Category: Writing

What to expect when you’re expecting publication (part 3: what you WON’T be involved in)

lindaktaylorLeave a comment

As you work with a publishing house to get your book published — you’ve been through the contractual phase and the content editing phase — you will find that there are several steps and decisions where you will not give input (indeed, the publisher may not ask for it). That can be surprising to some authors, so let me explain a few of those decisions here.

Title

I know, you struggled to get just the right title (and you should indeed deliver your manuscript with a title), but chances are high that the publisher will want to change it. This comes down to several considerations.

  • Marketability: Is this the best title to appeal to the target audience and to make sense to them?
  • SEO: Search Engine Optimization. Are there particular words that should be in the title that will be more useful for online searches?
  • Clarity: Maybe the title is too close to another similar title, so the change is needed to avoid confusion. Or maybe your clever title is deemed too vague or offbeat so that it would end up working against book sales.
  • Design constraints: Maybe it’s too long (or the subtitle is too long) and it’s just not working for the cover design.

The publisher won’t change the title without discussing it with you, but be aware of their knowledge of the marketplace and their marketing expertise. Of course, if you feel strongly, explain your side. But don’t be a diva. Work with the publisher.

Consider that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s initial title suggestions for The Great Gatsby included Among the Ash-Heaps and Millionaires. Trimalchio in West Egg, On the Road to West Egg, Gold-hatted Gatsby, and The High-bouncing Lover. His editor, the amazing Maxwell Perkins, offered the final title.

Cover and interior design

Leave this to the designers. There is generally an entire department dedicated to the cover and interior designs of each book.

The interior design has to do with making sure the number of words in the manuscript corresponds with the target number of pages–which will affect the font size, leading (space between lines), kerning (space between letters), margins, chapter starts (always on a recto? or can be recto or verso? drop cap at the beginning?), etc. Every element is designed.

The designer then creates a template (often in InDesign) into which the typesetter will flow the copyedited Word document manuscript.

Then, of course, he prepares the all-important cover design—the front cover (with title, subtitle, author, and artwork), spine (with title, author, and publisher’s logo), and the back cover (with synopsis, endorsements, brief author bio, and bar code with ISBN). He needs to know trim size and page count (page count affects the size of the spine), whether or not there are photos (and if they are black and white or color), and the target audience and tone.

The designer will receive from the editorial department a document that gives him the specs as noted above, along with a general overview of the book itself to help in creating the cover. For fiction, he needs to know the genre (a fantasy cover will look different from historical fiction), information about the protagonist/antagonist (what do they look like?), time period (1700s? early 2000s? future?), and specific title, subtitle, author name. For nonfiction, he needs to know the general topic and angle of the book (grief? joy? wombats? artificial intelligence?).

Trust these people. They have their fingers on the pulse of what designs are selling in the marketplace. You may have the opportunity to weigh in (they may give you a design or two to choose from), but beyond that, be careful. Don’t start to nitpick the design, ask for other colors, etc. etc. Stay in your lane.

In my latest book, the first cover design rendering was something I really really didn’t like. It made me cringe. I went back to my contract and, sure enough, it did say that I had the right to respond to the cover design. So, I did . . . kindly, gently, humbly, with my suggestions for what I thought would better reflect the book and its contents, even sending a couple of “idea photos.” The publisher was willing to revise based on my idea, and I received a cover much closer to what I had envisioned.

The cover the publisher creates is your cover. Try to love it.

Timing of publication

No, you can’t ask if they can “rush it a bit.” And also, no, you can’t ask if they can “put it off a little bit.” These companies are businesses and several books are going through the process at various phases week by week. Way down at the end of their massive schedule is the BBD (bound book date) for when your books will arrive. That was decided way back when your book was first acquired; various folks put your book on their schedule; the printer has a date set aside to print your book. The marketing department is working with various outlets to set up advertising to drop, podcast interviews, etc., all lined up to coincide with your book’s release. The train is moving. Stay on board. Keep your own deadlines that are part of the process.

Your publisher is investing a lot of time and money in you and your book. They want to see it succeed as much as you do. Trust them and their expertise to help your book be the best it can be.

https://tenor.com/view/peace-out-peace-sign-peace-ice-age-eddie-gif-12074097217783893288

What to expect when you’re expecting publication (part 2: working with your editor)

lindaktaylor2 Comments

If you’ve never worked with a publisher before, the next steps that will happen after you sign the contract may come as a bit of a surprise. However, your first task is to deliver the manuscript on or before the due date that was specified in your contract.

So do it and send it on time. Don’t let perfectionism or imposter syndrome kick in. You have a contract; they want your book; finish it; send it.

Once your manuscript arrives in the publishing house, the editorial director will set the schedule that will keep the manuscript moving through the publishing process to meet the to-printer date. Every step all the way up to your BB (bound book) and release date is laid out.

In large publishing houses, there may be several different people doing these editorial tasks with varying titles. In small houses, there might be one person who uses several freelancers. The editorial director will be in conversation with various people in the publishing house to schedule this book since there are also several other projects at various stages of production. The editorial director chooses and assigns the content editor, copyeditors, and proofreaders.

Let’s start with the content editor since that person handles the first stage of the process and will be working most closely with your manuscript and with you. But this is where I need to issue a warning. Be prepared for the editor to do a lot of work on your manuscript (a lot). Steel yourself for this. Most likely, it won’t be a pretty process. Most likely, you will have a lot of work ahead (a lot). But soldier on. The end result will be worth it.

The content editor is not going to be marking up your manuscript for spelling and punctuation errors. That comes later. Instead, the content editor reads the full manuscript and looks at the big picture. She helps shape the book (perhaps your chapter 3 should really be chapter 1 as it is a better beginning) and looks for issues of pacing, characterization, setting, consistency, plot, etc. She will make comments on the manuscript and write a (generally very long) letter, called the editorial letter, back to you filled with comments and suggestions to improve the manuscript.

This is probably the scariest part for every author. The editorial letter may, indeed, tear your manuscript to shreds (or so it seems). It may be 12 pages of single-spaced copy addressing every bit of your manuscript and offering suggestions. This article tells you more.

So, when it arrives and you first open it, you have my permission to sit down and cry. Do it. Close your computer, walk away for a day or two, get your bearings back.

https://giphy.com/gifs/angry-anger-sheldon-vysUmffUa9o4g

By the time you return again to the letter, you’ll see that the suggestions are (usually) right on. You’ll begin to see how much better the manuscript can be with the revisions suggested.

So get to work. If you have questions, contact your editor. Ask for a Zoom call to clarify if you’re unsure. Don’t do a lot of revisions if you’re not exactly clear what the editor is suggesting.

For the next few weeks, you and your content editor will go back and forth on the various edits and suggestions to determine what is going to make the book the best it can be. Understand that the content editor is acting as your “best reader” and is truly on your side in the process. She isn’t working against you, even if it may feel that way; she is in your corner all the way. And it’s a collaborative process.

Are editors sometimes wrong? Of course. But be open minded. There may be suggested edits that you just don’t feel will work. Talk to the editor and make sure you explain why. (Perhaps that random character the editor suggests that you cut is someone you know will be key to book 3 and thus needs to be introduced in book 1.)

Remember that schedule the editorial director set up at the beginning of this process? On there is the date for when you will have finished revising the manuscript and will turn in the final version that both you and your content editor are pleased with.

DO NOT MISS THIS DEADLINE. There are still several steps in the process — including copyediting, the interior and cover design approvals, typesetting, and proofreading. All of those people are anticipating receiving your manuscript and doing their work by their own due dates. If one of those dominoes falls, it can put your BB date in jeopardy. You don’t want that to happen. Besides delaying your book, you’re also putting in jeopardy any future prospects for working with this publisher on other books.

Your content editor is invaluable. Work with the person. She is your best friend during this process.

I bet you have never heard of Therese von Hohoff. She was the intrepid editor of To Kill a Mockingbird, working closely, across a couple of years, with Harper Lee to help develop the book into the classic it became. Through hours of back and forth, Lee and Hohoff worked out the various problems every writer encounters: the story’s through-line, the pacing, the voice.

At Hohoff’s urging, Lee worked with various POVs and voices, rewriting the novel three times—third person point of view, first person, and finally with a blend. At some point, they determined that the real story, the most authentic voice, lay with the six-year-old tomboy Scout, who could say and observe a lot of things that an adult narrator could not. The story goes that at one point Lee became so frustrated with the writing process she gathered up all the pages and threw the entire manuscript out her apartment window and into the New York City snow. She called her editor in tears. Hohoff told her in no uncertain terms to go outside, gather her pages, and keep working.

This is what a content editor does—challenges, questions, pushes (although, in today’s world, the editorial process will probably not allow for three years—books move much more quickly). This part is difficult because when you sent that beautiful manuscript in, you thought it was perfect, then suddenly, this person starts taking it apart piece by piece.

Just remember that with you and your content editor working together, the book will be better for it.

What to expect when you’re expecting publication (part 1: contracts)

lindaktaylor5 Comments

How do you read a book contract? What should you look for in a book contract?

Well, let’s chat. But first, I want to celebrate you writers who have received a YES from a publisher who wants to publish your book. (I’m focusing on the traditional publishers here; please be careful of a YES from publishing scammers. If you want to read my warnings, check out this post about publishing predators.)

But joy oh joy when a publisher says yes. There’s nothing like it.

After the celebration, however, I urge you to take a breath. You thought it was difficult writing the book; wait until you embark on the publishing process—starting with you signing a contract with the publisher.

Take the time to read and understand your publishing contract. Any contract is going to look like a bunch of boilerplate legalese that you just want to sign and be done with so you can get that portion of the advance (if that’s part of the package) or at least get going on editing. But never sign anything you haven’t read. I know, everyone accepts those “Terms and Conditions” on every website without reading them, but your book publishing contract is too important to sign without understanding everything in it.

If you have an agent, he or she will help you work through the contract and will negotiate any changes on your behalf. If you do not have an agent, this falls to you, so you must understand what you’re reading.

This blog in no way constitutes legal advice. I will point out a few items to be aware of in contracts—whether a book contract or a contract for an article. You should always read the whole document and question anything you don’t understand, ask for clarification from the publisher, or get legal advice. At the end are a couple links to articles that include helpful information about understanding the verbiage in contracts.

Following are a few things to look for in any publishing contract for any type of publication.

At the beginning will be a paragraph saying something about this agreement being made on a particular date (check the date) between the publisher (check name and address of publisher) and you (check that your name and address are correct). Then it will describe what it is you’re delivering. It may be the working title of the book or article or a description. Check this and make sure it is correct. These three items will be shorthanded as “Publisher,” “Author,” and “Work” throughout the rest of the contract.

Another section will probably talk about Grant of Rights or something similar. This can be confusing, so read carefully and understand what each item means. While much of this is the same in almost all publishing contracts, be sure you understand what rights you’re giving to the publisher. Following is a very quick thumbnail sketch of what the terminology means:

  • All rights. Avoid selling “all rights” to your work (especially a book). If the contract says this, you should question it, unless you have already discussed doing this work as a work for hire and giving up all rights to it. In some cases, such as for articles, it’s okay. For instance, when I would hire devotional writers for our Livingstone publications, I would ask them to sign a work for hire contract that specified that they were selling “all rights” to their devotionals. That meant that they would no longer own them once they were published in the devotionals we were creating. They were paid a flat fee, got a byline, but could never publish that devotional anywhere else. They had given up all rights. That’s fair in that kind of situation, but you want to be careful with your works. For example, if you’re getting a short story published in a magazine and you’ve given up all rights, that means you can never use it again. If another publication reads it and would like to include it, say, in an anthology, they couldn’t unless they buy the rights from that publisher. It’s best not to sell all your rights.
  • First serial rights. This means that the publisher has the right to be the first publisher of your piece. After that piece has been published, the rights revert back to you. Sometimes the contract will specify First North American Serial Rights, and that means you give those first serial rights but only in North America. You could then sell first serial rights to publishers in other countries.
  • Exclusive rights. This means you give the publisher the right to publish your work and it won’t appear anywhere else at the same time. Check the wording in the contract as publishers will put a length of time on this exclusivity—probably a few months to a year. After that time period has ended, you can publish your work in other places.
  • Worldwide rights. This gives the publisher the right to publish your work anywhere in the world.

Next, a section will talk about the work itself. This will include the date when you as author must deliver your completed piece to the publisher. Make sure that is the date you have already agreed to or understood as your due date.

There will be statements you must agree to saying that you have not already published this work, that the work is truly yours (not plagiarized and nowadays not AI generated in any way), that you have not libeled anyone, that you agree to obtain permissions for quoted material (and probably pay for them yourself), etc.

There will be a section about who owns the copyright. Generally, this should say your name. While you do give away some rights (as noted above), you own the copyright.

There may be material about the publication process—who is responsible for what. In my contracts, the Publication section deals with what I can expect the publisher to do and what the publisher expects me to do.

There will be a section dedicated to money. In a book contract, this will include how much advance is coming to you and when it will be paid. The publisher often pays a portion of the advance upon you signing the contract with the remainder coming after you deliver an acceptable manuscript. There may be inclusion here for the percentage paid to your agent if you have one.

For magazine articles, it will state the agreed upon payment—although be aware if it says “upon acceptance” or “upon publication.” Since publications often work weeks or months in advance, that article about Christmas that got accepted in June could be paid in June (upon acceptance) or in December (upon publication).

In book contracts, royalty information will be in the section dedicated to money, detailing percentages that will be paid out once you have “paid back” your advance through sales. Now, this can also be very confusing. Don’t look at these percentages and do math based on the selling price of a book. These royalties are percentages of the net made by the publisher on the sales of the book. It won’t be a large amount of money per book, but the percentage you receive should increase after an initial number of sales. There may be a different percentage for e-books or audio books.

There will be caveats for books sold to certain outlets or for books you purchase.  You should see a percentage discount for books you want to purchase yourself—say, to sell at a conference where you’re speaking. And yes, sorry, you do have to purchase your own books. Publishing is a business, and the publisher invests an amount of money into each printed copy. However, usually as part of the contract, you will receive a certain number of free copies upon publication. (That you will then unbox on social media, which is what everyone does.)

You will find information about when royalty checks will be cut and sent to you (usually quarterly). And again, if you received an advance, you won’t get any royalty until that advance money has been made back to the publisher through your book’s sales.

There may be information about marketing, about using your likeness in advertising, and about what marketing the publisher will do and what you will be expected to do.

Then there will probably be a lot of standard information absolving the publisher of a lot of responsibility. Read all of that carefully as well.

Don’t be alarmed, but don’t sign without understanding either. Most of these contracts are standard across the industry—especially if from one of the Big 5 or their imprints, or from a credible independent publisher.

Some websites that can give further information:

Publishing Contracts 101 (What You Need to Know to Protect Your Work)

Book Publishing Contracts: Checklist of Deal Terms

Again, congratulations on your success! Just take your time to make sure you understand your part of your publishing contract.

Next time, we’ll talk about getting ready to work with the editor at the publishing house.

4 reasons to attend the Taylor University Professional Writers Conference

lindaktaylor1 Comment

One of the hats I wear is coordinator of the annual Taylor University Professional Writers Conference, held every summer on the university’s beautiful campus. And I am inviting you.

Just a little over 10 years ago, we started this conference, wondering, “If we build it, will they come?” Well, came they did, and we’ve been running a successful conference ever since. The conference is a natural outgrowth of the Taylor University Professional Writing major, where students are trained, among other things, to navigate the world of publishing. Meeting and networking (and sometimes interning) with agents, authors, editors, and social media experts from across the Christian publishing industry is just one of the many plusses of our program.

Here are 4 reasons you should attend our 2025 conference:

1. It’s short and inexpensive.

Our General Conference runs a day and a half and is packed with sessions and fun. It runs from Friday, July 25 at 1:00 to Saturday, July 26 at 5:00. During that time are options of 32 different sessions, 3 keynotes, open mic readings, faculty book signing, and one-on-one appointments.

And all of that (including meals) for just $139. You’ll get Friday dinner, and Saturday breakfast and lunch, and all of the activities above. If you’d like to stay overnight on campus, you can for an extra fee of $70/night.

2. Add a day for some extra, advanced training.

For $139, including meals, you can opt to come to one of our pre-conference tracks. Beginning at 1:00 on Thursday, July 24 and ending with lunch on Friday, July 25. This is an opportunity to go deeper with a particular topic. You can choose from the following two options.

Option A: Deep POV / Prepping Your Proposal

In this Advanced Track, you’ll be privileged to learn from literary agent, Linda Glaz, who had been acquiring manuscripts, editing them, and coaching writers for 13 years. You’ll learn on Thursday about deep POV, the kind of writing that will deepen the experience of the reader and allow him/her to stay in the characters’ points of view. Then, on Friday, you’ll do a deep dive into how to write a solid book proposal–one of your first steps for the gatekeepers in the publishing work.

Option B: Comics Unlocked

​Your teachers (two Taylor U students) have been interested in comic books for their entire lives and are excited to share their knowledge with you. In their Comics Unlocked sessions, you’ll learn the history of comics, the craft of comic book creation (including formatting, script writing, pacing, and page layout), the artist/writer collaboration process, and possible paths to publication. You’ll also have the opportunity to work on your own comic book pitch and plan.

3. Do both a pre-conference track and the general conference for a reduced price.

If you choose one of the pre-conference tracks AND the general conference, you get both for $249. You’ll move seamlessly from having lunch on Friday after your pre-conference session to the general conference that begins at 1:00 p.m.

Some snapshots from our 2024 conference.

4. We’re great for all ages, types, and levels of writers.

Never been to a conference before? We’re ready to help you navigate with our friendly faculty and helpful staff (who just happen to be Taylor U Professional Writing students).

Just getting your feet wet in the writing world? We’re great for beginning writers to learn about what it takes and how to get started when it comes to being a writer.

Think you’re too old to start writing? You’re never too old. Lots of Bible characters have taught us that.

Think you’re too young? If you’re at least 16, we especially want to invite you to the conference. You’ll get to take part in all the sessions and networking, plus our college student staff will give you evening activities and a sense of what college life is all about.

Thinking you’re too advanced to need a conference? Maybe you’ve been around the industry a long time; maybe you’re a published author. Even so, there is never a time that you don’t need a refresher or some encouragement. And even better, you bring your expertise to those newer writers.

Check out the conference website at www.tupwc.com and register today!

A “Find Your Tribe” gathering of nonfiction writers at the 2024 conference.

Trying to meet the AI challenge: Part 2

lindaktaylor1 Comment

As I noted in this post at the end of December, I was studying ways to teach my students how to use AI (artificial intelligence; in this case, specifically ChatGPT). However, “teaching them how to use” is a misnomer because I quickly discovered that students already are using it. And I was naive to think otherwise.

That discovery meant that my lesson preparation turned from presenting the opportunity of AI to instead focus on the ethical and practical uses of AI when writing. From a course like Essentials of Written Communication (business writing), students need to learn to be able to use AI well when they get into their internships or jobs. In fact, ability to use AI, write prompts, and yet understand AI’s limitations, will be a requirement by employers.

https://learn.aiacontracts.com/articles/

But first …. let’s understand what AI can and can’t do. I had the students read the article: “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of AI Writing.” Here’s a synopsis:

AI can be good and helpful because it can save time, thus making employees more productive, and it can help reduce human error. (For instance, even using a program like Grammarly or the Editor in Microsoft Word is using AI to help clean up writing.) I want my students to see that AI can be helpful with time-saving idea generation, editing, and yes, even some first draft preparation.

For my students, it will be important to learn how to write good prompts and create perhaps some initial ideas for drafts of documents they will need in their future jobs, help them with research, provide guidance when making sense of statistics, etc. Learning how to use AI well will be a timesaver, allowing them time to do other important aspects of their job.

But ..

AI can be bad for myriad reasons. It is only as creative as what is already “out there”; thus, it really has no creativity or originality. It only takes what others have done as everything appears online. (As a writer, this for me is the nonstarter. I refuse to let it do any writing for me. Indeed, I am writing this blog post all on my own!)

Students who use AI to write their papers end up with writing that (ahem) is often easy for teachers to spot. (Not always, but sometimes.) One of the key assignments my colleagues and I are doing is to have students write something in class at the beginning of a semester, which gives us a sense of their writing ability and style. That provides us with a benchmark to work from. And we check all quotes and sources to make sure they exist and are correct.

Students must never depend on AI to deliver a final product. It needs their human eyes and human voice. Thus, they need to know how to edit, what to look for, and how to take what AI gives them and polish it.

But …

AI can be ugly because it doesn’t have ethical standards. It’s happy to write pages of uninspired, generic material, make up quotes, make up sources, make up statistics, all while using everyone else’s ideas that exist in online world.

My students need to find the uses for AI that are helpful but not unethical, such as brainstorming, clarifying material that is difficult to understand, even help with foreign language learning. As a professor, I have had it create some games to make the point of a lesson, or give me some case studies to use, or even advise on how to simplify a concept for my students.

For instance, one assignment we did in class was to have each student write an email to a prospective student. We discussed audience, format, and structure of good emails. We put the characteristics of our target audience on the board.

I gave them a worksheet on which they did the following three activities — all three of which would be turned in. First, write an email in class, without any kind of AI help. Second, create a prompt and put it in ChatGPT, then copy and paste onto the worksheet both the prompt and the generated email. Third, create a final email starting with the original and incorporating anything from AI that seemed helpful (and highlight those things).

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that, in most cases, the first email written on their own was just fine, but they did at times incorporate another point or even a particular phrase that they liked from the AI-generated version. And I did ask them to run their final version through the Microsoft Editor (yes, still an AI) to help them clean up any grammatical or spelling errors.

I’m hoping from this lesson they learned that some helpful ways to use ChatGPT can be for them to write a first draft, get a bit of help from AI, and then adjust their final product if the program did indeed give them something useful. And then, of course, to let it help them make sure of their grammar and spelling.

In other words, it’s only supplemental, not the final say.

Stay tuned. I’m still learning and working …

Just write one . . .

lindaktaylor7 Comments

Lunchtime was a big deal during my elementary school years. I recall spending much energy on exactly which lunchbox would provide my “ethos” for the upcoming year. After all, during every lunchtime, that lunchbox sat in front of me, open, back side available for all to see. Everyone at those long cafeteria tables would set up their boxes, pull out the thematically matched thermos and unscrew the cup and lid, take out the various foodstuffs, and spread it all out on the opened lid.

Yes. The lunchbox was ME. Who was I each year? Was I Holly Hobby? Peanuts? The simple butterfly design with flowers? Fairies?

The drama of the annual lunchbox choice still resides in my psyche.

So when I read Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird and her chapter about school lunches, I immediately resonated. As she describes, there’s so much going on when I consider my school lunches back in the mid-1960s. If I would try to write the scene, I might find myself overwhelmed. The lunchboxes, the long tables, the smell from the hot food line on pizza or taco day, the small square milk cartons, the cliques, the snack trading, the teachers walking around and monitoring, the noise and clatter before recess, the internal angst of walking across the cafeteria in a new outfit …

So much. Too much.

Lamott addresses this, giving advice to writers to not try to capture it all. Instead, to write the “one-inch picture frame.” To take a mental shot of the entire cafeteria scene, and then to Zoom in on one small piece of it — such as a lunchbox.

On her Instagram page beside a photo of a small picture frame, Lamott writes:

This is the 1” picture frame I keep on my desk to remind me that all I have to do one day at a time is to write the one scene or portrait that I can imagine or remember and see (if I squint) through that one inch picture frame. Not a whole chapter or essay or book, just one piece of that, the best I can do. I’ve had my writing students give these to each other for nearly 40 years now. It seems silly, but it helps a little, and that can be a miracle.

It sounds similar to Ernest Hemingway’s advice, in A Moveable Feast, to “write one true sentence”:

Sometimes when I was started on a new story and I could not get going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made. I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.”

One-inch frame . . . one true sentence.

The idea is to not get overwhelmed. To not give in to imposter syndrome. No matter how many chapters still to go, no matter how long the article, you can just write that one beautiful sentence. You can focus on that one small bit of the big picture, working word by word, sentence by sentence.

Eventually, yes, you’ll go back. You’ll edit. You’ll rearrange. You’ll cut. You’ll write more. But to get there, you need to start.

Break it down. Focus in. Take your time. A little bit every day.

One inch. One sentence.

My next teaching challenge: The AI effect

lindaktaylor6 Comments

The chair of my department came into my office and said, “Linda, brush up on AI. You’re going to need to teach your students to use it.” He was referring to my Essentials of Written Communication class, a class where I teach the format and strategy of different types of writing that is important to both their lives on campus and beyond into the business realm.

And I must teach my students to effectively and ethically use AI platforms (such as Chat GPT) to truly prepare them for their future careers. The world is heading that direction and they need to be ready.

I have to admit, I’m a little worried. I’m a veteran of the 5-1/4-inch floppy disk era. Even before that, I navigated my way from typing class in high school (on typewriters) to computers with various floppy disk sizes and on through the many, many versions of Microsoft Word (remember when “Clippy” would give writing advice?).

Clippy, courtesy of Mental Floss

And then came email (woo hoo! Files could be attached and sent instantaneously) and the Internet. So far I’ve managed to move through these past 50 years of my writing career with a minimum of turmoil.

But I have to admit that the world of Artificial Intelligence is setting me back on my heels a little. While many of my colleagues have embraced and are using it well, I’m setting aside January to catch up. Here’s my reading material, Teaching with AI.

I have my concerns. As a writer, I’m honestly worried about my students deferring to AI and not understanding the creativity needed for every kind of writing — an email, a news release, a report. Having an AI just generate these annoys every part of me.

But I’ve been teaching long enough to know that writing doesn’t come easily to everyone. Even as I teach my students to use programs like Grammarly or Microsoft Word’s editing tools on their papers means I already have been teaching them to use AI.

So as I prepare for my spring Essentials of Written Communication class, I will be rewriting my curriculum to continue to teach the formatting and structure of various types of writing, while planning for students to use AI. I plan to create assignments for them to write and then edit with AI; I’ll be showing them how their human touch is still vital to anything they use AI to create; I’ll be talking about the ethical use of AI so they understand its creative limitations (and potential for plagiarism).

As the book says, “It is essential that educators start to talk about these issues with students. if we want students to use AI responsibly, both in school and beyond, AI ethics must be baked into curriculum and include AI literacy, an emerging essential skill” (3).

Do you use AI? How has it helped you? What concerns do you have about its use?

What kinds of jobs can a writer get?

lindaktaylor4 Comments

OR How can I turn my writing into a career?

Helping my students turn their love for words and ability to write into a career is exactly what I’ve been trying to do with my life for the past 15 years.

I’m planning a class for spring 2025 that will be the introductory class to my Professional Writing major here at Taylor U. But I’ve set my sights a bit bigger as I also want to invite into the class any student who might be sitting around considering their major and thinking, “But I’m also a pretty good writer.” I want to offer a class where they can explore how their ability with words (which, believe me, isn’t something everyone has) can be leveraged into many types of jobs in their chosen fields.

Here’s the deal: Even though I teach the students who major in Professional Writing about the ins and outs of writing well and book publishing, I don’t leave them with the unrealistic dream that they’ll be able to make a living off the royalties from their published books (if, indeed, they get published). My students who have had their books published often still have day jobs — or have spouses who have day jobs. (I know you writers, laboring in the evenings or early mornings on your manuscripts in between bouts of “real life,” understand this.)

Gif from plaidswan.com

Most of my alumni are using their ability with words in many fields. I currently have former students in the following jobs:

  • Copy writer
  • Magazine editor
  • Book editor
  • Freelance editor
  • Digital content strategist
  • Communications director
  • Marketing director
  • SEO specialist
  • Publicist
  • Acquisitions editor
  • Literary agent
  • Author
  • Technical writer
  • Social media director
  • Proofreader
  • Email marketing manager
  • Blog writer
  • Web writer
  • Content writer

And no, AI is not going to replace all of these people. In fact, I plan to teach ways to use AI strategically to help us (and it can). However, we’re going to learn what we humans still need to know to help AI do its thing, as well as to help it deliver what’s needed.

Thus, as I create my syllabus for the coming semester, I hope to expose my students to the many opportunities available to anyone who can string words together in a coherent, concise, and clear manner. Good writers are desperately needed because content is desperately needed almost literally everywhere. Even writing a good email has become a lost art.

What jobs are you aware of that need good writers? Even if you’re a novelist by night or hammering away at your opus, where else do you use your writing skills?

Help me give my students some encouragement!

Create a personal social media calendar

lindaktaylor1 Comment

As I mentioned in a previous post (4 keys to your author social media strategy), you as a writer need to be on social media, you need to choose the platform(s) that most works for you, and you need to be posting consistently.

“Aye, there’s the rub” (to quote Shakespeare). It’s difficult to be consistent.

In that post, I suggested that you create a weekly schedule that you can keep up with (and because that weekly schedule can repeat, you easily have a monthly schedule). I said that perhaps on Monday you’ll share on Facebook about something you learned in research for your book. On Wednesday you’ll post on Pinterest some photos you found about the time period of your historical fiction. On Friday, you’ll share the link to an article you read that was pertinent to your book’s topic. On Saturday, maybe a Canva-created quote from your book.

But if you’re a visual person like me, perhaps putting this on a calendar (physical or electronic) will help this make sense. This will keep you from worrying about posting or getting behind and having lapses of days or weeks at a time.

As I was posting around the release of Pathway to Publication, I needed to create a visual plan to help me to both remember to post and not stress about remembering to post.

Below is a sample week that I created at the time. This one week provided a template for the rest of the month — which then created a habit that’s easy to remember. Each day I describe a post or two and which platform. Of course, when I feel inspired, I can post more often. I take Sundays off and breaks on Saturdays between blog posts. And I only blog once a month. I wish I could do more, I just don’t have it in me with my other responsibilities.

Sample One Week Social Media Calendar

MonTuesWedThurFriSat
Insta and X: Create a Canva with helpful line from book.
Post.		FB and X:
Post regular weekly Typo Tuesday pictures.		X: Share a link to an article of interest about writing or books.Insta and X: Post humor meme about writing, teaching, or books. X: Ask convo starter question. Insta: Photo “day in my life.”Website: Work on blog. Plan 1x or 2x month. Share on FB & X.

You may have other social media to post on, or you might set aside a day each month to work on a newsletter. The point is to decide what you need to do and then schedule time each week or month to get it done.

So much less stress when you just have to do what is scheduled on each day to do!

Beyond the weekly schedule, I try to be aware of annual holidays and special days throughout the year tied to my brand — writing, editing, books, communication, teaching. (The following are courtesy of the Days of the Year site.) These can help focus the quotes I use.

  • January: New year, resolutions, how you can set up for a successful writing year, setting goals; January 9 (National Clean Your Desk Day); January 23 (National Handwriting Day)
  • February: God’s love for us; February 7 (National Send a Card to a Friend Day); February 14 (International Book Giving Day); National Library Lovers Month; Freelance Writers Appreciation Week (second week)
  • March: March 2 (Dr. Seuss Day); March 2 (World Book Day); March 4 (National Grammar Day); Easter (March or April)
  • April: Easter (March or April); spring cleaning; April 6 (National Bookmobile Day); April 20–26 (National Stationery Week); April 23 (World Book Night); April 27 (World Stationery Day); April 30 (Independent Bookstore Day)
  • May: My college students graduating; May 3 (Write a Review Day); May 16 (National Biographers Day); May 19 (National Notebook Day); Memorial Day
  • June: my professional writing summer academy week; June 23 (National Typewriter Day)
  • July: Info about the upcoming Taylor University Professional Writers Conference (held end of July); July 1 (Write a Letter Appreciation Week); July 4 (Independence Day); July 30 (Paperback Book Day)
  • August: Prep for the teaching semester; August 5 (Blogger Day); August 9 (National Book Lovers Day); August 31 (We Love Memoirs Day)
  • September: Back to teaching; Read a New Book Month; Sept 1 (World Letter Writing Day); September 6 (National Read a Book Day)
  • October: October 1 (International Coffee Day); October 18 (National Chocolate Cupcake Day—I love cupcakes; sue me); October 29 (National Cat Day—I own way too many cats)
  • November: November 4 (Fountain Pen Day); November 15 (I Love to Write Day); Veterans Day (I’m an Air Force brat); Thanksgiving
  • December: December 21 (National Short Story Day); Christmas

Now if you check up on me, you’ll probably not see this continued activity because I know what I should do but am not very good at execution. I did fairly well around the release of my book but have not been consistent since. Writing this post is making me think I need to get myself back on track.

What about you? What do you do to stay motivated and consistent with your social media postings?

Gif courtesy of https://metricool.com/social-media-gifs/

How to spot (and avoid) publishing predators

lindaktaylor3 Comments

I’ve seen it happen one too many times (and one time is too many) — well-meaning writers get caught in the net set by predatory “publishers.” The writers thought they were getting published, only to find themselves with an inferior product (if indeed they end up with any product at all) and out a whole lot of money.

In a writers Facebook group recently, someone posted that they had received a phone call from a publisher who wanted to publish her book. She had some red flags (how did they even get her number, she wondered), so she asked the group for advice. Thankfully, every response warned her that this is a scam. I so appreciate all those seasoned writers in the online world helping one more person to not be a victim.

It’s sad to say, but the world is full of folks who are ready to take money from us moony-eyed writers who simply want to get our words out there. So how do you spot a scam?

You can spot these “publishers” by how eager they are to publish your book. Their process is simple. They will target you, do a sales job, flatter you and your book, make big promises, and then ask for money.

The fact that they target you is the first red flag. That’s not how the publishing process works. Generally, literary agents and acquisitions editors are wading through piles of proposals. They are working with the folks who know the process, not out seeking newbie writers and calling them on the phone offering to publish for a fee.

Let’s say you wrote a post on Facebook about finally finishing the writing of your book and then, magically, you receive an email or phone call from a company that effuses about your book and says they want to publish it!

Wow, you think, I didn’t realize it could be so easy!

Well, my friend, it isn’t. These folks are simply preying on new authors who haven’t yet gained the knowledge and experience of what it takes to publish a quality book. In short, they will publish anything as long as they get their money from you up front. They have no editorial standards. Their goal is not to create a quality product or see your book do well.

They are going to approach you first, flatter you, do a sales job, ask you to send them your manuscript, and ask for a credit card number for a large chunk of money (we’re talking in the thousands: $4K, $5K, $12K) for a list of services that they say they will provide (some of which are virtually meaningless, others that may or may not be delivered or may not be up to industry standards — such as their editorial process). They will send you a contract but generally the terms are not standard in the industry.

Hear me say this: These publishers are not trying to work with you to create a book of high quality. They just want your money.

https://tenor.com/view/alert-scam-sheep-zombie-lies-gif-21519331

You see, with traditional or independent publishers, they invest in your book so they have an interest in it selling well. They vet your work before publishing by studying your book proposal and sample chapters. They edit and copyedit and proofread and lay it out and create a compelling cover design and help with marketing. Because they make an investment in your book, they want to see it do well. They want to make back their investment and make money on it so that you also can make money on it.

Not so with these scam publishers. You will pay money and have no say over anything. Most detrimental of all, they contractually often take away your rights to your book — meaning you actually no longer own your book. You’ll have paid out of pocket and lost control of everything — including your book. It’s a lose-lose. These predatory publishers can afford to publish anything (no matter how poorly written or how poorly someone they hire edits it) because they aren’t making money on the sale of quality books — they are making money off you, the client. You pay them up front, so they get their money regardless of what happens with your book sales.

There is absolutely no risk to them. Some may offer up a little bit of service, but very often you will find yourself with a poor quality product that only works against you. Again, it’s a lose-lose for you.

Note that I’m focusing on those places who contact you. These may fashion themselves as “publishers” or “hybrid publishers” or “self-publishers.” And unfortunately this puts a bad face on the legitimate self-publishing or hybrid companies that, while they do charge money for their services, are working on a business model that is trying to help you create a superior product. See the link in the bulleted list below of ratings of self-publishing companies.

The key is, if it sounds too easy and too good to be true, it probably is. So before you outlay a chunk of your life’s savings, do some thorough research.

  • Look for information about the company online, especially complaints.
  • Check out this list of ratings for self-publishing companies.
  • Insist on receiving a sample contract that you can review. (If they want money first, don’t give it to them.)
  • Ask for some names of books the company has published that you can review. (Even if the company is legit, you do want to see what other types of books they publish so you know if you want to be part of their catalog.) If you can get your hands on physical books, even better, so you can check the quality. Get in contact with those authors online to ask about their experience.
  • Check out this post with more information about what to look for in order to avoid publishing scams.
  • Check out Writer Beware for other advice.

Chances are, you do all of the above with that publisher who called and flattered you, and you’ll discover a scam. Steer clear. Ultimately, you may continue your quest to get traditionally published, or you may steer toward a hybrid or self-publishing route. But you’ll be in charge, you’ll research and contact legitimate companies, and you’ll be able to create a product you can be proud of.