Writing is a solitary occupation. We sit at the desk, with only characters for company, and tap at the keyboard. The cast of our latest  project become friends and, for a time, that is all we need. Everything else fades into insignificance. What happens, when we  merge from the cocoon, manuscripts ready for publication? Who do we turn to?

The Australian Writer’s Marketplace, of course!

When I first came to the world of writing, I had no idea where to start. It was only through hard research that I began to understand   little of the industry. I foolishly thought that writing for me was enough – I didn’t need to talk to others, didn’t need anyone except my publishers. I was very wrong.

Luckily, I stumbled across The Australian Writer’s Marketplace and, I can tell you, it travelled many a  mile with me! It sat next to me in the ute while I was shifting stock, I poured over it each night before bed, and I had it beside me when I made my first pitch to an agent. It was like my map in a world that was completely unfamiliar, and is responsible for me  finding writers groups and like-minded people, as well as my publisher.

I quickly became aware of its power and have purchased one every edition since. I now proudly own five copies – and what is even more exciting is being able to point aspiring authors towards it!

One of the things I’ve learnt during the publication of my two books is that just because one publisher doesn’t want your manuscript today, doesn’t mean no one will want it tomorrow. As a writer, you need to keep this book handy, so when the rejection
letters come (which, unfortunately they will!) you can find the next publisher without having to spend too much time researching where to pitch next – with The Australian Writer’s Marketplace the information is all in the one place.

The dedicated team at Queensland Writers Centre spend many hours putting together this resource that not only includes almost every publisher in Australia, but also where to find agents, writing groups, magazine specs, advice on setting out your manuscript and many industry hints that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I think I was incredibly lucky to have this book as my ‘best friend’ and will continue to keep it close by as my writing career continues.

Thank you to all who have had a hand in compiling this book and to all who use it, I wish you the best of luck in your writing career – using The Australian Writer’s Marketplace will help you go far!

You can buy the new AWM through AWMonline, Queensland Writers Centre, or good bookstores.

I still blog 10-15 items a day, just as I’ve done for 10 years now on Boing Boing. But I also tweet and retweet 30-50 times a day…. the more media I have at my disposal, the more ways there are for me to work out my own ideas.

Nearly 70 tweets and blogs every day? Truly, Doctorow is a man for the times.

Proving that blogging is alive and well is Queensland Poet-in-Residence, Emily XYZ. When fighting the writers’ demons – the doubts and distractions that plague us all – Emily convinces us that action brings answers! (And she proved it at the recent Speed Poets gig).

Emily XYZ in action at Speed Poets

And have you seen Tom Cho’s beautiful blog? Full of writerly wisdoms, like the ones he offered at last night’s Writing Race:

• "We who write live in a kaleidoscopic world of ever-shifting assessments and judgments, unable to determine whether it is revelation or supreme self-delusion that fuels our most crucial efforts" – Joyce Carol Oates
• "Ask yourself ‘What am I too lazy or afraid to write?”’ – Gerald Murnane (Tom’s former fiction teacher).

You can catch Tom at the upcoming Byron Bay Writers Festival.

Neil Gaiman:

I didn’t even get to feel unique in my despair.

 Steven Heighton:

In the long run, curiosity and stamina trump talent.

Mark Charan Newton:

This is one of many reasons I’m glad there’s a SFF blogosphere – at least we all talk about books and help sidestep a lot of potential pain for new authors.

Need inspiration? Favourite fry-ups this week:

Of tattoos and writing by Adam Rex

Mangels: the next Big Thing (The New Yorker)

What’s The Great Wipe, you ask?

The Great Wipe hath irrayzed much of world culcha, butta few bits of licheracha haveth bn found – pleez help mi choose most bestest 2 exxibit – the curator of a history of the book 2/2/3010

if:book’s HOTBOOK uses this message from the future as the basis for an ongoing, interactive scenario, which teaches students how to ‘find their way to the best writing on the web, and to spot quality across different platforms and genres.’

Here’s some of the latest info from Chris Meade about if:book Australia. Check out the video of his interview with our very own Kate Eltham!

Orbit Books creative director Lauren Panepinto gave aspiring artists, science fiction fans, and publishing aficionados a peek into her long process of designing a book cover. This two-minute video captures every Photoshop tweek and edit on the cover design of an upcoming novel by Gail Carriger.

From covers to remixes: Ursula Le Guin discusses literary remixing at Book Cafe, drawing a distinctino between information (content) and art (object), Le Guin challenges the digital influence on concepts of ownership (and plagiarism) of literature. However, her Australian example, if it’s the one we think it is, seems to misconstrue the issue from complex  identity fraud to one of pure plagiarism. Have a read and see what you think.

~

So what’s happening tonight at AWMonline? Lashings of writing, that’s what!  We will be joined by special guest Kate Forsyth. Kate’s first book Dragonclaw was published when she was only thirty, and was an international success straightaway. Her books have been sold to 12 different countries and she has been shortlisted for numerous awards. With a BA (Literature) and a MA (Writing) Kate has taught creative writing from primary to tertiary levels for over ten years, so it will be  to write alongside Kate tonight! Join us tonight at 7.45pm AEST to chat with Kate about her craft, and her latest novel The Puzzle Ring, which has been gaining rave reviews all around the world.
 

The start date for the next Kim Wilkins YONline course offered in the AWMonline Learning Centre is April 1. This course will be tutored by author Belinda Jeffrey, with audio lectures and class content from Kim – meaning you have access to the wisdom and support of two great authors for the price of one. So if you need help writing your novel, now’s your chance!

My second novel-length project will be getting some serious attention soon, when I start YON (Year of the Novel, for the uninitiated) with Trent Jamieson. QWC’s The Empty Page Blog has kindly invited me to post a pic of my writer’s desk as part of Project: Bringing the Ugly. So here’s where I’ll be hanging out a lot over the next ten months…

Of course, I have a proper desk in my study, with bookshelves and dust and piles of paper everywhere – but I usually lug my laptop and notes out onto the deck! It’s the serenity, and the proximity to the coffee machine, and the view…

The Writing Race is on again tonight, if you are looking for some writerly motivation and camaraderie (8-9pm AEST).

Robert Sessions left the UK for Australia looking for the promised land, or at least a gig in publishing. He found both, and 47 years later has headed publishing in Penguin Australia for 20 years. He spoke for nearly an hour at The Whole Shebang this morning. I wish he’d spoken for two, because he only had time to hint at issues on the horizon like digital publishing and the parallel importation of books.

He gave a brief history of Australian publishing. Did you know that, back in the day, Penguin attempted to open a bookstore? Nobody came, because readers don’t want the restriction of one publisher and its imprints – they want to graze across the full range of titles published. A sage lesson for contemporary publishers who seek to establish their house brand over author recognition.

Sessions told us about the halcyon days when the ratio of front list (new titles) to back list was 40%-60%. Nowadays it’s more like 70-30%. That means venerable old titles are written off, and vulnerable new titles have a crucial window in which to Sell or Die.
Sessions’s top tip: Penguin likes to hear from you by email. Send your synopsis through, when your project is ready, and you’ll hear back reasonably promptly as to whether they want to read more. (This from a man who carries around 60+ manuscripts on his eReader – I wonder when publishers have time to read for, y’know, pleasure. Methinks it is an enjoyment foregone by those who love the artform most – quite a sacrifice).

The next Whole Shebang presenter, Louise Swinn from Sleepers Publishing, is a younger but no less invaluable contributor to the Australian publishing landscape. Louise spoke with Brendan Gullifer (debut author of Sold) about the journey of his book. Louise, Zoe (publisher with Sleepers also) and Brendan all still have their day jobs – and perhaps we would expect this of an author, but to think of a respected literary publishing house being fueled by the passion and dedication of a pair of moonlighters is as surprising as it is inspiring.

Most fascinating insight from this panel: Louise sees books in colour, a synaesthesiac editor – her explanation of how she comprehends and develops manuscripts was like hearing Michelangelo discussing his plans for the ceiling of the Cistine!
‘There’s only one thing more painful than being a writer, and that’s being married to one.’ Brendan Gullifer’s wife approved the sale of the family home to support his writing. They have three kids. Such are the sacrifices writers are willing to make to develop their career.  And his novel sounds like an interesting window into the real estate idealism dominating the Australian psyche.

That’s a plug, folks…

So many books in the festival bookstore, so little cash to spend. I’m going with Lisa Lutz, but that’s cos I’m a crime fic fan girl. Did I mention I bagged an invite to the Davitt Awards tonight? Squeeeeeee!

Okay, Now I’ve finished my Borek (Turkish spanikopota) and my blog post, I’ll get back into The Whole Shebang. It’s another incredible opportunity  to learn about the Australian literary community. Arts VIC, City of Lit, VWC … more juicy facts and figures about what’s available for writers.

Now I am preparing for Melbourne Writers Festival. Busy month. But before I move on from Byron enitrely, I want to continue the wrap up. I had the chance to speak at length with Peter Bishop, Creative Director of Varuna, a man I am dubbing Australia’s least known and most important contributor to literary culture.

Peter spoke about his life, and how he did not follow the beaten track to get where he is. Writing is an industry of a million written and unwritten rules, but he argues that following them does not guarantee results. Rather, Peter encourages writers to be rebels, not to kotow to any particular rules or guidelines for success, but to devote your energies to challenging yourself and finding your voice. It was thought-provoking stuff for one to hear who had just spent a day involved in delivering a professional development seminar for writers. Had I just spent a day involved in telling writers the rules to follow, the recipe for success?

Upon reflection, I realise that my passion for community and professional development for writers is more about linking people together – online writing peers, industry leaders, regional writers, etc – than providing instructions. There is a wealth of resources available for writers to tap into to develop themselves and their craft, but at different points in a writer’s career, it can be difficult to know where those resources are. Writing is a craft: there are masters, apprentices, cohorts. There are a raft of tools and approaches that different writers can select for their toolkit, tailored to their own interests, genres, and stages of career.

Beyond that, Peter’s final point is one that struck a deep chord in me. There is a crucial and lively conversation, between writers and on writing, extending through the whole literary world from publishers to readers. I encourage every writer to nuture their imaginative space by finding ways to connect with this broader conversation: through festivals, writers groups, courses, writers centres, fellowships … Wherever and however you can, find your peers, your buddies, your mentors and teachers - because that will help you find your own stories and develop your own voice.

I’m at a workshop for writers about Promoting Yourself Online with the inestimably brilliant Kate Eltham. 

So what does the enormous complexity of the interwebs mean for an author seeking to create or maintain their platform through online presence? As web platforms move towards conversation models, an expectation is forming that users can contribute and reproduce content – I’m looking at you, Gen Y! So authors, don’t worry about trying to control use of your content, because that power now lies with the users. Instead, concentrate on supporting users to find and spread your content in ways that you both want. Scatter your delectable content like biscuit crumbs to increase your findability on the interwebs. And respect the multi-channel factor: don’t expect people to leave their channels and come to you – take yourself to them.

it’s hard for writers not to get hung up on text and readers. But we need to think about photos, videos, images, podcasts etc as well as text. A great example: what did Cory Doctorow’s website look like 5 years ago? Ask the internet archive. Then compare to craphound today.

Savvy, much?

Oops, now it’s my turn to facilitate the session: twenty authors exploring different social media platforms and reporting back on how they are being used or could be used by authors. We have a great group here today, including poet Graham Nunn and debut author Belinda Jeffreys. Joanne Schoenwald just created a twitter account for her alter ego Lucy Gabrielle. She got a magazine review out of it within 15 minutes. Seriously.

The interwebs can hurt your brain and suck your time like a vampire, but it is absolutely awesometown. And everyone should spend some time in awesometown, right?

Right.