Trinity Writers Workshop Blog

Interview with Chuck Sambuchino

2011-09-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

In preparation for out November seminar with Chuck Sambuchino, one of TWW's fellow members, Sharon Owen has created a few interview questions for Chuck to answer.

Sharon: Could you tell us a little bit aboutyour background and what led you to your current position as an editor withWriter’s Digest?

Chuck: I majored in public relations onlyto graduate college and realize I didn’t like my major. Awesome start toadulthood. I took an entry-level job inputting calendar announcements at anewspaper. I was promoted to reporter and learned journalism. On the side, Istarted writing stage plays and articles. I realized I wanted to be a writer.Then I got my dream job: an editorial staffer position at Writer’s Digestmagazine. When a job became available on the book end of WD, I jumped at thechance. Now I work at Writer’s Digest Books editing two annual resources: the Guideto Literary Agents and the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’sMarket.

Sharon: What are your thoughts on socialnetworking and the importance of a writer in building such a platform for theirwork?

Chuck: Oh man, it’s huge. First of all, ifyou want to write straight nonfiction (and by that I mean any nonfictionbesides memoir), you must have a platform. Without one, you can’t evenget an agent’s/editor’s attention. If you’re writing fiction, you don’t needone, per se, but you certainly want a platform. Having a platform meanssales and success. The better your books do, the more likely you can sell moretitles.

Sharon: Could you give us a quick reflectionon the advantages of both self-publishing (through a place like Create Space)and traditional publishing?

Chuck: Some advantages of self-publishingare the following: complete control over the work, more money made per booksold, and quickly having a product that you can market and sell.

Some advantages of traditional publishing are the following: paying no moneyupfront but rather receiving money immediately for composing the book,nationwide distribution to bookstores, and a team (agent, editor, publicist,subsidiary rights team) that will help you sell and market the book. I myselfwent the traditional route and am a huge advocate for it. I don’t mean to sayself-publishing is bad; it isn’t. But traditional was a great path for meindividually.

Sharon: For people considering attendingthe November seminar, what do you think they can hope to gain from attendingthe sessions and one-on-ones?

Chuck: The sessions arenuts-and-bolts instructional presentations on topics like Good WritingPractices, How to Snag an Agent, and How to Start Your Story Right. They canreally help writers. I give these sessions all over the country all the time.Plus, I welcome Q&A at all my speeches. If you have questions that youcan’t find answers to online, just come to me. That’s what I’m there for.

As for the one-on-ones, anyone who sits down with me can use me for whateverthey want. (Just keep in mind, I’m married.) I enjoy looking at queries andgiving my thoughts—that’s usually a good bet. Besides quick query critiques, Ican always simply answer whatever questions a writer has.

Sharon: You’ve mentioned that you enjoyedattending and speaking at the TWW conference in April, 2006. What are youlooking forward to when you return to speak at the seminar in November, 2011?

Chuck: Just friendly Texassmiles ... and some tasty BBQ. I fondly remember the TWW conference from a fewyears back and how everyone was happy with the entire event. The staff at theevent really cared that writers were having a good time and learning lots.

Sharon: I know you are a musician and amember of a band. Could you give us some information on this? Where youplay, the other members (their day jobs), how long you’ve been together,favorite genres of music.

Chuck: I am a guitarist ina rock cover band and it is a drama-filled explosion of fun. We play rockcovers—mostly 80s, 90s and today. We are just as likely to play “Jessie’s Girl”as we are to play “Mr. Brightside.” We play at local bars and pubs and events,but have slowed recently because I have been traveling so much in support of myrecent humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK. We’ve been togetherfor about 4-5 years. Our favorite genre is rock, then we also play a littlepop. Lady Gaga has infiltrated our set list from time to time. Heck, if youoffer us shots and throw out a request, we are likely to accommodate it.

Sharon: Now that you’ve established yourselfas an editor/speaker/published writer, what are the next goals you hope toreach in your career?

Chuck: Sell more books. Iwant to sell more humor books and my agent & I are working hard on thatgoal. Also, I want to try to break into screenwriting. I now have a secondagent (for scripts) and maybe we will have some good news on that front soon,as well.

We hope to see you at the November seminar. For more information and registration, please visit: http://trinitywritersworkshop.com/Events.html

TWW Seminar With Chuck Sambuchino

2011-09-06T15:23:00.003-05:00

TRINITY WRITERS’WORKSHOP FALL 2011 SEMINAR

MARKETING YOURWRITING

WITH

CHUCK SAMBUCHINO

Saturday November 5,2011

9:00 – 6:30 pm

The Hampton Inn

1600 Hurst Town CenterDrive Hurst, Texas, 76054

Chuck Sambuchino is an editor for Writer’s Digest Books (an imprint of F+W Media) and is the editor of Guide to Literary Agents as well as Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market. He recently helmed the third edition of Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (2009).

Chuck has instructed on writing and publishing at more than 40 writing events in the past five years, including presentations in Italy and Canada.

His humor book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack (2010; gnomeattack.com), was featured by Reader’s Digest and AOL News. Chuck is also a writer and freelance editor. He is a produced playwright, with both original and commissioned works produced. He is a magazine freelancer, with articles appearing in Watercolor Artist, Pennsylvania Magazine, Cincinnati Magazine and New Mexico Magazine. During the past decade, more than 600 of his articles have appeared in print.

He is a husband, cover band guitarist, chocolate chip cookie fiend, and owner of a flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham. His website—the Guide to Literary Agents blog—is one of the largest blogs on writing & publishing. See it at www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog

Coffee, water and snacks provided throughout the day.

Lunch provided. (Please select choice of sandwich andbeverage on sign up page).

Drawings for opportunites to meet with Chuck inone-on-one session (10 minutes) to discuss query etc.

Drawings for opportunity to read your material (15minutes) during an open mike

Drawings for free books and other give-aways.

9:00 Registration, Book Signings.

9:30 Welcome and Introduction of Speaker

9:45 – 10:45 WhatEditors Want

11:00 – 12:00 ChapterOne Dos and Don’ts

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch,Book Signings, Drawings

1:00 – 3:00 EVERYTHINGYOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AGENTS AND QUERIES (kind of a long double session)
3:30 – 6:30 One-onOne sessions with Chuck

OpenMike

BookSignings

7:00 – 8:30 Dinner TBD

9:00 - Receptionin ballroom.

FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER, PLEASE GO TO: http://trinitywritersworkshop.com/Events.html

2010 Babe Ruth Strike Out Contest Results

2011-08-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

This is an extremely late announcement for the winners of the 2010 Babe Ruth Strikeout Contest. We've been a little behind one, but it's out there now! The winner of the contest is the writer with the most rejections in the year. Of course, the poets always win . . . <_<

The first prize winner is Sheryl Nelms!

Following as a close second is Joanne Faries!

Congratulations to you both.

Tuesday Night Workshops -- Workshop #4: Joanne Faries

2011-07-11T11:01:00.001-05:00

Sink or Swim

Throw Your Crap Out There

(Somebody (not just your family) Could Love It)

Tuesday, July 19^th, Joanne Faries will give a very, very short talk on finding sources for your stories, poems, and assorted musings. Keep in mind, she’s been runner-up to Sheryl Nelms in the Babe Ruth Strikeout Contest for several years.

Joanne will bring a list of journals, websites, blogs, and other resources she’s found useful in the quest for publication. In her opinion, the publishing process involves common sense, butt in chair, and dumb luck. She’ll touch briefly on successes and failures and offer words of encouragement.

No major revelations or breakthroughs expected, but she hopes fellow writers will step away with a few new sources and an eagerness to cast their creations into the vast publication ocean.

Check out Joanne’s blog www.wordsplash-joannefaries.blogspot.com and see links to her various stories and poems.

Here’s her official bio:

Joanne Faries, originally from the Philadelphia area, lives in Texas with her husband Ray. Published in Doorknobs & Bodypaint, Off the Coast, Orange Room Review, and River Poets Journal, she also has stories and poems in Shine magazine, Magnapoets, Up the Staircase, and Silver Boomer anthologies. Joanne is the film critic for the Little Paper of San Saba.

(She’ll even reveal how she became a film critic for a town with no theater)

July Seminar - Cancelled

2011-06-17T11:13:00.001-05:00

Jim's seminar on July 23rd has been officially canceled.

Tuesday Night Workshops -- Workshop #3: Sheryl Nelms

2011-06-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

Time is sure flying. I almost ran out of time to mention one of our poets will be teaching a workshop in the next week! Sheryl Nelms will be teaching a class on Marketing Poems and Short Stories. A description on Amazon says "she is known as "the most rejected poet in Texas." However, it's fair to say she is likely "the most published poet in Texas" as well."

Ain't that the truth? Every time she comes to group she has at least one rejection and one acceptance, and is definitely is among one of our most talented wordsmiths. She could paint a picture in five words or less.

As a bonus to the workshop, she will be bringing a past president of the Abilene Writer's Guild, Ginny Greene, who is a former collumnist in three newspapers and one of the owners/publishers of Silver Boomer Books. She will be accompanying Sheryl in the Q&A part of the workshop.

The workshop will take place as usual, on the third Tuesday of the month: June 21st at 6:30PM. Any and all are welcome to sit in!

July Seminar - Jim Mitchell

2011-06-02T18:03:00.003-05:00

The Trinity Writers Workshop will be having a one day seminar on July 23rd with speaker Jim Mitchell, author of five novels, all of which have never been rejected for publication. He is a master storyteller who knows the importance of characterization, drama, and plotting. Join us for a chance to gain valuable insight on creating a manuscript that no agent or editor can put down.

EXPECT NO REJECTIONS

DETAILS
Expect No Rejections is a day-long seminar taking place in the Bedford Library on Saturday, July 23rd. Jim's seminar will be discussing key techniques to create a story that can be published, through plotting, characterization, sensory, drama, emotion, and humor. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from someone who knows.
Sack lunches will be provided.

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
In July, we will be taking our time to point out the essentials of well-written stories. Prepare yourself before our upcoming November workshop with renown editor, Chuck Sambuchino, who will be talking about the publishing industry, and how you can get your foot in the door. With Jim's seminar on building perfect stories no reader can put down, and Chuck's seminar on the art and secrets behind successful publishing, you will gain valuable knowledge on both sides of the spectrum. Don't miss this chance!

THE SPEAKER
Jim Mitchell has never received a single rejection letter in his entire life, even with the publication of five novels on his belt. As a multi-published novelist with over 100,000 copies sold, he is a whiz behind the art of character, story, and plot. He has taught a number of lectures and conferences at campuses including University of Houston, UTD, and TCU.

HOW TO REGISTER
Registration has closed.

Registration fee is $50 which may be paid by check (payable to Trinity Writers Workshop) or cash.
The fee may be paid at the door, snail mailed, or dropped off during workshop hours (Saturday @ 10am or Tuesday @ 6:30pm) at the Bedford Boys Ranch arts building second floor.

WE HOPE TO SEE YA'LL THERE!!

Tuesday Night Workshops -- Workshop #2: Bonnie Pemberton

2011-05-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

On May 17th, we'll be having another workshop with another fabulous author. Bonnie Pemberton, author of The Cat master will be giving a class on "The Fear of Rejection: The Artist's Curse."

And as a special pre-workshop treat, Bonnie has agreed to an interview to tell us about herself, her book, and her future publishing plans.

Welcome, Bonnie! Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm a Texas native who has spent most of my life writing copy for radio and television. Fifteen years ago, I invented the scratch barrier for cats, Sticky Paws, which is now carried in fifteen countries...and I'm also the author of The Cat Master.

You've been published with “The Cat Master.” What are the difficulties and hardships you had to face while getting that published

The only hardships were that of ego. The publisher had lots of changes they wanted made...by the time they'd finished, I'd done eight partial rewrites. But I didn't care...the excitement of getting published was so great and my editor, Margery Cuyler really knew what she was doing. The book was actually better by the time we were through.

How many rejections did you have to go through before finding representation?

I was really lucky. I submitted three chapters to The Hawkins Agency, they requested the whole manuscript and then they took it. I was amazed...actually I still am.
Was “The Cat Master” the first book you attempted to get published? Had you written anything else?

I've been a writer for thirty years, but The Cat Master was the first novel I had ever written. When I lived in Los Angeles, I had three One Act Plays produced, was hired as a free lance writer and submitted a spec script for The Wonder Years which didn't get produced, but which did get me a literary agent. I wrote radio and television commercial copy since I was in my twenties.
You also finished a sequel for “The Cat Master” that didn't take. Do you ever plan to take back your rights and re-publish through a self-publishing service like CreateSpace, so you can also get the sequel out there for those that wanted to see it?

I do indeed. In fact I can't wait to try the self publishing market.

Why, in your own opinion, didn't “The Cat Master” sell better?

The original manuscript of The Cat Master was written for adults with adult language, sex, violence, the whole thing. However, my agent saw it for ages ten through young adult and that's how it was sold. What this meant was that the beautiful hard copy they produced had to compete for limited space on the YA bookshelves. Picture an unknown author's new book about animals edging out Twilight and Harry Potter. Because of this, the book was carried but not actually seen on the shelves at B&N and Borders. The jacket was so stunning, it practically sold itself, so I've always regretted this turn of events. Also, the story had to be a little watered down and children's book critics nailed me for using the words: 'bitch' and 'shit' even they were only used one time during the whole book with my editor's blessing. Very frustrating because it kept me out of a lot of libraries.

What would you have done differently if you lived through that experience again?

I would have pushed harder to be sold as fantasy fiction, taken less money, and been on the shelf. The money issue was my agent's concern, not mine. She wanted to go young adult first and if it didn't sell there...go for fantasy, but it ended up children/YA adult fiction which is very different once you add the age 'ten' to the suggested reading audience. I'll admit that the genre wasn't clear which is something agents and publishers hate because they're not sure how to market it. Otherwise, I have no regrets. It was a first novelist's dream come true and an experience that can never be duplicated even if I'm published again. A really magical moment.

Is there anything you'd like to warn others about when dealing with traditional publishing?

If you're the type who wants total control of your book, you should probably choose another route to publication. My interest in getting that first book published outweighed my determination to keep the book exactly as I had written it. It was sort of "a bird in the hand thing', and I don't regret the choice to bend a little. I found that my editor was very reasonable about changes and didn't expect me to do things just because she said to. But her input was so good, I was actually glad for it...(though maybe not ALL the time). :) Also, if you're not willing to do the leg work to market your book, think again. The publisher does very little in terms of that unless you're a best selling author. Prepare to go to little towns with your card table and books and beg people to buy. Not the most fun I've ever had, but another interesting experience I wouldn't trade.

Now, you're writing something new. Something outside of the realm of Fantasy. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

The book is entitled: "What Every Sociopath Should Know". It involves an unsolved murder, a fragile emotionally disturbed girl, and a sociopath who has no idea what he's getting into when he targets her for blackmail.

Why did you switch to the psychological thriller genre?

My favorite genres have always been horror/psychological thriller/true crime. I came up with a plot that I feel embraces all three of those areas and its been great fun trying to blend those aspects together. I'd spent a lot of years writing about talking animals and longed for characters who could drive a car or comb their hair or buy a milk shake! There's only so many ways you can say: "Her tail twitched, flicked, slapped, raised, bushed, jerked..." Whatever! I was going crazy.

Any other future plans?

The process of writing is such a challenging and enjoyable thing for me that I hope to just keep doing it. I'd also like to delve back into script writing again. The one thing I can't emphasize enough is for writers to surround themselves with other writers...especially knowledgeable ones. A good writer's workshop should always be utilized and never underestimated. Even if you're not reading...listening to others reads and hearing critiques are invaluable tools for anyone wishing to improve...and improvement is the name of the game...because there's lots of competition.
Thank you for interviewing, and good luck in the future!

Thanks, Courtney. As a fan of your work, I wish you the same!

Now, I've read both "The Cat Master" and heard her read several chapters of her new book, and let me tell you, she is talented! Anyone can come to the workshop, member or non, so don't hesitate. As usual, we'll be at the Bedford Boys Ranch at 6:30pm on the 13th for her workshop.

You don't want to miss it!

Future Workshops: At A Glance

2011-04-21T12:38:00.000-05:00

The next months are filled with workshops by some of our gifted published authors.

Bonnie Pemberton, author of The Cat Master, a book that didn't do as well as it should have due to several mistakes that were not her own. One of them, which she will admit freely, is that it is not a children's book as it was marketed to be.

On May 17th, Bonnie will do a workshop on "Fear of Rejection: The Artist's Curse" straight from her own experiences. Although we all believe that our stories have amazing potential for success, there is always a chance that it may not go that way. However, we have to remember that we (most of us anyway), started writing for the love of the craft. Not for the money, or the publicity. And as we grow and become stronger so will our writing, no matter how incredibly corny that sounds.

June 21st we will have Sheryl Nelms speaking about Marketing Poetry and Short Stories. Sheryl has been practically everywhere when it comes down to publication and marketing. She is the person who knows where to go and how to get there and is a truly awe-inspiring writer.

Then on July 19th, Joanne Faries will be teaching a workshop called, "Sink or Swim: Throw Your Crap Out There (Someone {Not Your Family} Will Love it)".

Joanne will present sources for poems, flash fiction, and short stories. How to buck up for rejection and cheer for acceptance. How to blog, facebook, and hone your craft, then google your own name and see published pages. It may not pay much, but it's there -- feel the love.

Fast-Forward a couple months for which we haven't planned and land on October 18th -- Deb McNeil will be doing a workshop she calls, "Forays into Exuberant Imperfection". As a writer who has gone through NaNoWriMo several times, she is going to teach us how to actually get through the 30 grueling days of nonstop writing and actually get to the 50,000 word mark.

Somewhere in the future there will also be workshops taught by Sharon Owen who will be talking about Character Development, as well as Randy Cook talking about synopsis and query letters, and Jiann Powers on the Art of Storytelling.

Ann Summerville's Workshop on Self-Publishing

2011-04-20T06:42:00.001-05:00

The first workshop was a hit!

Ann did a spectacular job talking about the hardships she faced trying to get published, and the frustrations of going through Print On Demand publishers like Dog Ear Publishing and Outskirts Press.

What she highly recommended throughout the workshop was working with places like CreateSpace for publishing, which is cheap and leaves all the power in your hands. They'll ship to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and have it available on Kindle and other E-Readers as well.

While places like Dog Ear send you a PDF version of a proof before distribution, CreateSpace actually sends you the actual book, which makes things much easier.

Part of the workshop consisted of handouts about Self-Publishing straight from her blog. Read about it here.

So far, these workshops seem like a fantastic idea, and Ann did a great job!

The next workshop planned will be for June 21st and will be taught by Sheryl Nelms who is the most published poet in Texas. I'll be putting up another post just for her when the time comes.

Tuesday Night Workshops -- Workshop #1: Ann Summerville

2011-03-26T08:57:00.002-05:00

On the third Tuesday of the month we will be giving Mini-Workshops, which will be taught by one of our members. Or perhaps, whatever guest we can pull in at the time. The Workshops will be 30 to 60 minutes long; the first of which will be given on April 19th by Ann Summerville.

Ann is a gifted and accomplished writer of cozy mysteries. She has a blog called "Cozy in Texas" which will be found at the right side of this page under "Member Blogs". So, far she has published three novels, all of which can be found on the Kindle and in paperback at Amazon.com:

A Graceful Death (First book in the Lowena Series)

High Tide (Second book in the Lowena Series)

Storms & Secrets

Ann will be talking about her successes in Self-Publishing and the trials and tribulations that go with that option. She will be answering questions and offering handouts for all that will be in attendance.

Remember, you don't have to be a member to sit in. You just have to be a member to read and comment aloud, so please come in, check us out, and support her!

TWW Is Going To Weatherford!

2011-03-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

There's a free Writer's Conference at Weatherford College on April 30th. Several of our TWW members have signed up, with myself included.

Several pretty interesting writing seminars will be involving Texas authors, and maybe an agent or editor. They may not be bestsellers, but seriously, it's free. You can't complain.

They are also offering sack lunches for anyone who wants them to save one for you. I didn't opt for that. From what I know, the TWW members who will be present will most likely go somewhere else for a quick lunch. I actually can't wait.

http://www.wc.edu/generalinfo/calendar/books-n-authors-n-all-that-jazz

On a side note: a second, less free conference is also very close. It'll be held on April 1st and 2nd at the Doubletree Hotel in Richardson. I won't be able to make it to this one, which I regret, since it contains one of my fellow YA Paranormal writers - bestselling author Richelle Mead.

If I remember correctly, a past post on the loop said that we were invited to this one. It's a good $185 to get in at this point.

http://www.dallasromanceauthors.com/conferences/