Top Ten Reasons to be in an Anthology - and Masquerade Cover!

Anthologies – multiple authors, short stories, little or no royalties – why would you want a story in one?

We’ll give you ten reasons why!

1 – Exposure – we are exposed to a wider range of readers
2 – Experience – we learn to work with a publisher and their team
3 – Team-building – we learn to work with other authors
4 – Platform-building – it gives us an author credit so we can build our platform
5 – Good writing exercise – often we have to write to specs which stretches our abilities
6 – Discipline – we have to meet word counts and deadlines
7 – Validation – it demonstrates our ability to write a good story
8 – Victory – we beat out others for a place in the book
9 – A step in the right direction – we are closer to our big author goals
10 – Ego-boost – because we did it – take that, insecurity!


And why are we discussing anthologies?

Because the next IWSG anthology comes out April 30 and this is the cover of Masquerade: Oddly Suited!

Masquerade: Oddly Suited
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
Release date – April 30, 2019
Young Adult Fiction: Romance - General/Paranormal/Contemporary
Print ISBN 9781939844644
EBook ISBN 9781939844651

Find love at the ball…

Can a fake dating game show lead to love? Will a missing key free a clock-bound prince? Can a softball pitcher and a baseball catcher work together? Is there a vampire living in Paradise, Newfoundland? What’s more important—a virtual Traveler or a virtual date to the ball?

Ten authors explore young love in all its facets, from heartbreak to budding passion. Featuring the talents of L.G. Keltner, Jennifer Lane, C.D. Gallant-King, Elizabeth Mueller, Angela Brown, Myles Christensen, Deborah Solice, Carrie-Anne Brownian, Anstice Brown, and Chelsea Marie Ballard.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will mystify and surprise even as they touch your heart. Don your mask and join the party…


Sadly, the IWSG is losing two of its admins Lynda Young, who was second-in-command, and Joy Campbell are both stepping down. They have been with the IWSG Admin Team since the site began and will be missed. Thank you ladies for all of your help getting the IWSG to where it is today!

However, we’re not ending on a sad note - Elizabeth Seckman has joined the IWSG Admin Team! She will be in charge of the Publishers/Agents/Queries page and active on Facebook, as well as contributing to the site, the newsletter, and other areas.
Welcome to the team, Elizabeth!

Have you been in an anthology?

The next blogging post day for the IWSG is Wednesday, February 6 - see you then!

One Writer's Takeaways From 2018

Like most writers, at the end of each year, I evaluate to see where I did well and what areas needed more work. Here, I’ll share a dozen things that helped me on my journey into 2019.

PLANNING IS KEY: I’ve proven time and again that ‘a goal without a plan is just a wish’. Yet, I’ve failed to ever sustain a book launch properly, although I have oodles of reading material on what to do for a successful release. This year, I’m determined to plan better because good intentions without a plan in black and white fall to the wayside.

THE VIRTUE OF A ROAD MAP: I feel like Superwoman when I decide what I’m gonna write and publish at the start of the year. Of course, I never give myself enough time to get it all done. This is where writing a to-do list helps. It keeps me on track and encourages me when I look at the task list and realize that I’ve accomplished this, and this, and this.

FOCUS/DISCIPLINE: These are the characteristics that determine success or failure. Something many of us don’t get is that our first responsibility it to ourselves. We run around getting distracted by non-essentials, doing ourselves a disservice. I still struggle with this, but now do things according to priority.

BACKLIST GOLD: Your backlist, if you have one, is valuable. Keep promoting even when there are zero likes. Someone saw your ad anyway. Think of it like this, if you can’t apply a little stick-to-it-iveness to promote your work, who will?

A POSITIVE MINDSET IS CRITICAL: I’ve learned that if I want something, I should never say never, but find a way to do what I want to achieve. Negativity sucks my energy and keeps me from taking action. I’m learning to replace negative thoughts with positive ones each time they come. It takes practice and thirty seconds is all it takes for a free ride down negativity lane, so I’ve become more conscious of how I think and where I allow my mind to go.

MY DESTINY IS MY DESTINY IS MY DESTINY: There are things I’ve been meaning to do for years, but I haven’t done them. Not doing those things weighs on me and I’m frustrated until I do them. Is there something you know you’re meant to do but you keep putting it off? Stop frustrating yourself; walk in your purpose. Just do it!

FIND YOUR TRIBE: As much as we’d like to think we can achieve success on our own and on our own terms, the fact is no man is an island. We can’t do it on our own. We’re sociable animals for a reason. When the going gets tough, we need the support of people who understand what we’re going through. They commiserate, tell us the truth, and drag us out of the doldrums.

SELF CARE: My exercise routine went down a side road over Christmas, and I discovered all kinds of joint pain from sitting in one position at the computer for hours. Then there were the random eating hours. Plus the breakdown in the body care routines. Well, as one wise person said, we have one house to live in and can’t move elsewhere, so we should treat the temple of our body with respect. I aim to do more of that in 2019.

BE ADVENTUROUS, BUT DISCERNING: I’m an adventure/new project junkie. Someone just needs to invite me to collaborate on a project and I’m in. I’ve learned that not every opportunity is beneficial and you should too. Weigh your options and walk away if the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.

KEEP PADDLING EVEN IF YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE IN YOUR BOAT: There are readers who will never support you unless/until your work becomes popular or someone, whose opinion they respect, tells them to read your book. Don’t be discouraged, despite what your sales numbers tell you. Continue writing for the joy of it, and the few, until that base turns into many. Keep your head down, your keyboard clicking, and do you.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS: The business side of being a writer is no fun, so many of us avoid thinking about what’s going in and what coming out of our bank account. Despite how we feel about numbers, it’s important to know what we’re earning and spending each month.

CONTINUE TO EVOLVE: With the urging of another writer, I’ve started the process of going back to my older books and reading them. This, with a view to bringing them in line with my writing style today. My standard advice is for every scribe is to learn the craft when we first step out, and also to never stop learning as we evolve into better writers.

Bestseller: A Self-Publishing Podcast by Reedsy

Check out the TRAILER and THREE EPISODES

IWSG once again welcomes Reedsy with a information-packed Podcast. Meet a former CEO who reveals her journey from Nike executive to novelist.

A survey once suggested that 81% of Americans have a book in them that they want to write and publish. This podcast is for them. Tracking former sportswear CEO Shaz Kahng’s first foray into self-publishing, Bestseller: A Self-Publishing Podcast by Reedsy aims to help aspiring novelists on the same path. Listen early on the Reedsy website today. Debuts on all podcatchers December 13, 2018.
About the Show
 

Bestseller is a storytelling podcast that follows the publication of an author’s first novel from start to finish in its first 7 episode miniseries. Each “chapter” runs 20-25 minutes and takes a deep dive into a different step of Shaz’s journey from Nike GM to self-published novelist.

Since 2014, publishing marketplace Reedsy has helped bring over 5,000 books to life by connecting authors with the industry’s top professionals. Now, they are launching their first podcast to help guide the next debut author through this journey. 

"There are plenty of podcasts out there for authors who are already self-publishing," said Casimir M. Stone, host and producer of Bestseller. "But rarely do they get into how the authors got to that point. That progression from having ‘a book in you’ to having a title that people are buying on Amazon — that’s what I think writers want to know more about.”
About the Story
 

Shaz Kahng was a boss in every sense of the word — the former general manager of Nike Cycling, the CEO of Lucy Activewear, and a new mother to twin girls. But she also had something else: an urge to get her life’s story down on paper.

Her debut novel The Closer was inspired by her own rise through the ranks of a male-dominated industry. Bringing this story from conception to publication took Kahng a multitude of drafts, editors, agents, and years. “In writing her book, Shaz ran into some of the very same barriers that she faced as an executive,” said Stone. “Those parallels between her life’s story, the story she’s written, and her story of bringing it to publication — I think that’s what makes Shaz such a captivating subject for this show.”

Release Schedule
The first season of Bestseller launched on December 13, 2018 @ Noon EST with the first three episodes: 

“Prologue: What is a Prologue?”
“Chapter 1: The Writing Process.”
“Chapter 2: Acquiring an Editor.”

Subsequent episodes will drop on Tuesday @ Noon EST through the end of the first season (7 episodes in total):

“Chapter 3: Deal or No Deal.” (Dec. 18)
“Chapter 4: The Design Stage.” (Dec. 25)
“Chapter 5: Going to Market.” (Jan. 1)
“Epilogue: What is an Epilogue?” (Jan. 8)

Crew

 
Casimir M. Stone, Host
Writer and podcaster-in-chief at Reedsy. reedsy.com

Shaz Kahng, Subject

Apparel chief executive, global consulting partner, builder of e-businesses, brand strategist, author. ceilingsmashers.com

Contact

 
Website: Reedsy
Listen: iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | Spotify
Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
RSS: Feed
Contact: mailto:podcast@reedsy.com
 

Are you up for hearing more podcasts like this one? What is your response to Shaz Kahng's take on going from idea to published book?