I have heard (and read) for as long as I’ve been paying attention that publishing credits are important, especially for the fledgling writer. Now this might sound like a catch-22. You know the one: we can’t hire you for the job because you don’t have enough experience, but you can’t get experience without the job?

Yes, it most certainly feels like that to me too.

But why do editors and publishers and agents care if you have any publishing credits? Essentially (and this is based on what I have been told by editors, and publishers) publishing credits mean that someone has read your stuff and has considered it to be of a high enough quality to print. Before you say, “Well duh!” let me finish.

If one person who is in the industry considers your work to be of a high caliber, maybe another will too. In theory this allows the aforementioned editors and publishers and agents to move your work up the chain more quickly. Simply put, it is a means to separate the wheat from the chaff.

That much makes sense to me (and I hope you too), but how do you get publishing credits? There are lots of ways and, here is a quick tip: the publishing credits don’t necessarily need to be in the genre your submitting in.

That little tip may sound odd, but a credit is a credit. Any accepted writing proves that you CAN write at a certain level of quality. Granted, non-fiction writing is not the same as genre fiction typically, but the credit infers a level of professionalism.

But back to how/where you can get publishing credits. Let’s start in our local neighbourhood. Does you community have a newsletter or newspaper? Do you belong to any groups or associations? All of these can yield publishing credits. There are also always the eZines ,small press anthologies, and contests not to mention conventional publishing too. EZines in particular always seem to be starving for content. Even if you’re not getting paid, the exposure is a good thing for you.

All of this was really brought home to me a couple nights ago. I went to a gathering of the local SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators) chapter where my friend Simon Rose, published author of six, going on 7+ books was presiding (he runs our local chapter and is the number 2 in the district).

Simon was talking about some non-fiction books he had been asked to do along with a few of the various websites he contributes articles to. He looks at all of that as publishing credits with equal importance to his published fiction.

I am in complete agreement with him which is why I have been submitting articles to non-fiction magazines and fiction alike. I know that the more I can buff up my own writing resume the better I will be. And as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, it is starting to pay dividends. My first published work will be out in August of this year.

Personal Update

Finished another Flash Fiction piece which I have submitted. I will hear about that one by June 15th. I am also waiting to hear if one of my YA series is a go or not. Have I mentioned lately how much I HATE waiting?

Oh yeah, and Balticon is in fifteen days. Woot!

Tags: balticon, irreverent muse, Michell Plested, Publishing, publishing credits, scbwi, simon rose

The craft of writing can be a solitary one, but it doesn’t have to be.  The Internet provides a means to always be connected to friends, family and colleagues.  It can also be an enormous time-sink but that is a conversation for another time.

I want to talk about the availability of community, both writing and otherwise through the Internet and daily life.  Is community really important?

I know of writers who prefer to be alone and separated from their writing peers at work and in everyday life and I respect that.  I also think those people are missing out on something; the ability to talk the craft and exchange ideas.

“What kind of ideas?” you may ask.  Well, speaking as an amateur writer I have questions about many aspects of writing as both a craft and a business.  Things like “How should I submit to Publishers and/or agents?” and “what is the publishing process like?’ just to name two but there are scores of others that I have asked and will ask in the future.

Questions that I couldn’t ask if I didn’t spend time around other writers.

This topic has particular relevance for me right now.  I’ve been a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) for a little over a year now.  Until this week I had never met another member (knowingly).  Our regional coordinator, Simon Rose, put a meeting together of some local SCBWI’s this week which I attended.

Some of the members were published and some weren’t.  Everyone had something interesting and useful to say.  Whether the topic was how to handle a school visit or how to prepare for a signing, I left with information I didn’t have before.  I also left knowing that there are others out there with similar interests and frustrations to mine.

It was well worth the 2 hour time commitment.

There were a few people who didn’t come claiming that they cannot make “Meetings” of any kind.  I cannot help but feel that they are missing out on an important aspect of their SCBWI membership.

Naturally, this idea of community extends beyond SCBWI and writing in general.  I look at the podcasting community and marvel at the level of support everyone is willing to extend to even the greenest member (like me).  I’ve learned so much already in the four months of podcasting and I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has lent a hand.

You can extend the concept of community as far as you like.  Regardless of how far you go, there are benefits available.  In the end only you and your level of participation will tell how far you can go.

Personal Update

Nothing new to report on the book front.  My manuscript is still in front of a publisher.  I need to spend some time and ready my other story to send out.

Episode 4 of ‘Get Published’ has been a very interesting experience.  The interview was great and I learned a lot.  Expect more interviews in the future.  The challenge now will be to live up to the success of that episode.

Tags: community, podcast, publish, scbwi, simon rose, writing