Landing his first book contract, says recovering newspaper reporter and now-published non-fiction author Richard Whittle, was daunting and frustrating. Virtually nothing went as he had imagined it would. But despite the exasperation, he is pleased with the way his book The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey turned out, especially the artwork on the dust jacket.
In a friendly and informative conversation with members of the Rockville Writers' Group, Whittle said that his experience left him wondering if anyone in the book publishing industry really knows what they’re doing. Conflicting advice for writing an agent query letter and book proposal; agents and project managers who don’t return phone calls; agents and editors who heap praise on his topic and his approach, only to declare later that there just wasn’t any potential in the project.
As it turned out, however, The Dream Machine was well received and critically acclaimed. Eric Schmitt, terrorism correspondent with The New York Times, said Whittle “expertly weaves telling technical details with heart-stopping human drama into a riveting, fast-paced history of one of the military's most controversial war machines, the V-22 Osprey.”
New York Times bestselling author Brad Matsen called it a “gripping story of the quest for…an ideal flying machine that transfixed the aviation world and eventually cost billions of dollars and dozens of lives.”
Mark Shields, syndicated columnist and PBS Newshour political analyst, said, “In this compelling and important book a real reporter's reporter asks all the hard questions and refuses to settle for any of the easy answers.”
So, what are some important lessons Whittle learned from his quest for the authors’ equivalent of the Holy Grail? Not surprising, lesson number one is to never give up.
A second important lesson is that not all agents are created equal. An agent gets paid (usually 15 percent of what the author receives) only if the author signs a book deal. Just how much time and effort an agent will devote to shopping your project around to publishers depends on the potential he or she sees in it, so the author must first sell the agent. It is vital that an author learn which agents are appropriate for a particular genre, then craft a compelling query letter and project proposal. Fortunately, Whittle knew someone who knew someone and found an agent who ultimately was able to sell a publishing house on the project.
Then there is the book deal itself. Typically, an author’s advance is based on how well the publisher thinks a book will sell. It is in fact a payment deducted from future royalties. An advance traditionally is intended to support the author financially during the process of writing the book. Whittle received his advance in three installments; one-third upon signing the contract; a third upon delivery of the manuscript; and the final payment upon publication. While certainly welcome income, Whittle said the advance alone was insufficient to support his family and cover his research and travel expenses. And since seven out of ten titles do not earn back their advance, Whittle says he doesn’t expect to get any more money from the publisher, even though The Dream Machine seems to be selling well since its release in April 2010.
One final lesson I’ll touch on in this entry is that Whittle’s experience has taught him that authors have to do their own marketing these days. Publishers rarely sponsor book tours or promote authors and their work anymore. Whittle admits that landing a coveted interview about his book on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart was nothing more than a stroke of luck. Stewart was just one of several talk show hosts and reviewers to whom Whittle sent copies of The Dream Machine. And since then, Whittle has been traveling around the country setting up book signings at book stores and speaking with small groups where he sells a few copies.
As for any future book publishing endeavors, Whittle has another book project in the works and hopes what he has learned will make him be more savvy and, maybe, more successful. In the meantime, he has to earn a living and has taken on some contract and freelance writing projects.
So much for riches and fame…but that’s not really why writers write, is it?
--Dave Autry
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Follow the voice
Some folks have an inner voice that tells them to play sports or an instrument. For others, that voice drives people to study science or learn a language. My voice wanted out of my head and the natural place for it to go was down on paper. I began writing stories when I was 10 and have written both privately and professionally for the past 30 years.
Much of the writing is pure crap. Sometimes, in the middle of pure crap, there will be a sentence or two that are true gems, sentences that encourage me to expand into stories. However, that is quite rare. But, the voice in my head compels me to write and write I do. I started writing because I was compelled by that inner voice.
That voice has served me well, allowed me to become a documentary writer, a journalist for the AP wire, a magazine writer and more. Quelling that inner voice has helped further my career and helped put food on my table. Even though I’ve now been writing for decades, I still consider myself a bit of a fraud. It isn’t until I’m working on my fictional short stories that I find an internal peace. How can I be a fraud if I’m writing fiction? I wonder if all professional fiction writers were non-fiction frauds and until they realized fiction could legitimize them they went to bed depressed.
I digress. I write because if I don’t, my brain would explode under the weight of all the useless knowledge it holds. By putting pen to paper (yes, I am still an old-fashioned writer, using a pen and paper and not typing it out on a computer) I find that the useless information can go one of two ways: I can generate a short story that will amuse me or I can find something useful to write about for the local paper or a specialty magazine. I mean how many times have you begun writing something with purpose to find that when you’re at the end, the purpose has completely changed. For example, a few weeks ago I began writing a short story about a couple that lived in Bethesda, MD. By the end of the piece, I realized the couple did not have much to say, but a local magazine may buy the piece with some minor alterations.
Moral of this story is that write what you know and write what you don’t know, but if there is any voice in your head telling you to write, obey that voice and you may find some extra cash in your pocket. At the very least, you may find some internal peace.
- Rion Haley
Much of the writing is pure crap. Sometimes, in the middle of pure crap, there will be a sentence or two that are true gems, sentences that encourage me to expand into stories. However, that is quite rare. But, the voice in my head compels me to write and write I do. I started writing because I was compelled by that inner voice.
That voice has served me well, allowed me to become a documentary writer, a journalist for the AP wire, a magazine writer and more. Quelling that inner voice has helped further my career and helped put food on my table. Even though I’ve now been writing for decades, I still consider myself a bit of a fraud. It isn’t until I’m working on my fictional short stories that I find an internal peace. How can I be a fraud if I’m writing fiction? I wonder if all professional fiction writers were non-fiction frauds and until they realized fiction could legitimize them they went to bed depressed.
I digress. I write because if I don’t, my brain would explode under the weight of all the useless knowledge it holds. By putting pen to paper (yes, I am still an old-fashioned writer, using a pen and paper and not typing it out on a computer) I find that the useless information can go one of two ways: I can generate a short story that will amuse me or I can find something useful to write about for the local paper or a specialty magazine. I mean how many times have you begun writing something with purpose to find that when you’re at the end, the purpose has completely changed. For example, a few weeks ago I began writing a short story about a couple that lived in Bethesda, MD. By the end of the piece, I realized the couple did not have much to say, but a local magazine may buy the piece with some minor alterations.
Moral of this story is that write what you know and write what you don’t know, but if there is any voice in your head telling you to write, obey that voice and you may find some extra cash in your pocket. At the very least, you may find some internal peace.
- Rion Haley
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
What got me into writing
All my life, I have been a voracious reader. I remember staying up late, trying to finish the last few pages of the newest unputdownable novel. I always dreamed, hoped, that I would someday find within myself a bit of the talent possessed by the authors who created masterpieces, and gave me whole new worlds to dream about.
My forays into writing at the time however, were strictly limited to a few random pieces that got published in school magazines or community newspapers. Although I was frequently praised by my teachers and urged to indulge more in the art and craft of writing, I never did find the time and energy to devote to it - until a few years ago. It was about this time that a certain series geared towards children and young adults captured my imagination. I loved everything about the series - the elaborate plotlines, the true to life and diverse characters, the vibrant and fluid storytelling. Then came the heartbreaking ending.
I call it heartbreaking because it really did break my heart. I thought it denied the series a loftier, more perfect ending that it clearly deserved. The final character and plot arcs left me feeling betrayed. I felt resentment, I felt anger. After boycotting the final installments, I spent a few weeks in misery at having been denied the perfect world of my imagination. Then I realized something. I realized that while I had the right to be dismayed, the author had the right to end his story in whichever way he pleased. If I really wanted to have a world created in a way that I found perfect, I would have to create it myself, and not seek it in works of others.
The following day, during my lunch break, I wrote four paragraphs where my two central characters meet for the first time. By that night I had completed a chapter, and by the end of the week I had a detailed plotline for the whole story. I had embarked on an epic journey, a science fiction book series of five parts - it was going to be long and hard, but I vowed to endure.
- Rupa Basu
My forays into writing at the time however, were strictly limited to a few random pieces that got published in school magazines or community newspapers. Although I was frequently praised by my teachers and urged to indulge more in the art and craft of writing, I never did find the time and energy to devote to it - until a few years ago. It was about this time that a certain series geared towards children and young adults captured my imagination. I loved everything about the series - the elaborate plotlines, the true to life and diverse characters, the vibrant and fluid storytelling. Then came the heartbreaking ending.
I call it heartbreaking because it really did break my heart. I thought it denied the series a loftier, more perfect ending that it clearly deserved. The final character and plot arcs left me feeling betrayed. I felt resentment, I felt anger. After boycotting the final installments, I spent a few weeks in misery at having been denied the perfect world of my imagination. Then I realized something. I realized that while I had the right to be dismayed, the author had the right to end his story in whichever way he pleased. If I really wanted to have a world created in a way that I found perfect, I would have to create it myself, and not seek it in works of others.
The following day, during my lunch break, I wrote four paragraphs where my two central characters meet for the first time. By that night I had completed a chapter, and by the end of the week I had a detailed plotline for the whole story. I had embarked on an epic journey, a science fiction book series of five parts - it was going to be long and hard, but I vowed to endure.
- Rupa Basu
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
How I started writing
My fiction writing journey started in the second grade. My mother joined a book club at the local supermarket and started bringing home classics like Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson. She encouraged me to read them so I could “better” myself…whatever that might have meant to a second grader. While I loved the cover art on those books, the writing style and language were quite challenging and I soon grew tired of stopping to look up words in a dictionary. Then, one day my father brought home an old typewriter he found in a junkyard. I was fascinated by its mechanical aspects, and all the cool noises it made, but couldn’t figure out what to do with it. There are only so many times one can type “the quick brown fox jumped over the fence.” Anyway, that machine sparked an idea that led to my first experience in fiction writing…sort of. I’d read a paragraph or two from one of those classics, and then rewrite them, changing words and story to suit myself. I’d type a page or two at a time and leave my work on the kitchen table for my mother to read. Encouraged by motherly praise, this continued for a week or two…until some more interesting activity caught my attention…but that was the start.
By the time I was in high school I was a voracious reader, and my favorite assignment was writing book reports. Writing book reports wasn’t exactly writing fiction…it was more writing about fiction… but it led to my second …sort of…fiction writing experience.
Not all of my friends shared my enthusiasm when it came to these assignments. Some would procrastinate until the day the report was due, not having even opened the book they were supposed to write about. On those occasions when we were free to select our own book, I’d sometimes write the reports for them…in the cafeteria…usually on the day they were due. I’d make up the book’s title, author, plot…everything…over the course of twenty minutes. And they actually received decent grades on them.
After high school my fiction writing and general creativity went on a four decade hiatus, but my appetite for reading fiction grew. The more I read fiction the more I wanted to write it. Ten years ago…fueled by conversations overheard…and characters observed…in a Florida bar, I decided I would write my first novel. Eight years later, with many stops and starts in between, I finished the first draft.
It took much too long to write that first draft, but I was hooked on writing…fascinated with being able to create something from nothing…to take a raw idea and play with time, space, characters and events…and build it into 300 pages that can provide a reader with a few hours of escape and
entertainment.
My second novel was drafted in less than a month…and is currently being revised and improved with the invaluable help of my critique group.
- Joe Demasco
By the time I was in high school I was a voracious reader, and my favorite assignment was writing book reports. Writing book reports wasn’t exactly writing fiction…it was more writing about fiction… but it led to my second …sort of…fiction writing experience.
Not all of my friends shared my enthusiasm when it came to these assignments. Some would procrastinate until the day the report was due, not having even opened the book they were supposed to write about. On those occasions when we were free to select our own book, I’d sometimes write the reports for them…in the cafeteria…usually on the day they were due. I’d make up the book’s title, author, plot…everything…over the course of twenty minutes. And they actually received decent grades on them.
After high school my fiction writing and general creativity went on a four decade hiatus, but my appetite for reading fiction grew. The more I read fiction the more I wanted to write it. Ten years ago…fueled by conversations overheard…and characters observed…in a Florida bar, I decided I would write my first novel. Eight years later, with many stops and starts in between, I finished the first draft.
It took much too long to write that first draft, but I was hooked on writing…fascinated with being able to create something from nothing…to take a raw idea and play with time, space, characters and events…and build it into 300 pages that can provide a reader with a few hours of escape and
entertainment.
My second novel was drafted in less than a month…and is currently being revised and improved with the invaluable help of my critique group.
- Joe Demasco
Thursday, June 24, 2010
How I started writing
Growing up, I read everything I could get my hands on. I remember when I was in the 6th grade, one afternoon I had to take my books back to the public library and asked the librarian to help me find more books. She took me to the young adults section and handed me several books that I had already read. She seemed startled and reluctantly pointed me to adult mysteries. She told me to come back when I reached high school if I wanted to read romance. When I wasn’t reading I was watching movies. I don’t think a movie came to the theater that I didn’t see. I was so inspired by the characters as I watched them express themselves through gestures and dialogue and I sometimes would think of my favorite story characters and how they move or what they would say if they were on the screen .
One day, the students in my third grade class needed to become better readers and the stories we were reading seemed to lack “substance” so they all said. They hated those stories and complained about the books so badly that one evening I sat down and wrote them a story. I thought I could write a story, since I had read so much. Without formal classes or even reading about how to write, I wrote them a story. We discussed character (they identified some things that were not in the story) plot (they also helped me with that), setting, the main idea, details and they just wanted to continue talking about the poor boy who had lost his best friend. When I tried to go back to the stories that the curriculum provided, they told me again that they didn’t want to read those. So, I had to come up with more stories. Thus began my dabbling into the career of writing.
I continued to read, this time focusing on children’s chapter books and decided to take a class at night to learn how the writers did these things. I wanted to know how they came up with ideas, how to choose vocabulary, which I discovered was extremely important, and, how many pages would make a good story. After a while, I got brave and decided to take the techniques about writing for children that I was now learning and shape them into a story. I couldn’t believe that I had written a story and to me it seemed like a good one. But, writing one story wouldn’t make me a writer so, I wrote another story for children 3rd grade and above.
I love creating characters. Sometimes I see my characters as real people having real experiences. One day I found myself referring to a character in my second novel when I was conversing with a friend. When that happened, I realized that I wanted to try my hand at writing screen plays. Again, I bought books, took classes and went to Hollywood to several Selling to Hollywood conferences and to several screenwriting conferences in New York. There, I learned how to develop a good character, which I found is extremely important in screen writing. It also changed the way I see movies. I wrote five screen plays and sent the fifth one out, hoping for an option. I had mild success with it, and because of that, decided to add novel writing to my list. To date, I have written three novels and have also written several short stories. But I must continue to improve. In writing, there is always something to improve and you improve whether you want to or not as long as you’re writing.
-Judy Kelly
One day, the students in my third grade class needed to become better readers and the stories we were reading seemed to lack “substance” so they all said. They hated those stories and complained about the books so badly that one evening I sat down and wrote them a story. I thought I could write a story, since I had read so much. Without formal classes or even reading about how to write, I wrote them a story. We discussed character (they identified some things that were not in the story) plot (they also helped me with that), setting, the main idea, details and they just wanted to continue talking about the poor boy who had lost his best friend. When I tried to go back to the stories that the curriculum provided, they told me again that they didn’t want to read those. So, I had to come up with more stories. Thus began my dabbling into the career of writing.
I continued to read, this time focusing on children’s chapter books and decided to take a class at night to learn how the writers did these things. I wanted to know how they came up with ideas, how to choose vocabulary, which I discovered was extremely important, and, how many pages would make a good story. After a while, I got brave and decided to take the techniques about writing for children that I was now learning and shape them into a story. I couldn’t believe that I had written a story and to me it seemed like a good one. But, writing one story wouldn’t make me a writer so, I wrote another story for children 3rd grade and above.
I love creating characters. Sometimes I see my characters as real people having real experiences. One day I found myself referring to a character in my second novel when I was conversing with a friend. When that happened, I realized that I wanted to try my hand at writing screen plays. Again, I bought books, took classes and went to Hollywood to several Selling to Hollywood conferences and to several screenwriting conferences in New York. There, I learned how to develop a good character, which I found is extremely important in screen writing. It also changed the way I see movies. I wrote five screen plays and sent the fifth one out, hoping for an option. I had mild success with it, and because of that, decided to add novel writing to my list. To date, I have written three novels and have also written several short stories. But I must continue to improve. In writing, there is always something to improve and you improve whether you want to or not as long as you’re writing.
-Judy Kelly
Thursday, June 17, 2010
What inspired me to start writing?
I was intrigued by the language in the books that I read. As a youngster, I realized that an artful arrangement of words on the page conveyed a meaning beyond the stories they were used to tell, if that makes any sense.
For example, a passage in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped seemed to resonate with me. It’s in the first chapter as the main character, Davie, who has been orphaned, leaves his hometown and is asked by Mr. Campbell, the minister of Essendean, if he were sorry to be leaving. Davie replies, “Why, sir, if I knew where I was going, or what was likely to become of me, I would tell you candidly. Essendean is a good place indeed, and I have been very happy there; but then I have never been anywhere else.”
Stevenson could have written that verbal exchange in any number of ways, but he arranged those words in that particular order to very good affect. And, a few lines later, Davie, the narrator, remarks that “My heart was beating hard at this great prospect now suddenly opening before a lad of seventeen years of age.”
To my mind, there could not be a better invitation than that for the reader to experience the adventurous tale that unfolded on the pages of Stevenson’s book.
So, as I continued to read throughout my life, I became more and more intrigued by how and why various writers arranged the words the way they did — like fitting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together just the right way to form a picture. And I wanted to be able to do that myself.
To my delight, I discovered early on that I had a certain facility with words and, along with a good imagination and encouragement from family and some of my teachers, I decided to become a writer. That eventually led me to a career in journalism and non-fiction writing. All the while I have continued to write poetry and fiction and enjoy the challenge and satisfaction that brings. It’s fun as all get-out.
-Dave Autry
For example, a passage in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped seemed to resonate with me. It’s in the first chapter as the main character, Davie, who has been orphaned, leaves his hometown and is asked by Mr. Campbell, the minister of Essendean, if he were sorry to be leaving. Davie replies, “Why, sir, if I knew where I was going, or what was likely to become of me, I would tell you candidly. Essendean is a good place indeed, and I have been very happy there; but then I have never been anywhere else.”
Stevenson could have written that verbal exchange in any number of ways, but he arranged those words in that particular order to very good affect. And, a few lines later, Davie, the narrator, remarks that “My heart was beating hard at this great prospect now suddenly opening before a lad of seventeen years of age.”
To my mind, there could not be a better invitation than that for the reader to experience the adventurous tale that unfolded on the pages of Stevenson’s book.
So, as I continued to read throughout my life, I became more and more intrigued by how and why various writers arranged the words the way they did — like fitting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together just the right way to form a picture. And I wanted to be able to do that myself.
To my delight, I discovered early on that I had a certain facility with words and, along with a good imagination and encouragement from family and some of my teachers, I decided to become a writer. That eventually led me to a career in journalism and non-fiction writing. All the while I have continued to write poetry and fiction and enjoy the challenge and satisfaction that brings. It’s fun as all get-out.
-Dave Autry
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