Answers to questions I've been asked over the years...
1. Yes, I'm published. More than once. In fact, check out my blog: http://theangrygoblin.wordpress.com
2. Yes, I've been paid. No, I don't believe in the 'It's for exposure' myth anymore.
3. I write mainly short stories because I tried writing novels and found I took too long to finish them. I wanted to get my stories out in a hurry.
4. I don't want to get into novels now even though the market favors them because my writing leans more towards the short fiction style.
5. I am already juggling enough projects and working on more than one genre and can't get into other genres and industries now.
6. I write Furry/Anthro, Science fiction, Fantasy, Slice-of-life, essays, short memoirs, and articles. My subgenres are Dark Fantasy (the closest I'll get to writing Horror), Epic Fantasy, Sword-and-sorcery, Space operas, Historicals, Dramas, Comedy, Action/Adventure/Thrillers, and Romance.
7. The above already explains the amount of projects I'm juggling. I'm constantly coming up with story ideas and some need more time to formulate.
8. Just because I have a story idea doesn't mean it's ready to go out on the market*.
9. When I've completed a project, that doesn't mean I can immediately send it out to market*.
10. 'Marketing' involves a host of steps: knowing what to call your project, which presses/publishing houses/university publishers may accept, reading through submission guidelines, querying editors, and that particular format history.
11. I mentioned above, "What to call your project". People often think that a writer (finally!) finishes a project and away it goes! NO! Certainly Not! You will need to submit it in a particular format beforehand. And if you don't know what your project is, then you won't know what form to put it in for submission.
12. It's good to give advice to a writer, but, unless you know how the market works, don't take what the writer is saying as a reject of said advice.
Usually, writers who have been in the game for a while (like me! It's been about 22 years😳), we have learned what works, what doesn't, and industry standards those outside may not.
13. Also, to learn and make a career from writing is actually difficult! Just learning how to craft a query letter to interact with editors, reading and learning how to understand contracts, not to mention the breadth of knowledge you acquire depending on WHAT YOU WRITE are all challenges.
14. Lastly, if you truly TRULY want to help a writer, buy our works, our stuff, advertise for us, let people know where and when we have things published!
Direct others to our websites, social media platforms, etc. Attend the signings, book festivals, take our workshops, and introduce others to our works. Aaaand, if you know a writer personally, buy us coffee or tea, or our favorite snacks, give writing tools and supplies as gifts. And furthermore, give us TIME.
Thank you for reading.😊
