New Work on DIY MFA

Reading my poetry at the Three Rooms Press Prose! Poetry! Party!

I am pleased to announce that I have two new articles up on DIY MFA. If you're considering submitting your book to a publisher, check out The Eight Most Common Reasons I Send a Rejection, and if you've already signed a contract, here are some practical suggestions for How to Streamline Your Editing Experience. 

And, belatedly, I'm excited to share with you that DIY MFA named me one of five writers who made an impact on that site! Thank you to Gabriela Pereira, Bess Cozby, and the team at DIY MFA for this honor! 

Take a look behind the curtain at DIY MFA

I'm thrilled to announce that I have joined the DIY MFA crew as a regular columnist! DIY MFA offers advice on writing, reading, community-building, and more. They feature writing prompts, podcasts, and soon there will be a DIY MFA book. 

I'll be writing each month about book publishing, editing, and other aspects of the industry. If you have a book you're considering pitching, or want to learn what it's like on the other side of the writing process, check back for new posts from me and from the rest of the DIY MFA team. 

My first column, "A Walk-through of the Book Publishing Process (part 1)" is up now. Here's a clip from the intro. 

Writers everywhere dream of getting their novels published, but I would wager that when you picture that most anticipated of events, you imagine getting that congratulatory email from your agent/editor and then fast-forward to the black tie launch party a la Richard Castle. The truth is even after the contract is signed, your work as author isn’t quite done yet. In the editorial department alone there are a number of steps between acquisition and publication, and unfortunately, almost all of them require something for the author to do. So let me take you through the process that turns a manuscript into a beautiful, shiny (or matte) new book.

Read the full article here, and if you find it helpful, leave a comment or share on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy! 

Discussing the English Major at My Alma Mater

Discussing the English major at Franklin & Marshall College.

This Tuesday, I returned to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to discuss the career paths available to undergrad English majors as part of an alumni panel. The panel featured six alumni pursuing a variety of careers--from library sciences to marketing--and of course, I spoke about breaking into the publishing industry and freelancing. We discussed first jobs, networking, maintaining confidence, and how to keep creative after college (a subject very dear to my heart). I also talked about launching an open mic series, building communities, and forming writing groups. 

The event was a great success, with a record number of attendees, and I met some wonderful students eager to start their publishing careers. If anyone knows of any opportunities I can recommend to them, I hope you'll leave a comment!