Tag / writing

by Matthew

Writing Conference FAQs

Yours truly with The Wasp herself (and author of the very fun Squickerwonkers children’s book series), Evangeline Lilly, at DFWCon 2023.

So, you’ve summoned the courage to come to your very first writing conference, eh?

First of all, congratulations on taking the leap! I’ve been in your shoes, and that first conference will be eye-opening for you. There is much to learn about writing and publishing. Many hopeful writers come effervescent with excitement, and at least a few (okay, a lot), will be bursting at the seams with nervous anticipation of attending their first conference and facing the enigmatic dark void of hope and despair that is the agent pitch session. Ideally you can attend your first conference in person, like at DFWCon 2025 coming October 4-5 (get your tix now!). You’ll get way more out of it than the online facsimiles.

You’ve read my previous post about writing conferences, but still have questions? Have no fear, ol’ Matthew is here to impart to you some of the wisdom I learned at conferences. This year’s will be my 5th DFWCon, and somewhere around 15th writing conference (most of the others were online). So here are some pearls for you to digest as you prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for an amazing experience, in no particular order.

What should I bring?

Come with an open mind, ready to drink from the firehose of writing knowledge! A pen and notebook (or your electronic device of choice) are a good idea, though you’ll often get those in a swag bag at registration. Clothes too, ideally worn. On your body.

Should I bring paper copies of my manuscript to show or give to an agent?

You most definitely should not bring copies or pages of your manuscript for your agent pitch (or business cards or bookmarks or anything else for that matter). They will not ask for them, look at them, or take them home. Not only that, bringing a bunch of paper to thrust upon an agent also tells them you’ve not done your homework as there is plenty of advice on the Internet that says to not do that. It is a pitch session. Use your voice and precious few minutes of their undivided attention to let them get to know you.

What are agents looking for?

The #1 thing agents hope to discern from your pitch is if you’d be easy to work with. Many aspiring writers fail this first hurdle, so it doesn’t matter how good their manuscript is. I advise you to check out the internet for other tips on how to prepare. Once the agent is reasonably confident you can be coached, you aren’t a shadowy hermit that hasn’t ever seen the Internet, and have a decent head on your shoulders and good heart in your chest, then they’ll pay attention to your story to see if it could be a fit for what they’re looking for (and more importantly, what publishers are looking for).

How should I structure my pitch?

Start with some pleasantries – know who you’re pitching to and research them, maybe ask them about something you have in common (pets, hobbies, etc. – nothing creepy or you’ll fail that first check). After that, spend about 1.5-2 minutes giving your actual pitch, which should be akin to the back cover blurb that might go on your book. Again, the Internet is a great resource to research what should go into a compelling pitch. If you have time and means to get to DFW the week prior, DFW Writers’ Workshop has a free Writers’ Bloc session on Saturday, Sept 27 (do RSVP!) that will cover how to give an effective pitch. If you can’t make that, the same lessons can be learned on YouTube and elsewhere. In the end, approach your pitch like you’re sitting down for coffee with a friend. Plan to just chat and enjoy your time with them. Agents are people first, agents second, so be friendly and amiable and that’ll go a long, long way. A successful pitch will result in the agent requesting pages from you. The best you can possibly hope for is they request a full manuscript (I’ve had this happen, but it is rare – usually they’ll request a few pages or a chapter if they think it could be a fit).

What if I get nervous and forget what I want to say or stumble on my words?

If you need a printed sheet or index card to read your blurb or notes from to keep your thoughts organized as you pitch, that’s totally cool. Agents are all very gracious when it comes to writers and nerves. They understand these sessions can be stressful and preparation can go right out the window if anxiety wins out.

Anything else I should consider bringing?

If you’re coming to DFWCon, a hard copy you might consider bringing is your query letter to enter into the Gong Show panel (usually early Sunday AM or right after Sunday lunch). An emcee will read your (anonymousified) letter out loud, and the agents on the panel will hit their gong at the point when they would stop reading. Get three gongs and they’ll stop the reading and then ask the agents what made them gong, and how the author could do better. That session is one of my favorites of the entire conference – you will learn a ton about the query process. If you’re staying at the hotel, they have a printer you can print this from if needed.

Also, if you’re planning to participate in one of the “first 10 pages” read and critique sessions, you might consider bringing hard copies of your pages to read from and for the critiquers to have to reference. That way if there are distractions in the hall or your narration is hard to discern, they’ll still know what you’ve written and can provide their best feedback possible. Plus, if the worst happens and the WiFi is down, you’ll still have something to read.

I’m crazy excited and/or I’m so nervous! What should I expect?

Temper your expectations. No one walks out of a writing conference with a book deal. A lucky few (read: a very well prepared and experienced writer that jives well with an agent and has a story the agent knows will get a publisher’s attention) may get an offer of representation quickly right after, but the traditional publishing world moves very slowly. All the agents are doing at a writing conference is fast-forwarding the “get to know you” part of the process when they are seriously considering offering representation to a writer (which typically happens after a full manuscript request, but doing it first saves them the time of analyzing a manuscript if the author is obviously going to be hard to work with). In exchange, you’ll get a skip-to-the-front-of-the-line pass with the agent when it comes to their query slush pile. They always pay more attention to queries that come from authors they meet at conferences, and that alone is worth the price of admission. Cold queries in the slush pile get only a few seconds of an agent’s attention because they get so many. Come with patience and understanding of the publishing industry. Getting an agent is very difficult, but also just the first step, one that millions of other aspiring writers are attempting to do. Don’t give them the agent any reason to say no to you – it only takes one for that opportunity to fizzle.

What’s the best way to approach pitching a trilogy or open-ended series?

In a word: don’t.

I wrote a blog post about this very topic because I made this mistake. When it comes to pitching your manuscript, do not pitch it as a trilogy or first in a series. That’s an immediate non-starter for agents right now, unless you’ve got a massive social media platform (which does help you skip a few gatekeepers). You want to pitch your story as a stand-alone, complete narrative. It is totally fine if it has some hooks in it for a sequel or future volumes, but don’t mention those until the agent has asked. If they’re interested, they’ll ask (because they all secretly want to uncover the next Harry Potter smash). They have to be certain the first book will sell to a publisher, and the odds are astoundingly better for debut authors if it’s a stand-alone story to start. Once the publisher asks you to do a series, then you can open the floodgates. But if during the pitch the agent asks if you have plans for a sequel or series, respond that you have ideas where those could go, but the manuscript you’re pitching is a complete story. Do not let on that you’ve already got an entire trilogy written! I made this mistake with the very first agent I pitched, and she taught me what I’ve just told you. You can intend for everything you write to be a series, but you need to pitch (and write) the first book as a stand-alone story.

I don’t have a writing group and haven’t had my writing critiqued before. What can I expect?

If you’re going to get critiqued in one of the “first 10 pages” sessions or a Gong Show type of thing, wear a thick skin, especially if you’re not used to receiving frank and unfiltered feedback. The DFW Writers’ Workshop members that serve as the critiquers at DFWCon for “first 10 pages” go to the Workshop’s read and critique meeting every single Wednesday and are unabashed surgeons when it comes to cutting open a chapter and exposing what’s rank inside. Expect 90% criticism and 10% (or less) praise. This is tough and eye-opening for aspiring writers who aren’t used to getting regular and expert feedback on their work. These reviewers aren’t trying to be mean or hyper-critical, they’re just exceptionally well-practiced at finding a story’s weak points. That said, if you stroll in with a masterpiece, they’ll be able to recognize it. Also, sign up for these early, they fill up fast.

The conference is coming in a few weeks. How should I prepare?

Do your homework. Start studying the agents now, know who you’d like to pitch to, and if you can afford it, buy pitch time with all of the ones that make sense. An agent that’s asked you for pages from a pitch is worth a hundred cold query letters. Make sure your manuscript and the agent are a good fit for age group, genre, and subject matter (check their websites, agency websites, MSWLs, social media, etc.). Check Publishers Marketplace for what the agent has been successful in selling to publishers, and make sure they haven’t sold anything recently that’s a close match to what you would be pitching. They might want stories in the same genre, but they’re only going to take one hockey players on unicorns vs. D&D nerds teen romance. If they already have that in their roster, they won’t be taking yours, no matter how good it is (but that they sold one is a good comp for you to use with a different agent – make sure you’ve read it!). Ensure your manuscript’s word count is within accepted limits for your age group and genre (you’ll find general consensus for these all over the Internet). If you’re pitching a coming-of-age middle grade book and it’s got 120k words, that’s a quick no from every agent under the sun, because that story should land between 40-50k words (which is what publishers want).  If you’re pitching genre fiction, understand the trends for your genre. Who’s selling a ton of books? What about their stories is making them popular. How does your story compare? Come with comps at the ready, agents will almost always ask for these. That question is much more about making sure you’re reading books similar to what you’re pitching and absorbing and employing the verbiage and themes and tropes that successful books are using. This tells the agent you’re doing your homework (and might be someone easier to work with – are you catching the pattern yet?).

Which classes are the best ones to go to?

Once the schedule is out, decide ahead of time what you want to attend. If you’re just starting out on your writer’s path, are new to new-ish to the craft, and haven’t received much in the way of feedback with your work, I’d advise you to lean toward the craft classes (I’ll be teaching one on Scene Structure this year at DFWCon). If you’ve cranked out a bunch of manuscripts, are regularly attending local writing groups, have been getting (and giving) feedback on writing, and have observed that your skill has improved and feel you’re ready to take the leap toward publishing, then lean toward the business classes, which can be very eye-opening to how challenging success can be, but will arm you with solid strategies to give your author career a boost. I will say that DFWCon’s business classes tend toward the traditional publishing side of publishing, and less so on the self-publishing side. There will be some self-publishing stuff, just not as much.

I suck at socializing. What do I do during meals and the evening happy hour?

I’m right there with ya. Most of the time, I would much rather curl up with my laptop and crank out a few thousand words on my WIP than attempt to forge connections with strangers (as evidenced by my stance on networking in my first conference blog post). That said, I’ve begun to approach it with the following mindset: I can curl up with my laptop and ignore the world at home. I still suck at it and it very much goes against my inner conflict (and rejection) avoidance nature. Yet, at a writing conference, you’re amidst a sea of friends and colleagues. You’ll find few places filled with people that share similar goals and interests with you. It can be immensely beneficial to develop a network of editors, artists, and other writers to call upon for advice, or beta reads, or maybe even a connection to an agent or other opportunity. Seven years ago I was a writing neophyte, just taking my first steps at the conference. Now I’m VP of Programs for the DFW Writers’ Workshop (my weekly read & critique group that also happens to run DFWCon) and I’m organizing events and group book signings and all manner of things for people in and outside the Workshop. You never know who you’ll meet or jive with, and what doors knowing that person may open for you in the future. Forge a connection with me (or someone else) at DFWCon this year and you may find an invite to a future opportunity in your inbox at some point. It costs nothing to try to meet someone new. At the very least, you can come find me and introduce yourself. I won’t bite.

And there you have it. No doubt I haven’t answered all your questions or allayed all your fears, so feel free to drop a comment below and ask away. I’ll see you at the con! M

by Matthew

A Summer of Firsts

(Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan – Photo taken by me, July 2025)

Well, happy September 2025 to you. Time for another update from yours truly. I hope you’ve weathered the heat and are heading toward a productive fall. It’s been quite the eventful summer for me, including a number of personal firsts…

  • First time in Indiana.
  • First time in Michigan.
  • First time in Japan.
  • First time seeing a Broadway show I’d already seen on Broadway.
  • First time crossing the Pacific/First time taking a flight longer than 8 hours.
  • First time taking a domestic plane flight in another country.
  • First time attending a sporting event outside of the US.
  • First time visiting an international Disney park.
  • First time visiting a Pokémon Center.
  • First time visiting a World Expo.
  • First time on a bullet train.
  • First time developing allergic dermatitis from medication (they can’t all be great).

And, a number of writing firsts…

  • First time attending a signing event outside DFW. It did not go well.
  • First time attending a multi-day signing event.
  • First time organizing my own multi-author signing event.
  • First time attending a signing event at a library.
  • First time meeting someone who had read Steelwing but hadn’t met me in person before for a signed copy (they were so excited to get Friend or Foe!).
  • First time being invited by a bookstore to a signing.
  • First time being asked by a bookstore to restock my books because they were selling well (!).
  • First time being told by a bookstore from across the Internet they were going to stock my books (!).
  • First time reordering paperback copies of Dangers to Society.
  • First time not selling any books at a signing (they can’t all be great).
  • And perhaps the one I’m most excited about, first time invited to be a speaker at DFWCon.

All that, in addition to the regular fare of summer camps, travel planning, home maintenance, car maintenance, dealing with a shoulder injury, picking out a new school for the kiddo, VP of Programs duties for my writing workshop, and just day-to-day life, means I’ve been a pretty busy puppy.

Despite the time crunch, my fledgling writing career continues to surprise and gratify. The signing events I’ve attended have been mostly great successes, and I’m slowly building my email list, which is my primary goal of these signings (that and not lose money). Get on the email list, if you haven’t already. The Local Author Crawl I organized for DFWWW was a great success, and we’re already on Half Price Books’ calendar for next year on August 24, 2026 (mark it down now!). We learned some lessons, and it’ll be an even better event next time. Indie Author Day is the next event I’m helping plan on November 15 at the Grapevine Public Library. The young lady named Felix who was practically bursting with excitement to meet me and get a signed copy of Friend or Foe totally made my summer. Mom, if you’re reading this, thanks so much for bringing her. I hope she loves it! Steelwing: Lost Dragon will be coming soon and it’s going to be incredible.

I’ve seen the first draft of Steelwing 3’s cover and it’s gonna be another banger. Can’t wait to show off the finished version. Unfortunately, due to the pace at which we’re able to get it completed, it’s quite likely Steelwing 3 won’t be coming until February or March 2026. This is far later than I hoped, but sometimes these things take time. The good news is during my trip to Japan, I managed to knock out four killer chapters, which put me past the halfway point to first draft completion. Right now, it’s looking to be about 25 chapters long and roughly 60k words (another 10% bigger than Friend or Foe which was 10% bigger than Steelwing). I’m quite excited the way the story is playing out, and there’s lots of fun in store! Steelwing 3 will take a bit of a back burner so I can wrap up the first draft of The Department of Daniel Prevention so I can have it ready to pitch and query at DFWCon, but progress will still be made. I just wrapped up another chapter today, and it’s another ending that’ll make you say, “WHAT!?”

Speaking of fun, check out my appearances page for the up-to-date list of my upcoming signings. I seem to be doing 2-3 a month right now which is a crazy pace. Haven’t worn myself out yet!

I’m also looking to start a podcast/TikTok channel in the coming weeks to talk about writing and help promote my books. I’ll probably be posting that stuff here in addition to their native locations, so stay tuned for more info.

And that’s all for now. Stay cool! M

by Matthew

Summer Dreaming

Well, gosh. It’s hot outside. Makes me long for colder climates (like Alaska, as seen in the Denali photo above I snapped from last summer’s vacation).

Any parent out there will agree that the late adolescence stage of kids is an absolute time vacuum. This past semester, my daughter was busy with at least one after-school activity every single day. Piano, Spanish language, coding, rock climbing, two volleyball teams (one that I coached), math, academic competitions, multiple theater productions, and more. All over town. Anyone familiar with DFW knows that everything is always at least half an hour from where you live, and that doesn’t account for the inevitable traffic snares. With all those obligations, compounded with play dates, sleepovers, summer vacation planning, and the usual day-to-day requirements of family life, I have found my writing time of late to be severely challenged. Plus, I’ve been planning the DFW Writers’ Workshop Local Author Crawl (coming August 16!). Unfortunately for those of you who follow my blog, that means little new content is coming out here as it’s kind of at the bottom of the totem pole. Lucky for you, I’m waiting for my car to come out of service, so I have a few captive moments to throw out an update. Here’s how my spring has gone:

Steelwing: Friend or Foe a success? While I’m super proud of the second story in Cammie’s online adventures in Illiavar, and those who have read it rave about it, SW:FOF hasn’t been a smash seller at my book signings. Certainly, I’ve sold a few, but sales of the original Steelwing has outpaced it by more than tenfold. I guess the lesson here is that folks new to a series are most likely only to buy the first book. Fair, but I way over-ordered author copies to start. I guess they’ll sell eventually.

Lessons from book signings. With the release of Friend or Foe, I scheduled a ton of book signings. I had nine over the span of seven weeks. Some of them were smash successes (thank you Barnes & Nobles), others very good days, and a tragic couple were utter voids of despair and disappointment. In all, I’ve sold around 200 books this spring, almost all entirely in person, which is a worthy sum. But I’m not selling many online, partly because…

I need reviews! Getting reviews on books is crazy important. As in, the algorithms that drive books to be shown to shoppers on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and elsewhere all gauge a suggested book’s potential to make a sale largely based on the number of reviews it has received. And to be sure, my three books have not garnered a lot of reviews. Those reviews I have received have been great, but I need more. Lots more. The magic number for Amazon is supposedly 50 reviews, so I have a long ways to go. If you have time, please leave a review for my books!

Authors beware! As writers get deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of their journey, one of the things that becomes readily apparent is the vampiric nature of the support community surrounding those who want to become published authors. There are so many people with their hands out, saying they can help authors reach great success. Some of these can be legitimate – artists and editors are capable of transforming substandard work into something worthy of the book loving community. Social media personal assistants and book festivals are great ways to get your name and book out into the world. While there are many quality representatives of these author resources, there are others that are happy to take your money and give absolutely minimal effort in return. Unfortunately, I experienced this in the form of a book festival featuring over 50 authors a few weeks ago. We were told that there were over a hundred pre-registered guests, there would be world records achieved, and it seemed like money well spent (because few book festivals do it for free). Yet over a full two-day span, a meager total of five guests visited the room to browse the books on offer. I sold exactly one book, and that was to another author. That, in exchange for a $150 table fee, plus hotel and travel costs. None of the authors left happy, and some in fact left after just one day there. The organizers kept espousing the benefits we were receiving of exposure and “getting our names out there”, but it was just sad, sad, sad. Needless to say, I will not be participating in any of their future events. I will do the kind thing and not name them here, but feel free to ask me in person about it and I will tell you all about it. The lesson here is to do your research, and maybe not do every possible book festival under the sun. Some are clearly better than others.

More signings ahead! All that said, I have a few more signing dates coming up! It is great fun to talk books with eager readers and other authors, so don’t be shy. Come on out and support the author community.

Steelwing 3 update! I am more than a third of the way into the first draft of Steelwing 3 (those of you who have reached the end of Steelwing: Friend or Foe already know what it’s called). I have also ordered the cover and character art from the amazing artist who did the first two books. I’ve paused writing this for a brief period given my limited writing time to focus on another project. I still hope to have this book finished and released before the end of 2025, but don’t have a firm release date yet.

Secret graphic novel project! I am currently working on a middle grade graphic novel called The Department of Daniel Prevention. My daughter is 10 now and all about graphic novel series like Wings of Fire, Warriors, Babysitters’ Club, and a zillion others. I was watching as she crammed down book after book at Half Price Books one day and thought to myself, “I should get in on that.” So, I dove in headfirst. I brainstormed some concepts with my daughter and have come up with something super fun that kids will absolutely love. And I’ve designed think it would work very well as an episodic series. As I have no talent for drawing, I will be attempting to get an agent for this and pursue the traditional publishing route. Click here to read my article about the daunting challenge that can be. I’ve also attempted to closely hold firm to the Pixar storytelling formula with it, so we’ll see how it turns out. The first draft of the script is halfway done at this point, and I should have a complete draft out for beta readers hopefully within a week or two. Exciting! Once it’s polished, I’ll hit the query trenches with it and pitch it to agents at DFWCon. If you’re new to writing conferences, read my article about them. Well worth the price of admission.

And that’s about it for now. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to be eligible for monthly giveaways and to stay in the know about all of my signing events and other news. Talk soon! M

by Matthew

The Adventure Continues!

My third novel, and sequel to the award-winning Steelwing, is now officially released (Apr 1, 2025)! Check out Steelwing: Friend or Foe at a book signing near you, or order from my store for signed copies, or Amazon if that’s your thing (my eBooks are exclusive to Kindle and are available on Kindle Unlimited).

Friend or Foe follows the continuing immersive, in-the-video-game adventures of 13-year-old Cammie Fields, who lives in my alma mater town of Northfield, MN. For this story, we set Cammie up against a brand new school nemesis in Anastasia Nelson, the new girl at school who’s instantly popular with her hair highlights and put-together wardrobe.

Once again, Cammie is transported into Illiavar, the video game world of Steelwing, to solve a new mystery, only this time she’ll have to do it with (and despite) Anastasia being along for the ride. The story teaches Cammie some empathy and is super-fun for young readers and video game fans of any age, and a great sequel to the original tale. It also sets up the next book in the Steelwing series, hopefully arriving before the end of 2025.

Many thanks to everyone for your support – I’ve already had several dozen copies ship to stores in the US and UK, and that was before the release day even hit. Very proud my imagination has found a way onto your bookshelves. Make some room, there’s plenty more in store!! M

by Matthew

Writus Interruptus

An Alaskan fjord filled with small icebergs and smooth blue-green water, approaching the South Sawyer Glacier.

Well, the distractions of summer have come and gone, so time for an update from yours truly as we barrel headfirst into fall. In DFW, that means football, the Texas State Fair (corndogs!), lingering summer temps (actually has been a pleasant September so far), and kids back in school.

Travel is one of humanity’s great pleasures. My family took three trips this summer: a week in New York City, fifteen days all over Alaska, and five days at the Atlantis resort in The Bahamas. Wonderful experiences, all. The photo above is from the approach to South Sawyer glacier, about a 2-hour boat ride north of Juneau. That scene was totally epic, frigid, and one of the pinnacles of summer for me. I am a cold weather critter.

This summer wasn’t a particularly productive one for me as far as writing goes. I got to experience my first bout of COVID-19, which was relatively mild, but also exactly zero fun for a few days. My kiddo’s been busy with camps from one end of Dallas to the other. And we tend to be last-minute planners on trips, so much of my limited writing time at night got redirected to trip planning/booking. Between trips was recovery, laundry, unpacking, and more packing, and driving my kiddo all over town to playdates or managing sleepovers. I made some headway with Steelwing 2 (title forthcoming!), but progressed far more once school started. I watched from afar as Dangers to Society languished on Amazon’s Kindle Vella platform with few readers. Once the 30-day the exclusivity period with Vella had lapsed (after the final episode was released), I could get going on the physical copies of D2S, so here’s that announcement:

Dangers to Society on sale October 1st, 2024!!

Here’s my store link if you’d like to preorder a signed copy directly from me. The eBook is available for preorder now on Amazon. On (or around) October 1st, the title will be available to purchase in paperback and hardcover

One of the earlier pieces of advice aspiring authors will receive is to write the story they want to read. Dangers to Society is that story for me. I greatly enjoy Steelwing, the forthcoming sequel, and the other stories I’m working on. But D2S strikes a special chord, because it is a whole bunch of things at once: fun, silly, stupid, and smart. It possesses a modicum of social commentary, but doesn’t take the message that seriously. It inspires the imagination. It makes you say – I know that place (if you’ve been to Dallas at least). It plays out on the movie screen in your mind. I have a wonderful, engaging premise to follow for the follow-up, but probably won’t open that can of worms until at least Steelwing 3 is wrapped up. Hopefully good sales will make that a harder decision – so help a brother out!

When you’re an indie author and going on your own steam, there is a lot to do. Polish the heck out of the manuscript. Have it edited. Do interior design (not terribly hard, just time consuming), cover design (or artist searching/hiring), cover templates for Amazon and Ingram Spark, project setup at both (neither of which are similar or smooth processes). The cover templates are annoyingly different and exact, and any slight deviation from their expectations can mean days of delays. There are reasons publishers take years to publish a book after they acquire it from an author.

The cover of the novel Dangers to Society by Matthew Rollins

I totally dig the cover. So orange.

And then there’s all the marketing. So much promoting, social media, the research between those, it can make your head spin. You can do as little as zero, but expect commensurate results with your marketing efforts. I’ve been patient after launching Steelwing to rely on word of mouth and do very limited social media advertising, but will work a little harder on marketing with each title released. Another recent piece of advice I’ve received is that the best advertising of your back catalogue is your newest book, so I’ve taken that to heart and attempted to keep my funnel of new projects ahead of stagnation. I expect sales of Steelwing to tick upward once Steelwing 2 comes out, and both will rise further when the third book is released in 2025. Marketing remains a challenge to me, but it’s something I’m aware I need to work on and will hit that subject harder in the months to come. Maybe I’ll even get my awkward self on TikTok (gulp).

So, with all of these “other” things to do during my limited writing time, it’s hard to keep putting out fresh word count consistently. I started writing in earnest mid 2017, and I am definitely feeling the years that have lapsed since then. Some lingering injuries (back), some new ones (tailbone), some genetic susceptibilities (neck), and a gripful of new medications have all put downward pressure on my late-night stamina. Back when I was writing the first draft Dangers to Society in 2019 and 2020, I could stay up until 2-3AM when the words were flying. Now, midnight is usually my limit. But I keep at it. My interest in writing and my stories remains keen, so I know I’m spending what free time I have doing something I love.

Building Worlds is not only the name of my blog, but my publishing company, with which I am to help authors like me get their books out into the world. At the moment it’s just my own books, but I hope to use the work I’ve done on my own as an example for what can be done with some passion and just a little bit of care and artistic gravitas. If you happen to be coming to DFWCon this year, look for me and let’s strike up a conversation!

That’s all for now. Keep writing (when you can)!

by Matthew

The Long Road of Authorship

Buckle up, writers, you’re about to go for a ride.

That’s a picture of Foss Flats Road near North Sandwich, New Hampshire. Talk about your worldbuilding!

I took this picture in October of 2012, so it’s well over a decade old. But it’s still one of my favorite photos, because while encapsulating the simple beauty of fall foliage, it is also packed full of metaphors for life. And as I stare at it, metaphors for writing and writers.

Stories are beautiful. Writing undergoes a constant state of renewal. The road is long. The road is imperfect and potentially very long. There’s a lot of debris along the way. The path is lonely and a little off-center (or is it?). The experience is often done out of the spotlight. The destination is unknown. There is light at the end of the road (or is there?). I could go on, but you get the point.

Being an author is an endless journey.

Unless your goal is to fire off one book and then close your laptop/writing journal forever without worrying if anyone’s reading it and never think about it or another story again, publishing your first tale is just the very beginning of an endless slog. Merriam-Webster gives us three definitions for slog, and they all apply to the author’s path after publishing: a hard dogged march or journey, a prolonged arduous task or effort, and hard persistent work. All are true. But first, a word from our sponsor: the traditional publishing industry.

This is a (brief) aside on the state of the traditional publishing world. In 2022, all the tea was spilt in court when the US Government succeeded with an anti-trust lawsuit to stop Penguin Random House from acquiring Simon & Schuster (a $2.2B acquisition that would have reduced the quantity of bona fide big house traditional publishers to four, down from six in the 2010s and dozens in the 1990s). During the weekslong court hearing, publishing executives revealed how only a third of new books published are profitable, and 20% of those making up 80% of the profit. Almost all of that 20% are established, name brand authors like Stephen King, Lee Child, and Brandon Sanderson. There are a few younger upstarts that have recently driven strong sales like Sarah J. Maas, Colleen Hoover, and Rebecca Yarros, but for every one of those newer authors, there are thousands whose books are picked up by a traditional publisher and never reach any real measure of success. And they never get a second book deal. Plus, for every traditionally published author, there are millions more unpublished writers out there hoping to get a chance.

Publishers are, in the PRH CEO’s words, “angel investors in our authors and their dreams, their stories”. For the uninitiated, angel investor is a venture capital term. Incredibly wealthy people invest a very small amount of money for a large stake in something, because at that moment in time, the perceived value is very low, but has at least some potential to be enormous. Back in 2016, the Harry Potter franchise was worth around $25 billion dollars. Before the Philosopher’s Stone came out (1997), a short, off-the-wall, worldbuilding-heavy middle grade story about an orphan boy being sent to wizard school had almost no perceived value. For something that so greatly impacted pop culture, JK Rowling was paid a measly $2000 advance for the first book. Talk about a return on investment!

The publisher had no idea what they were getting.

Publishers guess as to what will be successful, mostly because they don’t know and have admitted it’s more or less impossible to predict how well a debut author’s book will do. Pretty sure a decade ago, no one would have ever guessed that New Adult fantasy (which includes seriously “spicy” content, as the Internet likes to call it) would become the smash success it is today.

Sadly, because of the dynamics of capitalism, publishers focus on what they know will make them money. Those guaranteed wins get far more organizational attention. Subsequently, publishers have pushed far more of the work they used to do onto the laps of authors. Manuscripts have to be edited and revised to perfection before an agent will even touch them. Authors are expected to have a moderate-to-large social network already established. Advances for no-name authors are miniscule to zero. There are a bunch of little small presses still out there who may accept your manuscript, but the story is the same. They can only invest a little time, a spot on their website, an email to Barnes and Noble, and their name on the spine of your book for a slice of the pie. They may be a “traditional” publisher, but is that worth it considering the effort and strain it takes? What’s your return on investment there? Dubious.

But perhaps most damning of all, the marketing and PR heft of the publishing houses are hyper-focused on the already established authors they know will move books. This leaves the bulk of the marketing work to the author.

Enter the slog.

No one likes an unwelcome slog. Yet I use the term with begrudging acknowledgement here, because for some, that slog is a joy. There are actually people out there who take relish in tackling all this:

  • Researching & communicating with bookstores to get books on shelves
  • Designing, purchasing, and managing swag like bookmarks and stickers
  • Researching & booking author signings
  • Designing, purchasing, and managing online ads
  • And the biggest time sink in history, social media. All of the above are supported by your social media reach.

For me, I’d rather spend time writing stories than promoting them. I suspect that mindset is common among most writers. But, as a (currently) self-published author, 100% of my success is on my shoulders. To date, I’ve pursued marketing with limited effort and received commensurate success for it. Knowing myself, once I have another book or two published, my interest in marketing will increase. But while all of the slog belongs to self-published authors, those few lucky enough to be picked by a traditional publishing house are increasingly responsible for the vast majority of promoting their book.

Before, when a traditional publisher bought a book, everything was pretty hands-off for the author, apart from the occasional signing appearance or tour and (hopefully) collecting a check. Each book was kind of like a road trip that had a beginning (finish the story), middle (get an agent and revise) and an end (get published). Success was prescribed and defined by a fairly simple path.

Now, that journey never ends. Sure, you will write and publish more books. But the obligations of promotion of the first book through the last will forever be on your shoulders. Regardless of how your book gets published, we’re all in the same marketing boat. And because of the diminishing benefits for new authors to be traditionally published, more and more authors will set their sights on self-publishing straight from the start and skip the query trenches, because the return on time investment there is approaching infinitesimal. Making it increasingly likely that the next Harry Potter won’t be found by the Big 5.

So how does a writer know they’re having a successful writing career?

Embrace the journey of authorship as the goal.

There is no spoon. Writers who hope to nurture a lasting career can’t look at the milestone of becoming an author as a road trip with a destination. Neither self-publishing a book or being traditionally published counts as crossing the finish line. Both are almost identical paths along a side-scrolling, endless adventure full of traps and pitfalls, speed bumps, potholes, and plot holes. And marketing. Lots and lots of marketing. It only stops if you give up or get big enough to be worthy of the almighty marketing dollar of the traditional publisher. It’s the experience we’re after. Hopefully we make a few bucks along the way. Some will even earn a sustainable living.

The point is this: in this modern age of books, being a writer no longer only involves typing out words on the page. It will never be that again. As long as you accept that fact, there’s still some great scenery to enjoy.

Time to hit the (writing) road! M

by Matthew

Launch Day

Hey everyone, long time no post.

I’m back, and well, I have news. I’m an author.

Not a writer. Not an aspiring writer. An honest-to-goodness author.

It’s interesting that funny little distinction exists. I am very much the same person today as I was yesterday: slightly older, arguably wiser, perhaps in some circles more distinguished, and certainly in the case of my dermatologist, more profitable. Yet I digress.

I published a book. Steelwing, a middle grade-tween video game fantasy. It’s super fun. Got a lot of traction with literary agents with it, but ultimately none of them “fell in love” with it, as they all like to say. For some, I think the video game setting wasn’t their cup of tea. For others, maybe my writing style didn’t jive with them. Yet for all, I think the honest answer was this: “I don’t know anyone who will buy this right now.”

And by someone, we’re talking acquisition editors at a traditional publishing house. Large or small, the agents and AEs talk. So agents know what AEs are looking for. There are myriad hurdles to get past even if you get to the point where you get an agent and an acquisition editor picks up your story. But the agent’s primary concern is to filter through their slush pile for the rare gems that happen to be at least two things: decent enough writing and something they know with reasonable confidence at least one acquisition editor already wants.

So that wasn’t Steelwing. C’est la vie.

What’s a writer with a “good enough but not wanted” story to do? Do it themselves.

I got Vellum. I learned how to format the interior pages.

I scoured the internet for a cover artist that was both awesome and within my budget.

I learned the mechanisms of setup in both Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark (where bookstores and libraries get their books).

I decided to create my own business, Building Worlds Books, and become my own publisher.

And I picked a date out of the blue. Gave myself a deadline to just say it’s ready. Without that, I’m certain this process could have dragged on and on. My eye for detail is keen, and my first-born perfectionism complex is pronounced. Amazon and Ingram will let you update files after things are launched, which I’m sure will be needed. So I’ll be okay. The hardcover’s cover file hasn’t passed Amazon’s scrutiny yet, and undoubtedly there’ll be a typo or misnomer or some other textual oddity that I won’t abide existing and will want to fix. So that’s nice. But it’s out there as of today.

Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning. Now comes the marketing. And the marketing. And the marketing. I’ve gotta get better at using social media. I need to buy some ads on Amazon and Facebook. Self-publishing is definitely a pay-to-play arena.

And now that Steelwing’s book birthday has arrived, I come to the understanding that today is not crossing the finish line, but starting the race. Everything up to this point has been training. Now comes the marathon of marketing. Ads. Book signings. Getting the word out. Rinse, repeat.

Here’s where I put on the salesman hat: If you’d like a signed copy of Steelwing, head over to Building Worlds Books and click the shop link. I’m doing the fulfilment all by myself, so it will be done with love and kindness.

If you’d like a less expensive, unsigned copy, head over to Amazon (sponsored link), where I will appreciate you just as much.

I also have a book signing coming up already on Sunday, November 12th from 1:00PM-3:00PM at the Half Price Books flagship bookstore in Dallas. 5803 E NW Hwy, Dallas, TX 75231. I will have books there for sale. Come say hi!

That’s it for now. Lots more to come on how the whole process went down, what I’ve learned, and what’s in store for the future. Stay tuned! M

by Matthew

Unconventionally Conventional

There are some genre rules writers just can’t ignore. But with some creative choices, you can still create a unique story while satisfying reader expectations.

Are you a writer who wants to break free from the shackles of genre conventions? Do you want to be remembered as the one who shook up the literary world with your unabashedly unique storytelling? Well, hold your horses, because I’ve got some news for you: it’s not that simple.

As much as we love a good original story, there are some rules writers just can’t ignore. Genre fiction has certain expectations, and while adhering to a formula might seem limiting, there’s a reason those expectations exist. They work. In my previous post, I detailed why writers must be good readers. One of the most important reasons is so that we can understand the formulas that make genre fiction successful.

Fear not. Following a recipe doesn’t mean you can’t be original (insert your favorite writers-are-bakers metaphor here). In fact, some of the most memorable books in recent years have managed to be both unconventional and conventional at the same time. Let’s take a look at some examples (note, these feature affiliate links to Amazon in case you’re eager to make a purchase):

Fantasy: Naomi Novik’s “A Deadly Education“

Sure, we’ve seen the magical school trope before. A lot. But Novik takes it to a whole new level by creating a world where the school itself is trying to kill its students. It’s a fresh take on a familiar concept. There are still fantasy bread-and-butter tropes like rival factions, a slow-burn romance, historical references, and political themes, but within the killer school bounds she truly delivers on the key elements readers expect from a fantasy novel: magic, world-building, and a strong protagonist. Novik’s choice of first-person point of view blends internal monologues and snarky commentary with the overarching plot structure which adds a sense of closeness for the reader.

Sci-fi: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s “Illuminae“

Told through a series of documents and transcripts, “Illuminae” is not your average sci-fi novel. The story’s presentation as a dossier of interviews, chat logs, pictures, diagrams, and other digital files allows for an immersive experience that makes readers feel like they’re part of the action by assuming the role of the investigator after an interstellar incident. Despite the complete lack of narrative, it still hits all the right notes: spaceships (many), explosions (lots), life-or-death decisions (every turn), a gripping plot, and plenty of action. By breaking the mold of traditional narrative structure, Kaufman and Kristoff keeps things fresh while still satisfying readers’ expectations.

Romance: Jesse Sutanto’s “Well, That Was Unexpected“

Romance novels often follow a predictable formula: girl meets boy, they fall in love, they hit a bump in the road, but eventually they end up together. “Well, That Was Unexpected” manages to surprise with twists at every turn. Its rom-com staples include characters who are flawed and relatable, cringe-inducing YA awkwardness, and a storyline that’s both hilarious and heartwarming. But those staples are all set against a rich cultural immersion in Indonesia, both in place and family. It also features awesome side characters that are, at times, even more engrossing than the protagonists. Additionally, Sutanto’s use of multiple narrators, including one who isn’t involved in the central romance, adds depth and complexity to the story, making it far more than just a typical rom-com.

Thriller: Alex Michaelides’ “The Silent Patient“

A good thriller needs to keep readers on the edge of their seat, and “The Silent Patient” does just that. But Michaelides also manages to subvert expectations by flipping the narrative on its head. Instead of following the detective trying to solve the case, we’re following the patient who’s at the center of it all. It’s a clever twist that keeps readers guessing until the very end. Michaelides’ use of a non-linear narrative structure, jumping between present-day events and flashbacks to the past, adds layers of intrigue to the story, further enhancing the thriller experience.

Let’s try an exercise. I made the above photo on the AI diffusion art site Midjourney. Based on that picture alone, I will, on the fly right now, come up with an unconventional approach to the story that is represented by the thriller/supernatural/fantasy/whatever that picture is. I’ll give myself two minutes to brainstorm. Grab a pen and paper (or type it out) and come up with a query blurb with me. Here goes:

Carter Bullford’s life was completely on track. High profile corporate law gig with a prime NYC office. Aston Martin. Private island off the Keys. Gorgeous Val and stunning Katy both after his attention. But most importantly of all, the sins of his past had been completely forgotten.

A legal malpractice suit brings that all to a halt. Piece by piece, everything that he built crashes down and his life comes to ruin. Then the storm comes. Black as night clouds belch red lightning. One by one, every person in Carter’s life disappears into the storm. The city grinds to a halt with scant few left to run it. Desperate for an end, Carter finds the storm won’t claim him. When he comes across Dalia, a former colleague he screwed when he left her firm, the tatters of his world are obliterated.

Turns out, he’s not in his world, he’s in ours. For reasons forgotten, Carter had stopped trying to find a way home. Now, home has found him, his sins have reemerged, and he’s in for the trial of his life. Conviction means going home. Exoneration means exile on Earth. He’s not sure which one’s worse.

Okay, pencils down. So, that could be a hot mess, but it could be really fun. At the very least, it sounds different. What (correctly submitted to) genre agent wouldn’t at least take a peek at the first few pages? Aimed toward the sci-fi alien politics crowd, it plays like a legal procedural. Or maybe it’s for the legal procedural fans who get an emotional tale of interplanetary intrigue amidst the court battle. Don’t expect me to flesh this one out into 100k words; it’s going to the bottom of my book ideas pile. But, hopefully you get the point.

The point is, genre conventions exist for a reason. They’re the building blocks of a successful story. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be original within those constraints. In fact, by taking a well-worn trope and giving it a unique spin, you just might create something truly memorable. So fully embrace the tried and true boundaries that your genre readers love and expect, then go ahead and break them – with a scalpel.

by Matthew

Why Writers Must Read

More often than not, the first piece of advice given to aspiring writers is they need to be good readers. Let’s take a deeper dive into the reasons.

Writers must read? More often than not, the first piece of advice given to an aspiring author is they need to be good readers. On the surface, it seems like good advice, but the reasons why it is so important don’t always follow up the advice.

Hello 2023! Bit of a long pause to the blog with the holidays, couple bouts of bronchitis, ski vacation, sick fam, yada yada. But I’m back for more writing fun, and some news on two of my books (next post).

A book gives writers more than just a story.

But first, a thought on reading, as a writer. There are many facets to the sage wisdom, so let’s take a deeper dive into a few.

  1. Writers must read in their genre
    The reasons for this are pretty obvious. You need to know what’s popular. What has come before you. Where the market is saturated, and where there are opportunities to carve a niche. What’s hot (imagine anything fantasy school-related after Harry Potter, or vampires and werewolves after Twilight)? What’s overdone (those things a few years later)? If your goal is just to write a specific story, without any kind of publishing-related goals other than to just ‘put it out there’, then write the story your heart wants to write. If you aim to be a financially successful author, then you need read your genre’s tea leaves, and if not be an expert, be at least aware.
  2. Writers must read outside their genre
    Maybe a little less obvious here. Most fiction stories contain elements from multiple genres. Your historical romance might have a bit of mystery to it. Your swashbuckling space opera has a heist subplot. Your epic fantasy turns into a costumed police procedural. You need to appreciate the elements (tropes, structure, character types, etc.) that make stories in those genres successful, if you are to be successful in applying horror to your bake-sale comedy.
  3. Writers must read recent releases
    This is good advice, but especially applies to anyone hoping to be traditionally published. You need to know what agents (and publishing houses) are looking for, what’s selling, and where the market is headed. In addition to reading recent books, you have to follow up by absorbing any metadata you can find about them via sites like Publisher’s Marketplace.
  4. Writers must read debut authors
    Right next to #3 is this, and also important to those who want to find a literary agent. You need to understand (and incorporate) trends from modern publishing. Read a dozen debut novels and identify trends – how do the opening pages look? Lots of dialogue? Lots of action? How much backstory? How purple is the prose? Is the story told chronologically or out of order? If your 150k-word moose-on-skis spy thriller doesn’t conform to what publishers want right this moment from a debut author, you’re guaranteed to not get an agent’s attention.
  5. Writers must read classics
    This one, to me, is probably the least important, because we only have so much time in our day to dedicate to reading. I think an aspiring writer will get more mileage out of reading modern works simply because today’s publishers aren’t looking for Tolkien, they’re looking for VE Schwab. Read classics if it’s important to you. Do it so you’re versed in your genre’s history, but do it with the understanding that all the classics have serious flaws when looked at with a modern publisher’s lens.
  6. Writers must read for ideas
    This one is my favorite, and a great example of it struck me this week (and what kicked me in the butt to get back onto my blog). I am at present listening to the audiobook of a fantasy titled Unraveller. About a quarter of the way in, the protagonists are deep in a murky forest when one protagonist remarks (I’m paraphrasing) that she is natively able to discern the noises and nuances of the marsh far better than her companion and his ‘highland ears’. Immediately when I heard that, I thought “Wow, that is a great piece of worldbuilding.” In a single sentence, we’re educated on the protagonists’ regions of upbringing, differences in their observational abilities, and the makeup of their environment. Now, I am not advocating that you go out and copy another author’s hard work. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying your grizzled space pirate can isolate the mating calls of the Nimbus VII glow-monkeys ten clicks sooner than his alien co-pilot can.

So there you go, writers. Some great reasons to be a great reader. If anyone in your writing sphere (writing group, classes, critique partners, etc.) says they don’t think reading is important for writers, you have my emphatic endorsement to completely ignore anything they have to say.

by Matthew

No Cheat Days

Writers should write every day. Right? Eh, I have a few thoughts…

Not a picture of me. But we all make that face some days. I know I do.

If you’re not ready to write (go read my post on understanding your process), sitting at the computer or your notebook and attempting to pound out word count for the sake of word count is not the most productive thing you could do with your time. Sure, seeing those numbers go up is gratifying, but if your first time quality sucks, you’re really only creating more revising work for yourself later while wasting the “writing time” you have today on words you ultimately have to throw away.

I put “writing time” in quotes, because you can still be productive with those minutes or hours you have in your schedule, even if you’re not adding word count to your work in progress. Have a list:

Writing Things to Do When Not Actually Writing

  1. Think about your work in progress. If you pants like me, then you should be doing this on the regular, “writing time” or not. I may not have an outline written down, but I do know where my scenes and chapters are going, what the character arcs are, how the climax fits, etc. If you’re a plotter, then examine your outline, make sure the setup you had originally still fits what you’ve written down.
  2. Read. Educate yourself on the craft of writing, or just read a novel and pick it apart as you go. Identify themes, arcs, subplots, things you would improve, etc. Understanding the methods other authors use to craft stories you love can only help you do the same.
  3. Take a class. Early on in the process of writing my first manuscript, I realized I needed some training. SMU in Dallas had a great program (sadly now shuttered) called The Writer’s Path, where people from all walks of life would come together to learn from published authors and faculty about writing. I came away well-prepared. You can too!
  4. Read your own stuff. If you have an outline that you are betrothed to, make sure your writing is going to get you to the altar. If you’re pantsing, make sure the voice is appropriate for your genre and age group, and your characters’ actions are internally consistent.
  5. Revise. Here’s where some of you will disagree heartily with me about editing while writing the first draft. If you’ve read my post on process, then I’ve stated my case there. First time quality matters.
  6. Research agents. If you’re planning to enter the query trenches with your manuscript eventually, it doesn’t hurt to build your to-be-queried list as you go. There are a TON of agents out there, but only a small percentage of them are going to be interested in exactly what you wrote. You need to spend your querying time on them, and no others. Read my #1 lesson from querying.
  7. Research self-publishing. If you’re going the other route, then you’ve a lot of work ahead of you. Find your editor(s), cover artist, learn layout, research Amazon vs. everyone else, create a budget strategy, etc.
  8. Find a local writing group or critique partners. If you have those, converse with your compatriots or review their material. If you don’t make time for them, they’re unlikely to make time for you.
  9. Find a conference to attend. Better yet, find several. You can find online-only or in-person events. There are plenty to choose from. I’ve had solid success with pitches through Writing Day Workshops. Dallas has a great event in October called DFWCon. Most of these conferences aren’t free, and pitches cost even more, so mind your budget. But you can learn a lot about all facets of writing, get material reviewed, meet new writing buddies, and speak directly to agents. There is no better way to get through the slush pile than to step around it entirely. I have had *way* more interest in my stories from pitch sessions than I’ve received in responses to unsolicited queries. Way more.
  10. Social media. Use sparingly. Interacting with the writing and reading communities is great if you’re doing it to an end. Build your follower list. Make connections with critique partners or editors or artists. If you’re entertaining yourself and not much else, you could use your writing time better.

So there you have it. Lots of ways to be productive as a writer in those times when the words aren’t coming.

Get to work! M