Writers on the Rise: Introducing... YOU

Hey guys, so I’ve been thinking. Dangerous, I know. But what my spastic thought process finally put together was the wish to do a series of interviews.

Except...instead of interviewing people who are agented, I want to talk to those who are NOT repped but are ACTIVELY SEEKING REPRESENTATION.

I know. I’m weird. Totes a special snowflake and all that. And yes, I understand it’s standard practice to interview those who have “made it” so we can learn from their wisdom. I learn from other’s wisdom all the time, interviews and blog posts and tips and tricks from people who are SO MUCH FARTHER along in this process than I am, and it’s helped a ton.

(Hell, I have an agent and I give interviews, and I super hope people read that stuff!)

But that doesn’t mean we have NOTHING to learn from the people who are in the “query trenches,” and I can’t resist the temptation of hearing from the masses as well as the elite. You never know who is going to have the best advice for YOU.

Yeah, except maybe don’t take advice from that guy.

The Goal:

I want to talk to people who are in “The Query Trenches.” I want to know who you are, what you write, tips you have on writing, resources you have on querying, whether you’re seeking a CP, and how you stay strong in the face of rejection letters. I want to give you a chance to share a small portion of your work and link us to other places you have written: your blog, fanfic, an interview you gave or whatever it is. I want to hear what you have to say and shine as big a spotlight on you as I can, because what you’re doing is nearly impossible, and you’re doing it anyway.

Seriously, though, the reason I’m doing this is because while seeking my own agent, the people I learned the most from were the people who were going through it with me. They recommended agents for me to query, offered to beta my work, and kept me up when I was down from rejections. Because yeah, querying is tough, and this wasn’t ME (of course not!) but...um...just a lot of people I knew while we were trenchin’ it.

Okay, that was totally me. But I don’t want it to be you! And I can’t take away the rejection letters that you will get (not that I would because TruthTime: they are a vital part of growing as a writer), and I can’t make the slush pile go away (THAT I would destroy if I had that talent. And I would’ve done it two years ago!). But I can do this, and after all: no matter where you are in the publishing process, we should still all support one another every way we can.

What I Need From You:

Nominees for interviews. That’s it. I’m gonna beg some awesome people I know a little more personally to start the series and get us rolling, but I still need more people to talk to! So...got a friend who is an awesome writer and is querying like crazy, but could use a boost on social media exposure? Hit me up. Want to boost your own platform? Have a great tip about the process? Are you looking for a CP? Let’s get your name up here and show people who you are and where to find you.

How to Nominate Yourself or a Friend:

You can comment here with a name and a link to where I can find you (website address, twitter, facebook, etc. I don’t tumblr, sorry!), or you can tweet at me on twitter @KatieGolding_TX with that info. I’ll contact you to get your interview stuffs, and it’s that easy! Plus, fun!

I’m really excited about this, guys, and I hope you are too.