Pathways to Publishing.

I'm presenting at the Mendocino Coast Writer's Conference this Saturday on the Pathways to Publishing Panel. It's got me thinking about all the ways there are to get published now days and how lucky we are to not be dependent on publishing companies anymore.

Not that publishing companies are bad! Hell, I am one. But if you don't want to go the route of finding a publisher, you now have many options. In fact, there are FIVE options to get your work out where other people can read it.

Option One - The Traditional Route. This is the one where you find an agent and then the two of you hunt for a publisher, preferably a BIG PUBLISHER, who can give you a BIG ADVANCE and market the book enough that it sells. This is the pot of gold for an author. We all dream of making a deal with Random House or Hatchet and selling thousands of copies of our novel. But competition is fierce and the odds of you actually landing that book deal are slim, especially now days with publishing companies being forced to make budget cuts.

Happily, there are other options.

Option Two- The Micro Publishing Route. This is where you'll find publishing companies like Medusa's Muse. We typically don't work with agents, nor can we afford much of an advance, if at all. But we do offer lots of editorial support and marketing help, as well as making you feel more like you're part of a team than a product. Your book is published by a legitimate publisher, but the odds of selling thousands of copies are slim. No one gets rich in the micro publishing route, and your book may never make the splash you'd like simply because a micro publisher's marketing budget is as micro as the company.

Option Three- The Subsidized Publishing Route. If you'd like to bypass hunting for a publisher but would still like a chance of selling your book, then this is the route for you. This is where you'll find online publishing companies like XLibros and IUniverse. Subsidy publishing has changed for the better over the last decade and a lot of the stigma has disappeared. Working with a subsidy publisher is quick and easy. They'll design and edit your book, for a fee of course. It isn't cheap going this route, and many people have been unhappy with the final result. Plus, you don't own the ISBN, the subsidy publisher does, so that means you don't actually own the book. If that bothers you, then perhaps you should follow option four.

Option Four- The Self Publishing Route. You do it all if you self-publish (so you'll probably want to buy my book, What You Need to Know to Be a Pro). You write it, hire people yourself to edit and design it, send it to a printer, market the book, and sell copies, often from the back of your own car. You will be an author and a business owner, so you also get to do the bookkeeping and track inventory. You'll need a block of ISBN's and a resale license. But all that work allows you to control everything about your book. It's yours, and no one, not an agent or a publishing executive, can tell you what to do. All the profits are yours too. But will it make up for the hours of labor you'll need to put into self-publishing?

Option Five- The Electronic Publishing Route. This is the age of the Internet, so use it. Set up a blog and a website to publish your writing on the net. Post a chapter at a time to serialize your book and start networking with other writers and people who may be interested in your topic to get readers. You won't make any money this way, but you build a following over time which can eventually lead to money in the future, especially if one of those agents we mentioned in Option One likes your work.

I suppose there is an Option Six as well. You can do nothing at all.

Goodbye Merce Cunningham

from the BBC:

US choreographer Merce Cunningham, widely recognised for revolutionising modern dance, has died "of natural causes" at the age of 90.

In a statement, the Cunningham Dance Foundation, which he founded in 1953, said that he "revolutionised the visual and performing arts, not for the sake of iconoclasm, but for the beauty and wonder that lay in exploring new possibilities".

Follow the link to see video of some of his work, and hear him speak about courage.

"Courage... when you're doing something that you want to do. You may even not know how to do it, but you still want to do it, so you go ahead and try..." Merce Cunningham.

May we all live such long, vibrant and creative lives.

Writing the Punk Rock Introduction

At last, the punk book is DONE. Well... mostly.

I know I already said the book was done, but what I meant is that the writers are done. And my editing is done. Now the designer has to lay out everything and add some awesome photos.

But first, I have to write the intro.

Yep, I got everyone's parts completed but neglected to finish (as in start) my own.

And now I'm looking at this lap stop screen with a completely blank brain.

I need to write my own punk rock story and explain how that inspired Punk Rock Saved My Ass.

So let's see...Well... Once upon a time there was a hippi girl who met a punk boy and she fell in love with his music. Even though the relationship didn't last, her love of punk did... and that's why she put this book together... the end.

Yeah. That could work. Too short to suck is always a good thing.

I'm thinking I need to flush it out a bit more, though.

Dang.

If you need me, I'll be trying to explain how this Hippi Chick from Northern California came to love Punk Rock music. Is there such a thing as a Hippi-Punk?

Who is Medusa's Muse?

That question has been haunting me lately. Who is Medusa's Muse? What do the words, Medusa's Muse mean? And what do I want to do with my press, and this blog?

Since I started grad school in September last year, the majority of my energy has gone into intellectual, analytical, systematic thinking. School requires this kind of work. At the same time I was writing a factual, how-to hand-book on starting a publishing company (What You Need to Know to Be a Pro: The Business Start-Up Guide for Publishers, by Terena Scott). Between homework, managing my press, finishing a non-fiction book, and taking care of my daughter's needs, I had almost no time for creative thought. The biggest creative outlet I had in the past 12 months has been The Sims (Yes, it is a creative outlet. Just ask my Sims family). But playing the Sims isn't writing.

My brain is weary from all that linear thinking. I need some creative, imaginative expression.

I'm looking for more balance in my life which has me questioning my choices. School is important so I won't give that up, and Medusa's Muse is my passion. Eventually I'll be finished with school which means I'll be working while also raising my child. How will I have time to keep Medusa's Muse going?

That's why I'm asking: Who is Medusa's Muse? What kind of books do I want to publish? What kind of writers do I want to work with? And is Medusa's Muse only about books and writing? What more can I do to keep my wild, creatively fueled mind thriving?

It also feels like this blog needs to change. But in what way? I'd like to expand the focus on ways to feed all of our muses so that we are creatively alive. Of course I will continue sharing information about running a book press and news on the industry, because it is just as important to know how to manage your inventory and market your books as it is to be artistic. A thriving artist needs to be practical as well as imaginative. You have to work hard so you can pay the electric bill. It's impossible to use your lap top when the battery is dead. But don't work so hard your creative muscles atrophy. Great artists need inspiration and imagination, as well as food and shelter.

My Muse is smiling at me right now because I finally have the answer. Who is Medusa's Muse? She is the Muse of practical imagination.

Gifts from my Muse

My Muse did a great job encouraging me to focus on my creativity and let go of some of my task oriented, linear way of living. And then as soon as the temperature passed 100, she vanished, complaining that her snake-filled hair was too sweaty. I'm pretty sure she went to Hunter S Thompson's memorial birthday party which Johnny Depp was hosting on his yacht, but she never tells me what her plans are. "A Muse doesn't have to explain," she says, just before vanishing in a puff of snake scented smoke.

That's a muse for you; wonderful when you need a good push, but not there to catch you on the other end.

It's a good thing I'm used to her disappearing acts. She appears in a rush of inspiration and insight, then is gone when the wind changes direction, like a sexy, incandescent Mary Poppins. After one of her trips, she brings back stories wrapped in shiny paper and gives them to me. "This one came from the top of Mt. Denali. Be careful, it's very cold. And this fancy one is from a nightclub in Berlin. I thought you'd like the music." She fills me up with characters and ideas and then commands me to write.

I'm lucky. I've never felt like I had nothing to write about. My problem is I have too many stories in my head. My muse is generous, filling me to the brim until I can't absorb one more image and I beg her to stop because I'm feeling sick. "Nonsense," she says. "No one ever died from too many stories. Writers kill themselves when they run out."

I've begun work on a new novel, and it feels wonderful to write something creative again. This time I have no deadline, no set goal, and no sense of impending failure (at least not yet). The story has been in my head for a couple of years and is finally being transformed into words. Because the characters have lived inside me for so long, they flow out from my imagination fully formed and speaking scenes of dialogue. What a relief to write this story after so many months of textbooks and nonfiction. And the fact the Punk book is finished gives me more time to create my own worlds.

And yes, I do still need to double check the invoices before paying the State of California its Sales Tax. Tomorrow. Right now I'm going to write.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Hunter S Thompson

A Muse of my Muse, the good Dr. Thompson. A man who danced on the edge of the cliff singing loud Puerto Rican songs with a glass of scotch in one hand and a pistol in the other. Insane, destructive, beautiful, and extremely talented. Let us all raise a toast to a true original.

There will never be another Dr. Hunter S Thompson.

The Muse is Back!

Greetings to you lovely Medusa fans. This is Muse, taking over for Terena because she seems to be suffering from post-semester brain block. This is a common problem with all people who think too much and have spent a great deal of time focused on one highly complex task for too long. She spent five weeks doing nothing but reading text books and writing opinion papers on subjects such as the Pro and Con of discussing budgetary issues during an IEP and the merits and deficiencies of multi-cultural education. Before summer semester, she wrote a how-to book about starting a small press (What You Need to Know to Be a Pro: The Start-Up Business Guide for Publishers) while at the same time going to Graduate School.I have been mostly silent for 8 months, allowing her time to get through this period of single minded dedication to intellect. But no longer.

Today I found her mumbling over inventory lists in preparation for paying sales tax ("Do I pay 8.75% on sales after April 1, or for all sales of that fiscal year?"). Enough is enough! I grabbed her I POD, set it to play every Pearl Jam song she owns, and pushed her out the front door. "Go for a walk and don't stop until you're worn out!"

"But..." she began.

"No buts. I've had it with all this cerebral, non-creative, linear thinking. Go walk it off."

She lowered her head and pouted but did as she was told.

It's all good and well to focus on work that must be done. Eventually Terena will need to get the sales tax paid, and I'm proud of her for being so dedicated to school. But school is over and she can pay the bills next week. I'm taking control of Medusa's Muse now and steering it back on a more imaginative, creatively passionate, productively wild, course.

After all, a Muse can not live by text books alone.

Editing an Author's Work

From the book, What You Need to Know to Be a Pro: The Start-Up Business Guide for Publishers, by Terena Scott

Editing is my favorite part of publishing, the time when you and the author work together to transform the manuscript into a work of art. This is also when you build your relationship with the author and create trust. Editing an author's work requires compassion, dedication, mediation skills, humor, and vigilance. You must find a way to help an author see what improvements need to be made without destroying their often delicate egos. A weepy author can't get any work done, but while you’re supporting them emotionally and creatively, you also need to be tough about deadlines. And don’t be afraid to use your red pen. You are a professional and you need the author to be professional too. Be honest about what needs to be fixed and clear about your expectations.

When critiquing, I start with what's working, and then point out what needs improvement. Usually there's a lot that needs to be changed, so I continue to point out the positives while finding the negatives. It is important to be as specific as possible when offering suggestions. Try not to say things like, "This isn't working for me." Instead, say, "This section feels preachy. Ground it in sensory details and focus more on the character than the message."

Occasionally, you and the author will disagree, and that's when you need to decide if the edit is important. The publisher has the final say and the author must defer to your opinion. Don't make demands the author can't provide, though. This is still the author's voice, her work, her writing, so she isn't going to write like you. If it's a minor detail, let it go. If it changes the plot profoundly, you may need to insist. When working with Laura, she was very attached to her descriptions of the landscape. I wanted those descriptions cut and the focus put back on the action. Slowly she cut them down from several pages to one page, then to a few paragraphs. After many months, I was satisfied with the amount of description remaining. I wanted even more cuts, but I let it go because the remaining descriptions didn't distract too much from the book's pacing. I decided to let her keep some of her descriptions, remembering it was her writing style, not mine.

In the example contract provided above, there is a clause that allows both of you to pull out during the editing process. If the author can't deliver a manuscript acceptable to the publisher by a certain date, the contract is void. She gets her work back and you are free to find a different project. Every now and then, it happens.

How to Tell When You've Reached the Limit of What You Can Manag

When you forget which day it is and therefor go the wrong appointment, you've reached the limit.

When you can't answer simple questions like what you ate for breakfast without staring into space trying to understand what the word breakfast means, you've reached the limit.

When your to do list has more than six subheadings, you've reached the limit.

When it's the last month of the last quarter of the Fiscal year and you don't know where the invoice file went, you've reached the limit.

When your book gets a wonderful review and it takes you a week to tell your friends and family, let alone post it on your blog, you've reached the limit.

When your website still doesn't have an image of your book's cover after three months, you've reached the limit

When you groan every time the phone rings, or open your inbox, you've reached the limit.

When all you want to do is play the Sims, you've reached the limit.

When you can't figure out what to do when you've reached the limit, you have definitely reached the limit.

Now what?

Have You Ever Read the Declaration of Independence?

Imagine how it must have felt to be a Colonist in 1776 and hear these words spoken. Your country has just declared war against its Government, The British Empire, the biggest super power on the planet. The odds are so stacked against your country it will be a miracle if anyone survives. Despite certain death, you all agree to fight.

Wow...


IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

The Worst Writing in the Whole World

David McKenzie of Federal Way, Washington was declared the winner of the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest, "where www means 'wretched writers welcome." You can also read an interview with David McKenzie in the San Jose Mercury News.

Follow this link to see his submission, and then try to out do him. Writing bad isn't as easy as it looks.

Here's my attempt:

The road passed the red break house and just kept going, over the horizon to places unseen, never to be seen, by the little girl in the green dress who lived in the red brick house. She wished she could go there, but she had to stay in the yard and watch the cars go by, far away. It made her sad.

Your turn.

Micheal Jackson

I am not what you'd call a Micheal Jackson fan, although I respected his incredible talent. This is a man who was truly unique in the full definition of the word. There was never anyone like him, and I doubt there will ever be another.

His life was tragic. He was so flawed, so gifted, so shattered. As he aged, he seemed to become more and more unreal, alienated from himself and everyone around him. He never had a chance to live in the real world, so he had no grasp of what real was. His talent helped him survive, but also destroyed him. He may have been the loneliest man in the world, despite the fact he was surrounded by millions who adored him.

When Thriller came out in 1983, I had a paper route. Since I lived in the country, I couldn't ride a bicycle to all the homes (spread out over 30 miles), so my mom and I drove a car and blasted Thriller as loud as we dared at 6:00 am on a Sunday. The album became our paper route anthem. To this day I can't help but sing along to Thriller.

Whether you are a fan or not, you can't deny the incredible impact Micheal Jackson has had on our culture and ourselves.

The world does seem emptier now that Micheal is gone.

Where can you find a good Copy Editor?

Sorry for the long delay. I've been swamped with school (two more weeks and I'll have time to think again!).

Last time, I wrote about how important it is to work with a copy editor before sending your work out to agents. But where do you find one?

The best resource on line to find professional copy editors is at the site Editorial Freelancers Association. This is a professional organization for editors with a strict code of conduct. You know you'll get what you paid for when hiring an editor through the organization. The site has a comprehensive search engine that allows you to type in the qualifications you need in an editor. I searched for a copy editor who specializes in memoir who lives in California and found five people meeting my specifications.

You can also check your local college for instructors or students with excellent English language skills, but they may not be versed in the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the primary tool editors use for journalism and literature. I know many authors short on funds who have had success hiring a grad student.

Craigslist is another online resource where editors advertise. Whenever you hire anyone off the Internet, be careful of scams. Some people will take your money and never deliver what you paid for.

I found this great blog about copy editing called The Slot, written by copy editor Bill Walsh. Good writing, humorous, and full of information for editors and those in need of an editor. I particularly liked "What's a Copy Editor?"

We'll spend good money on a new outfit for a job interview and probably even get our nails done. So why don't we pay for quality editing before we send our work to an agent or publisher?

You just wrote a fabulous book. Now what?

Congratulations! You've actually written, and finished, a book. Lots of people dream of being a writer, and a few of those will sit down and write something, but only a handful will complete an entire manuscript. Before you do anything else, relish this moment of accomplishment. You've done the equivalent of climbing Kilamanjaro. Good for you!

So what's the very first thing you should do before you start sending that beautiful book of yours to potential agents?

HIRE A COPY EDITOR.

I cannot stress this enough: hire a copy editor. Even if you have a PHD in Literature or an MA in English, hire a copy editor. Even if you are the best speller in your entire State and you've got the spelling bee awards to prove it, hire a copy editor. Do not send your lovely novel to agents full of typos. It's like showing up for a job interview wearing a dirty blouse.

I'm assuming you've been passing chapters of your novel to friends and family for feedback, and I'm also assuming those friends and family have been giving you good writing advice (if not, you need to hire a different editor to work on plot and character development). But it shocks me when I see how many writers do not hire a copy editor for a final check of their manuscript. I get plenty of submissions ruined by spelling and grammar errors. Know what I do? Toss it. I am way too busy to work with an author who can't take the time to fix spelling errors. It shows me that they do not take their writing career seriously.

I hire a copy editor for my own writing, as well as for the books I publish via Medusa's Muse (although I don't hire her to edit my blog, which as you see could use the help).

The problem is that none of us can see our own mistakes; we are blinded by the words on the page (what I call writer's goggles. They work a lot like beer goggles). Everyone has this problem, and anyone who thinks they don't are fools. I'll bet you twenty dollars that even President Obama hires a copy editor for his written work.

Where do you find a good copy editor to polish your masterpiece? I'll explain that next time.

A Great Review of "What You Need to Know to Be a Pro"

My book just got a great review from the Midwest Book Review. Look for it on their website under the section Library Bookwatch: June 2009: The Writing/Publishing Shelf.

Review by James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review

When it comes to establishing a publishing enterprise, whether for single title self-published authors, or publishers aspiring to create a stable of authors under one imprint, there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Not when Terena Scott has written "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro: The Business Start-Up Guide For Publishers", a comprehensive but thoroughly accessible instruction manual covering all the elements of launching a publishing enterprise from choosing a name, to structuring the fledgling business enterprise, to creating a business plan, to such issues as licenses, financing, office space, and publishing project evaluation on a case by case basis. "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro" addresses working with authors from contracts to editing; the actual publishing of a book from editing to ISBN, to pricing. "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro" also has invaluable, 'real world' advice on launching a book; keeping track of inventory, royalties and taxes; and establishing how many book titles can be managed by the resources available to the publisher. Of special note are the insertions of practical advice from professional in the publishing industry -- including commentary by James A. Cox, the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review and the author of this review. Enhanced with the inclusion of lists of 'Helpful Resources' including a list of 'how to' books, recommended publisher organizations, publisher oriented websites, "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro: The Business Start-Up Guide For Publishers" is particularly recommended to those new to the publishing field and will prove to be as practical and invaluable, as it is insightful and instructional.

The Midwest Book Review has hundreds of book reviews broken down into topics (cooking, history, fantasy, pets, crafts, etc) to help you find the right book for your interests. Publishers and writers should take a look at The Publisher's Bookshelf for a comprehensive list of books on publishing, book marketing, and writing.

I'm reading the review again and I'm just so happy I need to run around the kitchen and squeal like a five year old! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Why Don't People Read my Blog?

First, let me say to all my readers, especially those 16 who subscribe and have stayed through all my ramblings, how much I love and appreciate you. This post in no way belittles your support.

But now, I want to know something. Why is it that no matter what I write or do or say, Medusa's Muse is not one of the top blogs on publishing? This blog has been up and running for five years. I've done everything I'm supposed to do: visit other blogs, comment, share info, provide proper credit, write informative posts with the occasional just for fun bit, and give away books. No matter what, I can't get any more readers.

I'm asking because it's not just me who asks these questions. I hear other bloggers complaining of the same thing. They write great content, but no one knows their blog exists. And with the internet so crowded and stuffed with information, I don't know how anyone finds a blog. What's a blogger to do?

I found this article on Copyblogger which addresses those questions. Here is a snippit:

The Oldest Blogging Myth

“Content is king.”

It sounds good in principle. Produce a truly great piece of content, and you’ll get all the links you could ever hope for.

Maybe it worked too, several years ago. The Web used to be a fairly quiet place compared to what it is now, and it was easier for people to notice great blog posts.

But not anymore.

Now great is no longer good enough. The Web is full of so much remarkable content that bloggers don’t have enough time to read it all, much less link to it.

If you want links now, you need to be more than great. You need to be connected.

(Follow the above link for the full story. If you don't know Copyblogger, you need to check them out, and then bookmark them. Great stuff).

It's a great article with good advice, but I realized that I've been doing those things and I still can't get a date to the prom. If it really is about connections and "who you know," then the internet has turned into a giant high school and I'm back to being that Drama nerd everyone made fun of.

Fine! Me and my 16 nerdy subscribers can still have fun. Right guys?

Book Written on a Toilet Paper Roll

This is a brilliant idea:

Toilet Paper Horror Novel

It's a perfect example of thinking outside the ordinary. Of course this story should be written on a toilet paper roll because it is based on a Japanese folk tale about a creature who lives in the toilet.

We in the book world tend to hold on too tightly to our ideals of the hallowed halls of traditional publishing. But this is a new century, people. Dust off your creativity and think outside those halls.

San Francisco State

My Muse and I strolled the grounds of San Francisco State University today. It was freezing cold with thick, gray fog hanging on the treetops. A perfect, almost summer day in San Fran.

This is where I got my BA in Drama, back in 199... a while ago. I was a wanna be actress turned director, crazy about the theater, especially Commedia and Molier. My plan was to get my degree and run off to New York City where I would dazzle the world with the adventurous, one woman plays I would write, and where I would be discovered by Johnny Depp and then live happily every after.

Funny how life takes drastic detours.

But the theater taught me a lot about writing, and directing taught me even more about publishing. I got an incredible education on how to manage people, transform disparate elements into a cohesive whole, keep all the various pieces organized, and do it all under a deadline. I discovered back then that I am skilled in seeing the "Big Picture," something I continually work with as I create books.

And it is through my publishing that I am back at my alma mater, this time in the Orientation Mobility Master's Program. Laura's book inspired me to go back to school and become a teacher myself.

I am now enrolled in the Summer Semester intensive. I'm taking 6 units (two classes) in 5 weeks. It could be crazy, but right now I'm enjoying this calm before the stress. I'm back in the city I love. I get to spend the entire week doing nothing but schoolwork, without the interruption of being a Mommy. I'll be able to concentrate and might be able to hear myself think for a change. And on the weekends I go home to my daughter and hubby. I know it sounds weird, but this going to school in San Fran is like a vacation for me.

Unfortunatley I will have zero time to write, and my blog posts may get sporadic. Good thing I finished the first draft of the anthology and sent it to Jane and Rick. Jane will do her editing voodoo and Rick will start inserting photos for the stories. When I'm done with school, we should have a book.

Judging a Writing Contest

Several months ago I was asked if I'd be willing to judge a writing contest. The organization who asked me is well respected with a good reputation, so I said yes. Then I forgot about it. Three weeks ago I got an email asking if I could still do it, and then last week, I got a packet in the mail stuffed with entries. Luckily, it was a flash fiction contest, so they were all short.

I've never judged a contest before and it felt weird being a judge after many years of being a writer who never won a single contest (or any kind of contest) in her life. What made me think I could judge the worthiness of a story? But I rolled up my editing sleeves and got to work.

This was a blind contest, so I had no idea who the author was or where they came from; the writing had to stand on it's own, as it should. There were two other judges, one of whom I knew, but we didn't talk until we had narrowed the field to our personal top five.

How do you judge a person's writing? What are the elements that make a good story? And how do you set aside your personal likes and dislikes to objectively judge a story on its writing skill rather than just the content?

Start with what's easiest, the mechanics of the story: spelling, punctuation, grammar, tense, and structure. Once I had weeded out the stories with mechanical issues (about half! Come on, people! When you enter a contest have someone edit it for spelling mistakes), I could move on to the next issue: does it meet the criteria for flash fiction?

According to Wikipedia, Flash Fiction "is basically a complete story - having a beginning, middle, and end - which confines itself to a very low word count." This contest required that the story be less than 500 words.

I read each remaining story a second time, looking for structure. Did it have a clear plot, with a protagonist, a challenge or obstacle that the protagonist must cope with, and was the protagonist changed in any way by that obstacle? Did it have a satisfying ending?

This is where the problem of subjectivity comes in because what feels like a satisfying story to me may not satisfy the literary needs of another judge. Which is exactly what happened. Each judge had chosen different stories.

The discussion began. My favorite story was ruled out by the other two judges because they felt it wasn't a complete story, but one of the stories they liked didn't meet my requirements for a complete story. We narrowed our choices down to five finalists and then discussed the merits of each. There was one story neither of the other judges liked, but after I argued in favor of its strengths they agreed it shouldn't be eliminated. I also agreed to keep a story I didn't personally like, but which met the criteria of flash fiction. The back and forth and comparing of notes went on for days.

Finally, we agreed on our winners.

I think about all the various writing contests I've entered over the years and what the discussion might have been amongst the judges. Hopefully I made it to at least the top twenty (I ALWAYS triple check my spelling when submitting work). I have a new respect for judges now that I know how difficult it is to chose a "winning work." And ultimately, it really does come down to what a judge personally thinks should comprise a great story. No matter how many times you check your spelling, you can't get around that.

Draft One of Punk Anthology DONE

Putting a book together is my favorite part of being a publisher. I sit at my desk with a stack of story pages, freshly edited and clean, and I piece the manuscript together into a cohesive book. With a single author, the process begins from the first draft they send me. I make notes and hunt for the thread that ties everything together. Often the author can't see it, but has created the unifying thread intuitively. When I show them what they've created, the author responds as if I've given away the secret of a magic trick. They didn't realize they'd done the magic themselves.

This time, I've been working with multiple authors, helping them craft stories from their experiences as Punks. Many of these authors are not writers, but they all have great stories to tell. They had to be shown the basics of how to write that story down on paper in a way that will be clear and entertaining for the reader. Most of the authors who originally submitted their stories to me two years ago have continued to work on them, taking my feedback and revising over and over and over... until at last their stories are complete. Only a few dropped out.

And now it's my turn to take those stories and create a book.

I had to decide what order to place the stories. Which one will be first? Which on last? How do I intersperse the funny stories with the sad ones? Where do I put the poetry? How many images do we have? Every story has its own pacing and tone, so where I put it will change the overall pacing and tone of the book. How do they all fit together? Or do they? And if some don't fit easily, where do I want to put them to play with that conflict?

I'm sure I'll redo the structure of the anthology numerous times before I get the right pacing for the book. The book needs a beginning, middle and end. It needs conflict and resolution. Each piece provides those elements to the whole of the book. Putting them in the right order is the important part.