#WhyWritersMatter

On behalf of writers and their role in culture and society  . . .

I have spent my life living in a world where doctors and lawyers and chartered accountants and business owners and electricians and plumbers and so on . . . matter—really matter—whereas writers are these dreamy, impractical types who lack street smarts and, as some suspect, a proper work ethic. Of course it's true that when you're sick or have a burst pipe, no one matters as much as a doctor or plumber. And now, when it comes to enriching our lives, thanks to a wonderful initiative by the Writers' Union of Canada, writers publicly matter too—really matter.

#WhyWritersMatter is a worldwide campaign spearheaded by the Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC), with the support of the Authors Guild (US) and other professional writing and related organizations. The initiative, launched in conjunction with the inaugural Canadian Writers Summit taking place June 15–19, 2016, in Toronto, is asking readers and writers around the world to think about why writers matter in today’s world, and post responses on social media under the hashtag #WhyWritersMatter. You do not have to be a Writers' Union member or author to join the #WhyWritersMatter conversation on Facebook and/or Twitter and/or all your other social media. You just have to value writers!

As a book author myself, member of TWUC, longtime advocate for writers (at HelpingYouGetPublished.com)—and, not least of all, an avid reader—I am pleased to contribute my words and images to this celebration of writers.

Writers connect us . . . Please watch the video below:

Pitching Your Book

In general, when pitching a book, a pleasant, businesslike approach is the key.

The five main things that agents and acquiring editors want to know are:

1—In one or two concise sentences, what is the book about?

2—Is there a clear hook?

3—Who do you see as your readers? What are their demographics and interests?

4—What is your current author platform? That is, how are you already in contact with potential readers? (Possibilities include: having a website, blogging, social media, teaching, and community connections.)

5—What are you, as a proactive author, prepared to do to promote your book? (Self-promotion initiatives include: public speaking, blogging, networking with interest groups, contacting media, doing a direct emailing campaign, creating a website, starting a reader newsletter, organizing book-related events, and hiring a publicist.)

Point of View Pointers for Novelists

Mishandling point of view in your novel can lead to other problems of narrative style—for example, telling rather than showing, halted forward momentum, and weak characterization. Worst of all, the results of such compounding problems are a tedious narrative and disengaged readers. Agents and acquiring editors can spot these problems in their sleep.

If, as a novelist, you suspect that there are gaps in your knowledge of point of view, then check out the point of view refresher course, "Point of View 101," on the Helping You Get Published Facebook page . . . https://www.facebook.com/HelpingYouGetPublished.FreelanceEditing/posts/960282310728533