WRiTE CLUB - 2019

We're back! For all the details, go HERE.

The submission window opens today and will remain open until April 14th.

Good luck to everyone!

A Decade of Kicking A** and Taking Names

This year…2019…marks a full decade I’ve been chasing after a dream. I shouldn’t need to tell you what dream that is, but for anyone just finding their way here, it’s becoming a published author. I wrote my first book in 2009 (Jeez, what an embarrassment) and since then I’ve written four other books (all unpublished). I also posted my first blog article that year. Although there have been a few false starts and promising ventures, unfortunately, I’m still right where I began. Well, that’s not exactly true. Over the course of these past ten years, I’ve made acquaintances and become friends with some amazing people -- others who are pursuing the same dream as mine. Most of them I connected with right here on my blog, but I’ve also formed bonds with people I’ve met at writers’ conferences or through social media. I’ve tried to keep in touch with everyone who has offered me advice, or simply encouragement, but regrettably, I’ve watched as many of them disappear as their own writing goals dry up. On the flip side I’m friends with numerous writers who have realized their dream – some of them rather spectacularly – and because we were together in the beginning, feeling our way through the dark, I still rejoice in the glow of their success.

What’s my point? Basically, there is none. Today, I just felt the need to commemorate the time I’ve devoted, which has been substantial (just ask my wife). You probably thought I’d end this post with an announcement that I’m throwing in the towel. Sorry…no such proclamation (today). In fact, I’m putting the finishing touches on my latest manuscript and I’ll be diving into the query waters once again very soon.

Ten years ago I felt an itch and I’ve been scratching it this whole time. There are periods where I feel raw and exposed, but that original feeling still hasn’t gone away. Maybe I’m just dense…like a zombie who doesn’t know he’s dead yet…but for anyone who cares…I’m not.

Who knows, maybe I'm just the exact opposite of an overnight success.

WRiTE CLUB 2019 - Wanna Be a Slushpile Reader?

WRiTE CLUB is back in 2019 for its eighth year and we're looking for slushpile readers!

The contest is right around the corner and that means I need help!  Although anyone from anywhere can enter WRiTE CLUB and we’ll take as many submissions as needed, the scheduled bouts are limited to only 30 participants (fifteen bouts).  In order to narrow down what I estimate will be 200-225 entries (500-word samples) in a fair and unbiased manner – I need a selection committee of 20 judges (I like to call them my slushpile readers) to read all of the entries and vote for their favorites, which I will then use to select the top 30.

Before you raise your hand, I need to fully explain what you would be volunteering for.  This is a big commitment!  First, you must be open to installing and using Dropbox (a free file sharing program that I will provide complete instructions on how to use). After the submission window opens on March 18th and closes on April 14th, you will have until April 28th to read what could be 225+ entries, each one approximately 500 words long (which equates to the length of a small book), select 30 of what you believe are the best ones -- then rank those 30 in order of most liked.

Most importantly – you cannot be a WRiTE CLUB contestant if you do this. 

Also, our slushpile readers serve as promoters for the contest as well so you'll need to be willing to hit the social media trail to help raise interest leading up its start. In this vein, we'll hold a couple of Twitter Parties during the open submission window to help spark participation.

So, what do you say?  Interested in helping shape how the competition plays out – without officially participating?  If so, send an email to writeclub2019@gmail.com and I will be in touch.

If you’ve been a slushpile reader in the past, do me a favor and leave a comment below letting everyone what a favorable experience it is.

Thank you in advance.

DL

Oh…and it’s never too early to start promoting. Submissions for WRiTE CLUB will open on March 18^th. Tell your friends!

#WRiTECLUBDFW

#DFWCON

A Different Approach - Swoon Reads

One of my blogging/writer friends introduced me to an interesting path to possible publication and after careful deliberation, I've decided to give it a try.  The site is called Swoon Reads and its business model revolves around the concept that readers should be the ones to help decide which books deserve a chance at a traditional publishing contract. The site is exclusive to YA, but all sort of genres are represented.

In that spirit, my novel PRICK (link below) is up for review until Aug. 31st and although to date it has been added to lots of reading lists, the rating/reviews have been slow to come. I'd appreciate anyone reading this please take the time to give it a read and leave an honest rating/review.

Thanks in advance! :)

https://swoonreads.com/m/prick/

Reasons Why This One Is - IT!

Let’s recap.

Over the course of the past nine years, I’ve written four novels and a half dozen short stories. Of the novels, two are Suspense/Mysteries for adults, one a YA Horror, and one a YA Suspense/Mystery. I’ve queried/pitched all four books, although I’ll openly admit that querying the first one was a HUGE mistake. The YA Horror book (MOVING FEAR) landed me an agent, but she was unable to sell it to a publisher and as it turns out she wasn’t a very good agent and has since left the business.

I was certain that the last one I wrote (PRICK – YA Suspense/Mystery) was going to be the one that I finally broke through with. It had a killer plot (personal opinion of course) that I felt was extremely marketable, it was prime for a trilogy, and all my CP’s and Beta readers said it was the best thing I had written so far. It garnered me plenty of FULLS when I queried/pitched it, and even some back-and-forth feedback from one high-profile agent, but ultimately it has gone nowhere.

While I was twiddling my thumbs waiting for feedback from the prospective agent, I began playing with an idea I’d come up with way back when I first started writing. It was an idea for a book that started out as a simple ghost story that morphed into much more than that, transitioning from the paranormal to straight-forward sci-fi. At the time I tucked the concept away because, to be frank, I didn’t feel like I could do the story justice. Although I put it on the shelf, it has always been there, marinating in the recesses of my mind. I’d occasionally bring it out to examine it -- but didn’t have the confidence to do anything more than that.

Now is the right time.

After tweaking the plot to be told from a YA POV, APOLLO’S GHOST started pouring out of me like blood from a head wound. I’m usually a heavy plotter, spending weeks outlining a manuscript before typing the first word, but this time I’m plotting and writing simultaneously, the urge to tell this story is so strong. The characters are so vivid to me and the story is both timely and relevant.

This is going to be IT!

How can I be so confident? Because one way or another, I’ve decided this will decide my fate as a writer.

If this book fails to get the attention I’ve struggled to achieve, then I will take that as a sign that mainstream publishing isn’t interested in my particular style of writing. Writing is a passion, no doubt, but it is also HARD WORK that consumes hours and hours of time, and I cannot afford to throw away what I have left on something that nobody, besides friends and family, is interested in.

“But DL” -- you are saying to yourself -- “if your writing is improving with every book, as you’d expect, then if you keep writing you’ll eventually reach a point where somebody will notice.” That probably is true, but with a full-time job and active family life, it is difficult to continue to steal time for a maybe. I figure ten years – which is what it will be by the time I find out if AG strikes a chord – will be enough to decide. “There are always indie publishers or self-publishing you can pursue.” I’ve queried the small publishers as well, with the same result, and self-publishing doesn’t really appeal to me.

Like I said, this is IT.

For those of you still following along…I’ll keep you updated.