Tag: expectations

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Great Expectations

Like most people, I entered the new year with high hopes and great expectations. Last year was a mixed bag of highs and lows. However, I ended 2023 feeling low and discouraged about my writing career.

Even after winning a writing award, I failed to secure a literary agent and questioned continuing my writing journey. I had high hopes for this year, a writing breakthrough or possibly an opportunity to relocate from the southeast. A new year is full of possibilities.

  • Better health
  • New opportunities
  • Achieving writing goals

However, the new year hasn’t been easy for me. I have struggled to get motivated to do daily routines, much less keep in the discipline of writing. My creative juices aren’t flowing and I am struggling to be inspired to use my skills and be productive. So much for my great expectations for the new year.

Expectations

An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen in the future or a belief that someone should achieve something. After my accident, I had high expectations about how my recovery would go.

To be honest, I was ignorant of how serious brain injuries are and how hard the recovery process would be. My expectations weren’t realistic. I learned that the hard way the night I fell off the commode in my hospital room before I ever made it to a rehabilitation hospital.

I didn’t get the recovery I expected and I never returned to college as I planned. I had to learn to lower my expectations and develop new realistic goals. I had to learn to make do with the skills and abilities I had, instead of hoping for more.

Brain injury survivors struggle with unrealistic expectations, just like many writers have about their writing careers

“You don’t begin your writing career by writing a book. Start with shorter stuff. Blogs, articles, e-zine pieces. Learn the trade, the business, how to be edited, and work with editors.”

Jerry B Jenkins

Like brain injury survivors, writers need to build their writing muscles before they can take on big projects. Just because you know the basics of writing, doesn’t mean you’re ready for the big leagues of professional publication.

Unfortunately, many writers begin their writing careers with great expectations because they believe the myths about a writing career.

  1. Overnight success is easy.
  2. Virality.
  3. It doesn’t take much time.
  4. I can strike it rich
  5. Writing is easy

Anyone who thinks writing is easy has never tried to write professionally. Writers wear many hats and often spend more time doing other things than writing. Very few writers make a good living off of just writing.

Most writers have side hustels or other sources of income. The reality is the writing life is not always glamorous or rewarding.

Reality

Reality often hits us hard and we have too high expectations. Reality hit me hard after my accident when I wasn’t able to feed myself. It took me time to realize that my limitations were.

After being depressed for a few weeks, I decided to set new goals that were doable with the realities of living with a disability. I had to learn the beauty of letting go and that made my reality a little easier.

I am disabled, but I am not dead. I am legally blind, not physically blind. I am still alive, just living with a different reality. In the brain injury community, the understanding is, “No two brain injuries are alike, each one is different and comes with its own reality.“

As writers, we need to understand success looks different for each of us also and we will find it in different ways.

  • Pleasure of the craft
  • Fame
  • Meeting the needs of others
  • Financial freedom

Publication is constantly changing. Regardless, there may come a time when we each need to lower our expectations!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing for YA

Tell Me Again, Why Do We do This Writing Thing?

My thoughts are still marinating on the past year. I’m ticking off half-done accomplishments and not-so-successful projects. This type of evaluation can be disheartening, and seems all too common among my writing friends.

One such friend said recently, “Tell me again why we do this.”

I immediately replied, “We do it for love.”

Then I stole some song lyrics from “The Glory of Love.” (I may have sung them.)

The advice in the song isn’t half bad. At the risk of sounding corny in this post, I’m going with the idea of taking, giving, and of course, the inevitable heartbreaking writers encounter, and plan to apply it to the coming year.

Take a Little Instruction

Trying to learn a skill without listening to instruction is a natural recipe for disaster, yet it’s oh-so-tempting to forgo the process of continuing education to become a writer. After all, people start talking and figuring out language before they can brush their teeth, and storytelling isn’t far behind. However, for most of us, producing a great work requires a bit of skill sharpening. There are exceptions, but in my experience, to create words that connect with readers in a deep way takes a huge effort.

I suspect this is why my piano teacher used to say, “Practice makes perfect.” As far as I can tell, practice doesn’t always lead to perfection, but generally produces improvement in whatever I’m tackling.

Take a Little (or Big) Chance

From the moment pen is put to paper or fingers to keyboard, this writing gig is about taking chances. Even in the musings I share with no one but myself, the act of writing challenges me to think, examine my beliefs, and clarify those thoughts on paper. Sometimes this process shakes my world. That’s taking a chance.

If I want to learn and grow, develop the ability to create a marketable product for wider consumption, sharing the work for critique is necessary. This sharing business sounds fine and dandy until a mentor, critique partner, or random beta readers I connected with on the internet cut too close to the bone.

I’m suspicious of anyone who says harsh dissection of their work doesn’t bother them. The truth is, criticism stings, and harsh criticism can wound. Oftentimes, it hurts because there is a nugget—or shovelful—of truth in the feedback. Facing possible negative reaction to our work is part of the creative life. Without taking that chance and asking for feedback and opinions, I won’t know if my prose conveys what I meant it to. (Not that an author should take every criticism to heart.)

If an author is brave enough to share a finished book, poem, song, or article with the world, they risk rejection and ridicule in the form of bad reviews and negative comments. But there’s no other way to be heard, except to take the chance.

Give a Little to the Writing Community

To be successful, not only does a writer need to take advice, I feel they should give back to the community. This helps others and it helps the author. Giving back can grow a support network, and working with the right group is a valuable experience, propelling an author’s writing to the next level.

Give a Little and Adjust Your Expectations

I’ve had to give a little on my plans. My journey simply refuses to stick to the carefully plotted road plan. There have been detours, bumps, unexpected tragedies—and treasures—scattered along the way. As long as I do my best and keep moving forward, I can be please with my progress, even if it doesn’t follow the prescribed path.

I heard someone once say, “To get to where you are going, you have to go through whatever it takes to get to the destination.”

Let Your Heart Break a Little

Rejections, bad reviews, poor sales. Authors face all of these, along with long work hours and criticism of all sorts. If that weren’t enough heartbreak, in order to produce a moving story, writers must invest enough in the characters to make the reader care. Authors pour real emotions on the page, impart real messages that we may well end up crying over. Our hearts break over a topic or issue and that’s what we write about, because without passion a story is just a story. So why do we do it?

For many of us, it’s because we have a message, we care, we need to be seen and heard, to deliver a truth to the reader who needs our words.

And that’s the story of … why we write. (At least part of why I write.)

Why do you write? Leave a comment and let me know.

Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning author of young adult contemporary and adult historical fiction. She writes about tough issues but always ends her stories on a note of hope. Her novels are about common struggles and finding the faith to carry on through those battles.

The first book in Donna Jo’s young adult series is scheduled for publication in 2025.

Her short romance, A Wedding to Remember, releases Feb1st, and her adult 1960s inspy romance, JOANN: Apron Strings Books 5, releases May 15th. Both are available for pre-order on Amazon.

Find out more about upcoming releases and events by signing up for her newsletter at  donnajostone.com.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Are Your Expectations for a Literary Agent Too High? Part 2

In the previous post, I discussed how you can prepare for a literary agent by approaching the relationship with the right expectations. If you have not had a chance to read that post, be sure to do so by clicking here.

As mentioned previously, agent preferences will vary from author to author. There is nothing wrong with having preferences when it comes to searching for an agent; however, a problem can arise if these preferences transform into high standards that are impossible for any agent to meet.

So how can you know if you are expecting standards that are too high for a potential agent to fulfill? Well, let’s take a look at the tasks that a literary agent is not required to fulfill.

Agents are not required to…

  • Guarantee a publishing deal. While agents should work hard in an effort to land a contract for their clients, the end result is ultimately out of their hands.
  • Edit your manuscript. Although this is not a requirement, there are some agents who are more hands-on and editorial than others.
  • Serve as a mentor for their clients’ writing career. This, too, will vary from agent to agent. (I personally like to view myself as a mentor for my clients by offering encouragement, advice, and support for their careers.)
  • Communicate with clients unless there is a specific reason for doing so (for example, if the agent has sent your book off on submission or received a response from an editor). However, this should never be an excuse for an agent to ignore his/her clients.
  • Accommodate to clients’ commands, specifically in regards to where their books should be sent—and when. (Writers should never treat their agent like a slave, nor should they act as though they know more about publishing than their agent. If a client does not trust that their agent is skilled in this area, that is a sign that the agent is simply not a right fit for the writer.) There is, however, nothing wrong with requesting that your agent send your project to specific publishing houses.
  • Serve as a brainstorming partner. Again, there are some agents who are more hands-on and are happy to offer their ideas and suggestions concerning your works in progress—but this is not a requirement.
  • Serve as a brainstorming partner in other areas, such as branding and marketing.

If you can approach the submission process by first having a clear understanding as to the requirements of an agent, you will then hopefully have a solid foundation of which you can begin to build your agent preferences. Thus, you will have the direction and vision you need when it comes to choosing the agent that will be best for you. And with a healthy author/agent relationship, you will be well on your way to achieving your publishing dreams.

I would love to hear your thoughts! What are your top preferences when it comes to choosing a literary agent? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Are Your Expectations for a Literary Agent Too High? Part 1

When I meet with writers at writing conferences, they aren’t always afraid to share why they want a literary agent.  

I want an agent who can help me become a bestselling author.

I want an agent who can serve as my energetic cheerleader, offering encouragement when I face self-doubt.

There’s nothing wrong with having certain expectations as you search for an agent. In fact, it’s a good thing! It’s important, as an aspiring author, to go into an agent/author relationship with certain goals and refuse to settle for an agent who cannot help you attain your author vision.

But what if you never find the perfect agent?

Let’s say you’ve received interest from multiple agents and realize none of those are “good enough” for you. Or what if, after signing with an agent, you soon realize this agent just isn’t meeting your expectations? Do you then call it quits and try to find one who might do a better job at fulfilling your requests?

Yes, it is important for aspiring authors to refuse to settle—but at the same time, overly-high standards can cause frustration to both the agent and the author.

Relationships that are focused on what the other person can grant us never turn out well. And when we demand unreasonable expectations in a relationship, then guess what? We will never learn how to have a healthy relationship. We will never be content, because we will always focus on what the other person doesn’t provide rather than what they do provide.    

So as an aspiring author, how can you set expectations that are both reasonable and necessary?

To answer that question, let’s take a look at what the job of a true literary agent entails.

A true literary agent should…

  • only receive 10 – 15% from their clients’ income on book deals they have secured (book advances and royalties). This means they should never ask for an upfront fee.
  • help their authors make wise decisions based on the current state of the market
  • shop their authors’ books to the right editors and secure the best publishing deals
  • negotiate publishing contracts on behalf of the author
  • support the author’s vision
  • keep the author informed as to when their projects are submitted and which house they have submitted to
  • stay informed on the publishing landscape
  • build relationships with editors at publishing houses
  • provide their authors with career advice, encouragement, and support
  • resolve potential conflict that may arise between an author and acquisitions editor
  • only send projects that are ready for submission

These are the standards by which aspiring authors should build their expectations. However, each agent is different. Agents have various work styles, methods of organizing the submission process, and personalities. Some agents are more hands-on and known as editorial agents, while others would prefer that their clients’ projects are professionally edited beforehand.  

The agent preferences will vary from author to author. There’s nothing wrong with this; however, a problem may arise when these preferences become high standards that are impossible for any agent to meet.

In the next post, we will discuss the tasks that literary agents are not required to fulfill. Hopefully this will help you to enter the submission process with a level head and healthy expectations. You will approach a new agent/author relationship with the right attitude, less likely to be disappointed, and ready to work with this agent for the long haul. 

What kind of expectations do you think it’s important to set when shopping for literary agents? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.