fellow students probably never even knew these things existed.

In an age where articles, and sometimes entire books, can be found on the internet, libraries are becoming increasingly necessary. I think of how much material could potentially be lost to digitizing and it makes me concerned for the future of libraries. I certainly hope that discoveries like those made in Edinburgh will remind people of the importance of places like these.

August 30, 2011   Stephanie   inspiration, optimism, questions, Stephanie, writing  
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Summer swan song

It’s one of those harsh realizations to know that, with Labor Day fast approaching, summer is just about over.  I hope that for our writer/readers out there, the summer was a relaxing and productive time. Without a doubt, the summer is often the perfect time to recharge, and refill that mental gas tank.  Because just as writing is an all-encompassing endeavor, writer’s block can be an equally frustrating and uncomfortable feeling, and more importantly a reminder that the proverbial tank is low on creativity.

Since it is, unfortunately, impossible to simply refill in an instant, there are ways to replenish creative resources.  Sometimes getting away from writing for a period of time can allow you to find inspiration in the little things.  Instead of paying attention to what’s in front of you—a computer screen—it can be very beneficial to take a step back and pay attention to what’s around you instead. Reading can also serve the same purpose. Taking even just a few minutes to read something completely different can often spark new ideas or a new approach to your topic. Sometimes we can also find inspiration in the littlest things—how often has a tiny snippet of one passing conversation between strangers spurred an entire storyline in your head?

I hope that the past few months have been a time of refueling our readers and that the turn of the season will bring renewed energy to your writing.  Have you used the summer months as a time for reenergizing and if so, how?

August 10, 2011   Miriam   about us, fun, inspiration, Miriam, optimism  
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The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole*

As John and Stephanie have suggested in their blog posts this week, we at DGLM have been slightly beset by mid-year doldrums.  Maybe it’s because it’s a quiet time of year and we’re all either desperate to get away on vacation or sad that vacation is fading in the rearview mirror.  Maybe  it’s because we’ve come all the away around from complaining bitterly about the cold to whining about the relentless heat and humidity.  Or maybe it’s because rejection is a downer and we agent types get rejected more than math geeks at a cheerleader convention.  Whatever the causes I think we’ve all been a little less joie-filled than usual and we’ve noticed that our clients are also exhibiting more signs of existential pain than is normal even for some of the more extreme nutcases among them (and I say that with love).

So, as therapy, I decided to look at the things that make me happy about what I do.  In no particular order here are my top 10 (for the moment):

1.  I work with supremely talented people who make me laugh, cry and grind my teeth (sometimes all within the same conversation).

2.  I am engaged daily in a world of ideas.  Nothing is too un-PC, too scandalous, or too weird for us to consider in the kind of intellectually lively environment that makes my banker friends jealous.

3.  I can justify my addiction to tabloids and thoroughly embarrassing knowledge of what the Kardashians are up to as being “part of my job.”

4.  I get to read for a living.

5.  Books.

6.  I learn fascinating things about science, art, history, politics, etc., almost every day—courtesy of our brilliant clients.

7.  I wear jeans to work on Wednesday or any other day.

8.  I get to see my name printed in the acknowledgments of books.

9.  I like my colleagues.

10. I like that, directly and indirectly, what we do has the power to influence minds, shape opinions, and occasionally change the world.

There, I feel better.  How about you guys?  What’s on your list of what makes you happy about being writers (despite the frustrations, rejections, and setbacks)?

*Oscar Wilde

August 09, 2011   Stephanie   advice, opinion, optimism, rejection, Stephanie  
12

Negative Nancy

The blog has been feeling a little angsty lately, no? Is it just me? Either way, today I figured I might as well touch upon that subject near and dear to my heart: negativity. It’s something we face each day, and Lord knows I’ve dealt with it in my time here. Rejections, bad reviews, and everyday blunders and bumps in the road leave us all open to negativity. It feels very familiar at times, and it’s pretty easy to be hard on ourselves and allow the things others say affect you. We’re all guilty of it.

So what’s my point? The point is that while I see the reason for your negativity, and while I get why you feel like being hard on yourself, try not to be. Everyone’s favorite agent/author/blogger Nathan Bransford said it best: Don’t complain about negativity.  Maybe you’ve received your millionth form rejection letter or some cutting criticism about your novel. But you know what? Just keep going. Don’t waste any time getting hung up on the harsh words or shoulda/woulda/coulda. Push through it, be strong, and things will become clear. Otherwise, why bother?

August 09, 2011   John   future of publishing, John, opinion, optimism, publishers  
4

A little ray of sunshine

Who would’ve thunk that with the economy going to hell in a handbasket, publishing would actually offer a beacon of hope?

Believe it or not, a survey conducted by the The Association of American Publishers and the Book Industry Study Group concluded that in the past three years the publishing industry has actually expanded. While the reported increases in net revenues and sales are only in the single digits, hey, that’s a lot better than plenty of other industries. Better yet, it appears that the growth is across the board—trade as well as professional/educational publishing. It’s also encouraging that ebooks, while they certainly contributed to the growth, were not the only driving factor. And kudos to adult fiction!

So for those of us who’ve been feeling pretty low watching the stock market collapse, I hope this raises your spirits a bit—we ain’t dead yet!

August 03, 2011   Stacey   literacy, optimism, Stacey, writing  
1

Writers Giving Back

I’m such a sap when it comes to people doing good for others. So of course I loved seeing this piece about an organization called Bronx Write Bus, which takes kids from the Bronx on cultural trips outside of the borough accompanied by volunteer writers related to the day’s cultural event. The writer works with the kids on the bus to help them take notes on their experiences. A recent example was a visit to the Anne Frank Center in Soho. Liz Welch, author of THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, went with the kids and distributed to each a notebook, a pen, and a sandwich. How cute is that? A 12 year-old in attendance had never even heard of the Holocaust, but I’m sure came away with new understanding of the world outside of the Bronx.

I think it’s so wonderful to see writers giving back in this way, and helping communities where resources are limited and there is so little focus on books and literacy. Some of these kids just might wind up being writers someday, and their love of words and writing could start from an experience like this that opens up their world beyond their close quarters.

I’d like to know if you have any ideas of cultural destination spots in New York or elsewhere around the country that a group like this might visit. And appropriate writers that might accompany them there. For fun, here is a book that is full of literary destination ideas!

May 10, 2011   Stephanie   advice, authors, optimism, Stephanie, suggestions, writing  
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Try, try again

There’s a reason for the saying “practice makes perfect.” Nobody ever said “just try it once, it’ll probably work out.” So it’s no surprise that the same goes for publishing. Because for the most part, almost no writer gets their first book published. In fact, with very few exceptions, first-time authors have quite a few books written, sitting on a shelf or hard drive perhaps, by the time they sign that contract.

There are several reasons why this is a good thing. And today I wanted to link to this blog post by Rachelle Gardner from one of my favorite agent blogs, Rants & Ramblings, to help explain why. I think what Rachelle says makes perfect sense—the writing process undoubtedly teaches a considerable amount about what works and what doesn’t. And beyond the business aspect of her argument, up-and-coming writers can only benefit from spending as much time as possible exposing themselves to the craft.  One of the best things for aspiring authors to remember is to not only write every day, but also read every book they can get their hands on. Improved skills can only improve those chances.

How about you? Do you fall into this category of having multiple manuscripts floating around, whether in your head or on paper?

May 09, 2011   Jane   advice, editing, Jane, opinion, optimism  
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About that edit memo

The other day, one of my clients said he thought the process of editing was negative.  That comment really surprised me as I have always felt that an editor’s intention is to make the material he or she is editing better.

Indeed, I have many clients who are really troubled when their editors don’t touch their manuscripts (and frankly, I think they should be).  These authors welcome their editors’ comments and work with them to improve their material.

In the end though, I advise writers to remember that their work is their work and that if they feel strongly about the edits they are receiving, they can always respectfully disagree. The process of getting a manuscript into publishable shape, however, should be collaborative and thinking that editing is negative is not the right attitude, in my opinion.

Check out these humorous and fun thoughts about editing.

I would love to hear how you feel about the editorial process, whether you think it is positive or negative and why.

May 04, 2011   Miriam   agents, controversy, digital publishing, e-books, future of publishing, Miriam, optimism, publishers, self-publishing  
16

If an agent or publisher came calling

With electronic self-publishing becoming the latest tulip mania, one of the questions hashed and rehashed in publishing circles is whether authors who are finding success in this venue would be willing to give it all up in order to be published by a “traditional” publisher. E-publishing evangelists deny that there is any point or desire to go back to the shackles of mainstream publishing. Why would you sell your art for pennies and let agents and publishers take the bulk of your earnings, they query. Take your work back, do it yourselves, and make 70% of the income, they encourage the masses.

We publishing types have been losing sleep lately over our own future. Gatekeeping has gone out of vogue in this new democracy. Also, we worry that our services may become obsolete now that anyone with an internet connection can upload their work and start getting their check from Amazon or Kobo within days. Even enterprising houses are getting into the self-publishing business and calling it community building.

So, over our coffee and bagels on a recent morning, the staff of DGLM wondered whether all of the above is incontrovertibly true. Anecdotal evidence leads us to believe that many people who self-publish (including some of those who are making nice money doing so) are actually interested in traditional publishing as an outlet for their work and value the services that an agent, editor, production team, and sales and marketing force provide. Many are excited when we offer representation and seem to feel that the most important thing we agents bring to the table is allowing them to focus on their writing instead of the “business” side of the business. (This, by the way, is something I think all authors appreciate, as finding the time to be creative can be difficult even in the best of situations.)

Clearly, the future of publishing is electronic media and we love a literary success story, whether it’s generated by Random House or by a self-published author. But amidst all the greatly exaggerated reports of traditional publishing’s demise, here’s an informal survey. Would you still go the traditional route even if you were making the big buckaroos doing it yourself?

May 03, 2011   Stephanie   authors, optimism, questions, Stephanie, writing  
22

Staying Strong

There are certain things in life that I realize I will never understand. Corporate auditing; veganism; the Neti Pot. It will just never happen. And that’s okay–honestly it is. It’s a fact that I’ve accepted, and I’m ready to move forward with my life.

Now that that’s taken care of.

If there is one thing that I still do not understand—but that I am actively trying to gain a better understanding of—it is how you, as writers, keep your focus, keep your drive. How do you do it? When you enter the revision process and realize that certain things do not work and you will need to cut characters or scenes you’ve painstakingly developed and come to adore; When you feel as though the query process has you running around in circles—between the rules, the do’s, the don’ts, the waiting, the wondering; When you come across someone who has multiple agents vying for their attention after submitting their first novel, yet you’ve been in it for what feels like forever; And don’t even get me started on the amount of rejection that can potentially hit one inbox.

I’m just not sure I could do it, quite frankly.

So I wanted to turn it over to you as I have in the past, and ask: What do you do to keep your head in the game? What do you do when you get that feeling that maybe it’s time to give up?

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